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positive distaste of the sport and would never allow that it equalled
their own stealthy hunts in eastern forests。 So I know plenty of men；
experts with the shot…gun； who honestly prefer shooting quail in the
East over well…trained setters or pointers； to the hardier； manlier
sports of the wilderness。
As it is with hunting； so it is with riding。 The cowboy's scorn of
every method of riding save his own is as profound and as ignorant as
is that of the school rider； jockey； or fox…hunter。 The truth is that
each of these is best in his own sphere and is at a disadvantage when
made to do the work of any of the others。 For all…around riding and
horsemanship； I think the West Point graduate is somewhat ahead of any
of them。 Taken as a class； however； and compared with other classes as
numerous； and not with a few exceptional individuals； the cowboy； like
the Rocky Mountain stage…driver； has no superiors anywhere for his own
work； and they are fine fellows； these iron…nerved reinsmen and rough…
riders。
When Buffalo Bill took his cowboys to Europe they made a practice in
England； France； Germany； and Italy of offering to break and ride； in
their own fashion； any horse given them。 They were frequently given
spoiled animals from the cavalry services in the different countries
through which they passed； animals with which the trained horse…
breakers of the European armies could do nothing； and yet in almost
all cases the cowpunchers and bronco…busters with Buffalo Bill
mastered these beasts as readily as they did their own western horses。
At their own work of mastering and riding rough horses they could not
be matched by their more civilized rivals； but I have great doubts
whether they in turn would not have been beaten if they had essayed
kinds of horsemanship utterly alien to their past experience； such as
riding mettled thoroughbreds in a steeple…chase； or the like。 Other
things being equal （which； however； they generally are not）； a bad；
big horse fed on oats offers a rather more difficult problem than a
bad little horse fed on grass。 After Buffalo Bill's men had returned；
I occasionally heard it said that they had tried cross…country riding
in England； and had shown themselves pre…eminently skilful thereat；
doing better than the English fox…hunters； but this I take the liberty
to disbelieve。 I was in England at the time； hunted occasionally
myself； and was with many of the men who were all the time riding in
the most famous hunts； men； too； who were greatly impressed with the
exhibitions of rough riding then being given by Buffalo Bill and his
men； and who talked of them much； and yet I never； at the time； heard
of an instance in which one of the cowboys rode to hounds with any
marked success。＇*＇ In the same way I have sometimes in New York or
London heard of men who； it was alleged； had been out West and proved
better riders than the bronco…busters themselves； just as I have heard
of similar men who were able to go out hunting in the Rockies or on
the plains and get more game than the western hunters； but in the
course of a long experience in the West I have yet to see any of these
men； whether from the eastern States or from Europe； actually show
such superiority or perform such feats。
＇*＇ It is however； quite possible； now that Buffalo Bill's company has
crossed the water several times； that a number of the cowboys have
by practice become proficient in riding to hounds； and in steeple…
chasing。
It would be interesting to compare the performances of the Australian
stock…riders with those of our own cowpunchers； both in cow…work and
in riding。 The Australians have an entirely different kind of saddle；
and the use of the rope is unknown among them。 A couple of years ago
the famous western rifle…shot； Carver； took some cowboys out to
Australia； and I am informed that many of the Australians began
themselves to practise with the rope after seeing the way it was used
by the Americans。 An Australian gentleman； Mr。 A。 J。 Sage； of
Melbourne； to whom I had written asking how the saddles and styles of
riding compared； answered me as follows：
〃With regard to saddles； here it is a moot question which is the
better； yours or ours； for buck…jumpers。 Carver's boys rode in
their own saddles against our Victorians in theirs； all on
Australian buckers； and honors seemed easy。 Each was good in his
own style； but the horses were not what I should call really good
buckers； such as you might get on a back station； and so there was
nothing in the show that could unseat the cowboys。 It is only back
in the bush that you can get a really good bucker。 I have often
seen one of them put both man and saddle off。〃
This last is a feat I have myself seen performed in the West。 I
suppose the amount of it is that both the American and the Australian
rough riders are； for their own work； just as good as men possibly can
be。
One spring I had to leave the East in the midst of the hunting season；
to join a roundup in the cattle country of western Dakota； and it was
curious to compare the totally different styles of riding of the
cowboys and the cross…country men。 A stock…saddle weighs thirty or
forty pounds instead of ten or fifteen and needs an utterly different
seat from that adopted in the East。 A cowboy rides with very long
stirrups； sitting forked well down between his high pommel and cantle；
and depends upon balance as well as on the grip of his thighs。 In
cutting out a steer from a herd； in breaking a vicious wild horse； in
sitting a bucking bronco； in stopping a night stampede of many hundred
maddened animals； or in the performance of a hundred other feats of
reckless and daring horsemanship； the cowboy is absolutely unequalled；
and when he has his own horse gear he sits his animal with the ease of
a centaur。 Yet he is quite helpless the first time he gets astride one
of the small eastern saddles。 One summer； while purchasing cattle in
Iowa； one of my ranch foremen had to get on an ordinary saddle to ride
out of town and see a bunch of steers。 He is perhaps the best rider on
the ranch； and will without hesitation mount and master beasts that I
doubt if the boldest rider in one of our eastern hunts would care to
tackle； yet his uneasiness on the new saddle was fairly comical。 At
first he did not dare to trot and the least plunge of the horse bid
fair to unseat him； nor did he begin to get accustomed to the
situation until the very end of the journey。 In fact； the two kinds of
riding are so very different that a man only accustomed to one； feels
almost as ill at ease when he first tries the other as if he had never
sat on a horse's back before。 It is rather funny to see a man who only
knows one kind； and is conceited enough to think that that is really
the only kind worth knowing； when first he is brought into contact
with the other。 Two or three times I have known men try to follow
hounds on stock…saddles； which are about as ill…suited for the purpose
as they well can be； while it is even more laughable to see some young
fellow from the East or from England who thinks he knows entirely too
much about horses to be taug