River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-04-26
cWILIzINo A BRONCO.
History of the Evolution OF the Cowboys


horse called the bronco" has greatly
increased in this country and in Eng
land. The bronco, as he is known in
the eastern part of the country. is
horse of the breed native to the region
of the United States west OF the one
hundredth meridian. or to the northern
part of Mexico Sometimes, when the
horse is the descendant of the wild
herds which once roamed the south
western states, it would be more proper
TO call him mustang; and il he is an
Indian pony from the northwest, the
word '.cayuse" would describe his
breed more accurately. But any horse
of the wild western breed and uncouth
shape, and having a brand upon his
flank, is properly styled a bronco in
the east.
This horse is probably the toughest.
hardest and most long-winded animal
of the horse kind in the world His
constitution in this respect is g curious
instance of the workings of the law of
evolution.
The bronco mustang or cayuse is al
most invaribly the descendant OF horses
brought TO the American continent by
the Spaniards who conquered Mexico
and countries TO the southw ard Spain.
from which the horses were brought.
had inherited some good horses from
the Moors-animals rendered hardy
and remarkably enduring by centuries
of hard riding and rough usage, in
which they had little food except what
forage they could pick up in an arid
country. Those who could not stand
this kind of life simply died early. leav-
ing the race to be perpetuated by the
harder individuals.
From Spain some of these animals
were brought to America This trans
plantation in its turn weeded ont the
weaklings In Mexico the horses found
conditions similar to those under
which they had been bred in Africa
and in Spain
They found very little to eat. and
were ridden hard. Many o. them
ridden to death. Those which were
able to stand this usage were bred
from, and a marvelously tough, long
winded race was produced.
However. all this time very little at
tention was paid to the looks of the
animals, and staying qualities" rath-
CT Nlldn opCCu MNIC GHAbtF1tCo-
time some of they went wild, and spent
their lives in competition with buffaloes
sos the grass of the plains and the
water of the streams and sinks. Their
native qualities were not lost in this
wild state, but they became small and
ugly at the same time that they became
mar selously tou, 4.
All the fine nervousness of the Arab
an horse was bred out OF them by this
process A bronco will stand sometimes
for half day without moving a hairs
breath out of his tracks, and almost
without switching his tail. They are
not ordinarily vicious, though they
sometimes resist doggedly treatment
which they are not accustomed to.
Apparently the bronco never thinks
of anything. The army men and cow
boys say that these horses will stand
anything but kindness
1t is "a fact which many eastern farm
ers have discovered who have imported
broncos for farm work on account of
their endurance, that the bronco de-
generates and becomes what horsemeD
call rank" under light usage and
abundance of food. Though he is ca
pable of extraordinary obstlnacy under
the breaking process. steady usage on
a farm will tend 70 keep MIN quite
tame and tractable.
Lately considerable expectation of
American broncos to England, where
they are converted into British ''cobs,"
chiefly for riding purposes, has been
goilg on. A London ne wspaper says
that not long ago fifty broncos arrived
in Liverpool, and were shipped to diff
ferent parts Of the country. They had
been travelling steadily twenty-threc
days, a week of which time was spent
in railway trains Then they were i'm
INJURED on the lower deck of an ocean
steamship.
They came from their railroad ride in
good condition. They were sixteen
DAYS on the water, and all this time
their condition remained good. As they
stepped ashore they seemed as we'll as
If they had sailed before the mast all
their lives. But they were inclined to
be obstinate, and the English grooms
thought they had got hold of some
hitherto unknown wild animal
When these same grooms attempted
to break them to be ridden in the
English fashion instead of in the cow
boy fashion. the broncos rebelled
violently. They 'bucked" and threw
their riders and the use of experts was
necessary to reduce them to subsection.
Then their English owners began to
try to put some flesh on their ribs This
was still more difficult process 1T
takes" says the British authority re-
ferred to, "a good deal of time and
great deal of nOurishmenG As thin
man generally eats more than fat
man, so a bronco who has been &C.
customeCs to forage for himself can eat
several times as much as a horse that
has been reared in the lap of plenty,
and he can do this without showing
any signs of having done it.
Then he begins to fill out, il fed
constantly and in large quantities To
prevent his ribs from becoming again
prominent it is necessary to confne his
exercise to small limits This has its
drawbacks, for lack of exercise makes
him think he must have it, so that
previous to sale il is necessary to ride
him hard to make him demure enough
for an English cob.
Even in that condition il is not con-
sidered safe, by good Judges 10 PICK up
either of his hind legs to examine his
hoofs.
Eventually. however, the bronco is
tanned and becomes famous cob But
a genuine western bronco, with the
brand still on his flank, his name and
tail beautifully banged" in English
style, with stout Englishman in tight
trousers and tall hat mounted on his
back, undoubtedly makes as comical
an appearance as any animal could -
Youth's Companion.
ORDIxARY beer is sold by the barrel, but
book. Notwithstanding its goat emblem, is
not disposed of by the butt--Philadeiphi
Times.
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