The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1894-09-15

OF western h1usas Soo
Colorado, where the irrlgatlag
Fitch has not yet meandered, and coase'
quently the rauchman is still absent.
There is plenty OF bafIa.c grass on these
arid pra,ries, bat crops will not gro"
without artificial application OF moisture,
hence the wild horses and the almost
equally wild cattle have still undiSputsd
possession.
The wild horse isn't the least bit like
the Texas or Indian pony. He is heavier
weighing from 500 to 1000 pounds,
while the pony weighs from 500 to 'oU
pounds; be is squarely built, oroaa
,cross the hips, strong Hnbed, high
headed and stylish, while the Indian
rony is slim, thin legged, slender IN
body, low headed and ''slouca," but
the pony is shipped East and sold' while
the wild horse is kept at home. Inere
a,e two reasons for keeping the wild
horses at home. First, the plainsnen
know when they have good thing, and,
second. a wild horse has to be broken
ey,ry time he is hitched up.
There is no use in trying to break o
wild horse so that be will stay broken;
one might as well try to teach an Indian
to wear curl papers; but these wild
horses are sure-footed, long-Wlndeo
strony.nerved saddle horses, and untlrln5
in harness. A team of these fellows,
weighing not more than nine hundred
pounds to the horse, will travel, week in
aud week out, at the rate OF 100 miles
day, drawing the driver and an ordinary
two.seated light wagon.
The method OF capturing these wild
horses is peculiar lud worthy OF descrlp-
tioa. T4ey sre not run down, but are
walked down. Each band of wild horses
has its especial range, aud woe to any
intruders from other bands. Tne range
seldom exceeds fifty niles in extent.
Those who make it their business to CAP
ture them 60 in parties OF four, with a
wagon iu which they carry provisions
for themselves, grain for their horses,
barrels of water, lariats, etc. AS sr1ie
they take with them fifteen or twenty
saddle horses in order that they may
chsuye mouats three or four times each
rwenty-four hours. They travel until
,hey discover with strong field glasses a
band OF wild horses ten or fifteen miles
distant. Then they make camp
leaving two men in charge
of the supply wagon and the extra saddle
horses. The other two then begin their
fatieuing task of walking the wild horses
down. They start toward th,ir game
bearing slightly to the right, IN order to
get them started in circle. Their o5-
iecs is to keep them circliug around the
camp within radius of twenty or thirty
miles. This is for the purpose of being
near enough to their base Of supplies to
obtssa .4sZesh horses, and to allow the
tired ones to resi-. -3}XEasn The "king" OF
the band first catches sight Of t6esa men.
he starts of at break-neck speed, the
rest following him. For few miles
they pound along in straight line an |
then begin to circle slightly. The plr-
suers manage to keep sight Of the game
sad to keep them going until they begin
to get tired aud thirsty. The riders
never rush in on them; that would spoil
sl their chances Of successful result.
Their sole object now is to keep the
game moving and prevent them from
obtaining any water or food. Surprising
as it may seem, it takes about three
weeks Of this "D-. Tanner" business to
to get the wild dhorses sufficiently starved
down to allow an approach within mile
of them. After tais point is
reached, the men can easily keep the
horses going in an ever decrease. 3 circle.
until at last they are "milling" around
within radius Of not more than fifty
yards. Now all four of the men come
into active service. They take rope, at
least five hundred feet long, aud, making
a slip loose in one end of it eight or ten
feet ir diameter, they spread this upon
the ground and drive the game over it.
One of the men pulls the rope and gener-
ally succeeds In snsring the foot OF one
of the wild horses. The rest otthe baad
are kept circling, while the man devotes
his entire attention to the shared
animal. A lasso is thrown over the cap
tlve's head aud he is cAoked down and q
chain twenty ioches long is fastened by
8 strap to one OF his forelegs in such a
way that it hobbies him. He can't make
much speed, because the chain wraps
around his other toreleg and inpedes his
progress. After the chain is attached
the horse is released and allowed to join
the band. This process Of capture and
release is repeated uatil all of the wild
horses have been chaioed.
The hunt is now over, the "gane'
captured aud raised to the dignity OF
horses in the minds Of the men. The
wa gcn is packed, team attached and
and camp broken. The nearest water
hole is sought out and pause made
tnsre until the saddle horses and the cap
tured animals have had time to recruit
tileir exhausted strength. TAe wild
horses are not allo we'd to drink all they
want at first for fear OF fouaderiag them.
They are herled carefully day and night
until they have become rested and :seuer-
My reclperated.
After this period of rest the "out6t"
is moved to the home Il au1 after
tue wild horses have worn the chains for
= month they eau be trustedin a field
surrounded bga good baroei wire fence,
provided number IF tame horses are
surned in with ther- It is great tssa
to teaca them to drink water out OF q
trough. They are frightened almost ols
Of their us u tue sight Of windmill
,r wacersank, ard at first refuse to
drink from a@y artificial receptacle. The
w.;er IS allowed to run out upon the
sColad ami the wild horses drink II
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