Packing. Saddles. Mexican Method. Madrina, or Bell-mare. Attachment
of the Mule illustrated. Best Method of Packing. Hoppling Animals.
Selecting Horses and Mules. Grama and bunch Grass. European Saddles.
California Saddle. Saddle Wounds. Alkali. Flies. Colic. Rattlesnake
Bites. Cures for the Bite.
PACKING AND DRIVING.
With a train of pack animals properly organized and equipped, a party
may travel with much comfort and celerity. It is enabled to take short
cuts, and move over the country in almost any direction without regard
to roads. Mountains and broken ground may easily be traversed, and
exemption is gained from many of the troubles and detentions attendant
upon the transit of cumbersome wagon-trains.
One of the most essential requisites to the outfit of a pack train is a
good pack-saddle. Various patterns are in use, many of which are mere
instruments of torture upon the backs of the poor brutes, lacerating
them cruelly, and causing continued pain.
The Mexicans use a leathern pack-saddle without a tree. It is stuffed
with hay, and is very large, covering almost the entire back, and
extending far down the sides. It is secured with a broad hair girth,
and the load is kept in position by a lash-rope drawn by two men so
tight as to give the unfortunate beast intense suffering.
[Illustration: GRIMSLEY'S PACK-SADDLE.]
A pack-saddle is made by T. Grimsley, No. 41 Main Street, St. Louis,
Mo. It is open at the top, with a light, compact, and strong tree,
which fits the animal's back well, and is covered with raw hide, put on
green, and drawn tight by the contraction in drying. It has a leathern
breast-strap, breeching, and lash-strap, with a broad hair girth
fastened in the Mexican fashion. Of sixty-five of these saddles that I
used in crossing the Rocky Mountains, over an exceedingly rough and
broken section, not one of them wounded a mule's back, and I regard
them as the best saddles I have ever seen.
No people, probably, are more familiar with the art of packing than the
Mexicans. They understand the habits, disposition, and powers of the
mule perfectly, and will get more work out of him than any other men I
have ever seen. The mule and the donkey are to them as the camel to the
Arab--their porters over deserts and mountains where no other means of
transportation can be used to advantage. The Spanish Mexicans are,
however, cruel masters, having no mercy upon their beasts, and it is no
uncommon thing for them to load their mules with the enormous burden of
three or four hundred pounds.
These muleteers believe that, when the pack is firmly lashed, the
animal supports his burden better and travels with greater ease, which
seems quite probable, as the tension forms, as it were, an external
sheath supporting and bracing the muscles. It also has a tendency to
prevent the saddle from slipping and chafing the mule's back. With such
huge _cargas_ as the Mexicans load upon their mules, it is impossible,
by any precautions, to prevent their backs and withers from becoming
horribly mangled, and it is common to see them working their animals
day after day in this miserable plight. This heavy packing causes the
scars that so often mark Mexican mules.
The animal, in starting out from camp in the morning, groaning under
the weight of his heavy burden, seems hardly able to move; but the pack
soon settles, and so loosens the lashing that after a short time he
moves along with more ease. Constant care and vigilance on the part of
the muleteers are necessary to prevent the packs from working loose and
falling off. The adjustment of a _carga_ upon a mule does not, however,
detain the caravan, as the others move on while it is being righted. If
the mules are suffered to halt, they are apt to lie down, and it is
very difficult for them, with their loads, to rise; besides, they are
likely to strain themselves in their efforts to do so. The Mexicans, in
traveling with large caravans, usually make the day's march without
nooning, as too much time would be consumed in unloading and packing up
again.
Packs, when taken off in camp, should be piled in a row upon the
ground, and, if there be a prospect of rain, the saddles should be
placed over them, and the whole covered with the saddle-blankets or
canvas.
The muleteers and herders should be mounted upon well-trained horses,
and be careful to keep the animals of the caravan from wandering or
scattering along the road. This can easily be done by having some of
the men riding upon each side, and others in rear of the caravan.
In herding mules it is customary among prairie travelers to have a
bell-mare, to which the mules soon become so attached that they will
follow her wherever she goes. By keeping her in charge of one of the
herdsmen, the herds are easily controlled; and during a stampede, if
the herdsman mounts her, and rushes ahead toward camp, they will
generally follow.
In crossing rivers the bell-mare should pass first, after which the
mules are easily induced to take to the water and pass over, even if
they have to swim. Mules are good swimmers unless they happen, by
plunging off a high bank, to get water in their ears, when they are
often drowned. Whenever a mule in the water drops his ears, it is a
sure indication that he has water in them, and he should be taken out
as soon as possible. To prevent accidents of this nature, where the
water is deep and the banks abrupt, the mule herds should be allowed to
enter slowly, and without crowding, as otherwise they are not only
likely to get their heads under water, but to throw each other over and
get injured.
The _madrina_, or bell-mare, acts a most important part in a herd
of mules, and is regarded by experienced campaigners as indispensable
to their security. She is selected for her quiet and regular habits.
She will not wander far from the camp. If she happen to have a colt by
her side, this is no objection, as the mules soon form the most devoted
attachment to it. I have often seen them leave their grazing when very
hungry, and flock around a small colt, manifesting their delight by
rubbing it with their noses, licking it with their tongues, kicking up
their heels, and making a variety of other grotesque demonstrations of
affection, while the poor little colt, perfectly unconscious of the
cause of these ungainly caresses, stood trembling with fear, but unable
to make his escape from the compact circle of his mulish admirers.
Horses and asses are also used as bell animals, and the mules soon
become accustomed to following them. If a man leads or rides a bell
animal in advance, the mules follow, like so many dogs, in the most
orderly procession.
"After traveling about fourteen miles," says Bayard Taylor, "we were
joined by three miners, and our mules, taking a sudden liking for their
horses, jogged on at a more brisk pace. The instincts of the mulish
heart form an interesting study to the traveler in the mountains. I
would (were the comparison not too ungallant) liken it to a woman's,
for it is quite as uncertain in its sympathies, bestowing its
affections when least expected, and, when bestowed, quite as constant,
so long as the object is not taken away. Sometimes a horse, sometimes
an ass, captivates the fancy of a whole drove of mules, but often an
animal nowise akin. Lieutenant Beale told me that his whole train of
mules once galloped off suddenly, on the plains of the Cimarone, and
ran half a mile, when they halted in apparent satisfaction. The cause
of their freak was found to be a buffalo calf which had strayed from
the herd. They were frisking around it in the greatest delight, rubbing
their noses against it, throwing up their heels, and making themselves
ridiculous by abortive attempts to neigh and bray, while the calf,
unconscious of its attractive qualities, stood trembling in their
midst."
"If several large troops," says Charles Darwin, "are turned into one
field to graze in the morning, the muleteer has only to lead the
_madrinas_ a little apart and tinkle their bells, and, although there
may be 200 or 300 mules together, each immediately knows its own bell,
and separates itself from the rest. The affection of these animals for
their madrina saves infinite trouble. It is nearly impossible to lose
an old mule, for, if detained several hours by force, she will, by the
power of smell, like a dog, track out her companions, or rather the
madrina; for, according to the muleteer, she is the chief object of
affection. The feeling, however, is not of an individual nature, for I
believe I am right in saying that any animal with a bell will serve as
a madrina."
Of the attachment that a mule will form for a horse, I will cite an
instance from my own observation, which struck me at the time as being
one of the most remarkable and touching evidences of devotion that I
have ever known among the brute creation.
On leaving Fort Leavenworth with the army for Utah in 1857, one of the
officers rode a small mule, whose kind and gentle disposition soon
caused him to become a favorite among the soldiers, and they named him
"Billy." As this officer and myself were often thrown together upon the
march, the mule, in the course of a few days, evinced a growing
attachment for a mare that I rode. The sentiment was not, however,
reciprocated on her part, and she intimated as much by the reversed
position of her ears, and the free exercise of her feet and teeth
whenever Billy came within her reach; but these signal marks of
displeasure, instead of discouraging, rather seemed to increase his
devotion, and whenever at liberty he invariably sought to get near her,
and appeared much distressed when not permitted to follow her.
On leaving Camp Scott for New Mexico Billy was among the number of
mules selected for the expedition. During the march I was in the habit,
when starting out from camp in the morning, of leading off the party,
and directing the packmen to hold the mule until I should get so far in
advance with the mare that he could not see us; but the moment he was
released he would, in spite of all the efforts of the packers, start
off at a most furious pace, and never stop or cease braying until he
reached the mare's side. We soon found it impossible to keep him with
the other mules, and he was finally permitted to have his own way.
In the course of time we encountered the deep snows in the Rocky
Mountains, where the animals could get no forage, and Billy, in common
with the others, at length became so weak and jaded that he was unable
any longer to leave his place in the caravan and break a track through
the snow around to the front. He made frequent attempts to turn out and
force his way ahead, but after numerous unsuccessful efforts he would
fall down exhausted, and set up a most mournful braying.
The other mules soon began to fail, and to be left, worn out and
famished, to die by the wayside; it was not, however, for some time
that Billy showed symptoms of becoming one of the victims, until one
evening after our arrival at camp I was informed that he had dropped
down and been left upon the road during the day. The men all deplored
his loss exceedingly, as his devotion to the mare had touched their
kind hearts, and many expressions of sympathy were uttered around their
bivouac fires on that evening.
Much to our surprise, however, about ten o'clock, just as we were about
going to sleep, we heard a mule braying about half a mile to the rear
upon our trail. Sure enough, it proved to be Billy, who, after having
rested, had followed upon our track and overtaken us. As soon as he
reached the side of the mare he lay down and seemed perfectly
contented.
The next day I relieved him from his pack, and allowed him to run
loose; but during the march he gave out, and was again abandoned to his
fate, and this time we certainly never expected to see him more. To our
great astonishment, however, about twelve o'clock that night the
sonorous but not very musical notes of Billy in the distance aroused us
from our slumbers, and again announced his approach. In an instant the
men were upon their feet, gave three hearty cheers, and rushed out in a
body to meet and escort him into camp.
But this well-meant ovation elicited no response from him. He came
reeling and floundering along through the deep snow, perfectly
regardless of these honors, pushing aside all those who occupied the
trail or interrupted his progress in the least, wandered about until he
found the mare, dropped down by her side, and remained until morning.
When we resumed our march on the following day he made another
desperate effort to proceed, but soon fell down exhausted, when we
reluctantly abandoned him, and saw him no more.
Alas! poor Billy! your constancy deserved a better fate; you may,
indeed, be said to have been a victim to unrequited affection.
The articles to be transported should be made up into two packages of
precisely equal weight, and as nearly equal in bulk as practicable,
otherwise they will sway the saddle over to one side, and cause it to
chafe the animal's back.
The packages made, two ropes about six feet long are fastened around
the ends by a slip-knot, and if the packages contain corn or other
articles that will shift about, small sticks should be placed between
the sacks and the ropes, which equalizes the pressure and keeps the
packages snug. The ropes are then looped at the ends, and made
precisely of the same length, so that the packs will balance and come
up well toward the top of the saddle. Two men then, each taking a pack,
go upon opposite sides of the mule, that has been previously saddled,
and, raising the packs simultaneously, place the loops over the pommel
and cantel, settling them well down into their places. The
lashing-strap is then thrown over the top, brought through the rings
upon each side, and drawn as tight at every turn as the two men on the
sides can pull it, and, after having been carried back and forth
diagonally across the packs as often as its length admits (generally
three or four times), it is made fast to one of the rings, and securely
tied in a slip-knot.
The breast-strap and breeching must not be buckled so close as to chafe
the skin; the girth should be broad and soft where it comes opposite
the fore legs, to prevent cutting them. Leather girths should be
wrapped with cloth or bound with soft material. The hair girth, being
soft and elastic, is much better than leather.
The crupper should never be dispensed with in a mountainous country,
but it must be soft, round, and about an inch in diameter where it
comes in contact with the tail, otherwise it will wound the animal in
making long and abrupt descents.
In Norway they use a short round stick, about ten inches long, which
passes under the tail, and from each end of this a cord connects with
the saddle.
Camp-kettles, tin vessels, and other articles that will rattle and be
likely to frighten animals, should be firmly lashed to the packs. When
the packs work loose, the lash-strap should be untied, and a man upon
each side draw it up again and make it fast. When ropes are used for
lashing, they may be tightened by twisting them with a short stick and
making the stick fast.
One hundred and twenty-five pounds is a sufficient load for a mule upon
a long journey.
In traveling over a rocky country, and upon all long journeys, horses
and mules should be shod, to prevent their hoofs wearing out or
breaking. The mountaineers contend that beasts travel better without
shoeing, but I have several times had occasion to regret the omission
of this very necessary precaution. A few extra shoes and nails, with a
small hammer, will enable travelers to keep their animals shod.
In turning out pack animals to graze, it is well either to keep the
lariat ropes upon them with the ends trailing upon the ground, or to
hopple them, as no corral can be made into which they may be driven in
order to catch them. A very good way to catch an animal without driving
him into an inclosure is for two men to take a long rope and stretch it
out at the height of the animal's neck; some men then drive him slowly
up against it, when one of the men with the rope runs around behind the
animal and back to the front again, thus taking a turn with the rope
around his neck and holding him secure.
To prevent an animal from kicking, take a forked stick and make the
forked part fast to the bridle-bit, bringing the two ends above the
head and securing them there, leaving the part of the stick below the
fork of sufficient length to reach near the ground when the animal's
head is in its natural position. He can not kick up unless he lowers
his head, and the stick effectually prevents that.
Tether-ropes should be so attached to the neck of the animal as not to
slip and choke him, and the picket-pins never be left on the ropes
except when in the ground, as, in the event of a stampede, they are
very likely to swing around and injure the animals.
Many experienced travelers were formerly in the habit of securing their
animals with a strap or iron ring fastened around the fetlock of one
fore foot, and this attached to the tether-rope. This method holds the
animal very securely to the picket-pin, but when the rope is first put
on, and before he becomes accustomed to it, he is liable to throw
himself down and get hurt; so that I think the plan of tethering by the
neck or halter is the safest, and, so far as I have observed, is now
universally practiced.
The mountaineers and Indians seldom tether their animals, but prefer
the plan of hoppling, as this gives them more latitude for ranging and
selecting the choicest grass.
Two methods of hoppling are practiced among the Indians and hunters of
the West: one with a strap about two feet long buckling around the fore
legs above the fetlock joints; the other is what they term the "_side
hopple_" which is made by buckling a strap around a front and rear
leg upon the same side. In both cases care should be taken not to
buckle the strap so tight as to chafe the legs. The latter plan is the
best, because the animal, side-hoppled, is able to go but little faster
than a walk, while the front hopple permits him, after a little
practice, to gallop off at considerable speed. If the hopples are made
of iron connected with chains, like handcuffs, with locks and keys, it
will be impossible for the Indians, without files, to cut them; but the
parts that come in contact with the legs should be covered with soft
leather.
"A horse," says Mr. Galton, "may be hoppled with a stirrup-leather by
placing the middle around one leg, then twisting it several times and
buckling it round the other leg. When you wish to picket horses in the
middle of a sandy plain, dig a hole two or three feet deep, and, tying
your rope to a fagot of sticks or brushwood, or even to a bag filled
with sand, bury this in it."
For prairie service, horses which have been raised exclusively upon
grass, and never been fed on grain, or "_range horses_," as they are
called in the West, are decidedly the best, and will perform more hard
labor than those that have been stabled and groomed. The large, stout
ponies found among some of our frontier settlements are well adapted to
this service, and endure admirably. The same remarks hold good in the
choice of mules; and it will be found that the square-built, big-bellied,
and short-legged Mexican mule will endure far more hard service, on
short allowance of forage, than the larger American mule which has been
accustomed to grain.
In our trip across the Rocky Mountains we had both the American and
Mexican mules, and improved a good opportunity of giving their relative
powers of endurance a thorough service-trial. For many days they were
reduced to a meagre allowance of dry grass, and at length got nothing
but pine leaves, while their work in the deep snow was exceedingly
severe. This soon told upon the American mules, and all of them, with
the exception of two, died, while most of the Mexican mules went
through. The result was perfectly conclusive.
We found that, where the snow was not more than two feet deep, the
animals soon learned to paw it away and get at the grass. Of course
they do not get sufficient in this way, but they do much better than
one would suppose.
In Utah and New Mexico the autumn is so dry that the grass does not
lose its nutritious properties by being washed with rains. It gradually
dries and cures like hay, so that animals eat it freely, and will
fatten upon it even in mid-winter. It is seldom that any grain is fed
to stock in either of these territories.
Several of the varieties of grass growing upon the slopes of the Rocky
Mountains are of excellent quality; among these may be mentioned the
Gramma and bunch grasses. Horses and mules turned out to graze always
prefer the grass upon the mountain sides to grass of the valleys.
We left New Mexico about the first of March, six weeks before the new
grass appeared, with 1500 animals, many of them low in flesh, yet they
improved upon the journey, and on their arrival in Utah were all, with
very few exceptions, in fine working condition. Had this march been
made at the same season in the country bordering upon the Missouri
River, where there are heavy autumnal rains, the animals would probably
have become very poor.
In this journey the herds were allowed to range over the best grass
that could be found, but were guarded both night and day with great
care, whereas, if they had been corraled or picketed at night, I dare
say they would have lost flesh.[3]
[3] Some curious and interesting experiments are said to have
been recently made at the veterinary school at Alfort, near
Paris, by order of the minister of war, to ascertain the powers
of endurance of horses. It appears that a horse will live on
water alone five-and-twenty days; seventeen days without eating
or drinking; only five days if fed and unwatered; ten days if fed
and insufficiently watered. A horse kept without water for three
days drank one hundred and four pounds of water in three minutes.
It was found that a horse taken immediately after "feed," and
kept in the active exercise of the "squadron school," completely
digested its "feed" in three hours; in the same time in the
"conscript's school" its food was two thirds digested; and if
kept perfectly quiet in the stable, its digestion was scarcely
commenced in three hours.
SADDLES.
Great diversity of opinion exists regarding the best equipment for
horses, and the long-mooted question is as yet very far from being
definitely settled.
I do not regard the opinions of Europeans as having a more direct
bearing upon this question, or as tending to establish any more
definite and positive conclusions regarding it than have been developed
by the experience of our own border citizens, the major part of whose
lives has been spent in the saddle; yet I am confident that the
following brief description of the horse equipments used in different
parts of Europe, the substance of which I have extracted from Captain
M'Clellan's interesting report, will be read with interest and
instruction.
The saddle used by the African chasseurs consists of a plain wooden
tree, with a pad upon the top, but without skirts, and is somewhat
similar to our own military saddle, but lower in the pommel and cantle.
The girth and surcingle are of leather, with an ordinary woolen
saddle-blanket. Their bridle has a single head-stall, with the Spanish
bit buckled to it.
A new saddle has recently been introduced into the French service by
Captain Cogent, the tree of which is cut out of a single piece of wood,
the cantle only being glued on, and a piece of walnut let into the
pommel, with a thin strip veneered upon the front ends of the bars. The
pommel and cantle are lower than in the old model; the whole is covered
with wet raw hide, glued on and sewed at the edges. The great advantage
this saddle possesses is in being so arranged that it may be used for
horses of all sizes and conditions. The saddle-blanket is made of thick
felt cloth, and is attached to the pommel by a small strap passing
through holes in the blanket, which is thus prevented from slipping,
and at the same time it raises the saddle so as to admit a free
circulation of air over the horse's spine.
The Hungarian saddle is made of hard wood entirely uncovered, with a
raised pommel and cantle. The seat is formed with a leather strap four
inches wide nailed to the forks on the front and rear, and secured to
the side-boards by leather thongs, thus giving an elastic and easy
saddle-seat. This is also the form of the saddle-tree used by the
Russian and Austrian cavalry. The Russians have a leather girth
fastened by three small buckles: it passes over the tree, and is tied
to the side-boards. The saddle-blanket is of stout felt cloth in four
thicknesses, and a layer of black leather over it, and the whole held
together by leather thongs passing through and through. When the horse
falls off in flesh, more thicknesses are added, and "_vice versa_."
This saddle-blanket is regarded by the Russian officers as the best
possible arrangement. The Russians use the curb and snaffle-bits made
of steel.
The Cossack saddle has a thick padding under the side-boards and on the
seat, which raises the rider very high on his horse, so that his feet
are above the bottom of the belly. Their bridle has but a simple
snaffle-bit, and no martingale.
The Prussian cuirassiers have a heavy saddle with a low pommel and
cantle, covered with leather, but it is not thought by Captain
M'Clellan to present any thing worthy of imitation.
The other Prussian cavalry ride the Hungarian saddle, of a heavier
model than the one in the Austrian service. The surcingle is of
leather, and fastens in the Mexican style; the girth is also of
leather, three and a half inches wide, with a large buckle. It is in
two parts, attached to the bars by raw-hide thongs. The curb and
snaffle steel bits are used, and attached to a single head-stall.
The English cavalry use a saddle which has a lower cantle and pommel
than our _Grimsley_ saddle, covered with leather. The snaffle-bit
is attached to the halter head-stall by a chain and T; the curb has a
separate head-stall, which on a march is occasionally taken off and
hung on the carbine stock.
The Sardinian saddle has a bare wooden tree very similar to the
Hungarian. A common blanket, folded in twelve thicknesses, is placed
under it. The girth and surcingle are of leather.
Without expressing any opinion as to the comparative merits of these
different saddles, I may be permitted to give a few general principles,
which I regard as infallible in the choice of a saddle.
The side-boards should be large, and made to conform to the shape of
the horse's back, thereby distributing the burden over a large surface.
It should stand up well above the spine, so as to admit a free
circulation of air under it.
For long journeys, the crupper, where it comes in contact with the
tail, should be made of soft leather. It should be drawn back only far
enough to hold the saddle from the withers. Some horses require much
more tension upon the crupper than others. The girth should be made
broad, of a soft and elastic material. Those made of hair, in use among
the Mexicans, fulfill the precited conditions.
A light and easy bit, which will not fret or chafe the horse, is
recommended.
The saddle-blanket must be folded even and smooth, and placed on so as
to cover every part of the back that comes in contact with the saddle,
and in warm weather it is well to place a gunny bag under the blanket,
as it is cooler than the wool.
It will have been observed that, in the French service, the folded
saddle-blanket is tied to the pommel to prevent it slipping back. This
is well if the blanket be taken off and thoroughly dried whenever the
horse is unsaddled.
A saddle-blanket made of moss is used in some of the Southwestern
States, which is regarded by many as the perfection of this article of
horse equipment. It is a mat woven into the proper shape and size from
the beaten fibres of moss that hangs from the trees in our Southern
States. It is cheap, durable, is not in any way affected by sweat, and
does not chafe or heat the horse's spine like the woolen blanket. Its
open texture allows a rapid evaporation, which tends to keep the back
cool, and obviates the danger of stripping and sudden exposure of the
heated parts to the sun and air.
The experience of some of our officers who have used this mat for years
in Mexico and Texas corroborates all I have said in its favor; and they
are unanimous in the opinion that a horse will never get a sore back
when it is placed under a good saddle.
A saddle made by the Mexicans in California is called the _California
saddle_. This is extensively used upon the Pacific slope of the
mountains, and is believed to possess, at least, as many advantages for
rough frontier service as any other pattern that has been invented.
Those hardy and experienced veterans, the mountaineers, could not be
persuaded to ride any other saddle, and their ripened knowledge of such
matters certainly gives weight to their conclusions.
[Illustration: CALIFORNIA SADDLE.]
The merits of the California saddle consist in its being light, strong,
and compact, and conforming well to the shape of the horse. When
strapped on, it rests so firmly in position that the strongest pull of
a horse upon a lariat attached to the pommel can not displace it. Its
shape is such that the rider is compelled to sit nearly erect, with his
legs on the continuation of the line of the body, which makes his seat
more secure, and, at the same time, gives him a better control over his
arms and horse. This position is attained by setting the stirrup-leathers
farther back than on the old-fashioned saddle. The pommel is high, like
the Mexican saddle, and prevents the rider from being thrown forward.
The tree is covered with raw hide, put on green, and sewed; when this
dries and contracts it gives it great strength. It has no iron in its
composition, but is kept together by buckskin strings, and can easily
be taken to pieces for mending or cleaning. It has a hair girth about
five inches wide.
The whole saddle is covered with a large and thick sheet of
sole-leather, having a hole to lay over the pommel; it extends back
over the horse's hips, and protects them from rain, and when taken off
in camp it furnishes a good security against dampness when placed under
the traveler's bed.
The California saddle-tree is regarded by many as the best of all
others for the horse's back, and as having an easier seat than the
Mexican.
General Comte de la Roche-Aymon, in his treatise upon "Light Troops,"
published in Paris in 1856, says:
"In nearly all the European armies the equipment of the horse is not in
harmony with the new tactics--with those tactics in which, during
nearly all of a campaign, the cavalry remains in bivouac. Have we
reflected upon the kind of saddle which, under these circumstances,
would cover the horse best without incommoding him during the short
periods that he is permitted to repose? Have we reflected upon the kind
of saddle which, offering the least fragility, exposes the horse to the
least danger of sore back? All the cuirassiers and the dragoons of
Europe have saddles which they call _French saddle_, the weight of
which is a load for the horse. The interior mechanism of these saddles
is complicated and filled with weak bands of iron, which become
deranged, bend, and sometimes break; the rider does not perceive these
accidents, or he does not wish to perceive them, for fear of being left
behind or of having to go on foot; he continues on, and at the end of a
day's march his horse has a sore back, and in a few days is absolutely
unserviceable. We may satisfy ourselves of the truth of these
observations by comparing the lists of horses sent to the rear during
the course of a campaign by the cuirassiers and dragoons who use the
French saddle, and by the hussars with the Hungarian saddle. The number
sent to the rear by the latter is infinitely less, although employed in
a service much more active and severe; and it might be still less by
making some slight improvements in the manner of fixing their saddle
upon the horse.
"It is a long time since Marshal Saxe said there was but one kind of
saddle fit for cavalry, which was the hussar saddle: this combined all
advantages, lightness, solidity, and economy. It is astonishing that
the system of actual war had not led to the employment of the kind of
saddle in use among the Tartars, the Cossacks, the Hungarians, and,
indeed, among all horsemen and nomads. This saddle has the
incontestable advantage of permitting the horse to lie down and rest
himself without inconvenience. If, notwithstanding the folded blanket
which they place under the Hungarian saddle, this saddle will still
wound the animal's back sometimes, this only proceeds from the friction
occasioned by the motion of the horse and the movement of the rider
upon the saddle; a friction which it will be nearly impossible to
avoid, inasmuch as the saddle-bow is held in its place only by a
surcingle, the ends of which are united by a leathern band: these bands
always relax more or less, and the saddle becomes loose. To remedy
this, I propose to attach to the saddle-bow itself a double girth, one
end of which shall be made fast to the arch in front, and the other end
to the rear of the arch upon the right side, to unite in a single
girth, which would buckle to a strap attached upon the left side in the
usual manner. This buckle will hold the saddle firmly in its place.
"Notwithstanding all these precautions, however, there were still some
inconveniences resulting from the nature of the blanket placed under
the saddle, which I sought to remedy, and I easily accomplished it. The
woolen nap of the cavalry saddle-blankets, not being carefully attended
to, soon wears off, and leaves only the rough, coarse threads of the
fabric; this absorbs the sweat from the horse, and, after it has dried
and become hard, it acts like a rasp upon the withers, first taking off
the hair, next the skin, and then the flesh, and, finally, the beast is
rendered unserviceable.
"I sought, during the campaign of 1807, a means to remedy this evil,
and I soon succeeded by a process as simple as it was cheap. I
distributed among a great number of cavalry soldiers pieces of linen
cloth folded double, two feet square, and previously dipped in melted
tallow. This cloth was laid next to the horse's back, under the
saddle-blanket, and it prevented all the bad effects of the woolen
blanket. No horses, after this appliance, were afflicted with sore
backs. Such are the slight changes which I believe should be made in
the use of the Hungarian saddle. The remainder of the equipment should
remain (as it always has been) composed of a breast-strap, crupper, and
martingale, etc."
The improvements of the present age do not appear to have developed any
thing advantageous to the saddle; on the contrary, after experimenting
upon numerous modifications and inventions, public sentiment has at
length given the preference to the saddle-tree of the natives in Asia
and America, which is very similar to that of the Hungarians.
SORES AND DISEASES.
If a horse be sweating at the time he is unsaddled, it is well to strap
the folded saddle-blanket upon his back with the surcingle, where it is
allowed to remain until he is perfectly dry. This causes the back to
cool gradually, and prevents scalding or swelling. Some persons are in
the habit of washing their horses' backs while heated and sweating with
cold water, but this is pernicious, and often produces sores. It is
well enough to wash the back after it cools, but not before. After
horses' backs or shoulders once become chafed and sore, it is very
difficult to heal them, particularly when they are continued at work.
It is better, if practicable, to stop using them for a while, and wash
the bruised parts often with castile soap and water. Should it be
necessary, however, to continue the animal in use, I have known very
severe sores entirely healed by the free application of grease to the
parts immediately after halting, and while the animal is warm and
sweating. This seems to harden the skin and heal the wound even when
working with the collar in contact with it. A piece of bacon rind tied
upon the collar over the wound is also an excellent remedy.
In Texas, when the horse-flies are numerous, they attack animals
without mercy, and where a contusion is found in the skin they deposit
eggs, which speedily produce worms in great numbers. I have tried the
effect of spirits of turpentine and several other remedies, but nothing
seemed to have the desired effect but calomel blown into the wound,
which destroyed the worms and soon effected a cure.
In the vicinity of the South Pass, upon the Humboldt River, and in some
sections upon other routes to California, alkaline water is found,
which is very poisonous to animals that drink it, and generates a
disease known in California as "_alkali_." This disease first makes its
appearance by swellings upon the abdomen and between the fore legs, and
is attended with a cough, which ultimately destroys the lungs and kills
the animal. If taken at an early stage, this disease is curable, and
the following treatment is generally considered as the most
efficacious. The animal is first raked, after which a large dose of
grease is poured down its throat; acids are said to have the same
effect, and give immediate relief. When neither of these remedies can
be procured, many of the emigrants have been in the habit of mixing
starch or flour in a bucket of water, and allowing the animal to drink
it. It is supposed that this forms a coating over the mucous membrane,
and thus defeats the action of the poison.
Animals should never be allowed to graze in the vicinity of alkaline
water, as the deposits upon the grass after floods are equally
deleterious with the water itself.
In seasons when the water is low in the Humboldt River, there is much
less danger of the alkali, as the running water in the river then comes
from pure mountain springs, and is confined to the channel; whereas,
during high water, when the banks are overflowed, the salts are
dissolved, making the water more impure.
For _colic_, a good remedy is a mixture of two table-spoonfuls of
brandy and two tea-spoonfuls of laudanum dissolved in a bottle of water
and poured down the animal's throat. Another remedy, which has been
recommended to me by an experienced officer as producing speedy relief,
is a table-spoonful of chloride of lime dissolved in a bottle of water,
and administered as in the other case.
RATTLESNAKE BITES.
Upon the southern routes to California rattlesnakes are often met with,
but it is seldom that any person is bitten by them; yet this is a
possible contingency, and it can never be amiss to have an antidote at
hand.
Hartshorn applied externally to the wound, and drunk in small
quantities diluted with water whenever the patient becomes faint or
exhausted from the effects of the poison, is one of the most common
remedies.
In the absence of all medicines, a string or ligature should at once be
bound firmly above the puncture, then scarify deeply with a knife, suck
out the poison, and spit out the saliva.
Andersson, in his book on Southwestern Africa, says: "In the Cape
Colony the Dutch farmers resort to a cruel but apparently effective
plan to counteract the bad effects of a serpent's bite. An incision
having been made in the breast of a living fowl, the bitten part is
applied to the wound. If the poison be very deadly, the bird soon
evinces symptoms of distress, becomes drowsy, droops its head, and
dies. It is replaced by a second, a third, and more if requisite. When,
however, the bird no longer exhibits any of the signs just mentioned,
the patient is considered out of danger. A frog similarly applied is
supposed to be equally efficacious."
Haunberg, in his Travels in South Africa, mentions an antidote against
the bite of serpents. He says: "The blood of the turtle was much cried
up, which, on account of this extraordinary virtue, the inhabitants dry
in the form of small scales or membranes, and carry about them when
they travel in this country, which swarms with this most noxious
vermin. Whenever any one is wounded by a serpent, he takes a couple of
pinches of the dried blood internally, and applies a little of it to
the wound."
I was present upon one occasion when an Indian child was struck in the
fore finger by a large rattlesnake. His mother, who was near at the
time, seized him in her arms, and, placing the wounded finger in her
mouth, sucked the poison from the puncture for some minutes, repeatedly
spitting out the saliva; after which she chewed and mashed some
plantain leaves and applied to the wound. Over this she sprinkled some
finely-powdered tobacco, and wrapped the finger up in a rag. I did not
observe that the child suffered afterward the least pain or
inconvenience. The immediate application of the remedies probably saved
his life.
Irritation from the bite of gnats and musquitoes, etc., may be relieved
by chewing the plantain, and rubbing the spittle on the bite.
I knew of another instance near Fort Towson, in Northern Texas, where a
small child was left upon the earthen floor of a cabin while its mother
was washing at a spring near by. She heard a cry of distress, and, on
going to the cabin, what was her horror on seeing a rattlesnake coiled
around the child's arm, and striking it repeatedly with its fangs.
After killing the snake, she hurried to her nearest neighbor, procured
a bottle of brandy, and returned as soon as possible; but the poison
had already so operated upon the arm that it was as black as a negro's.
She poured down the child's throat a huge draught of the liquor, which
soon took effect, making it very drunk, and stopped the action of the
poison. Although the child was relieved, it remained sick for a long
time, but ultimately recovered.
A man was struck in the leg by a very large rattlesnake near Fort
Belknap, Texas, in 1853. No other remedy being at hand, a small piece
of indigo was pulverized, made into a poultice with water, and applied
to the puncture. It seemed to draw out the poison, turning the indigo
white, after which it was removed and another poultice applied. These
applications were repeated until the indigo ceased to change its color.
The man was then carried to the hospital at Fort Belknap, and soon
recovered, and the surgeon of the post pronounced it a very
satisfactory cure.
A Chickasaw woman, who was bitten upon the foot near Fort Washita by a
ground rattlesnake (a very venomous species), drank a bottle of whisky
and applied the indigo poultice, and when I saw her, three days
afterward, she was recovering, but the flesh around the wound sloughed
away.
A Delaware remedy, which is said to be efficacious, is to burn powder
upon the wound, but I have never known it to be tried excepting upon a
horse. In this case it was successful, or, at all events, the animal
recovered.
Of all the remedies known to me, I should decidedly prefer ardent
spirits. It is considered a sovereign antidote among our Western
frontier settlers, and I would make use of it with great confidence. It
must be taken until the patient becomes very much intoxicated, and this
requires a large quantity, as the action of the poison seems to
counteract its effects.
Should the fangs of the snake penetrate deep enough to reach an artery,
it is probable the person would die in a short time. I imagine,
however, that this does not often occur.
The following remedial measures for the treatment of the bites of
poisonous reptiles are recommended by Dr. Philip Weston in the London
Lancet for July, 1859:
1. The application of a ligature round the limb close to the wound,
between it and the heart, to arrest the return of venous blood.
2. Excision of the bitten parts, or free incision through the wounds
made by the poison-teeth, subsequently encouraging the bleeding by warm
solutions to favor the escape of the poison from the circulation.
3. Cauterization widely round the limb of the bite with a strong
solution of nitrate of silver, one drachm to the ounce, to prevent the
introduction of the poison into the system by the lymphatics.
4. As soon as indications of the absorption of the poison into the
circulation begin to manifest themselves, the internal administration
of ammonia in aerated or soda-water every quarter of an hour, to
support the nervous energy and allay the distressing thirst.
"But," he continues, "there is yet wanting some remedy that shall
rapidly counteract the poison introduced into the blood, and assist in
expelling it from the system. The well-authenticated accounts of the
success attending the internal use of arsenic in injuries arising from
the bites of venomous reptiles in the East and West Indies, and also in
Africa, and the well-known properties of this medicine as a powerful
tonic and alterative in conditions of impaired vitality of the blood
arising from the absorption of certain blood-poisons, would lead me to
include this agent in the treatment already mentioned. It should be
administered in combination with ammonia, in full doses, frequently
repeated, so as to neutralize quickly the poison circulating in the
blood before it can be eliminated from the system. This could readily
be accomplished by adding ten to fifteen minims of Fowler's solution to
the compound spirit of ammonia, to be given every quarter of an hour in
aerated or soda-water, until the vomiting and the more urgent symptoms
of collapse have subsided, subsequently repeating the dose at longer
intervals until reaction had become fully established, and the patient
relieved by copious bilious dejections."
_Cedron_, which is a nut that grows on the Isthmus of Panama, and which
is sold by the druggists in New York, is said to be an infallible
antidote to serpent-bites. In the _Bullet. de l'Acad. de Med._ for
February, 1858, it is stated that a man was bitten at Panama by a
_coral snake_, the most poisonous species on the Isthmus. During the
few seconds that it took him to take the cedron from his bag, he was
seized with violent pains at the heart and throat; but he had scarcely
chewed and swallowed a piece of the nut about the size of a small bean,
when the pains ceased as by magic. He chewed a little more, and applied
it externally to the wound, when the pains disappeared, and were
followed by a copious evacuation of a substance like curdled milk. Many
other cases are mentioned where the cedron proved an antidote.