Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-17
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CAPTURING WILD HORSES.
Hundreds Of Beautiful Animals Run
Wild in California.

Hundreds Of Beautiful Animals Run
Wild in California.
A well-proportioned, we'll groomed
race horse is a thing of beauty. The
finely arched neck, the glossy coat and
slender, symmetrical legs form
picture pleasing to the eye, and when
in action he never fails to create the
most intense enthusiasm. Possessing
all the beauty and speed Of the profess
sional thoroughbred, and far surpass-
ing him in their powers Of endurance,
are the wild horses which roam The
plains Of Arizona and New Mexico or
the rugged hills of Nevada. Their life
is one of freedom, subject only to the
will of nature, which may surround
them with plenteous forage or, in a
mood Of displeasure, cast their lot
amid dried-up springs or barren pas
trrage. And these creatures know
how to value their freedom. Possess
ed of the utmost keenness, both Of
sight and scent, they take flight at the
first suspicion Of danger. and with a
fieetness and surefootedness which are
the result Of their nomadic life they
pass swiftly out of the danger zone.
These untamed horses roam about
in bands, led by big stallion who acts
as their leader, directing their move
ments in time of flight and watching
over them during their quieter peri
DDS. They choose those sections Of the
country which are irregular and bro
ken, yet are accessible to the water
holes and meadows. The agility with
which they ascend the most precipi-
tous slopes is astonishing. Every fac
ulty which they possess Is trained to
act quickly and surely. They can scent
danger at a long distance and their
sight is perfect. The hoofs which know
not the feel Of iron shoes carry them
safely over the most treache 'ous
ground, and they are as difficult to ap-
proach as the czar Of Russia.
In our own state Of California we
have bands Of these wild horses, as in
stanced by recent roundup Of them
on the Modoc National Forest by the
forest rangers in cooperation with To-
cal stockmen. It Is estimated that
there are more than 400 wild horses
in this forest, and in order to get rid
Of them a rodeo was organized and
plans were made to capture as many
as possible. The result Of a four days
hunt was the capture Of more than
fifty head, Of which about half proved
to be branded stock which had grown
wild, those remaining being horses
who had never known the ownership
of man. The horses which bore brands
were turned over to their owners, and
the others were sold to pay the cost Of
the rodeo.
One of the favorite plans for captur-
ing wild horses at water holes is to al
most surround the place by a barricade
30 prepared as to look as natural as
possible. An opening Is left for the
animals to enter, and when thus cor
raled, the opening is closed before they
can escape. To successfully carry out
this scheme requires the most careful
preparation and skill and a variety Of
precautions must be observed to war
rant success. Under no circumstances
should the animals feel that a trap has
been laid for them, and the natural
appearance of the scene must be pre-
served as much as possible. OF course,
the human element enters this scheme
in the person Of the man who must
close the opening Of the corral after
the horses have entered, and this re-
quires not only skill in its perfor-
nance, but what Is more important,
some plan must be devised for destroy
ing his scent, which would act as a
warning to the animals. If the spring
is the only source Of water supply
around there, recourse Is had to ma
ture, and the hunters patiently wait
until thirst has overcome the scru-
pies of the horses and they enter In
spite of their fears. II nature cannot
be relied upon to assist craft is pitted
against suspicion and the whereabouts
Of the watchers is disguised by some
such device as this: A pit is dug near
the entrance large enough to hide two
mer and then covered up with earth and
koughs to give 1t natural appear
ance. Within this pit the watchers
take their position to await the coming
Of the horses. This device prevents the
exact whereabouts Of the men being
scented by the animals, and has often
resulted in allaying their suspicious,
and they will enter the inclosure when
they would have refused had the men
been concealed above ground.
One of the most frequent methods OF
catching wild horses, and the one pur-
sued on the Modoc forest Is to have
sufficient riders scattered along the
route of the fleeing horses, and by run
ming them at breakneck speed, with
frequent relays, wear out the wild
horses and thus easily secure their cap
ture. When the band is sighted, one
rider will show himself at a point de-
signed to cause the fleeing animals to
take a particular course, and py MS
actions and cries cause them to be
thoroughly frightened, when the horse
on which the first rider starts begins to
feel the terrible pace at which the race
is maintained, another rider relieves
him, from a point where he has been
in hiding, and so the chase is continu-
ed until the wild horses are either cap
tured or manage to escape, through
native cleverness. This method Is re-
sorted to more frequently during the
winter months, when the ground Is
hard and the horses hoofs are easily
worn down, rendering them tender.
Another method for capturig these
horses Is to walk them down. This Is
done by starting in pursuit Of band
on n horse capable Of great endurance.
At the first sight Of the horseman the
band will take flight, and, instead OF
giving rapid chase, the hunter follows
them at a fast walk, keeping always In
the direction Of the fleeing horses. BY
this steady, progress 1t will not be long
before he sights them again and by
hue O.