I might say that there are two classes of this rough riding. One is
the real thing, on horses or cow ponies that are naturally bad, and
never can be broken or trained to behave. The other is on what might
be called "professional buckers." That is, horses which have trained
to try and unseat their riders as long as they are expected to do this.
I venture to say most of you have seen exhibitions of rough riding in a
wild west, traveling show, or in some _rodeo_, as an imitation round-up
is called after its Spanish title. And most of you, I believe, have
been impressed with the fact that as soon as the man got off the back
of the bucking steed the said steed became as gentle as a lamb. This
is what those that are trained to it do purposely, but it is not what a
real dyed-in-the-wool outlaw does. For he does not let up in his
attack on the man even after the latter is out of the saddle.
Perhaps some of you, at a rodeo, have seen a rider come bursting out of
the pen on the back of a rearing, bucking, leaping steed. After the
first burst two cowboys would ride up, one on either side of the
bucker, and take off, on their own stirrups or saddle the fearless
rider. And then the so-called "outlaw" would let himself be led meekly
back into the pen to be ready for the next performance, when it would
all be gone through with again.
But occasionally you may have seen one of these horses lash out
viciously with his heels, in an endeavor to kick anyone he could reach,
not even excluding his fellow steeds. This is a specimen of a real
outlaw, who never lets up in his fight against man. But few of these
horses are taken about in a traveling show. They are too dangerous.
However, the two that were fenced off in the corral at North Station
were of the real "bad" variety. They had been partly tamed, but their
tempers had been spoiled and they were really dangerous to approach.
Hence they were confined in a small space, and not allowed out.
However, cowboys are by nature reckless, and to them bucking horses are
but a source of amusement and rivalry. Each cowboy thinks he can ride
some steed no one else can mount. And for the purpose of contests or
exhibitions, to relieve the monotony of "riding range," there are
facilities for saddling and bridling these horses without danger to
those doing it.
This method consists of putting the horse in a long narrow place like a
stall in a stable, through the bars of which the boys can reach in,
throw on the saddle and tighten it. Then a rider can climb into the
saddle over the top rail of the fence and at a signal a gate can be
opened, allowing the maddened steed to rush out.
Then the fun begins.
"I'm goin' t' ride!" yelled Snake.
"Take th' big one then," advised Sam. "He ain't quite so bad as th'
other."
"I want th' meanest one!" insisted Snake, "an' if it's th' smallest
I'll ride him!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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