The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1897-09-08
BREAKING BRONCHOS.
Desperate Struggles Between the Wild
b orse and Its Trainer.

Desperate Struggles Between the Wild
b ,rse and Its Trainer.
From The day of it's birth the
bronc]io colt s,nows life as !, con-
stant battle fc,~ existence. Wolves
ana coyotes ceaselessly watch for
opportunities to tear it down, hears
and mountain lions lurk by the wa
tercourses and in the foothills to de-
your it, rattlesnalzes infest all the
good grazing lands, badgers dig
treacherous traps for its feet and
cruel droughts in summer and terri
BILE blizzards in winter assail it's life.
Ono, day in, autumn, when the
elders Of the herd are about ready
to abandon the plains and lead the
way to some sheltered valley for
winter quarters, the colt has new
and horrible experience. Mounted
men, swinging snaky coils OF rope,
surround the herd, dashing through
it to and fro as if selecting victims
The colt. finds himself the object OF
the unwelco1ne attentions. Sudden
" something tightens about his.
neck, his breathing stops, the blood
rushes to his brain and he plunges
headlong to the ground. Whom he
RECEIVERS, his logs are tied together;
he is powerless, and the man is
probably sitting on his head. Then
comes a moment Of sharp agony,
and lie is. branded for life as some
body's property. In few seconds
after that cruel indignity is put up
on him he finds his limbs FREQ and
is allowed to spring up and scamper
away. For a year OF two more he
will have nothing to apprehend.
It is the intent On the great horse
ranches of the west, where bronchos
are raised by hundreds and even
thousands, that the young animals
shall he broken when or years
old at the furthest s. But the
ranges upon which the animals are
allowed to seek their own pasturage
are of vast extent, and frequently
a little band Of horses will manage
to seclude themselves when the
spring breaking season" arrives,
SO that some Of them reach the age
Of 6 or Z years unbroken. It is often
actually impossible to conquer the
wildnoss Of such mature horses.
They will fight until exhausted.
r., +l,, noon! 7,,,r>1occ 0f 17,pn II
ing a broncho is first lassoed in a
high walled corral, thrown and
'hog tied his feet bound together
to prevent his kicking OF striking
while the saddle is being strapped
on him. A halter around his nose
rs the nearest practicable approx
nation to bride. Then he is blind
folded and allowed to rise Tht
hoodwink seems to stun him will
surprise and alarm, SO that he stands
still long enough for the breaker t.
leap into the saddle, and the blint
is at tho same instant removed.
The broncho leaps high and come
down stiff legged, with his four Tee
close together and his back arche'
like q camel's hump. He bends hi
spine down SO that it is like a eros
section Of a trough and then bows
uD with 4 sudden shoot that Woul
toss an unskillful rider fur abov
him. Again he leaps and turns hal
around in the air, leaps up and side
wise at the same time, up and fol
ward, up and backward, each tim
coming down with his legs stiff !;
posts; makes an enormous jump ant
landing on his fore feet, kicks wit
lis hind ones as if trying to reac
the sky, dashes ahead a few wi
plunges and stops suddenly and
liable at any moment to rear straig]
up and throw himself backward
catch and mash the rider ho cann'
unseat.--NeW York Herald