Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-02-28
WESTERN PLAINS
CAYJJSE BOASTS
NOBLE ANCESTRY
UNFLAGGING ENERGY SAID TO
BE HERITAGE FROM ARABIAN
DAMS AND sIRES

dirninuitive size and his indifferent
appearance, is said to have an illus
trious ancestry. His indomnitable
spirit and his unflagging energy
''wonderful bottom"-as Englishmen
have termed il, are said to be his
heritage from his Arabian dams and
sires.
The western range horse is descend
ed from stock brought to Mexico by
Cortez. according to accepted tradi-
ton. and the horses Of the Spanish
adventlirer we're Of the purest Arabian
blood. descended from animals that
had been kept and tended with the
utmost care
The horse meant as much to the
Arab as did the gun In Texas to
hard-pressed citizen in pioneer days.
by my troth, I think whom the
world pursues has a right to a gallant
steed," was Lord Byron's tribute to the
unatchless horseflesh Of Arabia from
whence have sprung those gallant little
sbundles Of concentrated hel' as the
cowboys have sometimes termed the
more or less unconquerable broncos
of Montana.
war Horses for Indians
The bronco furnished war horses for
the contending tribes Of red men. They
made easier the annual migrations Of
the tribes. They furnished mounts for
the semi-annual hunts and made the
conquest of the buffalo herds easier.
The bronco furnished COW ponies for
the cattlemen, diversion for the from
tier populace at frontier races-and
costly surprises for tenderfeet who
imagined that horses descended from
Kentucky racers were more than a
match for the range scrubs" being
ignorant of the fact that these Scrubs"
could boast of an ancestry that pro-
duced queens and kings Of the Asiatic
turf ages before Kentucky had ceased
to be a savage wilderness.
Friends of the bronco admit that the
wonderful desert strain has been con-
taminated or diluted through the
adoption into the wild herds Of work
mares, but hold that this dilution has
had a beneficial effect in that it has
tended to increase the size without
lessening the stamina of the bronco, a
stamina that has been one Of the won
ders of the horse world.
While the European ancestry Of the
American wild horse Is generally ac-
cepted the Investigations of Oregon
and California scientists have shown
that the horse, like the camel and the
elephant, was a prehistoric dentzen Of
the American continent.
The little eohippus ranged in the
vicinity Of The Dalles and left his
skeleton to fossilize and bear testimony
to his presence, where it is said mag
inativeIy that he sang, IT want to be
a horse, and on my middle fingernan
to run my earthly course"
But the three-toed eohippus was not
the only representative Of the horse
tribe in America. Out Of the asphalt
beds of the wiltshire has been re-
covered the skeleton of horse which
was contemporary Of the imperial ele-
phant, the -toothed tiger and the
sabre-toothed mountain lion.
This ancient animal, about the size
of a small bronco, differed from his
present day brother only IN that his
feet were smaller-the hoofs were but
little larger than silver dollar, show
ing, it Is said, that he dwelt among
the rocks-and his head larger than
the present day horse OF similar
height.
The eohippus disappeared and fol-
lowing him went also the rock climbing
horse.
Eminent writers are cited in support
Of the theory that next to birds and
small animals, horseflesh was the or
tginal meat diet Of the prehistoric
European.
In support Of this claim 1t is point
ed out that around the limestone cliffs
of France are to be found innumer-
able crudely shaped arrow and spear
points. and the bones of thousands Of
horses proof, they declare, that the
aborigines made their camps about
these cliffs, where there was an I'M
limited supply Of ammunition" and
brought thither the carcasses of the
wild horses slaughtered for food.
The horse fell easy victim to the
attack Of the primitive man. because,
it is declared, his powers we're wholly
defensive and we're chiefly those Of
flight.
Hunt wild Horses
In southern Utah, where wild horse
hunting became business many years
ago. owing TO the practice Of wild
stations stealing domesticated mares,
turned out by the farmers to Craze,
the capture Of these wild horses was
comparatively easy.
The hunters kept the horse herds
away from the waterholes and in this
manner, wore them out.
frequently the hunters killed or
CREASED" the stallion. "Creasing" IN
hunters parlance meant to fire bull
let through the fleshy covering over
the vertebrate Of the neck.
If the stallion was particularly
fine one, creasing was resorted to as
the most expeditions way Of effecting
his capture. II he happened to be
fUst the ordinary range animal he was
killed. but the capture Of the herd
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