Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-14
WILD HORSES IN COLORADO.
:9T n b.
Large Herds Of Them Within Forty
49, ,sss.+5 sGa.g Miles Of Denver. ae!i

From the Denver Post.
Wild horses are becoming a nuisance to
the ranchmen and cattle owners whose
herds feed on the ranges OF low hills and
small valleys in the mountain ranges west
of Morrison. This statement may sound
odd to the casual reader, as the general
opinion is that wild horses are practically
extinct in the west almost as scarce, IN
deed. as buffaoes. But 1t is true that there
are large herds of wild horses ir the state,
and the herds increasing at rate
alarming to small owners of stock. who
look upon them as serious depredators or
the grazing grounds their cattle roam:
a large number of these are the native
wild plains horses that the earliest emf
grants found grazing in boundless bands
on the prairies. They were rendered prac-
tcally extinct later, and were scattered
and became SO shy that they were rarely
seen. But of late years they have vastly
Increased. owing to one cause that operat-
ed doubly to aid them. that Is. the great
decrease in the value of horses. Ranchmen
and horse dealers ceased to hunt them. 10
walk them down. corral them. and ship
them east. for they became OF so little
value that their price in the market hardly
paid their freight. For this reason tney
have not been molested for some time.
Further. many owners of large herds OF
domestic horses that were allowed to roam
the ranges al random paid little attention
declined, many even abandoning them ana
no longer rounding them up for branding.
Many of these herds have become as wiz
as their wild brethren and have been
adopted by them. In this way the bands
of horses originally wild have been largely
increased by horses from domestic STOCK
The two combined are growing so rapidly
that they are becoming serious drawbacks
to the cattle owners.
These bands show all the instincts or
other wild animals whose original home
was the plains. AS the elk, deer and buf-
falo were forced to abandon the plains 10
escape from hunters. SO were the bands OF
wild horses. = And the .latter-day stock Is
now in the deeD canons and inaccessible
Businesses Of the mountains They some
times venture into thee plains. but do so
cautiously and usually only in winter,
when the heavy SHOWS 9shroud the noun
tains and 1t is difficult for them to gain a
livelihood there. They drift down through
the canons and out into the plains. On
the plains they readily find plenty Of food.
for however deep the snow Ii Is always an
easy matter for them to find some hillside
that the wind has swept clean. There they
find the wild grasses ready cured for them.
Then, too. they scrape aside the snow with
their hoofs when it is not too deep and
find the dried grass underneath
During the winter. they drift as far east
and north as the huttes oaf western Ne
| braska. With the return. Of, spring they go
west and usually south again to the noun
tans. They arrive about TIE time the pas
lures Oh the Nils an0snl0uptaln NaieyS are
getting sweet and waB grown. They Craze
in these portions until disturbed. gradually
spring progresses. III -
Numerous ranchmenoinIthk valley of Bear
creek have met withIbsn5s of these wild
creatures in the last three years and have
noted the increase In their numbers. Sew
eral hunts have been Inadsfin the last two
or three years to drive the dtorSes from the
grazing grounds, Wien started they in
variabiy leave for the country adjacent to
West Beaver creek. back of Morrison. which
is rough and broken and furpishes any num-
Der of avenues of escaperthrough the rough
canons
Ranchmen in the nae:giibdrhood who have
had occasion TO hunt them son their ranges
have observed that they have complete
system OF gang or baud laws. The leader
is always some powerful stallion, who. by
his strength, courage and sagacty has
proved himself worthy leader. He is al
ways in the lead when the herd travels.
When they are grazing he selects the high
est knoll In the vicinity and stands guard.
He is rarely caught uhawares. and always
selects a graz ng ground where all direc-
proach of foes. -
These horses are of a peculiar build and
color. They are much better bred az a
rule. than the plains horses-from a mixture
or several good strains. Among the diff
ferent bloOds that have been infused into
the Wild horse by their mingiinE with the
domesticated animals is: the Cleveland bay
and Hambletonian. A number of full
biooded Cleveland bay stud colts, with their
dams. have in the last few years been lost
By ranchmen of the vicinity. and it Is rea-