Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 196: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| The Fy Camp-Fir A Meefling-place for Readers ,Wrilers and &dventurers Our Camp-Fire came into being May 5, 1912, with our June issue, and since then its fire has never died down. Many have gathered about it and they are of all classes and degrees, high and low, rich and poor, adventurers and stay-at-homes, and from all parts of the earth. Some whose voices we used to know have taken the Long Trail and are heard no more, but they are still memories among us, and new voices are heard, and welcomed. We are drawn together by a common liking for the strong, clean things of out-of- doors, for word from the earth’s far places, for man in action instead of caged by cir- cumstance. The spirit of adventure lives in all men; the rest is chance. But something besides a common interest holds us together. Somehow a real com- radeship has grown up among us. Men can not thus meet and talk together without growing into friendlier relations; many a time does one of us come to the rest for facts and guidance; many a close personal friendship has our Camp-Fire built up between we Ae who had never met; often has it proved an open sesame between strangers n a far land. Perhaps our Camp-Fire is even a little more. Perhaps it is a bit of leaven working gently among those of different station toward the fuller and more human understand- “ie rare sympathy that will some day bring to man the real democracy and brotherhood e seeks. and such great extremes as here. Few indeed are the agencies that bring together on a friendly footing so many And we are numbered by the hundred thousand now. If you are come to our Camp-Fire for the first time and find you like the things we like, join us and find yourself very welcome. here is no obligation except ordinary manliness, no forms or ceremonies, no dues, no officers, no anything except men and women gathered for interest and friendliness. How to ride a horse—cowboy style versus the riding-school: Watts, California. I would like to join the comrades around the ire. I want to say a few words about riding horses. I was interested and somewhat amused by the letter from Bill Gianella. So far as his experi- ence with riding trotting horses is concerned, he is probably right with the exception of the cattle country. I WAS practically raised on the range. If you want to get a good idea of how a cowboy rides his horse, refer to the Adventure cover design, May 20. ‘Don’t sit in the saddle,” says Bill. I'd like to see Bill attempt to ride an ‘“‘uncocked” bronc with his feet in the stirrups on the balls of ’em. He wouldn’t stay more than three jumps. A cowboy sits in the saddle, rather he slumps in the seat, with all muscles relaxed, even the shoulder muscles. He adapts his movements to that of the horse. He rides a trotting animal without bouncing up and down like the English or military short-stirrup mo- tion. The way the cowboy rides is not easy on a horse but it is the easiest way there is, especially Your desire to join makes you a member. when riding in rough lava or hilly country. A cow- man could not keep his feet in the stirrups riding after dodging cattle on the run, if he didn’t shove them full home in the stirrups clear up to the heels of the boot. That is why—principally—the boot-heel is made so high on cowboy boots; to keep the foot from going through the stirrup. The modern stirrup is made of metal and gets so slick from usage that a foot could not be kept in place unless shoved home. Again, the stirrup is rounding on bottom and sides, is about two inches deep, and fits between the heel and sole, or the instep of the foot. The sole is very stiff and strong in the instep. The cowboy rides with full length stirrups, scarcely any space between seat and saddle. us pur your weight on to the stirrups,”’ would cause the average cowboy to snort with disgust. Any- time any one does not believe a cowboy rides his saddle and not the stirrups, examine the saddle. He wouldn’t stay put on a bronc in cutting or run- ning cattle very long if he didn’t. In the olden days of the time of the Mexican saddle the stirrups were ponderous wooden affairs, some of them as much as four inches deep, most of them with tapaderos to keep the feet from going through. Then the 174 CO CloOOkKS CO 5}