St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-04-18
Touon HORSES OF TEXAS.
rAsy Have . Cspaessy fer WeeA. Dat A.
Net Noted fer Amlnbu1ty.

Thsy Have . Cspaessy fer Wesk. Dat Aso
Net Noted fer Amlnblliey.
II have been making . study oS the
Texas pony au,i! his native suErouLd.
ings," said a traveller from the south
west. 81 find that tenacity Of purpose
end = certain Undesirable capacity
for getting rid # burdens he doesn't
like are his conspicuous points. 1t 10
difficult for the rider Of a newly-brok-m
Texas pony to regulate his movements
l,y any preconcerted rules for horse-
hack exercise, learned In riding schoOls
or elsewhere, owing to the creatures
sbility TO buck. The men who are hirsd
to break the colts ON the horse ranches
are paid five dollars a head.
"These two-ycar-olds are very will.
and do not appear to be comfortable.
mounts when the breaker first essays
to bride them They are deemed
broken when il can he said tnat :hey
Aave been ridden once or twice; but the
number Of yards OF miles covered In
that ride, the numbef of times the
rider has oeen thrown, and the number
of unsuccessful efforts to put bride
on the creature and place . saddle on
him arc not dwelt en-.
"The horse-breaker can bear testi-
mony to the fact that the Texas pony
occasionally knows how to use his teeth.
and has tenacious grip. The horse.
breaker II alwayr welcome ut the sheep
comps sud cattle ranches. because he
knows all about hores. There are hun
t.rells OF HOSES roaming In herds over
the hills and plains Of the Lone Star
state. They bring coed prices to the
horse dealers, though the little Texas
pony can be bought, e-en when well
broken to the buggy or wngon. for so.
and he will keep up with the biggest
of his relatives and pluckily do his share
of WORK without sagging or looking
droopy.
'The horse ranches are conducted
much utter the fashion Of the cattle
ranches. though the hon ses ere heftlc.l
more carefully, The cattle not being
herded ct all. The, colts are branded
when at . tender age, - are the young
calves, and the same care II exercised
that the brands may not be interfereL
with.
~ large bunch of horses grazing
ever the green expanse Of wide platea1
is . gO3dly sight. Their coats are las
trous in the bright sonlight, their limbs
free of movement, with the grace o. nm
trammc;ed nature. Their limbs have
never yet been taught to obey mans
l;ctation. have never been strained be-
meath an over-h~nvy burden or iucitsI
70 unwholesome speed by the sting e.
the spur. Their heads have never felt
the yoke of the headstall or their
mouths the wrench Of the lit.
''it is q sight worth seeing to watch
n herd coming down a rocky hillside IN
water ON hot midsummer day. There
il . clstter Of hoofs and jingle Of bells
as they rush down the incline, the leGd-
ers not stopping until they cool their
hot flanks half way across the stream.
the young colts prancing and kicking
up their heels, the mothers following
sedately Then tine jingle-jangle Of the
Eells cease. and the laundering boots
cre noiseless for a space as the hesd
..and quietly drinking their MI.
''The western ranchman puts bill
around his horses neck, as the people
cs the cast place bells about the necks
of their cattle. to aid in their detection
vhen at large. The intelligent animal
sometimes plays q trick ON his master.
lie get: behind some thick-growiny
s:ump Of cedar or mesquite and stan:ls
absolutely motionless. go that his bell
will not make the slightest sound. The
man in search Of him listens intently
tor the bell. He is surc that he knows
the sound Of that Eorse's bell from n
dozen others. He hears nothing and
goes much further than he anticipated,
wondering " how that precious horse
could have strayed &C far. hobbled .. he
is. All the while thst precious hors. is
i'm comfortable hiding in q cool. sha.ly
lace, no doubt enjoying tie joke. or the
thought of the long journey or task he
has escaped.
"Many horses. becoming accustomed
to the hobbies, can get over the or 11nd
snpidly and without inconvenie nee.
they raise the hnbh:ed legs high In the
cir and Jump about like a kangaroo.
When entirely grass fed. horses are fr.-
quently staked out TO Craze, especially
If their riders desire to get possession
of them at . stated hour. Occasionally
the animals get wound up in the long
rope, and arc chcked to death.
'When cowboys 60 ON . roundup or
long journey, = number OF horses a'c
r,ade to carry packs or arc driven along
with the outfit. that they may bc vt
land when wanted. The discarded
:aounts are turned loose wherever they
may happen to bc. and ar looked mp
a:terward at the owners leisure. . task
rot difficult, ~, owing to the practice
Of branding, Information regarding the
whereabouts of any animal can readily
he gained. The pi.cticei eye Of the
ranchman or c0Sboy can lssste like =
fash the brand of any horse or COW he
;,app-n; to pass.
The Texas pony is stranger to the
curry comb, and knows not the luxury
of good dressing or rubbing down,
yet-his coat is glossy and his appearance
not unkcmpt. This is probably because
he changes his quarters SO often. Hs
would bc astonished at the idea Of any
one being solicit0us as to whether he
was too warm to drink or too tired to
eat. WheE he comes to water he en-
Toys a alraught, and when he has mono
lie goes without with . cheerful philOs-
cphy. lfhe chances to take few thorns
y ith his mess of mesquite beams. ..r
prickly pears, il does not affect either
bis mind or his digestion: in fact. !
have never heard of the digestion nf
Texas pony questioned.
In the western par, of Texas there arc
mustangs. They have . great attrae-
tion for the ranch horses, and afts.' i
mustang has once been among herd.
tie men have difiit nlty in preventing
the horses from Ierdipg out in the di-
,ection the mustang disappeared. IN.
Y. Sun.
Out - . D0Blal 0oanA.
Near tho battlefield Of Marathon. II
ncA~~u~ . ~~>h,ss s<,rsr, H,nnrsnI vun1rsau nj - :