The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-01-23
TWISTING A BRONCO. -,
How Colts Are Put Through the
Grand Merry-Go-Round.

He was a big, black beauty of a colt
and just as mean as he was handsome
'Bronc" had never been thoroughly
broken by his former owner, and wher
l first saw him he was in the hands o1
the best horse breaker in camp, who
was putting the finishing touches tc
his education
They called this pony an outlaw
afore | took a-holt of him." remarked
the broncho twister. "Shucks! Now
adays eff hoss bucks his saddle blan-
kets off'n him the boys say Outlaw
Bad broncho. Guess I'll ride that old
hoss over yonder'
I've sweated most of the ugliness
outen him a'ready," continued the
trainer. He amt got but one mean
habit left, an today I'm going to larn
him to forget 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 a wash. through
cactus and the well named cats claw:
and if the chollas pricked him, or the
curved claws of the brush snatched at
his hanks, he would throw in some fan
cy bucking for good measure as he tore
along. But turn? Never!
The trainer took his riata from the
saddle horn and tied one end of the rome
prldIe or hackamore, fastening it Sc
curely under the jaw. Then ne petted
the colt, working toward its fanks. un
til the animal allowed him to reach the
tall and fasten loop of rope in its
heavy strands.
The free end of the riata was passed
through the loop in way which would
bring the horses head and tail toqatb~
er when tiShtened, and by passing the
RATA once more through both hackaI
more and loop it was prevented from
slipping when released.
Now. fer the grand merry co
round" announced the twister. and
standing away from the colts heels he
pulled the RATA taut until the animal
was bent nearly double Keep turnin'
I'LL say you kin stop" he commanded.
ana, IN fact, the bewildered creature
was revolving like a top and painfully
learning the old lesson of his race. that
man VIII is law for the horse.
we sat in the shade of a mesnuite
"atchlng MIN for twenty minutes or so
Wheh the oroncho twister decided that
me SUN neck was sufficiently limber
When he mounted he discovered his er-
ror the frightened horse pranced and
oucked with him and finally tried 10
roll over the rider. who sprang from
the saddle just in the nick of time
But his patience was by no means ex-
lausted
Here's shore way to make 'em linn
oer' ne announced, and picking up
arge nat stone he tapped the horses
neck steadily for a few minutes hut
not with sufficient force to hurt him
he feel that purity soon an find il
'asier TO turn than brace his tender
leck agin the reins."
When the pony had been reversed
nat IS, tied head and tail on the onno-
nte slde-and allowed to rotate another |
'alf hour. he was dripping with sweat |
nd completely subdued. The bronco |
Wlster mounted and the colt allowed |
imsef to be ridden about the fiat nm
II he tangled his trailing RATA and fell
nd the rider fell on top.
NOW, We'll turn him loose an SEQ
ow he behaves hisself," remarked the
ralner, and unslinging the ropes he
gam mounted and rode the now trac-
able horse in circles and figure eirhts
'heel!ng and turning at will.
AS the trainer concluded: I'D a hnan
ather twist the critters neck with a
ope than have him break his back ard
line, too, over yonder cliff"
Which was the justification of
Bronc's' hard lesson. West Mag
gine.