RANCHE HORSEMANSHIP 151 



turning to head off cattle, wherein the punch- 

 ing of cows closely resembles polo. Travel on 

 the other hand was alternate trotting and walk- 

 ing. The seat at the canter was almost Red 

 Indian in its grace. The seat at the trot thrust 

 the buttocks against the cantle, and raked the 

 body at a slant very stiffly forward, the back 

 forming a straight hne, and the head thrown 

 up so that the eyes were level to the horizon. 

 This trotting seat was ungainly, but, like the 

 more graceful English trotting, was supposed 

 to ease the horse. Undoubtedly the horse- 

 manship was fine, especially in the delicate art 

 of roping, and never more so than in the 

 occasional use of a pony as pack animal on 

 journeys. The single-hand diamond hitch in 

 loading a pack horse is a very fair test of a 

 man's all-round skill and deftness with the 

 hands. Other signs of fine horsemanship 

 might be noted in the suppling of leather work, 

 the pride in a clean gun, and a youthful delight 

 in silver ornament of belt and spur and bndle. 

 In the study of American range horseman- 

 ship it is well to remember that the experts who 

 contributed to the practice were not limited to 

 ranche hands, but included scouts, the military, 

 forest, fire, game and other types of rangers, 

 trappers and wolfers, express riders, prospectors , 



