The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-27

N'"Nh' II 10 rather surprise the liel
time. II you can sit three bucks you
are generally safe; the first two are
only prellminaries, like the first few
balls in cricket, OF course, the chief
danger is that of the saddle coming for
ward; 1t is no unheard of thing in the
colonies for horse to throw the saddle
over his head without undoing the
strths-jump out of the saddle, in fact!
Many people may accuse me of draw
ing on Imagination in this, but it is no;
uncommon, all the same, When you
see man riding with a strong, new
clupper in Australia, you may be sure
the horse is young one.
Australia is justly called the home OF
rough riding, but let it be remembered
that the only reason for this is the
want of hands. Colonials are only
Englishmen transplanted, and have nc
mysterious secret of the art, except
practice. Horses are not a luxury but
must be had, and time there is money
as in England (only more so), and toe
much time cannot be given to training
Consequently, the colonial is often sat
isfied, if he can get an animal that will
transfer him (more or less Safely from
one given point to another, irrespective
of the amount of rearing in starting
and shying or boiling on the road. One
sometimes comes across a horse Whicr
has received such very elementary
breaking that he will carry man With
out coat on, but will throw him il he
wears one,
Riding through bush is a speciality al
The Antipodes, and is the only thing q
man not born and bred in the country
can never learn. 1t requires a knoWi
edge of the bush, as we'll as firm seat
The buck-jumping saddle is Target,
used for riding through bush, the biz
pads protecting the knees from injury
when going fast,
Have had many bad falls? Every
kind of fall there is, but I have never
been badly hurt, though stunned many
times. Some rough riders say the,
have never been fairly thrown by the
worst huck-jumper, but / should prefer
to reserve my judgment in those cases
Ii the horse throws the saddle over his
head of course the best rider viii
come unglued" For myself, if there
|
have not had I should like to know
What it is. When you come off a bucy
| you do come off-you have no doub
about it. | have, as a rule, been too
much stunned when thrown this way
| to remember many particulars, bu
spectators have told me that I was
more ike an arrow coming from boa
NAN anything else. | have also beei
bucked off and come down again BY
some chance on the horses back This
IS like the child's game of cup and bail
hut too realistic to be at the time en-
loyable. One sees inexperienced rider.
when hunting perform the same feat
OF the recklessness of colonial riders
much might be told. but it is a painful
subject A timid animal like the horse
must suffer agonies of fear wha.
/ knocked about by some breakers Til.
leader may remember an adventurou.
character of Rolf Boldrewood's, who's;
four-in-hand team seemed to have re-
ceiVed such rudimentary breaking as t;
| excite questioning on the part of his
companions. oh, it's all right; two D
them have been in harness before some
where, aud we can break in the other;
Oh our way down" was his reassurine
reply when they inquired about theil
capabilities. But hands are gettins
more plentiful in the colonies, anl
there is not tenth part of the rough
riding now.
AS calling, rough riding can hardl,
| ne considered profitable Ten shilling.
IS the charge for backing horse, anc
thirty shillngs generally for breaking
MIN to saddle. On colonial stations
every man is his own breaker, and Il Il
only on the biggest runs that a profaa
slonal rough rider is kept. On suel
farms it is fine sight to see a mob e
one hundred horses gallop past togeth
| en-
The only way the business can i,
made to pay is by buying up yaunt
hcrses in the rough and breaking then
! in for sale. A man who spots them II
this way is called rough spotto;,
and it requires the greatest skill a.
one must be guided by diagnosis alone
having no opportunity to try the colt
even OF the best judges only one ma,
III a hundred will do it successfully
J. he most experienced may make a mis-
take in the colts points, for we n
know the old maxim-They run well /,
al Shapes. London Field