Branding: The techniques and methods for tethering, controlling, and marking or "branding" animals. A brand is a mark burned into the skin to identify and show ownership of an animal -- typically on horses and cattle, sometimes on human and D-Bee slaves. This skill also includes a basic knowledge of common and notable insignias and emblems. Base Skill: 50% + 5% per level of experience.
Breaking/Taming Horses: To "break" a horse, first the trainer must get the horse used to being around people, then used to having a saddle on it's back (takes 3D4 days), and then used to having a bit in its mouth and reins. Finally, the trainer must get the horse used to having a rider on its back. Depending on the horse, this can take several weeks. During this initial training period, the rider must hang on for dear life while the horse does everything in its power to throw him. Some horses are never completely tamed. This battle of wills can last hours at a session, and take up to 12 weeks. Base Skill: 20% + 5%. Also includes riding wild bulls (cannot be broken), wild broncos, and other wild animals, as well as steer wrestling, but all at -15%. Those with Horsemanship: Exotic Animals can tame other riding animals, such as pegasi, gryphons, dragondactyls, etc.
Herding Cattle: The techniques and methods of leading, directing, and controlling cattle in a contained and orderly herd. Also includes keeping animals calm, basic care and feeding, how to tend cattle, recognize disease and illness, give birth to young, how to survive and regain control of a stampede, gather strays, how best to pen and corral livestock, mend fences, etc. Base Skill: 30 + 5% per level of experience.
Lore: Cattle/Animals: This is a general knowledge about cattle, horses, livestock, and other notable animals of the West. This knowledge includes what they eat, where the live in the wild, means of defense, the value of their meat, fur, hides and horns, and their natural predators, as well as most notable tales about supernatural animals, spirits, gods, and magic attributed to or involving animals, including some Indian spirit and totem lore. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.
Lore: Indian: Characters with this skill can recognize the different tribes and nations, warriors and shamans, totems, fetishes and warnings, identify the people by their housing, clothing, and weapons, and has a fundamental understanding about the Indians' society, beliefs, customs, and laws -- at least the most notable. They also know about Indian gods, spirits, and magic. Base Skill: 25% + 5% per level of experience.
Roping: The rope is a cowboy's most important and famous tool. Characters with the Roping skill can expertly throw a rope to snare/lasso a cow's horns, a horse's neck, or the hooves of either, to enable a 140 lb. man to capture and subdue a half-ton animal. Base Skill: 2% + 5% per level of experience. Bonuses: +1 to strike or ensnare with a lasso for every 20% of skill; for instance, a skill of 65% would have a +3 to strike/ensnare.
Trick Riding: Riding bareback, standing on the animal's back, hanging from the side, or under its belly (usually for rodeo tricks or to hide from enemies), side saddle, as well as quick mounts and dismounts, mounting a horse by leaping down from above or with a running start, leaping from the back of a horse onto another horse or wagon, etc. Requires: Any Horsemanship. Base Skill: The same as the first percentile of the Horsemanship skill. Characters without this skill can try any of these tricks, but at half of their second percentage on Horsemanship. The same rule applies when riding animals other than horses, unless Horsemanship: Exotic is known.