The Houlihan
In the years of chaos during and
after the Civil War, wild horses became plentiful. Many were turned loose
to keep them out of the hands of the enemy army. Many were set free as
they could not be cared for with the men off fighting the war. Others
escaped from battlefields both during the Civil War and in the following
years of running battles with the Great Plains Indians. By the 1880’s
thousand of wild horses roamed the rich grass lands from Kansas to
Montana.
Catching breaking and selling
these hearty horses could be good business for a man proficient with a
rope, and settin’ a saddle. Like most things cowboy there was an art to
catching wild horses. A free running horse with no rider could not
usually be run down by a horse carrying a man in a saddle, (except in
Hollywood movies), and if he could be run down, a good cowboy may not want
him. Unlike cattle, long necked agile horses will easily duck a loop
thrown over their head from behind, and a neck loop on a wild free running
horse was dangerous to the horse.
A well thrown loop could scoop up
the front feet of a running horse before he could dodge, duck, or jump it,
that was the skill of the houlihan cowboy. The free running horse could
then be stopped, also requiring much skill from the cowboy, and a good
solid saddle horse. In the late 1800’s life was rough and tough, and often
things were done as part of every day working life that we may not
understand today. But hobble stopping or even tripping a horse was, in
those days, considered the safest way to catch them and get a handle on
them. Neck roping a hard running wild horse too often resulted in the
death of a wild one that would not quit the fight. No cowboy would risk
injury to a good prospect.
The houlihan is swung counter
clock wise, opposite a traditional loop, and opened at the throw with the
flick of an agile wrist. It was not an easy throw and required years of
practice to perfect. Being a roper I have long admired the roping skills
of our cowboy ancestors, and that was the inspiration for “The Houlihan.”
It is a skill all but lost today, and I proudly honor it in this sculpture
I hope every cowboy, roper, and cowboy at heart will appreciate.
Steve Miller
