The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-14
COMPLEXION Ss.as ad BY H es SsTi so and

courage of this kind is to be deprecated.
i have seen but little riding here at
home, and am open to correction, but
1t appears to me that the amount of rough
riding done in these islands is very small.
The result Is that the breaking Is better.
No "horsey' reader will think this a
paradox. The best rough rider Is by no
means the best breaker. The two quail
ties are not contradictory. but rarely go
together. The reckless man, who can
ride anything will not trouble to make
a horse thoroughly quiet, but Is rather
inclined TO irritate him and get a chance
to show off his riding. Here they seem
largely to use dummy or German rid
err as 1t is called in some places, ana
l conclude this answers every purpose.
The different methods of breaking are the
same all over the world but there is one
employed in Australia which Is not seen
here. / mean breaking in a horse to sad
die couple of hours before he Is sold! /
arr not romancing, but this Is sometimes
done, and was common in the last gem
Grafton, when a man brought his colt
up to town only on the morning of the
sale. The purchaser sees the mark of the
saddle on his back and thinks Ii is all
right. The tortures of mind and body the
poor brute endures while the rough rider
is up must be awful.
Here let me say a word for my adopted
country-Australia. The only man who
can sit a real workmanike buckjump in
a plain saddle is the born Australian. lie
can even do Ii bareback. The Austral-
ians claim to be the best riders in the
world, and, at the risk of offending any
readers from South America, | venture
to say they are. They sit scientifically
Under the most embarrassing circum-
stances, and first-class rider would never
dream of doing what South Americans
sometimes do-trust to hanging on by the
spurs for a firm seat. This is surely bad
form, TO say nothing of the cruelty. |
have seen rough riders from America
thrown into every possible position on
the saddle, and satisfied II they can only
keep there by any means.
the cream of the profession will ride the
worst horse in an ordinary saddle, but /
have myself always used mechanical
helps. The 'buck-jumping saddle is the
most common. 1t has the usual knee
pads of the colonial saddle in front, only
they are larger, and come right over the
knees and cover them. There Is also d
smaller pad behind the calf Of the les.
which Is thus neld from slipping either
fore" or aft Many writer's on hunt
ing disapprove of large pads at all, as
there is some chance of strain to the
tlussh when the horse plunges, for the lex
cannot give and break the force Of the
shock. However, l shall have more conf
dence in the advice of such writer's when
/ have seen them sit buckjump without
pads 4 large surcingle Is also common
saddle and Ground outside the girth, and
is strained by a kind of double purchase
horses eonioItlons a good deal and in
terleres with his breathing 50 much that
he soon tres
/ have often used the colonial "swag"
with advantage bundle bound across
the saddle above the knees. When rough
riding ! made mine of strong iron wires,
covered with leather wrappings. This
almost holds you in the saddle. Some
riders have strong straps passed through
the "Ds' on each side Of the pommel of
the saddle and; holding on to these with
then no control over the reins, which
are, however, Of little use, once the horse
goes 70 work. Lastly, riding the colt in
soft, DOGGY ground Will make the bucks
less violent, and will exhaust him sooner.
The Maoris of New Zealand have splen-
dld method of breaking on this principle.
They ent-ce the colt ingeniously into
ground where his legs become held fast
In the thick mud, and then do what they
like with him. BY this plan he is ADMIR-
ably broken, and child can often handle
his hind legs the very first day.
The secret of riding a buck like every
other kind of riding, Is balance, but grip
his back like lightning, and with violence
enough to make your jaws crack. II Is
rather a surprise the first time. If you
can sit three bucks you are generally safe,
the first two are only prelminaries, like
tile first few balls in cricket. OF course,
the chief danger Is that Of the saddle
coming forward IL is no unheard of thing
in the colonies for a horse TO throw the
saddle over his head without undoing the
girths--jump out OF the saddle, in factl
Many people may accuse me OF drawing
on Imagination in this, but II Is not I'M
common, all the same When you sec a
man riding with strong, new crupper in
Australia, you may be sure the horse is
Australia is Justly called the home of
rough fiding, but let IL be remembered
that the only reason for this Is the want
OF hands. Colonials are only Englishmen
transplanted, and have no mysterious Sc
cret of the art, except practice. Horses
are not luxury, but must be had and
thine there Is money, as IN England (ony
more SOL and too much time cannot be
given TO training Consequently the CO.
lonial is often satisfied. and must be sat-
isiicd, II he can get an animal that will
transfer him (more or less safely from
OF the amount OF rearing In starting. and
shying or boiling on the road One some
times comes across a horse which has
received such very elementary breaking
that he will carry man without coat
on, but will throw him n he wears one.
Riding through bush Is a specially at
the Antipodes, and rs the only thing a
man not born and bred ina the country
can never learn. II requires a knowledge
OF the bush. as well as firm seat. The
buck-jumping saddle IS largely used for
riding through bush, the big pads pro-
tecting the knees from injury when going
Have ] had many bad falls2 Every kind
OF a fall there rs. but / have never been
badly hurt, though stunned many times
Some rough riders say they have never
been fairly thrown by the worst buck
Jumper, but / should prefer to reserve
my Judgment In those cases. IL the horse
throws the saddle over his head, Of course,
myself N there IS any kind Of accident
with horses that I have not had should
like to know what IL Is. When you come
Off a buck YOU do come Off-yOu have no