The San Francisco call., 1909-02-28
B Busting . the Wild Horse

Quirt will signal the start. The cinch
binds the mustang most uncomfortably;
up back of his ears he sees a big NOV
ing thing that weighs heavily on his
back-what does he do2 Just what you
or I would do-he tries to rid himself
of 1T in the best way he knows. He
pops down his head, gives a mighty
lurch, at the same time r1gidly arching
his back. Both you and the horse are
high in the air now; next moment the
"bronc" hits the ground with his legs
straight and stiff. AT this moment your
spinal column feels as though it had
been struck by a pile driver. Imme-
diately he again hurls himself upward
now perhaps to the right, next time to
the left. possibly changing ends" and
going in a direction exactly opposite
that Of the moment before.
If you are novice, it's all overall
but rubbing the bruised spots, brushing
off the dust and meekly requesting the
boys to catch your horse But if you
have been there before, and know how
just as he made that first leap you
raised your heavy quirt and as he de-
scended you brought it down across his
nose with all your strength, and when
he jumped the second time you stung
him again and again. The long rows
of parallel scratches across his shoul-
ders and fanks and an occasional drop
of blood show that your spurs have not
been idle. This is contest for su-
premacy which is now being fought
Only one can whit must soon be de-
cided-you or your horse must be the
victor. Whip, spur and voice have
called for action. That action by its
very violence has brought fatigue. often
at this point the mustang in an endeav-
or to regain his breath or conserve his
strength momentarily ceases his buck
ing and trots few steps around the
corral Instantly the roughness ceases.
the riders hand lowers and scratches
the withers of the bronco. A few min
utes riding around at a trot and the
first lesson is ended. Look out now as
you dismount, for with defeat comes a
certain amount of hate Gather your
near rein short, grab also a handful of
name, place your toe so the foot can be
quickly drawn from the stirrup, swing
yourself out and as far forward as his
front feet, for he is almost sure to try
to kick you when he sees you dismount.
There has been no attempt to teach
the horse to rein-he has merely been
shown the uselessness of a struggle
tomorrow we will pull him around by
the bit. gently or forcibly. The third
day we will take a short ride The
mustang is 'bronc" no longer; he is
now a ''snaf11e bit colt"
mustangs vary In disposition and
temperament as much as humans. With
those showing intelligence and tracta-
bility less violent method is pursued.
Instead of catching them by the front
feet and throwing them roughly to the
ground they are "lassed" by the neck
and approached with the utmost eau
ton. With extreme care and patience
the buster walks toward the fright
ened horse. who tremblingly awaits the
coming of his captor. AS you gently
touch the extended nose with your out
stretched hand the horse tugs at the
rope and tries to get away Firm
ness is now used and he is restrained;
again the advance is made with the
hand, and soon the mustang. will re-
ceive instead of reject the approaches.
Beginning at the nose the hand eau
tiously rubs him under the jowls,
where the woodticks lodge, and back
of his ears, in those little places he
himself can not rub. Now a halter is
produced, and, after being allowed to
smell 1t. with a little effort and per
severance it is fastened upon his head.
Drag him to post or tree tic him
firmly, and beat him-not with a club
or whip, but with q sack or blanket;
beat him over the head, around the
legs, across his back and loins-aIl over.
He will lunge forward, pull back, kick
at and try to strike the cloth; but
continue to flick him with it; now
across his face, now on his legs He
is beginning to find out that his strug-
giles are of no avail, and that this cloth
he feared so much has not harmed him.
in fact. it rubs him so gently that he
likes it. Unite him from the post, give
a few firm tugs on the lead rope and
you will find that your horse follows.
Also you will see he no longer fears
You. He is now ready for the saddle.
No horse can be called broken unless
ne viii stand perfectly still while be-
ing saddled and mounted. At first this
Is done either with the use of a blind
by hobbling the front feet, or by tying
up one hind foot.
Naturally we find all sorts of natures
and dispositions among the horses we
break Occasionally one will be so in
herently mean that it is impossible to
domesticate him; others sulk and some
times one will fight to such an extent
that he units himself for service even
If given a long time to recuperate
However, l find that many persons en-
tertain the erroneous idea that every
mustang is mean and vicious-bucking
whenever he has an opportunity or suf
ficient strength. 1t is a well known
rule among "mustangers' that the wild
est horses break the easiest, the awc
and fear they have of man overmas-
tering them TO such an extent that
they give, up quickly after the first
violent battle With proper care and a.
little kind treatment these same wild
horses not only become tractabIe but
often truly companionabIe.