The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-10-13
THE MONTANA HORSES,
Washington Muz2y Points Out How the
Prices Could BE Improved.

To TIE EDITOR OF The TRIBUNE:
| presume the assessor knows how
many horses there are on the ranges of
Cascade county. At least he knows
how many the owners say there are.
which, as assessments go, is likely to be
under rather than over the actual num-
Der. What the average range horse
brings the owner when sold the owner
knows, with a natural regret that he
gets so little for horses of fair size.
Whether our horse-growers realize
why the price is Sc low and constantly
growing lower is an open ques-
ton. That the price of medium
sized ''~unbroken' range horses is very
low, is a fact; almost no price can be OBJ
tanned for them, when for size and build.
they might be valuable, if trained to
work in harness, and were trusty and
kind.
1t is IA fact that horses from 800 to
LOCO pounds weight when well matched
in temper, weight and gait, and trained
to go as one, are a more satisfactory
team at all kinds of work than heavier.
illy-matched horses as they usually are;
even at heavy draught the well-matched
and trained small horses are "a "
not to be despised; and as roadsters are
preferable, so that our muscular medium
sized range horses are not only valuable
nc RI urniYhf hrt vrupfaI ~ tHn ,o,ou.1
trade when made tame and trained to all
kinds Of work. This being so, it is an
un-business like waste of real values to
let the horses 60 at such small prices
as they now do, when u small OUTLAY of
money and we'll directed enterprise would
more than double the selling price and
create a market for them. We already
have ample ground and partly stables
school at the fair grounds now of little
use. the school to be under the man
agement of a skilled horse trainer,
who should possess knowledge and
experience enough to not only educate
the horses, but teach our cowboys, and
rse-breakers a few things besides.
The phrase breaking a horse should
be rubbed off the slate, and a more
civilized, and intelligent one substituted.
That a horse has pride and intelligence
fully equal to many of those who break
and drive them, a little observation will
quickly demonstrate. And just here is
the great trouble in tanning and bring
ing our free, hi~gh-spirited, muscular
range horses into that tractable docile
mental condition, that renders them
trusty, and what the market is loudly
calling for in an all purpose horse.
1t goes without saying that when a
person buys a horse or team they do 80
because they have need of such and
have no time or inclination to purchase
horsefiesh in the rough, so to speak, and
make his team before he can have the
use Of it.
The training school | suggest is, it
seems to me, the most feasible, cheap,
and businesslike method of securing the
full value Of range horses to their own
ers by having an experienced horse pro-
lessor, il you please, make tho horses as
to temper, weight. action, and color-the
latter being OF least importance-and
training them to step and work together,
besides teaching them all the gentle,
pleasant ways that are 30 much priced
by all lovers OF the horse-noble animal
that he is.
II the idea Of a training school for