West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-11-21
Mr.. Howard Eaton Writes an Inter.
esting Letter in Regard TO the
Wild Horses of Montana, and
Those brought to KingwoOd

In order to reply to many inqui-
ries about the breeding and hand
ling of Montana horses, I'll draw
on your good nature and tell a little
about the band of horses recently
brought here by Mr.. W. G. Brown.
These horses came from the Gal
latin Valley, in Western Montana,
and were bred by Mr.. Gerdes, an
old settler who has lived there since
1864. / went with Mr.. Brown to
the Gallatin Valley earlyin October.
After leaving the railroad we went
to Gcrds' CLONE Ranch" where
we laid off for the night, and next
forenoon rode out to the lower horse
ranch.
At this ranch about $500 horses
were running, and the boys were all
there, branding colts and catching
geldings./ The ranch buildings are
of logs with dirt roofs, and consist
of a large cook house and smaller
shack, or cabin for sleeping in.
Six corrals of various sizes. but
all joined together, are on a little
fat one hundred yards away, and
the stables where stations and sad
die horses are kept, are back of the
ram pasture, where the boys sleep.
We saw t~hirty-five or forty stations
that had cost from 5000 down
as low as $500. The $500 stations
had been bought as yearllng colts,
and were all fine animals. Mr..
Brown examined the stations care
fully, and informed me that the
poorest averaged up well with the
best stations here, while the finest
was farahcad of anythingin Preston
county, or Che thought) in West
Virginia.
1t was too late in the day to bring
in any horses from the pastures, so
we loafed about until bedtime, and
then rolled in for an cold Regular
as the cowboys call it and slept UNI
Til 4:3O a. IN.
After a square meal the boys rode
out through the pastures and drove
in about 1900 head of stock horses
and c~orralled them. We spent sew
eral hours looking through the
herd-neycr did ! see horses so free
OF all blemishes, no splints, curbs,
spayins, ringoones or windgalls
were to be found, The horses were
all of good coIors. / tried to get q
few nice plntoa, or calico horses as
they arc called here, but only found
two, and they didn't fill the bill.
Bays, s%orrels, blacks, u few roans
and some greys made up the herd.
These horses, though in fair condi-
ton, ere not fat. Three dry years
had burnt the country so that a
goat could hardly live on 100 acres.
Ar. Brown said rightly that ten
acres i'm the Bad Lands of Dakota
had more feed on than 10, 900 in
the Gallatin Valley.
In 1871 Mr.. Gerdes brought from
California, 600 selected Spanish
mares. The following winter was
so severe that over 400 head died, so
instead Of buying twelve fair stall
ions, Gordes spent the price of them
in buying four fae stations and
from that, has continued to add the
best blood to his herd.
This brand of horses are noted
through Montana as being number
one cow horses, by which we mean
that they arc strong enough to
carry a man and saddle weighing
from 200 to $50, tough enough to
do so all day, quick enough to turn
on a barrel head, or nearly so, and
intelligent enough to understand
when the rider wishes to separate
from The herd any particular steer
or cow. and follow it through the
herd unaided by his guiding reins,
until the animal is cut out of the
bunch, which may contain from 200
to 5000 head.
In order to get the best results
Gerdes used only horses Of noted
running on trotting strains, and
until last year he has held to this
ruic, but viii now divide his herd
and put Percberon and Clydesdalc
stations with part of them.
The mustang i'm the first cross has
been so thoroughly bred out, that