Morning journal and courier., 1891-06-29
INDIAN RIDERS,

And the school Wherein They Learn
to Ride.
Colonel T. A. Dodge in Harper's Magazine.l
We have from all sources accurate and
consistent accounts of the extraordinary
riding of the old savage. Catlin and
Parkman and Dodge describe him fully.
A piece of buffalo robe girthed over the
pony's back stood in lieu of saddle, if
even so much was used; cord of twisted
hair dashed round its lower jaw served for
bit and bride. When hunting, in fact as
rule, the Indian wore naught but
breech cloth and moccasins-not to lay
stress on paint and feathers-and carried
buffalo skin, which he threw about his
shoulders, or let fall from about his waist.
He was often splendid specimen of man
ly strength and activity, "By-, a Mo-
hawk" exclaimed Benjamin West, when
he first beheld the Apollo Belvedere. A
heavy whip, with elk-horn handle and
knotted bulls hide lash, hung by a loop to
the Indians wrist. His bow and arrow
gave full occupation to his hands; he
must guide his pony with legs and words
alone, and rely on its intelligence and the
training he had given it to do the right
thing at the right time. Thus slenderly
equipped, this superb rider dashed into
the midst of herd of buffalo, and SO
quick was the pony and 80 strong the seat
Of his master that, despite the stampede
of the terror-stricken herd and the charges
of the enraged and wounded bulls, few
| accidents ever occurred. The Indian on
| horseback has ninety lives, not nine. His
| riding is not an art, it is nature.
The Indian has never developed sys-
tenn of training his ponies. Each man
| teaches his own to suit himself, and except
| imitation or a certain trick shown by faith
| er to son, and thus perpetuated, there was
none but individual knack in his horse
manship. The plains pony was quickly
| taught after rough and ready fashion,
| more by cruelty than kindness; in man
ner, in fact, as different from the system
of the Arabs as the fine shape of the Barb
differs from the rugged outline of the
bronco. All horses are more intelligent
than man supposes; those most with men,
or on which man most depends, most read
| lily respond to training, and the Indian
and his pony were every day and all day
| comrades Before the Indian could trade
for or steal bit, he always used the jaw
rope-or nothing. With the rope in the
left hand, he bore against the neck to turn
to one side and gave a pull to turn to the
other; or else he shifted his pony's Group
| by more or less vigorous KICK with either
| heel. When both his hands were busy he
relied entirely upon his legs and the pony
| knowledge of the business in hand; but as
every Indian digs his heels into his horses
TANKS and lashes him with the squirt at
every stride, it is hard to see how the pony
caught on to his meaning. The more
credit to the quadruped.
| The feats of the Indian Of to-day, such
! as picking objects off the ground at gal
lop, or hanging to one side of his horse,
concealed, all but an arm an leg, while he
shoots at his enemy from behind the run
ming rampant, were equally performed by
his bareback ancestor. The latter was
won't to braid his horses name into long
loop through which he could thrust his
arm to preserve his balance, but he had
not the advantage of the cantle to hold to
by his leg. The old bareback rider had
now Disappeared; it needed but short
contact with civilization to show him the
manifest advantages of bit and saddle.
| It is no wonder that the Indian rode
we'll. Before he could walk or talk, or
remember, the lad had been tied to a
horse, and no Indian can recollect the
time when he could not ride anything and
everything which came along. The boys
from twelve years up do most of the herd
ing, and in this occupation they become
familiar with every pony in the tribe. 1t
is probable that the lads have roped and
| mounted in succession every one intrusted
| to their care, and have learned its individ-
| ual qualities, while gaining in general
| horsemanship.