CHAPTER XXI. 

 SADDLE HORSES ON THE RANGE. 



In selecting a horse for' range work one must be 

 guided more or less by the nature of the country in 

 which it will be used, and the weight it is expected to 

 carry. If intended for mountain work with considerable 

 climbing up rough steep trails, to carry a man weighing 

 more than 160 pounds, the horse should weigh not less 

 than 950 pounds. A good all-round weight is 1,050 

 pounds in good flesh. For work on an open prairie 

 country an animal of less weight w'll be satisfactory. 



One of the toughest little cow ponies I ever knew 

 weighed but 850 pounds when hog-fat, but he could 

 climb the steepest mountain and carry the heaviest man 

 equal to any horse in the outfit, and he kept it up till 

 he was 21 years old, when he was honorably retired. 



A small light-weight horse will not knock himself out 

 in the knees so soon as a heavy animal will. He will 

 also pick up more quickly on the range, get about better 

 with hobbles and take less feed to keep in equal con- 

 dition. 



Type of Horse for Range Work. For general all- 

 round range work, on every kind of country and taking 

 his chances for feed as he hobbles about at night after 

 the day's ride, get a short-coupled, round-barreled ani- 

 mal, with good stocky legs, the front pair coming out of 

 his body wide enough apart to give him plenty of chest 



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