360 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



A sore-backed horse is one of the worst things pos- 

 sible to use and heal up the sore at the same time. In 

 this matter the ounce of prevention is worth the pound 

 of cure every time. One of the easiest ways to insure 

 a sound back is to throw a few cupfuls of cold water on 

 his back when you strip the saddle off, loosening up the 

 hair so that water and air will get through it. If you 

 are near a stream or spring give the back a good wash- 

 ing, so that all the sweat and heat is taken out. This 

 process also gives you early notice of an approaching 

 sore spot. 



In saddling, slip your left hand under the arch of the 

 saddle between the horse and the blankets as you place 

 it on the horse, and give the blankets a little lift so that 

 they are clear from the withers; then when the saddle 

 is cinched down, the blankets do not pinch the withers 

 as the tree settles down over them. 



Rope. Always carry a grass or sisal rope about thirty 

 feet long. You may not want to rope anything with it 

 but a rope is always handy on the range, no matter 

 what your business. The old days of the sixty-foot 

 rawhide "riata" are pretty well gone. For ordinary use 

 in roping, a three-eighths 'hard twisted Manilla or sisal 

 rope will do the best work. If you are wise you will 

 learn to rope with the rope tied "hard and fast to the 

 nub" instead of trying to "take your dallies" or turns 

 about the horn. This, like the question of saddles, is 

 something over which much campfire talk is wasted. To 

 the Californian it seems like inviting instant death to 

 tie the rope. Per contra, the Texan cannot understand 

 how a man can take the turns and keep his fingers clear 

 from the entanglements of the rope. 



Each is a matter of education. With your rope tied 

 you are free from all bother in getting the turns at the 



