HORSE OUTFITS
[Sidenote: Riding Saddles]
WE have now finished the detailing of your wear and food. There remains
still the problem of how you and it are to be transported. You may
travel through the wilderness by land or by water. In the former case
you will either go afoot or on horseback; in the latter you will use a
canoe. Let us now consider in detail the equipments necessary for these
different sorts of travel.
You will find the Mexican or cowboy saddle the only really handy riding
saddle. I am fully aware of the merits of the McClellan and army
saddles, but they lack what seems to me one absolute essential, and that
is the pommel or horn. By wrapping your rope about the latter you can
lead reluctant horses, pull firewood to camp, extract bogged animals,
and rope shy stock. Without it you are practically helpless in such
circumstances. The only advantage claimed for the army saddle is its
lightness. The difference in weight between it and the cowboy saddle
need not be so marked as is ordinarily the case. A stock saddle, used
daily in roping heavy cows, weighs quite properly from thirty-five to
fifty pounds. The same saddle, of lighter leather throughout, made by a
conscientious man, need weigh but twenty-five or thirty, and will still
be strong and durable enough for all ordinary use. My own weighs but
twenty-five pounds, and has seen some very hard service.
[Illustration: _Sawbuck Saddle._]
[Illustration: _Riding Saddle._]
[Sidenote: Stirrups]
The stirrup leathers are best double, and should be laced, never
buckled. In fact the logic of a wilderness saddle should be that it can
be mended in any part with thongs. The stirrups themselves should have
light hood tapaderos, or coverings. They will help in tearing through
brush, will protect your toes, and will keep your feet dry in case of
rain. I prefer the round rather than the square skirts.
[Sidenote: Cinches]
In a cow country you will hear many and heated discussions over the
relative merits of the single broad cinch crossing rather far back; and
the double cinches, one just behind the shoulder and the other on the
curve of the belly. The double cinch is universally used by Wyoming and
Arizona cowmen; and the "center fire" by Californians and Mexicans--and
both with equally heated partisanship. Certainly as it would be
difficult to say which are the better horsemen, so it would be unwise to
attempt here a dogmatic settlement of the controversy.
[Illustration: _Proper Way of Arranging Straps on Holster and Saddle._]
[Illustration: _Saddle Holster--Usual Arrangement of Straps._]
[Sidenote: How to Attach the Cinch]
For ordinary mountain travel, however, I think there can be no doubt
that the double cinch is the better. It is less likely to slip forward
or back on steep hills; it need not be so tightly cinched as the "center
fire," and can be adjusted, according to which you draw the tighter,
for up or down hill. The front cinch should be made of hair. I have
found that the usual cord cinches are apt to wear sores just back of the
shoulder. Webbing makes a good back cinch. The handiest rig for
attaching them is that used by the Texan and Wyoming cowmen. It is a
heavy oiled latigo strap, punched with buckle holes, passing through a
cinch ring supplied with a large buckle tongue. You can reach over and
pull it up a hole or so without dismounting. It differs from an ordinary
buckle only in that, in case the rig breaks, the strap can still be
fastened like an ordinary latigo in the diamond knot.
[Sidenote: Saddle Bags and Saddle Blankets]
On the right-hand side of your pommel will be a strap and buckle for
your riata. A pair of detachable leather saddle bags are handy. The
saddle blanket should be thick and of first quality; and should be
surmounted by a "corona" to prevent wrinkling under the slight movement
of the saddle.
[Sidenote: Quirts]
A heavy quirt is indispensable, both for your own mount, if he prove
refractory, but also for the persuasion of the pack horse.
[Sidenote: Sling Shots]
When with a large outfit, however, I always carry a pea shooter or sling
shot. With it a man can spot a straying animal at considerable distance,
generally much to the truant's astonishment. After a little it will
rarely be necessary to shoot; a mere snapping of the rubbers will bring
every horse into line.
[Sidenote: Bridles]
The handiest and best rig for a riding bridle can be made out of an
ordinary halter. Have your harness maker fasten a snap hook to either
side and just above the corners of the horse's mouth. When you start in
the morning you snap your bit and reins to the hooks. When you arrive in
the evening you simply unsnap the bit, and leave the halter on.
[Sidenote: Riatas and Spurs]
Rope and spurs will be necessary. I prefer the Mexican grass rope with a
brass honda to the rawhide riata, because I am used to it. I once used a
linen rope with weighted honda that was soft and threw well. The spurs
will be of good steel, of the cowboy pattern, with blunt rowels. The
smaller spurs are not so easy to reach a small horse with, and are apt
to overdo the matter when they do. The wide spur leathers are to protect
the boot from chafing on the stirrups.
[Sidenote: Scabbards]
There remains only your rifle to attend to. The usual scabbard is
invariably slung too far forward. I always move the sling strap as near
the mouth of the scabbard as it will go. The other sling strap I detach
from the scabbard and hang loopwise from the back latigo-ring. Then I
thrust the muzzle of the scabbarded rifle between the stirrup leathers
and through this loop, hang the forward sling strap over the pommel--and
there I am! The advantage is that I can remove rifle and scabbard
without unbuckling any straps. The gun should hang on the left side of
the horse so that after dismounting you need not walk around him to get
it. A little experiment will show you how near the horizontal you can
sling it without danger of its jarring out.
[Sidenote: Pack Outfits]
So much for your own riding horse. The pack outfit consists of the pack
saddle, with the apparatus to keep it firm; its padding; the kyacks, or
alforjas--sacks to sling on either side; and the lash rope and cinch
with which to throw the hitches.
[Sidenote: Pack Saddles]
The almost invariable type of pack saddle is the sawbuck. If it is
bought with especial reference to the animal it is to be used on, it is
undoubtedly the best. But nothing will more quickly gouge a hole in a
horse's back than a saddle too narrow or too wide for his especial
anatomy. A saddle of this sort bolted together can be taken apart for
easier transportation by baggage or express.
Another and very good type of pack rig is that made from an old riding
saddle. The stirrup rigging is removed, and an upright spike bolted
strongly to the cantle. The loops of the kyacks are to be hung over the
horn and this spike. Such a saddle is apt to be easy on a horse's back,
but is after all merely a make-shift for a properly constructed sawbuck.
[Illustration: _Under Side of Pack Saddles._]
[Illustration: _Shape of Collar Pad--for Pack Saddles._]
[Sidenote: Aparejos]
I shall only mention the aparejos. This rig is used for freighting boxes
and odd-shaped bundles. It is practically nothing but a heavy pad, and
is used without kyacks. You will probably never be called upon to use
it; but in another chapter I will describe one "sling" in order that you
may be forearmed against contingencies.
[Sidenote: Pads]
We will assume that you are possessed of a good sawbuck saddle of the
right size for your pack animal. It will have the double cinch rig. To
the under surfaces tack firmly two ordinary collar-pads by way of
softening. Beneath them you will use two blankets, each as heavy as the
one you place under your riding saddle. This abundance is necessary
because a pack "rides dead"--that is, does not favor the horse as does a
living rider. By way of warning, however, too much is almost as bad as
too little.
[Sidenote: Breasting and Breeching]
The almost universal saddle rigging in use the West over is a breast
strap of webbing fastened at the forward points of the saddle, and a
breech strap fastened to the back points of the saddle, with guy lines
running from the top to prevent its falling too far down the horse's
legs. This, with the double cinch, works fairly well. Its main trouble
is that the breech strap is apt to work up under the horse's tail, and
the breast strap is likely to shut off his wind at the throat.
[Sidenote: The Britten Pack Rig]
Mr. Ernest Britten, a mountaineer in the Sierras, has, however, invented
a rig which in the nicety of its compensations, and the accuracy of its
adjustments is perfection. Every one becomes a convert, and hastens to
alter his own outfit.
[Illustration: _Mr. Ernest Britten's Pack Rig._]
The breasting is a strap (_a_) running from the point of the saddle to a
padded ring in the middle of the chest. Thence another strap (_b_) runs
to the point of the saddle on the other side, where it buckles. A third
strap (_c_) in the shape of a loop goes between the fore legs and
around the front cinch.
[Sidenote: The Britten Pack Rig]
The breeching is somewhat more complicated. I think, however, with a few
rivets, straps, and buckles you will be able to alter your own saddle in
half an hour.
[Illustration: _Ordinary and Inferior Pack Rig Usually Employed._]
The back cinch you remove. A short strap (_d_), riveted to the middle of
the front cinch, passes back six inches to a ring (_e_). This ring will
rest on the middle of the belly. From the ring two other straps (_ff_)
ascend diagonally to the buckles (_g_) in the ends of the breeching.
From the ends of the breeching other straps (_h_) attach to what would
be the back cinch ring (_k_). That constitutes the breeching rig. It is
held up by a long strap (_m_) passing from one side to the other over
the horse's rump through a ring on top. The ring is attached to the
saddle by a short strap (_n_).
[Illustration: Nearing a crest and in sight of game]
Such a rig prevents the breeching from riding up or dropping down; it
gives the horse all his wind going up hill, but holds firmly going down;
when one part loosens, the other tightens; and the saddle cinch, except
to keep the saddle from turning, is practically useless and can be left
comparatively loose. I cannot too strongly recommend you, both for your
horse's comfort and your own, to adopt this rigging.
[Sidenote: Kyacks]
The kyacks, as I have said, are two sacks to be slung one on each side
of the horse. They are provided with loops by which to hang them over
the sawbucks of the saddle, and a long strap passes from the outside of
one across the saddle to a buckle on the outside of the other.
Undoubtedly the best are those made of rawhide. They weigh very little,
will stand all sorts of hard usage, hold the pack rope well, are so
stiff that they well protect the contents, and are so hard that
miscellaneous sharp-cornered utensils may be packed in them without fear
of injury either to them or the animal. They are made by lacing wet
hides, hair out, neatly and squarely over one of the wooden boxes built
to pack two five gallon oil cans. A round hardwood stick is sewn along
the top on one side--to this the sling straps are to be attached. After
the hide has dried hard, the wooden box is removed.
Only one possible objection can be urged against rawhide kyacks; if you
are traveling much by railroad, they are exceedingly awkward to ship.
For that purpose they are better made of canvas.
[Sidenote: Canvas Kyacks]
[Sidenote: Lash Ropes]
Many canvas kyacks are on the market, and most of them are worthless. It
is astonishing how many knocks they are called on to receive and how
soon the abrasion of rocks and trees will begin to wear them through.
Avoid those made of light material. Avoid also those made in imitation
of the rawhide with a stick along the top of one side to take the sling
straps. In no time the ends of that stick will punch through. The best
sort are constructed of OO canvas. The top is made of a half-inch rope
sewn firmly to the hem all around. The sling straps are long, and
riveted firmly. The ends are reinforced with leather. Such kyacks will
give you good service and last you a long time. When you wish to express
them, you pack your saddle and saddle blankets in one, telescope the
other over it, and tie up the bundle with the lash rope. The lash rope
is important, for you will have to handle it much, and a three months'
trip with a poor one would lose you your immortal soul. Most articles on
the subject advise thirty-three feet. That is long enough for the
diamond hitch and for other hitches with a very small top pack, but it
will not do for many valuable hitches on a bulky pack. Forty feet is
nearer the ticket. The best is a manila half inch or five-eighth inch.
If you boil it before starting out, you will find it soft to handle. The
boiling does not impair its strength. Parenthetically: do not become
over-enthusiastic and boil your riata, or you will make it aggravatingly
kinky. Cotton rope is all right, but apt to be stiff. I once used a
linen rope; it proved to be soft, strong, and held well, but I have
never been able to find another.
[Sidenote: Cinch Hooks]
The cinch hook sold with the outfit is sawn into shape and strengthened
with a bolt. If you will go out into the nearest oak grove, however, you
can cut yourself a natural hook which will last longer and hold much
better. The illustration shows the method of attaching such a hook.
[Sidenote: Picket Ropes]
So you have your horses ready for their burdens. Picket ropes should be
of half-inch rope and about 50 feet long. The bell for the bell horse
should be a loud one, with distinctive note not easily blended with
natural sounds, and attached to a broad strap with safety buckle.
[Illustration: _Natural Cinch Hook of Oak._]
[Sidenote: Hobbles]
Hobbles are of two patterns. Both consist of heavy leather straps to
buckle around either front leg and connected by two links and a swivel.
In one the strap passes first through the ring to which the links are
attached, and then to the buckle. The other buckles first, and then the
end is carried through the ring. You will find the first mentioned a
decided nuisance, especially on a wet or frosty morning, for the leather
tends to atrophy in a certain position from which numbed fingers have
more than a little difficulty in dislodging it. The latter, however,
are comparatively easy to undo.
[Illustration:
A--Wash Leather.
B--Heavy Leather.
C--Steel Ring.
D--Buckle.
E--Swivel.
_Hobbles--Wrong (Upper) and Right Sort._]
Hobbles should be lined. I have experimented with various materials,
including the much lauded sheepskin with the wool on. The latter when
wet chafes as much as raw leather, and when frozen is about as valuable
as a wood rasp. The best lining is a piece of soft wash leather at least
two inches wider than the hobble straps.
[Sidenote: How to Attach Hobbles]
With most horses it is sufficient to strap a pair of these around the
forelegs and above the fetlocks. A gentle animal can be trusted with
them fastened below.
But many horses by dint of practice or plain native cussedness can hop
along with hobbles nearly as fast as they could foot-free, and a lot
too fast for you to catch them single handed. Such an animal is an
unmitigated bother. Of course if there is good staking you can picket
him out; but quite likely he is unused to the picket rope, or the feed
is scant.
[Sidenote: Side Lines]
In that case it may be that side lines--which are simply hobbles by
which a hind foot and a fore foot are shackled--may work. I have had
pretty good success by fastening a short heavy chain to one fore leg. As
long as the animal fed quietly, he was all right, but an attempt at
galloping or trotting swung the chain sufficiently to rap him sharply
across the shins.
Very good hobbles can be made from a single strand unraveled from a
large rope, doubled once to make a loop for one leg, twisted strongly,
the two ends brought around the other leg and then thrust through the
fibers. This is the sort used generally by cowboys. They are soft and
easily carried, but soon wear out.