The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-30
"CREAcIyG" A MUSTANG
SKILL DISPLAYED BY TEXAS MARKS
MEN IN CAPTURING WILD HORSES.

IT Hill. who for many years has been
engaged in cattle raising In Texas and the
Indian territory remarked to reporter
the other day In the early days OF the
cattle business In Texas. from 1857 to
1860 tho ranges were overrun by bands
of wild horses These animals were
great nuisance as they would get mixed
with our loose horses and run them oil
when any one approached. As rule they
were rough. Ill shaped set Of beasts. and
almost untamabIe. so that few attempts
were ever made to catch them. II being
considered best to shoot them on sight
and thus get rid of a disturbing influence
In our horse herds Sometimes. however.
really fne animal would be seen and the
ranchmen would try hard to secure it
But the ordinary mode Of capture. lasso
ing could seldom be used against wild
horses. and these beasts were very shy
and even poor horse carrying no weight,
could outstrip very fine animal with
man on his back have chased wild
horses 100 times and have become thor.
oughly convinced Of tho truth of the
English racing saying that the weight OF
n stable key will win or lose race.
NOVEL METHOD OF CAPTURE
In this extremity the Texans used to
resort To G. means OF capturing the hor'es
which is. believe. exclusively American
II WAS discovered. | do not know how
that blow upon particular sinew in
horses neck, located just above where the
spine Joins the skull. would paralyze the
animal temporarily without doing 1t any
permanent injury In those days the
Texans were nearly without exception
fine shots. and at short range could send
a rife ball with phenomenal accuracy
The horses could not be approached eX
cept on foot. and 1t was impossible to
catch them on horseback But. not to be
overcome by any such difficulties, the
COWBOYS discovered n way to capture
them Taking his ride. hunter would
crawl through the thick chaparTal until
within Gfty or sixty yards OF tue horse he
desired TO secure Thea. taking careful
aim he would endeavor to send bullet
through the top of the neck so a to strike
the siuew When this was properly done
the horse would fall a. if struck by light
ning and remain insensibe for ten or iif
teen miHutes recovering completely III an
hour or two. with no worse injury than Il
slight wound in the back OF the neck that
soon healed OF course many bullets went
a,t,ny and hundreds of horses were Killed
but a rood shot would secure about one
horse in three that he attempted to
crease. "a this mode Of capture was
called
The large calibre rifles commonly In
use were not adapted to this peculiar mode
of bunting. as If they touched the sine"
they were sure To break it, and the
wounds the II or - calibre balls inflicted
were too severe The weapon universally
employed in creasing mustangs was the
Old Hawkins rife. which carried bullet
not much larger than pea. had set
trigger and required but a small charge OF
powder These weapons were wonder
fully accurate up 10 100 yards but III
aicted triiling wound. and the bullet
was likely to take a course through soit
flesh around any hard object. instead Of
tearing through it. as n larger ball pro
PEELED by a hea~er charge of powder
would do Hundreds Of mustangs. al
WAYS the best ANIMALS In the herd. used
to be creased every year. and this prac
tice was kept up Uati the herds had en-
tirely disappeared
NOT or MUCH Use
Some OF the ht>ses thus secured were
gerry tough and fleet animals, but few
were of any practical use Nearly all
wore stations a. a wild mare that was
good for anything was seldom seen, and
the captured horses we're nearly. without
exception irreclaimably vicious even
when Judged from the Texas standpoint
Even when broken to the saddle they
could only DC ridden by the very best
horsemen. and were always on the look
ont 10 do their riders an injury Strange
To saw. they seldom tried to kick. but a
man had to be continually on the lookout
for their fore feet and teeth. They only
used their hind feet when man was
about to mount. but nearly every one OF
them had a trick of kicking forward as
soon AS the rider put his foot in the stir
rup and unless he was wary be would re
/ ceive a terrible blow on the leg
Il used 10 own horse that, believe
could scratch himself between the ears
with his hind foot. his hind leg being ap
parently made Of Indie rubber The III
staut he felt a foot in the sslrrup his hind
boot would come forward with the speed
/ of lighting In the attempt to inflict q
most vicious kick gave up mounting
him IN the usual way. and always used Il
vault into the saddle without touching
the stirrups a feat easily enough per
formed in my younger days. although
wonlo have some difficulty In doing il
NOW used to like to ride wild horses
/ bat after oue OF two narrow escapes from
their deadly fore feet which they woulc
nse If man carelcss'y stood in front o.
them gave it up and stuck TO the tame
stock st Louis Post Dispatch