Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-03
TWISTING A BRONCO.
How Colts Are Put Through the Grand
Merry Go Round.

He was a big black beauty Of colt,
and lust as mean as he was hand
some. "Bronc" had never heen thor
oughly broken by his former owner,
and when 1 first saw him he was in
the hands of the best horse breaker in
camp, who was putting the finishing
touches to his education.
"They called this pony a outlaw
afore l took a-holt of him." remark
ed the bronco twister. "Shucks! Now
adays eff hoss bucks his saddle
blankets off'n him the boys say Out
law! Bad bronco. GIess I'll ride
that old hoss over yonder.'
i've sweated most of the uglness
outen him Already" continued the
trainer. He amt got but one mean
habit left, an today I'm going to larn
him to fergit it,"
The mean habit referred to was
this-when "Bronc" decided to go
straight ahead, he'd go! Over rocks
and down the steep banks Of wash,
through cactus and the we'll named
cats claw; and if the chollas pricked
him, or the curved claws of the brush
snatched at his fianks, he would throw
in some fancy bucking for. good meas
ure as he tore along. But turn?
Never.
The trainer took his RATA from the
saddle horn and tied one end to the
rope bride or hackamore, fastening
it securely under the jaw. Then he
petted the colt, working toward its
flanks, until the animal allowed him
to reach the tail and fasten a loop of
rope in its heavy strands.
The free end Of the RATA was pass
ed through the loop in way which
would bring the horses head and tail
together when tightened, and by pass
ing the RATA once more through both
hackamore and loop it was prevented
from Slipping when released.
"Now, fer the grand merry go
round!" announced the twister, and
standing away from the colts heels he
pulled the RATA taut until the animal
was bent nearly double. Keep turn
in till / say you kin stop" he COM
manded, and in fact the bewildered
creature was revolving like top and
painfully learning the old lesson of
his race that mans will is law for the
horse.
We sat in the shade of a mesquite,
watching him for twenty minutes or
so when the bronco twister decided
that the stiff neck was sufficiently
timber. When he mounted he dis
covered his error; the frightened
horse pranced and bucked with him
and finally tried to roll over the rider,
who sprang from the saddle just in
the nick Of time.
But his patience was by no means
exhausted.
Here's shore way to make 'em
limber," he announced, and picking
up large fiat stone he tapped the
horses neck for a few minutes stead
lily, but not with sufficient force to
hurt him. He'll feel that perty soon
an find it easier to turn than brace
his tender neck agin the reins."
When the pony had been reversed
that is, tied head and tail on the op-
posite side-and allowed to rotate an
other half hour, he was dripping with
sweat and completely subdued. The
bronco twister mounted and the colt
allowed himself to be ridden about
the fiat until he tangled in his trail
ing RATA and fell, the rider still on
top.
Now, we'1l turn him loose an see
how he behaves himself" remarked
the trainer, and unslinging the ropes
he again mounted and rode the now
tractable horse in circles and figure
eights, wheeling and turning at will.
AS the training concluded. I'D a
heap sooner twis this critters neck
with a rope than have him break his
back an mine too over yonder cliff"
Which was the justification of
"Bronc's" hard lesson.-Out West.