The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-28
By NJ. E. PLAssMANN

~ UR GREAT western ranges furnished |
subsistence for other domestic ami /
~ mails besides cattle. Probably the
first Of thees weer horses, brought
here by the Spaniards. An expedition
that went from New Mexico to the Mis-
souri,, took with them horses, both mares
and stations. Numbers of these escaped
to become the progenitors Of the wild
horses found on the plains by our early
explorers.
Until the introduction Of horses into
this region, Indians followed game afoot,
utilizing dogs as their beasts of burden.
They carried packs and drew travois,
and this use Of dogs continued until of
late. have sen dogs belonging to Pie
ganS fitted out with miniature travois
draw what must have ben heavy loads
for such small animals.
Although Coronado says the Indians
he saw in New Mexico, the Texas Pan
handle, and Kansas, did not have horses
in 1545, and expressed great surprise at
seeing them, it did not take them long
to tame some Of the wild horses for rid
ing, and to aid in the transportation Of
their few belongings from place to place
The Indians who owned horses were
| in far better condition to wage war or
to hunt than other tribes who still went
| afoot, fact these some other tribes
were not slow in discovering. They, too,
must have horses. If they could not buy
/ gained, horses rapidly found their way
/ northward, and their possession consti-
tuted the wealth of the red man. They
! were used in love as well as in war. Those
who are familiar with Indian customs,
/ tell us that If an Indian "a-Wooing
went," he fastened a horse at the tepee
which sheltered his beloved. Should this
proffered gift find acceptance, it was
equivalent to an engagement or mar
riage, after few more ponies, robes, etc.,
had ben given to the maiden's father.
Many persons believe the wild horses
are Of Arabian blood. This prevailing
opinion finds its origin in the SuppoS1-
ton that the wild horses Of the range
are descendants of Spanish horses. The
i SpantardS conquered the Moors; the
Moors undoubtedly owned Arab steeds,
therefore the mustang has a strain OF
that famed breed, they reasoned: Un-
fortunately, this theory is overthrown
on learning that Spain has never been
noted for its fine horses, and If it were
there i snothing to prove the best came
over with the Spanish conquerors. Says
VIII G. Barnes Of the mustang:
'Mustanging' was like trout fishing
} 1t is always the big ones that get away
When you did get a bunch of them into
corral you found they did not look
half so large and handsome as Wher
they were first sighted on the prairie
5 The coal-black stallion with archins
5 ueCks ana Gazl anu name OraBBlQB bne
! ground which led the band, was thS
= Flying Dutchman' of the plains. True
there was in later days an occasiona
large, wel1-built, well-bred horse seer
among the mustangs, but when captured
it always turned out to be an escap' los
from some stockman's herd or traveller
team, generally well branded and sad
die and harness marked. The void horse
Of the present day are not mustangs a
all but merely well-bred horses that hav
been allowed to get away from thei
owners through poor range handling o
lost from pastures or wagon trains"
Thi swas true of the wild horses O
1913, when Mr.. Barnes book was pub
lished. Our present wild horses that ar
being rounded up for the slaughte
house, are animals which have gone int
the discard with the coming Of the auto
mobile. These wild horses bear ltttl
resemblance t. othe mustang. The bes
horses owned by the Indians were som
of them eIl-bred, for white men brough
good horses into the country, but wei
not always able to protect them froI
such sk1llfu horse thieves as the Indian
Some tribes, notably the Nez Perce
were noted for their fine horses as til
Crows were quick to discover, and bein
the foremost Of Montana horse thieve
this tribe made frequent Journey acro'
the mountains to bring back these COY
eted animals to the Yellowstone countr
A white man has written Of one
these raids, when he went with q ban