I suppose it is like breaking horses, which my father used to do.
But some black cowboys still trail cattle and break horses.
Call's ability to "break" unmanageable horses is also well known.
But back then, all during the long drive, I'd had a horrifying mental image of somebody breaking horses in half.
Not knowing anything about how cowboys 'broke' wild horses so people could ride them.
He broke horses on training farms in California, became a hot walker and worked his way to an assistant's position.
Rarely, a slave also broke horses, but generally only white men were used for that dangerous task.
More than once in his life he had to break unbridled horses.
Breaking and training horses then packing them across the West.
They were used to break horses during the winter.