,illustration3 ,,the ,,well ,,broken ,,horse4 ,,tachyhippodamia2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,new ,,secret ,,of ,,taming ,,horses4 ,,giving ,,full ,,directions ,,how ,,to ,,break ,,and ,,ride ,,colts2 ,,to ,,tame ,,the ,,most ,,vicious ,,horses ,,and ,,gentle ,,them ,,to ,,all ,,kinds ,,of ,,vehicles ,,or ,,work2 ,,to ,,break ,,them ,,of ,,kicking ,,or ,,any ,,other ,,bad ,,tricks2 ,,to ,,teach ,,them ,,any ,,kinds ,,of ,,tricks ,,or ,,actions2 ,,etc41 ,,etc4 ,,with ,,numerous ,,valuable ,,receipts ,,for ,,diseases ,,of ,,horses1 ,,mules1 ,,cows1 ,,etc42 ,,how ,,to ,,fatten ,,horses1 ,,cows1 ,,etc41 ,,how ,,to ,,teach ,,turkeys ,,and ,,animals ,,to ,,dance1 ,,how ,,to ,,tame ,,deer1 ,,etc41 ,,etc4 ,,by ,,willis ,j4 ,,powell4 ,,to ,,which ,,is ,,added ,,the ,,breaking1 ,,training1 ,,and ,,taming ,,horses4 ,,by ,j4 ,s4 ,,rarey4 ,with ,numerous ,illustrations4 ,illustration3 colophon ,,philadelphia ,w4 ,r4 ,,charter #faa #fac ,,sansom ,,st4 #ahgb4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahgb1 by ,w4 ,r4 ,,charter1 in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress1 at ,washington4 ,,to ,,the ,,reader4 ,,gentle ,,reader3 ,the work you are going to peruse is not a voluminous one1 neither did ,i take any pains whatever as to the elegance of the style4 ,i wrote to make myself understood by the unlearned as well as the learned4 ,the price of the work may seem high1 on account of the small number of pages it contains3 but it must be recollected that it encloses the revelation of a secret that has filled thousands of the wise and unwise with astonishment4 ,i have received1 as a gratification1 more than two thousand dollars1 from several ,mexican gentleman1 for breaking a single horse1 in this manner1 in their presence4 ,i shall always feel grateful for the kind and generous reception ,i every where met with1 when travelling through their country4 ,from ,louisiana to ,mexico--from the ,californias to ,guatemala--and all over the ,mexican states1 when ,i have been travelling1 ,i never asked for lodging without its being immediately granted--,i never asked for a meal of victuals and was refused3 the proprietor of a private house would feel himself injured1 if you should offer him money for receiving you4 ,you may except from this rule some poor ,indian1 who sometimes will admit of your offer1 when you insist on his receiving some trifle2 but a wealthy farmer1 or one a little at his ease1 would spurn the idea of selling his hospitality4 ,i speak of none of their qualities but that of hospitality1 which by the by1 is a great one1 and very much recommended by ,st4 ,paul4 ,it is true1 ,i lost nearly twenty thousand dollars1 which were deposited in a store1 by a revolution3 but1 in what country is a man's property safe in revolutionary times8 ,several ,mexican gentleman solicited me to publish this secret in their country1 but ,i constantly refused to do it2 for ,i always intended doing it in my own native country--not doubting but that ,i should meet with encouragement from my own countrymen4 ,i was always jealous of having the honor of being the first that ever made it known to the world4 ,it is probable that the famous ,irish 8whisperer10 ,sullivan1 who died in #ahaj1 possessed the same secret1 or some other very much like it1 as it appears from the astonishing things related of him1 concerning what he did upon horses4 ,the reader will1 however1 observe1 that ,sullivan lived in a country where horses were raised as they are in ,england and in the ,northern states3 that is1 among men and familiar to man4 ,but the horses which ,i have generally had to deal with1 7though ,i have had every kind17 had been running wild1 in the plains and woods1 for four1 five1 six and even ten years1 and which1 during that time1 had never had a rope on them4 ,and besides1 the horses of ,new ,spain have always been noted for being remarkably fiery and unmanageable4 ,i have gentled a horse in ,texas1 which1 before that day had1 in all probability1 never seen a man--a stud of eight or nine years of age1 as wild as a deer when taken an hour before4 ,i began the operation1 and in one hour made him follow me without pulling him by the halter1 and little boys got upon him bare-backed1 and saddled and rode him about3 in a word1 he was a gentle horse4 ,those horses are called in ,spanish ,mestenos1 7pronounced ,mestaneyos and not ,mustangs47 ,what makes me think that ,sullivan1 as well as he that did the same in ,england a hundred years ago1 made use of the same means as ,i do1 is1 that when ,i was now and then breaking a horse1 7which generally took me three or four hours1 although1 as ,i said above1 ,i have done it even in half an hour1 though rarely17 and afterwards went into a town1 the people flocked about to see me1 saying to their friends1 8,this is the man that breaks a horse in half an hour40 ,now the same has been published of ,sullivan3 most probably they mentioned the shortest space of time he had done it in1 for it is likewise said of him1 that sometimes he shut himself up with the horse all night4 ,sometimes ,i have met with an extremely wild horse1 which seemed to be gentled1 as by enchantment1 in a few minutes4 ,i have gentled one of this description in ten minutes1 so as to lead him1 make him follow me everywhere ,i pleased1 and ride him with as great safety as if he had been gentled twenty years before4 ,but this is not a general rule4 ,the reader is here presented1 in the explanation of this secret1 with a specimen of the wonderful powers of the tact upon animals1 and at the same time1 with a moral lesson of patience and gentleness--virtues as necessary to get along through life among men1 as they are when used in taming horses2 and the exception to the general rule--,i mean those that are to be treated with rigor--is not1 perhaps1 less rare4 ,i am fully persuaded1 that almost every class of people will reap some benefit or pleasure from the perusal of these pages4 ,the naturalist sees in it a lesson of ,nature itself4 ,the moralist admires in it the display of gentleness1 patience and perseverance2 and every man who rides a horse may some day or other find some advantage in consulting it4 ,i have endeavored to render this little work as useful as possible1 on three accounts4 ,firstly1 on account of the profits arising from the sale of a useful work2 secondly1 for the credit one gets as the author of something good2 and lastly1 on account of the satisfaction every generous mind must feel in becoming useful to his fellow creatures4 ,i have been most generously encouraged by the inhabitants of ,attakapas1 where ,i had resided so many years4 ,as soon as ,i began my subscription they almost universally became subscribers4 ,in the town of ,st ,martinsville1 only three or four individuals refused to subscribe4 ,in ,opelousas ,i met with a kind reception from most of the people to whom ,i presented the list for subscription4 ,at ,fausse ,river1 ,pointe ,coupe1 ,plaquemine1 and down to ,new ,orleans1 they almost universally subscribed4 ,i shall always feel grateful for their kind reception4 ,encouragement is the deepest and dearest debt that a writer can incur4 ,i never declared myself to be the discoverer of this secret till the year #ahbd1 when ,i arrived in the ,mexican states4 ,i had my reasons for so doing4 ,never did a people express more surprise and astonishment at any extraordinary event1 than the ,mexicans did at my first performance on my arrival among them2 and more especially on account of my being a foreigner2 for it is well known that the ,mexicans1 rich and poor1 high and low1 pride themselves upon being the best horsemen in the world4 ,and ,i think there is no foreigner that ever travelled among them1 and observed them as ,i have1 but will readily agree in ranking them among the first as to agility1 skill and elegance1 when mounted upon their beautiful ,andalusian steeds4 ,if the ,mexican ladies are admired by all foreigners for their natural1 easy1 unaffected1 genteel carriage--surpassing1 if possible1 in that respect1 the elegant ,louisiana ladies--so does the ,mexican1 when mounted on a fine ,xaral steed1 equal1 if not surpass1 any other rider in the world4 ,for this very reason1 ,i was every where received with the greatest cordiality and applause1 for no people knew how to appreciate better than they a discovery of so surprising a nature4 ,i wish the reader to observe1 that in explaining the operation of the secret of gentling a horse1 ,i have always supposed the horse to be one that required the whole secret1 in order to be gentled1 though a man meets with many that do not require one-third of what ,i there lay down3 but it is better to do too much than too little in this case1 so ,i shall say no more about it here4 ,,vale1 ,,ya ,,es ,,tarde1 ,,buenas ,,noches ,,tenga ,,usted ,,senor ,,caballero4 ,,the ,,author4 ,,contents4 ,the ,prologue1 in which ,i mention the time ,i discovered this secret1 and what gave rise to the desire ,i had of making such a discovery1 and why ,i did not wish people to know that ,i had made it1 as well as my reasons for making use of smells1 c41 c4 #ag ,poinsett's ,certificate--he then was ,minister ,plenipotentiary of the ,united ,states of ,america to ,mexico4 #bf ,general ,guerreros' ,letter of ,recommendation4 #bf ,the ,marquis de ,rayas' ,certificate4 #bg ,observation upon ,horses in general1 and what led me to the discovery of breaking them in a few hours4 #ca ,the ,secret4 ,in the explanation of the ,secret is related the astonishing effect it had upon a wild boar1 which ,i tamed in a few hours1 in the state of ,neuvo ,leon4 #ce ,how to deal with ,refractory ,horses1 which have been gentled for a long time in the common way4 #fa ,how to deal with a skittish ,horse4 #fc ,how to deal with a ,horse that will not suffer one to touch or handle his ears4 #fd ,an example of a vicious ,horse1 which would not suffer himself to be bridled by any one1 and which ,i cured of that vice in a few hours4 #fe ,how to manage a kicking horse1 so as to cure him of that vice in a very short time4 #fg ,how to manage a ,horse that kicks up1 so as to break him of that vicious habit4 #fh ,how to manage a kicking horse1 so as to be able to handle his feet with facility4 #fi ,to teach a horse1 so that he will not let a person1 dressed in a certain manner1 come nigh him4 #gj ,to teach your horse1 so that he will not let no one but yourself come near him4 #gb ,how to prevent a ,horse from pulling upon his bridle reins1 in order to break them4 #gc ,the ,mexican ,mode of ,preventing a horse from breaking his bridle4 #gd ,how to manage a ,horse that gets the studs1 or that stops and will not advance a step1 when you put him to the plough or cart1 c4 #gd ,how to teach a ,horse to lie down at the word of command4 #ge ,to teach a horse to count any number4 #gg ,easy ,method of ,fattening a ,horse in a short time4 #gg ,a remedy for a horse that will not fatten though well fed4 #gi ,to ,prevent a ,horse's back from getting sore even on a long journey4 #hj ,how to treat a horse that gets foundered upon the road1 when on a journey4 #ha ,how to treat a horse upon a journey4 #hb ,a ,horse that it apt to ,stumble through carelessness1 and not on account of the ,bad ,construction of his ,shoulders4 #hc ,how to break a ,mule by the secret1 and the difference there is to be observed between a horse and a mule4 #hd ,how ,thales corrected a ,mule from the vicious habit of lying down with its load of salt1 every time it crossed a certain river4 #hf ,how to make a dull horse appear mettlesome and full of fire for a short time4 #hh ,that part1 or those parts of the ,mexican states1 in which the best race of horses are to be found4 #hi ,caution to be observed in cutting or paring the hoofs of horses4 #ib ,caution to those who raise horses and mules4 #ic ,how to accustom a horse to stay in a place that was raised in another4 #ic ,to make a gentle horse1 not used to a carriage go in it4 #id ,a horse that stops1 and refuses to go when in a carriage4 #if ,a mode of breaking wild horses very different from that discovered by me4 #ig ,another way of breaking them1 by stopping up their ears4 #ih ,advice to farmers1 concerning the gentling of young cows4 #ih ,the astonishing manner in which ,i tamed a wild deer1 which was roped by a ,guastecan as it came out of the woods4 #ii ,a remedy for an ,ox that lies down1 and won't get up4 #ajb ,a curious method of teaching ,turkies to dance at the sound of a triangle1 or any other musical instrument4 #ajc ,a remedy for the gripes or colic in horses4 #ajf ,of the ,botts4 #ajg ,of the ,blind staggers4 #ajg ,rarey's ,method4--,the three fundamental principles of ,rarey's ,theory4 #aji ,how to succeed in getting the ,colt from pasture4 #aad ,how to stable a ,colt without trouble4 #aae ,time to reflect4 #aag ,the kind of halter4 #aag ,remarks on the horse4 #aah ,experiment with the robe4 #aai ,suggestions on the habit of smelling4 #aba ,prevailing opinion of horsemen4 #abb ,remarks on ,powel's treatment4 #abd ,how to govern horses of any kind4 #abd ,how to proceed if your horse be of a stubborn disposition4 #abh ,how to halter and lead a colt4 #acj ,how to lead a colt by the side of a broken horse4 #acc ,how to lead a colt into the stable1 and hitch him1 without having him pull on the halter4 #ace ,the kind of bit1 and how to accustom the horse to it4 #acg ,how to saddle a colt4 #ach ,how to mount the colt4 #adj ,how to ride the colt4 #adc ,the proper way to bit a colt4 #ade ,how to drive a horse that is very wild and has any vicious habits4 #adf ,on ,balking4 #aej ,to ,break a horse to ,harness4 #aef ,how to ,hitch a horse in a ,sulky4 #aef ,how to make a horse lie down4 #aeh ,how to make a horse follow you4 #aei ,how to make a horse stand without holding4 #afa ,,tachyhippodamia4 ,in the year #ahaa1 whilst residing in ,georgia1 ,i read an account of a man who lived more than a hundred years ago1 who would take any wild horse1 and shut himself up with him in a small yard or stable1 and at the end of a few hours1 come out with the horse perfectly gentle4 ,nothing was ever known about the means he employed in gentling him1 for he died without ever communicating his secret to any one4 ,i always possessed a great share of curiosity3 therefore1 as well to gratify it as to become useful to myself and others1 ,i made a great many experiments upon young horses1 but without success4 ,i ran great risks in these experiments1 but the danger1 far from discouraging me1 animated me the more to make new trials4 ,at the end of the year #ahaa1 ,i came to ,louisiana1 where there were many wild horses4 ,i renewed my experiments4 ,after having met with many difficulties1 ,i discovered a secret in #ahad1 on my plantation in the ,attakapas1 by which ,i broke a horse in three hours4 ,the horse always remained gentle4 ,by the same method1 ,i broke another2 but two days after1 ,i found him almost as wild as ever4 ,this perplexed me very much--why one horse should remain gentle and the other not4 ,i broke two more1 and undertook a fifth1 which ,i abandoned after several trials4 ,this took place between seven and nine o'clock in the morning4 ,i then thought the application of the secret ought to be varied4 ,accordingly1 after having adopted and rejected a great many ways of applying it1 ,i fell upon one which proved to be the best4 ,at eleven o'clock1 ,i went in again to the horse2 but when he saw me1 he reared and pitched and kicked in a most terrific manner4 ,i stopped1 notwithstanding1 stood still a few minutes1 and then began the operation1 and saw1 with pleasure1 that at half past four he was perfectly gentle1 and always remained so2 for ,i had already discovered this last most important part of the secret--of having them always remain gentle--and ,i never have revealed it to any living person4 ,to give an idea of this mode of gentling horses1 ,i will relate a few circumstances of the last mentioned horse4 ,he was going on eight years old1 had always run in the prairie since he had been branded1 was a stud of a most fiery1 ferocious disposition1 and had never been roped from the time he had been branded4 ,to get him into the yard where ,i gentled him1 we were obliged to tie his legs and drag him in1 and no one durst go into the yard where he was let loose4 ,he ran at any one1 when confined in the yard1 with as much fury as a lion or tiger would have done1 and he used his teeth and fore feet with as much dexterity as if he had been trained up to it from a colt4 ,after ,i led him out1 ,i let the saddle fall over his heels1 girted him tight and cruppered him4 ,several boys got upon him1 rode him about the yard1 tied a dry ox-hide to his tail1 and rode him out in this manner into the prairie1 without his showing the least sign of fear1 either at the rattling of the hide1 or at any other object he met with in the prairie4 ,the next day1 they rode him to the town1 in the midst of a great concourse of people2 for it was a holiday4 ,he passed among them with as little fear as if he had been raised in the town4 ,when he came home1 he followed any one without pulling him by the halter4 ,he let any one handle his feet1 and take them up with as much ease as they could those of any plough horse4 ,i declare that1 in thus gentling this animal1 ,i made use of no intoxicating beverage1 or smell1 or any other means whatever1 that might tend to stupify him1 or diminish his natural vigor or spiritedness in the least3 but1 on the contrary1 horses thus gentled are fit for immediate use1 with all their vigor1 as they do not become poor and broken down by length of time and bad usage1 as it happens with spirited horses gentled in the common way1 with much cost and danger4 ,this is not the only advantage of the secret4 ,it enables the most timid man to break a horse1 without danger or fear2 for it consists in gentling him completely1 before you attempt to get on him4 ,i have broken an immense number of wild horses1 in the ,mexican provinces1 of the most fiery and spirited dispositions2 and have certificates from the ,president1 ,vice-,president1 and many of the most respectable citizens of that ,republic1 who have been eye-witnesses to this performance4 ,in the ,city of ,mexico1 ,general ,maison1 ,captain ,hotchkiss and others1 strangers1 then in ,mexico1 have seen me perform4 ,this secret1 though simple1 requires a clear explanation1 and how to be applied according to the three different kinds of horses3 for1 though a man should discover enough of the secret to break some of the common horses of this country1 he still would meet with many1 even here1 that he could not break1 and would completely fail among the high blooded ,spanish studs4 ,but1 by perfectly knowing the secret1 he will find them even easier to be gentled than almost any others4 ,there are three kinds of wild horses4 ,the first of these appear to fear nothing1 and when confined will run at a man with incredible fierceness4 ,the second appear only to fear man4 ,the third class appear to be afraid of every thing they meet with1 when separated from the rest of the horses4 ,many of the ,spanish horses belong to the first class1 and frequently suffer themselves to be killed before they can be broken in the common way1 and yet they are easily gentled by my secret4 ,now1 it is positively necessary to vary the application of the secret according to the disposition of the horse to be gentled2 all of which will be clearly and extensively explained in the publication of this work4 ,the work will1 besides1 contain some few observations upon horses in general1 and in what part of the ,mexican provinces the best race of horses is to be found1 c41 and an easy manner of fattening a horse in a short time4 ,likewise1 the ,mexican mode of preventing horses from breaking their bridles--and how to prevent a horse's back from getting sore even on long journeys3 all of which ,i have proved by experience4 ,how to teach a horse1 so that in a few days he will not suffer a person dressed in a certain manner to ride him or come near him4 ,to teach one1 so that in a few days he will suffer no one to ride him but his master4 ,at the time ,i discovered this secret1 ,i was teaching1 7and had been for some time17 the public school or college of ,attakapas on my plantation1 close to the town1 and in my own buildings2 for the edifice designed for that purpose had been burnt down some time before4 ,i received1 besides what each student paid me for board and tuition a compensation for the use of my buildings1 as well as the annual pension from the government of the state of ,louisiana2 and as ,i taught the ,latin and ,greek languages1 as well as the ,french1 ,english and ,spanish1 ,i had a great number of students1 from different parts of the state1 and from other states1 which rendered my business pretty lucrative4 ,this was one reason why ,i did not turn my attention at that time to the gain ,i might expect to reap from this discovery4 ,in #ahae1 ,i met with a man by the name of ,thomas ,drinnen1 who appeared to me rather eccentric in some respects1 but an active1 intelligent man1 and very fond of horses4 ,i told him ,i had discovered a secret to break them in a few hours4 ,he wanted me to reveal it to him4 ,i told him ,i would let him know enough of it to astonish the public1 if he would go to ,attakapas with me2 for it was in the time of vacation1 and ,i was on the ,mississippi1 on my way home4 ,he said he could not1 but would come there some time afterwards1 if ,i would give him some of the ingredients to make trials with where he was then going4 ,i accordingly supplied him with certain materials1 7the better to disguise the real secret17 one of which was that callous substance growing upon a horse's fore legs1 called the spur2 likewise1 the sweat taken from under a man's arm was to be used2 the sweat of a horse1 mare's milk1 c4 ,said ,drinnen really believed that these materials were efficacious in gentling a horse4 ,i now declare to the world1 that ,i had heard of some of them1 and made use of the others in my experiments1 but found them without the least effect4 ,in #ahai1 ,drinnen came to ,attakapas4 ,i never had mentioned to any one that ,i knew such a secret4 ,on the contrary1 ,i came into ,mr4 ,grigg's inn1 then and still existing at ,st4 ,martinsville1 distant from my 7then7 plantation a half a mile1 pretending to be astonished at what ,drinnen was relating concerning horses1 and at the same time incredulous1 offering him a gratification of one hundred dollars1 to see him break one of the wild horses of this country in so short a time4 ,mr4 ,gabriel ,fuselier told him that he would do the same1 if he should succeed in his essay upon any one of the wild horses upon his plantation1 which was about two miles from the town4 ,he accepted the offer1 and the following day was decided upon for the trial2 at which time he performed1 and to the satisfaction of every one4 ,but ,i had given him no further insight into the secret than this first part of it1 more to see what impression it would have upon the public1 than for any thing else1 as my employment and standing in society were such that ,i did not like to appear before such a multitude of my acquaintances as a horse-breaker4 ,this was1 however1 a foolish prejudice2 for ,fulton by the discovery of the means of making a boat advance with more velocity by the application of steam power1 was not1 on that account1 looked upon as a common boatman4 ,after these experiments of ,drinnen1 to whom ,i had communicated so small a part of the secret1 ,i was fully convinced that a large fortune might be made in almost any country with the secret1 such as ,i knew it2 and1 as ,i understood the ,spanish language1 ,i agreed with ,drinnen to go first to ,havana and then to ,new ,spain1 and take him with me4 ,accordingly1 ,i sent him to ,new ,orleans1 to fit out a small schooner we had bought in ,newtown4 ,but he took the fever and died1 and ,i continued my occupations with success for several years1 till ,i had accumulated a handsome property4 ,shortly after1 ,i became security for several persons1 three of whom left me to pay for them3 at the same time1 ,i had been robbed of six thousand three hundred dollars in the city of ,new ,orleans1 and had lost one thousand nine hundred dollars upon the steam-boat ,teche4 ,as property had fallen to almost nothing1 ,i sacrificed every thing1 to pay other people's debts1 and in #ahbd went by land through ,texas to ,tamaulipas1 where ,i received a splendid gratification from the governor of the state1 ,don ,bernardo1 ,gutierrez de ,lara1 ,don ,felipe de la ,garza1 general of division1 and from several other gentlemen who were present at a performance which took place in the town and sea-port of ,soto la ,marina4 ,from thence ,i went to ,mexico with my family1 where ,i performed before the ,president1 ,vice ,president1 the ,marquis of ,vivanco1 ,count de ,regla ,y ,jala1 ,general ,guerrero1 and several of the first characters of ,mexico1 in #ahbe1 in the month of ,july4 ,our ,envoy1 ,mr4 ,joel ,r4 ,poinsett1 whom ,i had the honor of knowing personally at that time1 can bear witness of the veracity of the signatures of the above-named gentlemen1 as well as of their standing1 all of whom gave me certificates which ,i have now in my possession1 and some of which ,i shall publish in this work4 ,here must be inserted the following extracts1 the originals of which ,i have in my possession3 as a confirmation of which ,i will first put down ,mr4 ,poinsett's3 ,,legation ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america1 ,mexico1 ,november #aeth1 #ahce4 ,the undersigned1 ,envoy ,extraordinary and ,minister ,plenipotentiary of the ,united ,states of ,america in ,mexico1 hereby certifies3 that every faith and credit are to be placed in the documents and certificates which have been given in this country to ,willis ,j4 ,powell1 while a resident in these countries4 ,they are signed by gentlemen of the highest respectability2 and there is no reason to doubt that he possesses1 in an uncommon degree1 the art of taming1 in an incredible short time1 the wildest and most unruly horses4 ,j4 ,r4 ,,poinsett4 ,a true ,copy4 ,,translation4 ,captain ,general's ,office of the ,south1 ,,mexico1 ,july #bgth1 #ahbe4 ,don ,vincente ,guerrero to all ,gentlemen ,governors1 ,military ,commanders1 ,civil ,authorities1 and ,inhabitants in general of the ,united ,mexican ,states--,greeting3 ,,gentlemen3 ,the astonishing faculty of ,willis ,j4 ,powell1 in taming wild horses in a few hours1 was recommended to me by persons of the highest respectability1 and in whom ,i place entire confidence4 ,they have written to me in his favor1 that ,i might facilitate him to perform in this city4 ,he has verified the same to the entire satisfaction of all the beholders2 and having resolved to continue his operations in other parts of the ,federation1 where he is now about to go1 ,i recommend him1 gentlemen1 to your favor and protection1 not doubting in the least but that you will be highly gratified with the acquaintance of a gentleman who has made a discovery of so much utility1 and which1 gentlemen1 you will know how to appreciate1 as persons who desire to encourage all useful improvements1 or any thing that may tend to enlighten your fellow citizens3 assuring you that ,i shall be very thankful for whatever kindness or favor you shall have dispensed to this citizen4 ,it is what ,i expect from your natural goodness4 ,god preserve your lives many years1 c41 c4 ,,vincente ,,guerrero4 ,certificate of the ,marquis of the ,mine of ,rayas1 in the ,state of ,guanajuato1 in the ,capital ,city of the same name4 ,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,spanish4 ,citizen ,willis ,j4 ,powell1 a naturalist1 and native of ,new ,york1 of whose astonishing dexterity in gentling wild horses in a few hours1 ,i had already been informed1 7from several respectable gentlemen1 who had been eye-witnesses to the same in the city of ,mexico17 arrived in this city on the #bjth of the present month4 ,i immediately sent for him1 offering him a handsome gratification to give us a proof of his ability4 ,he verified the same by putting it in practice on the #bgth1 at the mine of ,rayas1 with a wild colt1 chosen on purpose from among the wildest and fiercest of a party of forty of them1 which had just arrived there to be gentled for the service of the said mine1 in one of the stables of which he began the operation at three quarters past ten in the forenoon3 and myself1 as well as several other spectators of this performance1 were struck with amazement at beholding this horse at two o'clock so gentle1 that after having been led around in every direction by the halter1 suffered himself to be rode both by men and boys1 as well bare-backed as saddled1 tightly girted and cruppered--permitting them to get upon him on either side4 ,after a short time1 being let loose1 he followed any one who went before and motioned to him with gentleness1 without pulling him by the halter--proceeding to where several persons were standing without showing any signs of fear at coming up to them1 and passing in the midst of them1 permitting any one to lift up his feet and handle him with as much ease as they could handle the gentlest plough-horse4 ,being put into a large yard1 he ate with the rest of the wild horses1 his companions1 and in going a second time to catch him1 there was no need of throwing the rope upon him1 he letting any one come up before him and put the halter upon him4 ,the third day1 he was rode down from the mine to this city1 where he was shod all around1 standing perfectly still when the blacksmith took up his feet1 and never flinching at the stroke of the hammer4 ,being shod and led out before a great number of people1 the servant threw the saddle over his head1 then let it fall over his heels and on either side1 and under his belly1 without frightening him in the least4 ,to the above relation ,i was an eye-witness1 since ,i was present from the beginning to the end1 without any interruption to all the simple and progressive operations used in breaking this fiery1 wild and hitherto untameable animal3 being astonished above all to see1 that in them this dexterous manager made no use of spurs1 whip1 clamor or exclamation2 but1 on the contrary1 gentleness and caresses were the only means he put in practice to bring1 as it were by enchantment to obedience1 this wild animal1 whose tractability1 even at this time1 is doubtless much greater than that which is observed in horses of a gentle nature1 tamed at the end of a year or more1 with much cost1 labor and danger1 often losing a great part of their natural spirit by the hard usage they undergo whilst one is breaking them--and more especially those of a noble and spirited nature4 ,as a proof of my being present to all herein related1 and wishing to encourage such an extraordinary discovery1 ,i sign this declaration1 which ,i make in ,guanajuato1 capital city of the state of the same name1 c41 c41 ,august #cjth1 #ahbe4 ,,the ,,marquis ,,of ,,san ,,juan ,,de ,,rayas4 ,,observations ,,upon ,,horses ,,in ,,general3 ,,and ,,what ,,led ,,me ,,to ,,the ,,discovery ,,of ,,breaking ,,them ,,in ,a ,,short ,,time4 ,the first experiments ,i made upon wild horses1 in order to break them in a shorter time than that usually employed to that end1 consisted in the application of different kinds of smells1 such as opium1 the oil of cummin1 assaftida1 that callous substance called the spur which grows upon the inside of a horse's fore-legs1 the sweat from a man's arm-pit1 mare's milk1 c41 c4 ,opium has but little effect upon a horse1 even if he smells it a considerable time4 ,but of all these substances1 no one tends so much to intoxicate1 and even sicken1 not only a horse but a man1 as that taken from the horse when smelled of for any length of time4 ,any one who may doubt the veracity of what ,i here assert1 can be easily convinced by experience1 if he will4 ,in the next place1 the sweat from the arm-pit has a tendency to render a horse sleepy1 if smelled for an hour or two4 ,some horses1 thus rendered sleepy1 can be handled2 but on most horses it has no effect1 or very little4 ,now1 as ,i was determined to publish this secret some day or other1 in its true light1 ,i never revealed any other till now1 but that accompanied with some one of these substances1 with certain directions how to apply them4 ,these directions contained enough of the true secret to tame a horse1 so as to astonish the most penetrating4 ,now and then1 a horse would remain gentle that had been thus tamed2 but five out of ten would become wild again4 ,whenever ,i broke one myself1 he always remained gentle4 ,drinnen sincerely thought that some of these substances were necessary to gentle a horse4 ,i solemnly declare1 before ,god and man1 that ,i do not believe that a horse can be tamed1 even for a short time1 by the application of any of these substances1 without applying to him more or less of the true secret2 and furthermore3 ,i declare1 that all and every one of them are entirely useless1 and of no effect4 ,god is my witness1 that if ever this secret was known before1 ,i never learnt it from any man2 ,i discovered it myself1 and brought it1 as ,i believe1 to its greatest perfection4 ,a horse is gentled1 by my secret1 in from two to sixteen hours4 ,the time ,i have most commonly employed1 has been from four to six4 ,after my ,illustration3 ,,halter ,,and ,,bridle ,,for ,,colts4 first experiments1 ,i reflected upon the nature of horses in general1 many of which1 when confined1 appeared to fear nothing3 notwithstanding this1 the result of my reflections was1 that fear1 much more than any thing else1 was the cause of their resistance2 of the resistance even of the fiercest2 for1 although these latter would run at a man1 as well as at any other thing1 when confined1 yet1 if they were let loose1 and turned out into a field1 they would leave him and scamper away4 ,being once convinced that fear was the only cause of the obstinacy seen in horses taken to be gentled by force1 it now remained to discover by what means that fear might be taken away4 ,to take away fear1 is1 to inspire confidence2 or1 inspiring confidence1 is taking away fear4 ,i believe there is no person1 who does not experience a more agreeable sensation1 when another person combs his hair1 than when he combs it himself4 ,to be vulgar1 who is there1 that has not found a pleasure in having another rub his legs or arms1 hands or feet1 if he felt a pain in them1 much more than if he rubbed them himself4 ,we all know what pleasure it gives a parrot to have one scratch or rub him upon the head4 ,now1 of the five senses1 the sense of feeling possesses something more1 as to its influence of materiality1 than the other four4 ,it has a similar effect upon animals as upon men4 ,whereas1 the sense of hearing1 and that of seeing1 have1 in many respects1 a very different influence upon the human species to what they have upon animals4 ,animals1 in general1 are almost or quite insensible to that pleasure1 which the human species enjoy1 in contemplating beautiful or magnificent objects1 though they frequently express great fear at others4 ,they experience the same sensation of fear at sudden or disagreeable sounds1 whilst they appear almost insensible to soft and melodious ones4 ,the sense of feeling1 in horses1 seems to be as exquisite as in men2 and in some cases1 more so4 ,a horse feels a lively pain at the stroke of a whip1 or the prick of a pin4 ,he feels a pleasure in being curried1 rubbed and handled4 ,it is well known1 that an object that frightens a horse1 at first sight1 will become familiar to him in a short time--even in a few minutes4 ,the same may be said of those sounds which frighten him at first3 such as the explosion of a gun or cannon2 to all of which he soon becomes familiar1 provided they are not accompanied with any thing that operates upon the sense of feeling2 but he will never become familiar to the crack of a whip1 so as not to be afraid of it1 if he has been accustomed to experience its effects1 when vigorously applied to his back4 ,to conclude3 ,take away ,,fear--,inspire ,,confidence--,,familiarize4 ,,the ,,secret4 8,a ,,gentle ,,hand ,,may ,,lead ,,the ,,elephant ,,by ,a ,,hair40 ,cause your horse to be put into a small yard1 stable or room4 ,if in a stable or room1 it ought to be a large one1 in order to give him more exercise with the halter1 before you lead him out4 ,if the horse belongs to that class which appears only to fear man1 you must introduce yourself gently into the stable1 room or yard where the horse is4 ,he will naturally run from you1 and frequently turn his head from you2 but you must walk about extremely slow and softly1 so that he can see you1 and whenever he turns his head towards you1 which he never fails to do in a short time1 say in a quarter of an hour1 or half an hour--,i never knew one to be much longer without turning towards me--at the very moment he turns his head1 hold out your left hand towards him1 and stand perfectly still1 keeping your eyes upon the horse1 and watching his motions1 if he makes any4 ,if the horse does not stir for ten or fifteen minutes1 advance as slowly as possible1 and without making the least noise1 always holding out your left hand1 without any other ingredient in it than what nature put in it4 ,the reason of my having made use of certain ingredients before people--such as the sweat from under a man's arm1 c4--was1 to disguise the real secret2 and ,drinnen1 as well as several others1 believed that the docility to which the horse arrived1 in so short a time1 was owing to those ingredients4 ,it will be seen1 in this explanation of the secret1 that they were of no use1 whatever2 but1 by placing so much confidence in them1 those who had succeeded in breaking one horse1 failed in another1 and that is what ,i foresaw4 ,no one can accuse me of bad faith1 to whom ,i discovered this or any part of the secret2 for ,i always intended to publish the whole4 ,in the second place1 many revealed what ,i had told them1 after the most solemn promise to the contrary4 ,caution is the parent of safety3 ,i1 therefore1 by multiplying the ingredients1 caused a confusion amongst those who thought they knew the real secret4 ,though ,i revealed enough of the secret for a man to break a horse in a few hours1 it was not enough to make the horse remain gentle2 that is1 generally speaking3 for some horses would be perfectly gentle ever after2 but the greater number would not4 ,the implicit faith placed in these ingredients1 though innocent of themselves1 became faith without works2 and thus men remained always in doubt concerning this important secret4 ,the secret is a complete lesson of morality2 for all is ,,gentleness--,,patience--,,perseverance 4 ,but1 ,i return to the explanation of the secret4 ,if the horse makes the least motion when you advance towards him1 stop and stand perfectly still till he is quiet4 ,remain a few minutes in this position1 and then advance again in the same slow1 almost imperceptible manner4 ,take notice3 ,if the horse stirs1 stop without changing your position4 ,it is very uncommon for a horse to stir more than once1 after you begin to advance1 yet there are exceptions4 ,he generally keeps his eye steadfast on you1 till you get nigh enough to touch him upon the forehead4 ,when you are thus near to him1 raise slowly1 and by degrees1 your hand1 and let it come in contact with that part just above the nostrils1 as lightly as possible4 ,if the horse flinches1 7as many will17 repeat with great rapidity those light taps or strokes upon the forehead1 going a little further up towards his ears by degrees1 and descending with the same rapidity1 till he will let you handle his forehead all over4 ,now let the strokes be repeated with more force over all his forehead1 descending by lighter touches to each side of his head1 till you can handle that part with equal facility4 ,then touch1 in the same light manner1 making your hands and fingers play around the bottom or lower part of the horse's ears1 coming down1 now and then1 to his forehead1 which may be looked upon as the helm that governs all the rest4 ,having succeeded in handling his ears1 advance towards the neck with the same precautions1 and in the same manner2 observing always to augment the force of the strokes1 whenever the horse will permit it4 ,perform the same on both sides of the neck1 till he lets you take it in your arms without flinching4 ,proceed in the same progressive manner to the sides1 and then to the back of the horse4 ,every time the horse shows any uneasiness1 return immediately to the forehead1 as the true standard1 patting him with your hands1 and from thence rapidly to where you had already arrived2 always gaining ground1 a considerable distance further on1 every time this happens4 ,the head1 ears1 neck and body being thus gentled1 proceed from the back to the root of the tail4 ,this must be managed with dexterity1 as a horse is never to be depended upon that is skittish about the tail4 ,let your hand fall lightly and rapidly on that part next to the body a minute or two1 and then you will begin to give it a slight pull upwards every quarter of a minute4 ,at the same time1 you continue this handling of him1 augmenting the force of the strokes1 as well as the raising of the tail1 till you can raise it and handle it with the greatest ease1 which commonly happens in a quarter of an hour in most horses2 in others almost immediately1 and in some much longer4 ,it now remains to handle all his legs4 ,from the tail come back again to the head2 handle it well1 as likewise the ears1 neck1 breast1 c41 speaking now and then to the horse4 ,begin1 by degrees1 to descend to the legs1 always ascending and descending1 gaining ground every time you descend1 till you get to his feet4 ,talk to the horse in ,latin1 ,greek1 ,french1 ,english or ,spanish1 or in any other language you please1 but let him hear the sound of your voice1 which at the beginning of the operation is not quite so necessary1 but which ,i have always done in making him lift up his feet3--8,hold up your foot10 8,leve le pied0--8,alza el pie0--8,aron ton poda10 c41 at the same time lift his foot with your hand4 ,he soon becomes familiar with the sounds1 and will hold up his foot at command4 ,then proceed to the hind feet1 and go on in the same manner2 and1 in a short time1 the horse will let you lift them1 and even take them up in your arms4 ,all this operation is no magnetism1 no galvanism4 ,it is merely taking away the fear a horse generally has of a man1 and familiarizing him with him1 as the horse experiences a certain pleasure from this handling of him4 ,as a striking proof of this assertion1 ,i will relate what ,i performed in the state of ,neuvo ,leon1 upon a wild boar1 taken two days before in the woods1 without being wounded4 ,he was shut up in a pen1 or kind of cage1 and was so furious that he had eaten nothing for thirty hours4 ,when ,i came to the cage1 which was standing in a back yard1 he gnashed his teeth1 and became enraged1 and foamed in a terrible manner4 ,i stood still before him for more than three quarters of an hour4 ,i held a staff in my hand1 around the end of which ,i wrapped a cloth pretty tight1 and advanced it1 by little and little1 towards the head of the boar4 ,he at first tried to catch it in his mouth2 but1 by continually repeating the trial1 ,i succeeded in touching the bristles of his head4 ,he made some resistance2 but1 after ,i had slightly touched his head a dozen times1 he stood still4 ,i continued this operation around his head1 and then upon his sides1 for half an hour1 and also upon his belly and back4 ,at the end of an hour1 he appeared half asleep1 and ,i passed the staff over him with great facility1 till at last1 seeing him so easy1 ,i ventured to pass my hand through the grates1 and touch him with it2 which1 so far from irritating him1 he seemed to take an uncommon pleasure in being rubbed and scratched4 ,here1 it must be observed1 that1 instead of giving light strokes or taps with the hand upon this animal1 as ,i do with a horse1 ,i rather scratched and rubbed him2 and1 in this manner ,i continued1 till ,i handled him with as much ease as ,i could a dog1 and even took hold of his tusks4 ,i left him for half an hour1 and when ,i came back1 he was eating corn1 for the first time since he had been caught4 ,he appeared to have been about two years old4 ,in the afternoon1 ,i handled him again1 for some time2 and1 finding him so extremely gentle1 ,i ventured to take him out of the cage into the yard1 though with the precaution of tying a rope about his neck1 in case of his becoming refractory4 ,before ,i took him out1 however1 ,i made my servant and two or three ,indian boys handle him4 ,this last precaution was useless1 as he followed me into the house1 and ate corn out of my hand4 ,i caused him to be handled and fed that evening and the next morning1 when he was finally turned loose among the pigs4 ,this was in the year #ahbe4 ,i came away the next day1 and heard no more of him1 and have never had a second trial upon that kind of animals4 ,to return1 again1 to the horse1 which we left already familiarized to man4 ,supposing him1 as ,i said in the beginning1 to belong to that class which only fears man1 or has little fear of any thing else3 the horse is gentle1 in doing which you may have employed two or three hours2 but he has no knowledge of being led by the halter4 ,put the halter on him1 and handle him in the forehead1 and pull him gently round towards the left1 forming a circle4 ,let him follow you several times round in this way1 till he will go as fast as you wish him to go4 ,then change the position1 and turn to the right in the same manner1 talking to him1 telling him to come along1 c4 ,when he is familiar with forming a circle1 make him leave it2 and1 by degrees1 he will follow you in a straight direction4 ,in all this operation stop him every now and then1 and handle his head and all his body1 c4 ,when he is following you1 stop him short1 always speaking to him1 as likewise when you start him3 8,come on0--8follow me0--8come along40 ,in a short time1 he will follow you without your pulling him by the halter4 ,the first impression is so great upon horses1 that a horse broken in this manner will always follow well ever after4 ,now take a whip1 crack it at him1 and drive him from you1 but without whipping him4 ,then go up to him1 and handle him and caress him1 taking his head in your arms1 putting your arms around his neck1 c4 ,finally3 ,take away the fear he had of you at first4 ,the next operation is to saddle him1 which is done almost immediately1 if he belongs to the second class of horses1 which fear very little else than man2 and as he will make no resistance at being saddled1 he will make none at being ridden1 and so your horse is broken4 ,i shall now explain the difference to be observed in gentling the third class2 that is3 those horses which appear to fear every thing4 ,the operation is to be carried on1 as above directed1 till you come to that part where you are to saddle him4 ,if you should undertake to put the saddle on a horse of this latter description1 he would fly from you as quickly as a deer1 although you might handle him with the greatest ease4 ,how shall we then proceed8 ,take away the fear he has of different objects1 by making him acquainted with them1 and convincing him1 as it were1 by gentle means1 that those objects he so much dreads will not hurt him4 ,familiarize him with them4 ,in order to succeed in this1 every thing must be done by gradation4 ,firstly3 ,take a handkerchief and move it gently before him2 at the same time1 you handle his forehead2 make him smell it2 toss it up a little in your hand before him1 till he is not frightened at it4 ,then throw it upon his head1 and over his ears3 then1 by degrees1 upon his neck1 and so continue on2 for if you should throw it immediately from his head to his back1 or on his sides1 he would jump and kick with all his might4 ,throw it upon his back1 and upon his sides2 let it fall off on one side1 and then on the other4 ,let it fall before him and behind him1 so that it will fall upon his heels4 ,make him walk with it upon his back4 ,let it fall whilst he is walking1 till he gets completely familiar with it4 ,after this1 take some one or two yards of heavy stuff1 such as cotton bagging or the like1 throw it down at a distance two or three times2 then make him smell it4 ,throw it up before him till he no longer flinches at it2 then over his head1 always talking to him1 from time to time1 and handling him every now and then4 ,then throw it upon his back1 whilst you hold it in your hand1 till you see that you can throw it upon his back1 and let it hang down upon each side1 without frightening him4 ,let him walk round with it3 then make him trot with it1 till it falls off4 ,pick it up and throw it upon him as he stands1 and let it fall off on both sides of him1 under his belly4 ,let it fall off from behind1 over his heels4 ,repeat this last operation a great many times1 and lift up his tail and pull it smartly4 ,tie something light to it1 that will hang down over his hams2 but not so low as to touch the ground4 ,make him follow you1 in this manner4 ,afterwards1 tie a large piece of mat or something similar to it1 so that it will touch and drag upon the ground4 ,touch him and handle him in the forehead1 making him advance slowly at first1 then faster1 till you make him run with it1 and go around in every direction1 till he becomes perfectly familiar with the object tied to his tail4 ,drive the horse away from you4 ,then call him back again4 ,untie the mat from his tail1 and tie it to his neck1 letting it hang down on one side1 and making him run in the same manner as before4 ,take it off4 ,take a rattling1 dry deer skin or ox-ide1 and throw it down at some distance before the horse4 ,raise it up and throw it down several times1 till the horse pays no attention to it when it falls1 or when you let it fall and rattle it4 ,let it fall close before him1 and make him smell of it4 ,then throw it upon his neck4 ,let him first walk and then run with it1 till it falls off4 ,then continue with it1 as you did with the mat1 till you tie it to his tail1 and let him walk and run with it1 without showing the least signs of fear1 which he will do in a very few minutes4 ,next comes the girt4 ,to familiarize him to it1 you will take1 firstly1 a common rope1 and throw it over his back1 and make him walk with it4 ,stop him1 and double the rope4 ,let the middle of it hang upon the right side1 low enough for you to take it in your hand where it is doubled1 and draw it towards you4 ,slip the two ends of the rope through the doubled part1 and haul it gently and by degrees1 as if you were girting the horse4 ,loosen and tighten it many times2 at last1 fasten it1 not very tight4 ,make him walk and run in this manner4 ,loosen and tighten it again1 till you have him girted up with the rope in this manner4 ,walk and run him in this way4 ,stop him4 ,throw another rope around his body1 just before his hind legs1 so as to encompass his flanks4 ,at first1 let it rub him gently1 and by drawing first one end and then the other4 ,this is very important1 especially if the horse be naturally of a fearful1 timid nature4 ,the effect it has upon him1 ever after1 is truly astonishing4 ,i speak after more than twenty years' experience1 having done every thing as above directed4 ,take a heavy ,spanish saddle1 with wooden stirrups1 if you have such a one4 ,throw it down before him1 rattle it well1 and make him smell of it4 ,it must be observed1 that in all these manuvres1 you must now and then handle the horse1 by taking up his feet1 speaking to him1 patting him all over on both sides pretty vigorously2 going away from him1 then running suddenly up to him1 c4 ,to return to the saddle4 ,throw it up towards his back2 and if he makes no resistance1 as it is probable he will not1 throw it upon his back and girt it lightly4 ,handle him in every part4 ,strike first lightly1 then very hard upon the saddle3 walk him and run him with it4 ,stop him1 and girt up tight4 ,pull upon the stirrups1 on both sides4 ,make a noise upon the saddle1 by striking it hard with your hand4 ,handle his tail1 by raising it and letting it fall1 and striking upon it2 then put a small cord under it1 in form of a crupper1 and tie the ends to the hinder part of the saddle4 ,walk and run him1 c4 ,pull the cord that serves as a crupper1 till he gets familiar with it4 ,unsaddle3 saddle up again immediately4 ,put on the crupper3 girt up tight4 ,exercise the horse1 by leading him1 and making him run4 ,stop him all at once4 ,put your hand on his forehead4 ,say to him1 8,come along30 at the same time advance1 and pull him gently by the rope4 ,in a short time1 you may let the rope fall1 and he will stop at the word 8,stop10 and will follow you1 at the words1 8,come along10 without your pulling him by the rope4 ,now ungirt the saddle1 and let it fall down upon the left side4 ,put it loose upon the horse again1 and let it fall several times upon the right side and over his heels4 ,then take it and throw it over his head1 upon his back2 saddle him roughly1 striking and making a noise upon the saddle4 ,pull the stirrups strongly1 and lead him about4 ,load him with any baggage that comes in your way1 and make him walk and run with it4 ,mount half way upon him1 bearing hard with your left foot upon the stirrup3 then upon the other side4 ,if the horse shows no signs of fear at any of these operations1 you may get upon him with all safety1 and ride him through the most populous city in ,america1 without his being frightened at any of the objects he meets in it4 ,but ,i generally make it a rule1 to accustom the horse to sound1 before ,i take him out3 in order to do which1 ,i take something that is similar to a drum1 or an empty barrel1 and beat upon it till he becomes perfectly indifferent to it4 ,then ,i show him a pistol or a gun1 and flash it before him4 ,then ,i load it very lightly1 and fire it off before him1 close to his head1 making him smell it before ,i fire4 ,i flash it off two or three times before-hand4 ,i load it again1 and by repeating this exercise two or three times1 you may fire off the gun while placed upon his neck1 without frightening him in the least4 ,i have already observed1 that the first impressions are the strongest and most lasting4 ,it is a great deal easier to learn1 than to unlearn4 ,therefore1 it is extremely necessary1 that the horse should be exercised in every thing that tends to render him docile and useful1 when you thus break him1 and you will have very little to fear from him afterwards4 ,after you have thus gentled your horse1 so as to be able to ride him1 it will be necessary for you to come up to him with one or two other persons3 let them touch him1 and let him smell at them3 otherwise1 he would be afraid of other people3 but1 by coming up to him with other ,illustration3 ,,the ,,horse ,,with ,,leg ,,strap ,,and ,,surcingle ,,on4 persons1 he will let any one handle him and manage him1 as easily as the one who broke him4 ,the greater part of wild horses thus gentled1 will go off with facility3 others will be a little awkward at first4 ,it is1 perhaps1 the best way1 7though ,i have generally ridden them out alone17 and especially if they show any awkwardness in going at first1 to ride them out in company with another horse4 ,it will do no hurt to any4 ,horses broken in this way1 become almost immediately bridle-wise1 and need but very little exercise1 to obey the bridle with uncommon facility4 ,the reason is plain3 they are no longer afraid1 and consequently have no inclination to resist4 ,having thus shown how one must proceed1 to break the second and third class of horses1 ,i now retrocede to the first class1 which appear to fear nothing4 ,when this first kind of horses are let loose1 after having been dragged by force into a pen or stable1 it is very dangerous for any one to go in where they are2 for1 if you step back or try to get out of their way1 when they run at you1 they will be sure to bite1 kick or stamp you under their feet4 ,but if you stop1 stand perfectly still1 hold out your left hand1 and look at the horse1 he will stand still1 likewise1 before he arrives at where you are4 ,this may appear very strange2 but so it is1 and ,i have experienced it very often4 ,he will never come nigher than about five or six feet to you2 and if he is in a yard1 he will rarely come nigher than ten or twelve4 ,such a horse should never be put into too small a place4 ,here we must make use of a precaution1 which is not necessary in the two other kinds of horses3 and give me leave to say1 that ,i am fully persuaded1 that no horse of this description was ever gentled in a few hours by any one but myself1 and by the secret which ,i had discovered4 ,the precaution ,i speak of1 is3 to let no one come into the stable or yard with you1 for it would be dangerous4 ,his attention must be fixed upon you1 and your hand alone4 ,i once came near being killed1 by a horse of this description1 before ,i had discovered this part of the secret4 ,therefore1 it is of the greatest importance1 to put the horse where he can see no moving object1 at the time you approach him4 ,the case ,i mentioned was this3 ,i was about to draw nigh the horse1 after having entered the stable where he was1 and after he had stood still some time1 when1 on a sudden1 a hen flew down from a scaffold exactly over the stable where the horse stood1 and where ,i was to perform the operation4 ,the horse gave a jump at me1 and struck his foot so nigh me1 that he grazed my shoulder2 then turned round almost as quick as lightning1 and let fly a pair of heels1 which knocked off my hat1 but knocked a useful lesson into my head4 ,from that day forward1 ,i have never received the slightest hurt1 or even run any risk1 in breaking some of the fiercest and most ferocious horses of ,new ,spain4 ,but to come to the point4 ,hold out your left hand1 keeping it high enough to touch him upon the forehead3 keep this position for at least one whole hour1 lowering your hand now and then1 unless the horse should advance1 after ten or fifteen minutes1 a step or two towards you2 in which case1 let your hand be ready to meet his forehead1 rather higher up than in the other two kinds of horses2 and1 if he should appear uneasy1 repeat the strokes very fast between his eyes1 fetching your hand partly over them now and then4 ,your position1 at first1 ought to be exactly before him4 ,then1 by degrees1 fall off towards the left side4 ,never flinch1 or show any signs of fear1 when you are gentling this kind of horses4 ,you must remain a great deal longer about their heads1 than in others4 ,they will often flinch1 and frequently show signs of resistance1 whenever you advance an inch from the place you have already handled2 so that it requires some judgment1 and more patience1 to know how to manage them4 ,but1 by going on1 after you have once touched them1 as you would do with the other two classes1 though a great deal slower1 you will never fail of making them as gentle as a lamb4 ,i never employed more than ten hours but with one1 which belonged to the ,governor of ,san ,louis ,potosi1 ,don ,jose ,ildefonso ,leon4 ,this animal kept me between fifteen and sixteen hours1 in gentling him2 at the end of which time1 men1 women and children could ride him and handle him with as much ease as they could any old1 gentle cart-horse1 and ride him bare-backed through the streets of the city1 as many did--five or six being mounted upon him at once4 ,for he was a stud of ten years of age1 of great strength1 of the ,arabian race1 and very high spirited2 and the governor himself1 who possessed several thousands of wild horses--and was the best horseman and herdsman in ,america1 always had thought1 for the last four years1 that it was not in the art of man to break him4 ,he was offered a thousand dollars for him the same day ,i finished breaking him1 by an ,english gentleman1 by the name of ,humstead1 who was travelling through the country3 a great price1 in a country where you can get a good horse for thirty or forty dollars4 ,i would always advise a man1 that goes to break a horse1 to have a watch with him2 for the time will always appear long to him1 when he undertakes a horse of this description4 ,it is very uncommon to meet with a horse you cannot come up to1 so as to touch him in the forehead with your left hand1 in less than a half a quarter of an hour4 ,now1 any person who may in the least doubt of his own capacity to perform the operation1 according to the rules laid down here1 can always have a halter1 or what the ,spaniards call a jaguima1 7which is generally used in riding young horses1 before the bridle is put on them17 put upon the wild horse1 before he is let loose1 with a long rope tied to it1 dragging upon the ground4 ,when he goes in to the horse thus haltered1 he will take care to take the rope up gently in one hand1 whilst he holds out the other2 taking care that the rope may keep clear of all his feet1 and lie before him1 gathering it up as he approaches4 ,another precaution may likewise be used1 by persons naturally afraid of horses1 which is3 to have a barrier placed between them and the horse1 and the end of the rope on the side they stand1 which they may take hold of1 and proceed as above directed4 ,the barrier1 if made use of1 must be open enough for the horse to have a full view of the person who is going to break him4 ,it is always a considerable inconvenience2 but1 it has this advantage3 it places the most timid out of the reach of all the harm he might fear from horses of this description1 till he can handle their head1 which is already a great point2 but1 as one can handle but a small part of the horse1 in this manner1 it is necessary to go in to him afterwards1 when he is thus a little familiarized to you2 for there is no danger1 after you once handle his head1 if you proceed according to the above directions2 that is1 always advancing by degrees4 ,whenever you can handle the horse in every part1 you must handle him much more vigorously than at first1 though without hurting him4 ,those horses which appear to fear nothing1 but kick at every thing with a kind of spite1 and run at men when confined in a close place1 are not always the longest in becoming perfectly gentle4 ,though a man may sometimes be an hour before he can touch them1 yet they frequently become reconciled to him1 as soon as he can handle their head1 and it is not infrequent to see them very easy to be saddled and ridden1 and more especially if they have never been handled2 because a horse that has once been taken1 in order to be broken the common way1 and has resisted with success2 that is to say1 has flung his rider and run away--or one that has been beaten1 whipped1 or badly used in any way1 is a great deal worse than one that has never been touched2 for it is more difficult to unlearn than to learn4 ,it is necessary always to bear in mind1 what ,i have said concerning first impressions4 ,to conclude3 ,to which soever of the three classes horses belong1 deal with them as with the third class2 that is1 those that fear every thing1 with this difference3 the first class1 or those that appear to fear nothing1 must not be approached so suddenly as the others4 ,take notice3 ,whenever a horse that you begin to handle1 hangs down his head1 or appears sleepy and careless1 7and this will happen in some in less than an hour17 your business is half over4 ,i have broken an extremely wild horse1 so as to saddle him1 bridle him1 and make him follow me without pulling him by the halter1 and so that men1 women and children have ridden him1 without the least danger1 in the streets of one of the most populous towns of the ,united ,mexican states3 and this ,i have done in less than two hours from the time ,i went into the place where the horse was4 ,i always carried a watch with me1 when ,i broke a horse4 ,i have now and then gentled one1 so as to ride him with perfect safety1 in less than one hour4 ,however1 these are rare cases4 ,i never had but two that kept me ten hours1 and one nearly fifteen hours and a half4 ,i began him at two o'clock1 and worked upon him till seven2 and the next day ,i began at five1 and finished him a little after one o'clock4 ,this was the ,governor of ,san ,louis ,potosi's1 and one of the highest spirited horses ,i ever saw4 ,i have generally employed from four to six hours1 and some times eight1 in rendering a horse completely gentle and useful1 and on which a man or woman might undertake a journey of a thousand miles1 the very next day after being broken1 without any kind of fear of his becoming refractory on the road4 ,to come now to the most important part of the secret4 ,i observed1 in the beginning of my discourse upon the experiments ,i had made1 that ,i was surprised to find one of the horses ,i had gentled the day before1 almost as wild as ever1 and one of the others had remained perfectly gentle4 ,i saw there was something lacking4 ,i therefore broke another2 and1 after having finished1 ,i tied him in a stable4 ,i went to him at night1 and made a little negro boy handle him a quarter of an hour3 gave him half a spoonful of fine salt1 and not more than about half as much as he would eat4 ,early in the morning1 ,i went to him again1 handled him in the forehead and all over1 and took up his feet1 c41 c41 for a quarter of an hour3 took him to water2 fetched him back2 gave him another spoonful of fine salt1 and plenty to eat afterwards4 ,i rode him a couple of miles1 and then let him loose4 ,the next day1 ,i caught him in the yard1 amongst the other horses1 without throwing the rope1 and he remained gentle ever after4 ,the first day you break a horse1 it is always good to ride him two or three miles2 if further1 it will do him no hurt4 ,the first time you ride him out1 it will be well enough to accompany him with another horse1 though this is not absolutely necessary2 for many horses1 especially high spirited ones1 will often go as well as if they had been gentled for a long time2 some others appear a little awkward at first1 but in half an hour they will go well alone4 ,at any rate1 they will not be afraid of any object they meet4 ,i have here given the whole secret of taming1 in a few hours1 the most refractory wild horse4 ,whilst residing in the city of ,mexico1 ,i wrote a grammar1 in ,greek1 ,latin1 ,french and ,english1 which ,i intend to publish1 in order to simplify1 in some measure1 the study of the former4 ,in it ,i begin by making the student acquainted with the most common names--such as fall under his immediate view4 ,the names of birds1 fish1 plants1 trees1 the human body and its parts1 c41 c4 ,in the declination of all these1 will be found general rules2 but all1 or almost all of these rules1 are subject to some one or more exceptions--as is the case with all general rules4 ,thence1 perhaps1 came our proverb3 ,there is no rule without exception4 ,now1 as gentling a horse1 and writing a grammar1 are two very different occupations1 yet they have some things which are common to both3 one of which is1 this same exception to the general rule4 ,i have given a detail of the method ,i use in breaking the three different kinds of horses3 that is1 horses in general2 these general rules1 however1 are liable to some few exceptions4 ,i have had horses that did not appear to belong to any one of the three kinds mentioned4 ,i look upon them as exceptions4 ,among these1 are horses that toss up their heads the very minute you touch them1 and will not let you put your hand upon them4 ,the first of these ,i met with gave me so much trouble1 that ,i thought it would be impossible to break him4 ,i tried to touch him upon the forehead1 as the true standard1 but could not4 ,i therefore declared him to be an anomaly1 and determined to decline him in some other way4 ,i therefore endeavored to touch him upon the neck1 which ,i succeeded in doing in less than five minutes4 ,i proceeded on in handling him1 as ,i did other horses4 ,after having lifted up his feet1 and handled him every where except about his head1 ,i succeeded in gentling that part4 ,he always remained gentle1 and not in the least skittish about that part4 ,to succeed in handling his head1 ,i was obliged to begin at that part of the neck nighest to the ears1 and continue on to them1 and then to the upper part of his forehead1 between his eyes2 and so descend to his nose1 in the same progressive manner as ,i ascend in other horses4 ,i had tried every possible means to begin at that part1 but found it utterly out of my power4 ,another exception to the general rule1 are those horses which1 after having been begun1 and already handled in the forehead1 show an inclination to bite1 as you proceed on1 and would actually do so1 without your taking some precaution4 ,now1 as my general rule of gentling horses is all mildness1 gentleness1 c41 except from this rule horses of this latter description2 and1 whenever they show an inclination to bite1 correct them by giving them a pretty smart slap with your hand1 and they will never repeat it more than two or three times4 ,i never knew this to happen with horses of the first description1 which one would be naturally inclined to suppose more apt to do so than any others4 ,as to the rest1 proceed as in others4 ,if you wish your horse to go in a cart1 coach or plow1 after having gentled him in this manner1 harness him1 put on lines1 and at first make him go round before you several times3 you will tie some light thing behind1 for him to drag1 and go on progressively1 and in a very short time you may harness him to a cart1 or plough1 and he will go off without difficulty2 especially if you do this immediately after having gentled him1 for then is the best time to take away all caprices4 ,it is well to give him a few days exercise4 ,,observation4 ,if the horse you are going to break has received a blow upon his forehead1 his ears1 or about any part of his head1 so that it is sore or painful when touched1 it is useless to undertake to break him before he gets well3 for the very touch which would give him pleasure being well1 gives him pain in this situation1 and the more you try to handle him the more you will irritate him4 ,let him get well1 before you undertake to gentle him4 ,,refractory ,,horses ,,gentled ,,for ,a ,,long ,,time ,,in ,,the ,,common ,,way4 ,i begin first with those which are afraid of a gun1 or the like4 ,cause a pen to be made1 just big enough to put the horses in1 and in such a manner as to be able to go round it in every direction1 as well behind as before2 and let the bars be far enough apart for you to handle him every where4 ,let him remain in his pen or cage from two o'clock in the afternoon till the next morning1 without eating or drinking4 ,the pen ought to be made so high1 that the horse cannot reach his head over it1 and with four strong posts in the ground1 so that if he should fall back upon the bars1 that traverse it behind1 his weight will not be sufficient to break or derange them4 ,go to him in the morning4 ,handle him smartly a few minutes2 then stand at a distance before him1 with your gun in your hand1 without moving it1 but so that he can see it4 ,if he is frightened at it1 keep your position for some time1 till he remains quiet1 then flash it off4 ,repeat this1 till he is in some measure reconciled to it4 ,draw nigher4 ,repeat the same3 flash it off before him1 very nigh4 ,handle him in the forehead1 and hold the gun in one of your hands4 ,go on thus progressively1 till you can load and fire it off over his head1 with as heavy a charge as you wish to put in it1 which you will be able to do in about two or three hours4 ,when you have gone thus far1 run suddenly up to him1 with your gun in your hand4 ,handle him in the forehead1 holding it still in your hand4 ,exercise him well in this way1 till he does not flinch or show any signs of fear1 when you thus approach him4 ,now1 you suppose the work to be completed8 ,if you do1 you are very much mistaken2 for you must recollect1 that he has much to unlearn4 ,take away ,fear--,inspire ,confidence--,familiarize--are three great lessons to be taught1 in the art of gentling a wild horse2 and1 to bring a rebellious horse to obedience1 you must add1 ,unlearn4 ,repeat the same1 unlearn1 c41 till he is completely gentle4 ,now give your horse a plenty to eat and drink4 ,i suppose it to be about ten o'clock4 ,let him rest1 if he will4 ,repeat your lessons at four o'clock in the afternoon1 more or less rapidly1 according as he is inclined to obey them4 ,feed him at night2 let him remain in the pen all night4 ,next day1 go over the same exercise2 at the end of which1 if you think him sufficiently docile1 take him out of the pen1 and go through the same exercise that you did whilst he was in the pen4 ,if he shows no signs of fear at the explosion of the gun1 when fired off from his back or neck1 you are sure of him4 ,but you must exercise him a little1 for two or three days more2 at the end of which1 you may always rely on him afterwards4 ,should he be somewhat refractory1 when you take him out of the pen1 which would be a rare case1 though some horses may be1 put him again into it1 and repeat1 and you will never fail to succeed4 ,in the same progressive manner1 you can correct the defects of a skittish horse1 in a great measure2 but some are of so fearful a nature that1 if they have been gentled in the common way1 it requires a great deal of patience to manage them4 ,a ,,skittish ,,horse4 ,the best method of correcting a horse of this description1 when one is on the road1 is1 to stop him suddenly1 whenever he appears to be frightened at any thing he sees before him or at his side4 ,let him stand perfectly still3 get down1 if he does not become quiet in three or four minutes1 and handle him in the forehead4 ,lead him by the bridle to the object that frightened him3 then lead him back to where he was1 and get on him4 ,ride him up to it1 c4 ,you can likewise give him the same exercise as you do to a wild horse of the third kind1 and you will not fail to succeed in correcting him by repeating it several times4 ,i never knew a horse to become skittish that ,i had gentled by my secret1 though ,i am not certain that such a thing might not happen2 for1 as ,i said before1 there is no rule without an exception4 ,a ,,horse ,,that ,,will ,,not ,,suffer ,,his ,,ears ,,to ,,be ,,touched4 ,begin at his forehead1 just above the nose1 and handle it in the same manner as you would do with a wild horse1 according to the rules laid down in that part of the secret4 ,gentleness1 ,patience1 ,perseverance1 ,faith2 all these are necessary1 in order to succeed with some horses4 ,it has taken me from five to six hours1 to be able to handle the ears of some horses2 but1 at the end of that time1 they let me handle them with as much ease as ,i could those of a house-dog4 ,they will always let you handle them afterwards4 ,shortly after my arrival in ,mexico1 a gentleman who had read an article which the ,president had caused to be published in the government paper1 concerning what ,i had done with a wild horse that ,illustration3 ,,the ,,horse ,,bounding ,,on ,,his ,,hind ,,legs4 ,i had gentled in his presence1 a few days before1 sent for me1 telling me he had a horse of great value1 that he had given only five hundred dollars for1 on account of a defect1 or vice1 that the horse had contracted two years before1 and which had augmented to such a degree1 that he would have killed any one that would have attempted to put a bridle on him1 or touch him about the ears4 ,he asked me if ,i thought ,i could cure him of this evil habit4 ,i told him ,i would try2 and1 accordingly1 ,i sent every person away1 and went in to the horse4 ,i had taken the precaution of having a halter 7jaguima7 put upon him before-hand1 and a long rope1 dragging upon the ground1 tied to it4 ,in order to put this halter upon him1 they had to throw a rope upon his legs1 and tie them1 and another around his nose2 and this was a ceremony they had to perform every time they put the bridle on him4 ,when ,i had got in where the horse was1 ,i took up the rope and advanced1 holding out my left hand1 as when ,i break a wild horse1 and came up to him4 ,i used a great deal of precaution1 when ,i touched him in the forehead for the first time1 as ,i do with a horse belonging to the first class1 that is1 those that seem to fear nothing2 and1 continuing on in this manner1 gradually ascending1 making my fingers play upon his forehead with great rapidity--gaining ground so slow1 that ,i remained two hours before ,i came to the roots of his ears1 which ,i began to touch very lightly at the end of another half hour2 and1 by continuing the operation an hour longer1 ,i was able to handle them with ease and safety4 ,a few minutes after1 ,i bridled him1 led him about1 and made him follow me1 without pulling him by the bridle4 ,i took it off1 and put it on again4 ,i repeated this exercise several times4 ,then ,i called in my servant1 and made him bridle and unbridle him4 ,then sent him to tell the owner of the horse to come and see him4 ,give me leave here to observe1 that when ,i performed upon a horse1 ,i never let any one be present1 7for fear they might discover the real secret17 except such a gentleman as ,i knew would give me a handsome gratification3 for a man is always more or less willing to pay to satisfy his curiosity as well as his interest4 ,the owner of the horse came in where he was standing without rope or bridle4 ,i called a little ,indian boy1 who had never bridled a horse in his life1 and gave him the bridle2 and1 as the horse's head was too high for him to reach up to it1 ,i told him to get into a chair1 and put the bridle on4 ,his master cried out1 8,for ,god's sake1 don't let him go nigh him6 ,i cannot yet have confidence enough in that animal1 to let the little boy go nigh him3 ,i know he would kill him1 though ,beelzebub himself had been to work at him since the time you first went into the stable60 ,i then went and put on the bridle myself1 and took it off2 then he agreed to let the little ,indian do the same1 which he did1 as may be supposed1 in a very awkward1 fumbling manner1 standing all the while in a chair1 to the great surprise of his master1 who then came in and bridled him himself1 and made me a present of eight doubloons1 7a hundred and twenty-four dollars47 ,,to ,,break ,a ,,horse ,,of ,,kicking4 ,handle the kicking horse in the forehead1 and from thence every where1 except his legs and feet4 ,then tie up one of his fore legs1 7no matter which72 handle him gently all over1 and descend1 by degrees to his feet1 always speaking to him3 he will let you handle them in a few minutes4 ,untie his fore leg1 and go through the same ceremony4 ,after repeating this operation two or three times1 he will let any one handle his feet with the greatest ease imaginable4 ,,how ,,to ,,manage ,a ,,horse ,,that ,,kicks ,,up1 ,,so ,,as ,,to ,,break ,,him ,,of ,,that ,,vicious ,,habit4 ,a horse that is apt to kick up1 ought to be dealt with in the following manner3 ,put upon him a pack-saddle1 if you have one2 if not1 something as nigh to it as possible4 ,take two bags1 and put one hundred and twenty-five pounds of sand in each1 if your horse is a common sized one4 ,girt them on1 or bind them very tight1 in such a manner that no effort of the horse can throw them off4 ,have another horse prepared at hand1 and some one mounted on him to take hold of the rope of the vicious horse1 the moment he is loaded with the sand4 ,let him start off1 with another horseman behind with a good whip in his hand2 and the more he kicks up1 let him whip him the more2 or1 in other words1 let him whip him every time he kicks up4 ,let him trot off thus1 about ten or fifteen miles2 at the end of which1 take off his load1 and let some one get immediately upon him1 and trot back with the same speed4 ,after having exercised him thus1 for two or three times1 it is not common that a horse will ever kick up again4 ,it is to be observed1 that if the horse should kick up with the load of sand at the end of ten miles or more1 make him go at least three miles after he has ceased kicking up2 but it is very uncommon for a horse to kick up1 after the first three or four miles4 ,if he should appear a little tired1 you can regulate the distance1 more or less1 and vice versa4 ,i believe this to be the most infallible remedy known1 without exposing one's self4 ,there are other remedies1 which none but a good horseman can put in practice2 but ,i write for every class of men that ride on horseback1 whether doctors1 lawyers or priests1 farmers or merchants4 ,if this advice should save a few necks from getting broken1 ,i shall feel gratified4 ,,to ,,handle ,a ,,horse',s ,,feet ,,that ,,is ,,apt ,,to ,,kick4 ,put him in a pen1 and go on progressively1 till you can handle all his feet as you would a dog's4 ,it must be recollected1 that when ,i speak of putting a horse in a pen1 ,i suppose them to be of the most refractory kind imaginable2 otherwise1 ,i can handle a bad horse's feet1 in a very few minutes1 by beginning at his forehead1 and so on4 ,,to ,,teach ,a ,,horse1 ,,so ,,that ,,he ,,will ,,not ,,let ,a ,,person ,,dressed ,,in ,a ,,certain ,,manner ,,come ,,nigh ,,him4 ,if you would not wish to have a person1 for example1 wearing a white hat1 come nigh your horse1 put on a white hat1 go into the stable where your horse is1 and take a whip in your hand3 go up to him1 and give him a few good lashes with it4 ,retire and change your hat for one of another color3 leave your whip1 come in again without it2 stroke your horse1 pat him1 talk to him and feed him4 ,go out again1 and put on your white hat3 come in and whip him soundly4 ,then retire1 put on another hat1 and come in and handle him gently4 ,repeat the same for a few days1 and your horse would as lief see the devil as a man with a white hat1 and will not let such a one come near him2 and thus it will happen with any other clothing4 ,i will relate a little anecdote1 which took place in ,mexico1 a few years before ,i left there4 ,one of my friends had a horse extremely gentle1 and of such an easy1 agreeable gait1 that he took the greatest care of him1 and held him at a great price4 ,a well-fed1 big and lusty friar was a friend to our neighbor3 one who liked the good things of this world1 as well as he liked to ride out to the small towns1 bordering upon the city of ,mexico1 and take a dinner with the bonny lasses and countrymen1 inhabiting those villages4 ,he used to ask my friend to loan him his horse1 to take these excursions just around the capital2 and1 as his requests were granted with so good a grace1 he in a short time went so far as to ask the loan of this favorite animal1 to go to ,cuernavaca1 a distance of eighteen leagues1 or fifty miles4 ,as this happened pretty often1 our friend complained to me one day1 at the indiscretion of the friar4 ,i asked him if he could procure me a friar's dress1 for a few days1 and leave his horse with me1 for the same time4 ,he did so4 ,i dressed myself in the friar's dress1 and went in where the horse was4 ,i took a good whip in my hand1 and made him do penance for no other sin but that of too much gentleness4 ,in going out ,i took off the friar's dress1 and went in again in my own dress1 and handled him gently4 ,i repeated the operation a few days1 at the end of which1 ,i took the horse back to his master1 and told him he might lend him to the friar whenever he pleased4 ,a day or two after1 he came to my store4 ,your remedy1 said he1 has had a marvellous effect4 ,our monk has just left my house1 perfectly persuaded that my horse is possessed with the devil4 ,for1 when the holy personage came up to take him by the bridle to get on him1 he was so frightened1 and wheeled round so quick1 and flew away from him with so much terror1 that one would have said he took him for the destroying angel4 ,the friar crossed himself many times1 hurried away with all haste to his convent1 to sprinkle himself abundantly with holy water1 and never asked my friend for his horse again4 ,,to ,,teach ,,your ,,horse1 ,,so ,,that ,,he ,,will ,,let ,,no ,,one ,,but ,,yourself ,,come ,,near ,,him4 ,whilst your horse is eating1 let another person come in to him with a stick sharpened at the end4 ,let him prick his nose with it1 to irritate him2 but slightly1 drawing back at the same time4 ,let him repeat the same an instant afterwards1 and every time the horse begins to eat again4 ,come to him yourself1 and caress him and talk to him4 ,go out again1 and cause another person to come in with the sharpened stick2 but not the same one that came in at first4 ,let him fret him in the same manner as the other did4 ,call him out and go in yourself2 handle the horse gently1 and talk to him4 ,call in a third1 and a fourth1 and perform the same2 always retiring suddenly from the horse1 as if they were afraid of him1 every time he leers at them1 or endeavors to bite them4 ,these lessons1 repeated a few days1 will inspire your horse with so much mistrust against every person but yourself1 and a certain confidence in his own strength1 that he will not suffer any one but yourself to come near him4 ,,to ,,prevent ,a ,,horse ,,from ,,pulling ,,upon ,,his ,,bridle-,,reins1 ,,in ,,order ,,to ,,break ,,them4 ,put a halter1 7of that kind which ,spaniards call a jaquima1 used to ride young horses3 it goes over their ears1 comes down and crosses their nose1 and has a throat-latch to it17 upon your horse1 so strong that it cannot be easily broken1 and tie it to a tree so small that it will bend a little1 if the horse pulls with all his strength4 ,scare him4 ,run up before him4 ,give him even a light stroke or two with the whip3 speaking to him to be quiet1 whenever he pulls upon the rope4 ,in a short time1 he will see that it is impossible for him to break it2 and1 by exercising him twice a day for half an hour1 each day in about a week1 he will no longer pull upon the halter1 when you scare him1 and consequently will stand still afterwards1 when hitched by the bridle4 ,,the ,,mexican ,,mode ,,of ,,preventing ,a ,,horse ,,from ,,breaking ,,his ,,bridle4 ,the ,mexicans1 when they ride out1 always carry a beautiful hair rope1 hanging from their horse's neck4 ,whenever they stop1 they hitch or tie their horses by this rope2 and this simple method keeps them from breaking their bridle-reins4 ,i would advise every one to do the same2 especially if he stops long1 is on a journey1 or rides a stud4 ,merchants and saddlers may1 perhaps1 not like this advice1 but ,i write for all4 ,they likewise sell ropes4 ,,how ,,to ,,manage ,a ,,horse ,,that ,,gets ,,the ,,studs1 ,,or ,,one ,,that ,,stops ,,and ,,will ,,not ,,advance ,a ,,step ,,when ,,you ,,put ,,him ,,to ,a ,,plough1 c4 ,when your horse is harnessed1 and put before the plough1 and you find it impossible to drive him forward1 either by gentle or rough means1 drive down a strong stake or post1 at the very place where he stops4 ,let it be so strong that he cannot break it by pulling4 ,then put a rope upon him equally strong2 tie him rather short4 ,take out your watch1 if you have one2 if not1 look at the sun4 ,let him remain in this position for twelve hours1 without eating or drinking4 ,if the days are short1 ,i would advise you to tie him a little before sun-set1 and let him remain all night4 ,go to him1 untie him1 and then speak to him to go on4 ,he will undoubtedly advance4 ,make him plough two or three rounds2 then unharness him1 and give him something to eat1 after having watered him1 and put him again in the plough1 should he stop again1 do with him as at first1 and let him stand nine or ten hours4 ,it is rare that you have to repeat the operation3 almost all horses go after the first time they have been thus managed4 ,,how ,,to ,,teach ,a ,,horse ,,to ,,lie ,,down ,,at ,,the ,,word ,,of ,,command4 ,tie up the horse's right foot with a handkerchief1 or a buckled strap1 or something that is not so hard1 as a common rope4 ,hold him close by the bridle-reins4 ,then take a small stick in your right hand1 and strike gently upon the horse's left leg1 pulling downwards at the same time upon the bridle-reins1 which you hold in your left hand1 speaking to the horse1 and telling him to lie down4 ,every time you strike his left leg1 bear a little against him1 and pull upon the bridle1 saying to him1 8,lie down1 sir60 ,the horse1 after several repetitions of the strokes1 tries to lift up his left leg2 but1 as the other is tied up1 this motion naturally throws him upon his knees4 ,now push him gently1 till he lies upon his side4 ,after he has remained several minutes in this position1 untie his left leg1 and say1 8,stand up60 ,after he gets up1 pat him in the forehead and all over1 and lead him about a little4 ,by repeating these lessons a few times1 the horse will lie down at the word of command1 by your pulling a little upon the bridle-reins1 and leaning against him4 ,when ,i practice this upon a wild horse that ,i have just been breaking1 it is surprising to see how quick he will learn to lie down4 ,he will do it in less than one half the time which one that has been broken in the common way will be1 in doing the same1 and very often in one fourth4 ,,how ,,to ,,teach ,a ,,horse ,,to ,,count ,,any ,,number4 ,take the horse's left foot in your right hand2 lift it up1 and strike it upon the ground1 counting one1 at the same time4 ,strike again1 and count two1 and again1 and count three1 c4 to ten3 when you pronounce this last number1 raise your voice1 so that it will be a little more audible than it was in the other numbers1 and let the horse's foot fall at the same time4 ,now count fifteen1 or any other number1 in the same manner2 always telling the horse to count ten1 fifteen1 c41 and pronouncing the number you tell in a more audible manner1 letting his foot fall at the same time4 ,in a few lessons1 he will learn to count at the word of command1 and will stop at any number1 whenever you raise your voice a little4 ,in the same manner1 you may make him tell what o'clock it is1 c4 ,,easy ,,mode ,,of ,,fattening ,a ,,horse ,,in ,a ,,short ,,time4 ,the first day you take a lean horse1 and wish to put him in a situation1 as quick as possible1 to be able to perform a journey or any other fatigue3 give him1 in the morning1 twelve ears of corn1 soaked twenty four hours in clean water4 ,scatter half a spoonful of fine salt over it2 then let him eat hay or fodder for one hour4 ,at noon1 give him eight ears more1 and a little fodder4 ,let him stand till five o'clock1 if the weather is warm1 and then bathe him3 feed him as in the morning1 and give him hay1 grass or fodder1 not quite so much as he would eat4 ,the second day1 bleed him by one or two slight incisions in the mouth1 and give him sixteen ears of corn in the morning1 and what grass or fodder he will eat in half an hour1 and no more than four ears of corn at noon4 ,feed him in the evening as in the morning1 after having bathed him as before1 and augment the quantity of fodder4 ,if the weather is cool1 curry him and rub him well1 instead of bathing4 ,third day1 give him as much corn as he will eat1 and fodder at discretion all night4 ,feed him as above1 at seven or eight o'clock in the morning1 and give him no hay or fodder1 and nothing at noon3 continue in this manner1 observing to scatter a little salt upon his corn every third day4 ,it will be necessary1 after the third or fourth day1 to ride him a mile or two twice a day4 ,a horse managed in this manner1 will be fatter at the end of ten or twelve days1 than one fed in the common way will be in a month4 ,a horse upon a journey1 from ,september till ,april1 requires no feeding1 from the time you start in the morning till you stop at night4 ,he will stand the journey better1 and lose less flesh4 ,i have travelled thousands of miles in the ,mexican states1 and have always found it to be the case1 with the exception of those hot countries bordering on the ,pacific ,ocean1 where ,i fed a little at noon--started a little early1 and rode late1 on account of the heat1 which is equally great at all seasons of the year4 ,a horse fed as ,i have directed for fifteen days1 may then eat his corn without being soaked2 and1 though these directions are more particularly intended for this country1 and for horses taken from the prairies1 still1 the directions will hold good in all countries and all climates3 allowing something1 however1 for the different length of days in different seasons and climates4 ,when on a journey1 let a horse drink as often as he wishes4 ,a ,,remedy ,,for ,a ,,horse ,,that ,,will ,,not ,,fatten1 ,,though ,,well ,,fed4 ,there are some horses that will not fatten1 though you feed them with the greatest care2 and1 at the same time1 they are perfectly healthy in other respects4 ,give to such a horse a pint of pretty strong decoction of the root of poke-weed4 ,it generally causes him to sweat copiously1 and it often happens1 that one dose is sufficient to effect a radical cure2 but1 it may be necessary to repeat the dose two or three times3 after which1 treat him as you would a horse taken out of the prairie to be fattened according to the method laid down in this work4 ,,to ,,prevent ,a ,,horse',s ,,back ,,from ,,getting ,,sore1 ,,even ,,on ,a ,,long ,,journey4 ,the best method ,i ever found1 to keep a horse's back from getting sore1 on a long journey1 is3 in the first place1 to procure a saddle1 with a saddle-tree sufficiently open as not to come in contact with the spine4 ,if it be a ,spanish saddle1 or one of the common saddles used in herding cattle in this country1 add to it a couple of cushions filled with wool well picked and clean1 considerably thicker at the upper part1 where they come nighest to the spine1 and thinner as they descend upon the ribs of the horse4 ,fine wool is far preferable to hair1 or any other substance ,i ever made use of4 ,put under the saddle a small saddle-blanket1 which should likewise be of wool4 ,when you stop1 even for a few minutes1 unloose or slacken the girt1 and ,illustration3 ,,the ,,horse ,,about ,,to ,,fall4 if you stop half an hour1 take off your saddle3 especially if the weather be warm4 ,when you stop at night1 curry your horse well1 and bathe his back in cold water1 if the weather be warm4 ,give him as much corn and fodder as he will eat1 but always give him the fodder an hour1 or at least half an hour before you give him the corn4 ,arise early in the morning1 and go yourself1 or send a servant of confidence1 to see that your horse eats as much as he will before you start on your journey2 for good feeding is likewise a pretty good remedy to prevent a horse's back from getting sore1 because a horse in good order is less liable to be hurt than a lean one4 ,should your horse get foundered on the road1 ride him or make him walk for at least two hours3 after which bleed him copiously in the mouth1 and continue your journey the next day1 without fear of his failing2 for though he should still limp a little1 he will be well by night4 ,i had forgot to observe1 that before you bleed him1 you must rub all his legs well1 and bathe them in cold water4 ,in rubbing them1 it must always be done by beginning at the upper part and rubbing downwards4 ,,how ,,to ,,treat ,a ,,horse ,,upon ,a ,,journey4 ,from ,september to ,march1 never feed your horse at noon4 ,it is good to start early in the morning4 ,when you stop to eat breakfast1 unloose your girt1 and1 if the weather be warm1 take off the saddle4 ,if you stop for dinner1 do the same4 ,let your horse drink as often as he pleases2 but give him nothing to eat1 till you stop at night1 or1 rather1 a little before sun-set4 ,when you stop1 it is good1 if your horse is warm1 to let him walk about a few minutes1 before you take off the saddle4 ,when he gets perfectly dry1 have him curried2 and1 in very warm weather1 bathe him4 ,give him fodder for an hour before you give him his corn1 if you feed with corn2 but if with oats or barley1 you may give either to him at the same time that you give him his hay4 ,when you start in the morning1 go on rather moderately till ten or eleven o'clock4 ,then you may go a little faster1 and increase your pace in the afternoon4 ,when you stop at night1 give your horse as much corn and fodder as he will eat4 ,let hay or fodder remain in the rack all night1 but not the corn4 ,give him twenty or thirty ears1 if he will eat so many1 before you start4 ,from ,april to the first of ,september1 feed a little at noon4 ,clean the mud out of your horse's hoofs1 every now and then2 that is1 every morning1 or second morning2 and1 if you perceive that your horse often gets balls of hard1 dry earth in them1 rub soft soap upon the inside of them1 and that will prevent the mud from sticking4 ,a ,,horse ,,that ,,is ,,apt ,,to ,,stumble ,,through ,,carelessness4 ,feed well3 that1 in the first place1 will give him strength to stand upon his feet firmly1 and be able to support his rider2 and1 should he still stumble1 ride him with a ,spanish bridle1 and hold the reins rather short1 and check him whenever he stumbles4 ,this is1 perhaps1 the most efficacious remedy known4 ,some horses are so constructed that they are natural stumblers4 ,it is very difficult to cure such a one of this defect1 though by using him some time to the ,spanish bit1 he will stumble less4 ,,how ,,to ,,break ,a ,,mule ,,by ,,the ,,secret3 ,,and ,,the ,,difference ,,there ,,is ,,to ,,be ,,observed ,,between ,a ,,mule ,,and ,a ,,horse4 ,a mule seems to belong to all three classes of horses1 as to vices3 it will run at a man1 bite1 and strike at him1 like a horse of the first class2 it will again fly from him1 like one of the second class2 and kick1 and appear to be afraid of every thing1 like a horse of the third class3 and yet ,i have broken two or three in a day2 and one day1 ,i broke four in ten hours and a half1 so that a man might handle their feet1 and take them up with the greatest ease2 saddle and bridle them1 and put two or three boys upon them1 and ride them through the streets of a populous town4 ,this ,i did1 in the city of ,jalapa1 seventy-five miles above the city of ,vera ,cruz1 on the road to ,mexico4 ,but this may be looked upon as a rare case2 for it generally takes from six to eight hours to break a mule1 so as to ride him with safety4 ,now1 a man may know how to break a horse1 according to the rules ,i have here laid down1 and completely fail in his first attempts upon a mule4 ,in the first place1 it is absolutely necessary to have a halter upon the mule1 of that kind called a jaguima1 in the ,spanish language4 ,now1 when ,i draw nigh them1 as is indicated in the manner which ,i follow in coming up to a wild horse1 for the first time1 ,i always take up the rope1 which is tied to the head-stall of the halter1 and then approach with much precaution1 but without any signs of fear1 c41 c4 ,now1 as ,i write for the timid1 as well as for the courageous and intrepid1 and as ,i look upon a mule as a most treacherous animal1 ,i will here state1 that all these precautions may be rendered unnecessary1 by making a pen just big enough to put the mule in1 and so high that it cannot jump over it2 and let the bars be far enough apart to pass your hand between them and handle the mule4 ,the pen must be made in such a manner that you can go around it on each side1 as well behind as before1 and be able to get upon it so as to saddle the mule1 when you find it sufficiently gentle to proceed thus far4 ,then continue the operation as with a horse1 but with this difference3 you ought always to load the mule with bags of sand1 or the like1 and exercise it before you ride it4 ,a weight of about two hundred pounds is not too much for the first time4 ,as for any thing further1 do as you would with a horse1 c4 ,the same pen you make for one mule1 may serve for others which are of about the same size2 and thus you may break1 in a very few days1 a great many mules1 so as to go immediately to work with them1 without laming them by blows and rough usage1 which is often the cause of their being refractory the rest of their lives4 ,i have broken a sufficient number of them to bear witness of the truth of this assertion4 ,all those persons who may have learnt any part of my secret of breaking horses in a few hours1 have remained perfectly silent with regard to mules1 though they have undoubtedly tried their skill upon them1 but in vain4 ,,how ,,thales1 ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,seven ,,wise ,,men ,,of ,,greece1 ,,corrected ,a ,,mule ,,of ,,the ,,habit ,,of ,,lying ,,down ,,every ,,time ,,it ,,passed ,a ,,certain ,,river4 ,thales1 one of the seven wise men of ,greece1 had a mule which used to carry loads of salt from one place to another1 in consequence of which1 it had to cross a very wide1 but rather shallow river4 ,it so happened one day1 that whilst it was crossing the river1 being heavily loaded1 it stumbled and fell down1 and remained some time in the middle of the water1 which soon melted and washed away the salt that was in the bags4 ,the animal1 finding itself thus alleviated and discharged of its load1 was able to jump up and pursue its journey without fatigue3 from thence it concluded that the said fall and immersion in the river had been favorable and beneficial to it2 therefore1 when it had to cross the river a second time with a load of salt1 it stopped in the midst of the river1 and plunged in such a manner that its load soon melted away2 and this happened every time it passed the stream2 nor was it possible to break it of this trick1 either by words or blows1 though vigorously and well-applied4 ,at last1 the wise ,thales bethought himself of this stratagem3 ,he loaded the beast with a very bulky load of sponge2 the mule1 according to custom1 plunged into the water1 and remained some time2 but1 when it got up1 it could hardly stagger under the weight of its load1 and1 instead of relief1 found itself oppressed to such a degree1 that it ever after crossed the river with the greatest care1 so as not to fall in the water and increase the weight of its load4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,dull ,,horse ,,appear ,,mettlesome ,,and ,,full ,,of ,,fire ,,for ,a ,,short ,,time4 ,take of red pepper1 of the strongest kind1 a small handful4 ,pound it fine1 and add half a spoonful of vinegar to it4 ,put the whole into a small bag1 made of linen1 and tie it to that part of the crupper which goes immediately under the horse's tail4 ,buckle the crupper rather short1 so that it will press upon the little bag1 as the horse trots off4 ,the juice will flow out of the bag1 and come in contact with a certain part1 which will immediately have the most wonderful effect upon the horse imaginable4 ,he will champ his bit1 if you hold him in1 and appear to be all fire and mettle4 ,when you ride off1 he will hold up his head1 stick his ears forward1 lift his feet with agility1 and caper about like a young colt4 ,in a word1 he will act the part of a fiery1 mettlesome horse1 full of vigor and spiritedness4 ,,that ,,part1 ,,or ,,those ,,parts ,,of ,,the ,,mexican ,,states ,,in ,,which ,,the ,,best ,,race ,,of ,,horses ,,is ,,to ,,be ,,found1 ,,and ,,some ,,of ,,their ,,qualities4 ,the horses that are brought to ,louisiana1 under the name of ,spanish horses1 generally come from ,caahuila1 ,tamaulipas1 and ,neuvo ,leon4 ,they are of a pretty good size1 and commonly of a vicious disposition4 ,they are very much affected by the change of climate4 ,they are likewise used to a better kind of grass than that growing in ,louisiana4 ,they are much larger than the creole horses1 and when acclimated live longer4 ,when mixed with the creole horses1 they form a good race1 far better than the creole horses4 ,planters generally suffer great loss in purchasing northern horses1 which are so much affected by the climate that hundreds of them die every year4 ,a better and more serviceable race of horses may be raised1 by procuring northern mares1 and putting them with creole studs4 ,they will not only stand the climate as well as the creole horses1 but will render more service than the northern horses1 and do not require half so much care4 ,but a race of horses1 far superior to either of the above-mentioned1 can be raised1 by procuring some of those beautiful ,andalusian studs1 and putting them with northern mares4 ,this would be really improving the race of horses in this country4 ,i would likewise advise the planters to procure both mares and horses1 and raise at least some elegant riding horses from this ,andalusian race4 ,i have more than once mounted upon a fiery ,arabian steed1 that hardly seemed to touch the ground1 as he bounded over the plains--,i have likewise ridden upon some of the finest horses raised in ,new ,spain--and1 for my life1 ,i have found it difficult to distinguish the difference between the former and the latter4 ,they are of the same size--their shape is the same--their long1 floating mane the same--their beautiful1 small and well turned hoof the same1 and so hard that they travel over vastly high and rocky mountains1 without being shod4 ,add to this1 their hardiness to undergo fatigue4 ,i have ridden one of these horses for twenty days together1 going from fifty to fifty-five miles a day1 and frequently changing from a cold to a hot climate1 and vice versa2 for in ,new ,spain1 climates are hot or cold1 according as they are higher or lower2 and this ,i have done1 without my horse ever appearing in the least jaded1 or the leaner for it4 ,the rider himself feels much more at his ease1 than he does when riding a heavy1 clumsy horse1 that moves along like a camel1 and is remarkable only on account of his unwieldliness1 and is1 as a ,kentuckian would say1 8waste timber60 ,besides1 the ,andalusian or ,arabian breed are the most elegant easy-going horses in the world4 ,they have no resemblance to those ,spanish horses which are brought to this country4 ,now1 as ,i have mentioned some of their qualities1 ,i will inform the amateur where he can best procure them4 ,in going by land to the ,mexican states1 the first horses of this kind to be met with1 are raised upon the ,hacienda del ,xaral1 7pronounced ,haral1 and often written with a ,j1 ,jaral17 two hundred and sixty miles this side of the city of ,san ,louis ,potosi1 in the state of the same name4 ,still further on1 in the states of ,guanajuato and ,quenetaro1 the same race of horses is to be found1 and likewise in other places3 but1 those ,i here mention1 would be by far the most convenient places to procure them1 as they are not so far distant as others from ,tampico1 should one wish to bring them by sea to ,new ,orleans1 nor so far from this state1 should one prefer bringing them by land4 ,all of these fine horses1 ,i here mention1 are raised upon the table-lands1 where excessive heat is never felt3 and yet1 if you take them down to the hot countries upon the coast1 they will1 even there1 do double the service of one of the hot-country horses1 in their own climate4 ,i speak from experience1 for ,i have tried both4 ,they likewise possess another good quality1 which is that of being the most sure-footed animals in the world1 of the horse kind2 not even excepting a mule4 ,,caution ,,to ,,be ,,observed1 ,,in ,,cutting ,,or ,,paring ,,the ,,hoofs ,,of ,,your ,,horses ,,in ,,this ,,country1 ,,where ,,horses ,,generally ,,go ,,unshod4 ,when you cut or pare the hoofs of your horses1 be careful to cut them so as not to let that soft part1 which is in the middle of the foot1 commonly called the frog1 rise above the outside of the hoof2 for if you do1 it will undoubtedly make the horse limp4 ,when it is too big1 it must be cut off4 ,nobody will do it so efficaciously as a blacksmith1 and it is better to pay such a one some trifle than to lame your horse4 ,,caution ,,to ,,those ,,who ,,raise ,,horses ,,or ,,mules4 ,he that would raise a good stock of horses or mules1 must have good pasture-ground1 and take special care that the colts do not want for food in the winter time1 and more particularly the first two years4 ,more depends upon the first two years1 than any thing that can be done afterwards2 for a colt that is badly fed1 and allowed to suffer hunger and cold while he is young1 will rarely or never make a large horse2 whereas1 if he has been well fed for two years1 he is more able to support hardship afterwards1 though ,i by no means advise any one to neglect him at any time4 ,,to ,,accustom ,a ,,horse ,,to ,,stay ,,in ,a ,,place4 ,if you buy a horse in one part of the country1 and take him to another1 and the horse returns of his own accord to his former abode1 cause another person1 7if the person be his old master1 so much the better17 to take your horse and tie him up1 and whip him severely1 and let him stand all night without eating any thing whatever4 ,in the morning1 let the same person come again to the horse1 and give him another good discipline3 immediately afterwards1 go to your horse1 mount him1 and ride him back to the place where you wish him to stay1 and give him some salt1 and plenty to eat4 ,keep him inclosed for two days1 well fed1 handled and caressed4 ,then cause him to be taken to his first place of residence4 ,let any person catch him1 tie him up1 and whip him1 as at first1 leaving him tied all night1 without eating4 ,go to him1 get upon him1 and ride him home2 caress and feed him well1 and give him a little salt4 ,let him loose1 at the end of two days1 upon trial2 if he does not return at the end of four days1 have him caught1 caressed and fed1 and salt given to him1 and then let loose4 ,but should he return a third time1 which would be a rare case1 repeat the discipline4 ,i seldom or never knew this remedy to fail4 ,,to ,,make ,a ,,gentle ,,horse1 ,,not ,,used ,,to ,a ,,carriage1 ,,go ,,in ,,it4 ,harness your horse3 handle him in the forehead a few minutes4 ,let some one lead him1 whilst you hold the reins and go behind him with a whip in your hand4 ,make him advance1 by speaking to him2 then speak to him to stop1 at the same time you pull upon the reins4 ,exercise him a few minutes in this way1 then handle him again in the forehead4 ,make him advance3 let the person who led him now go before1 at a little distance1 then further off1 till at last the horse will suffer himself to be driven1 without any one being before him4 ,now let him drag a small piece of wood1 with some one going before as at first1 till he suffers himself to be driven without4 ,exercise him a few minutes1 in this way1 then with something larger1 that will make considerable noise4 ,i have always made use of a barrel1 fixed so that it would roll round1 and in which ,i put a quantity of round stones2 but1 as stones are difficult to be procured in this part of the country1 their place can be supplied by something else4 ,give the horse a good exercise1 in the same gentle1 progressive manner as above1 till he will suffer himself to be driven with this last load in every direction1 without the necessity of any one going before him4 ,then put him to an empty cart1 and continue on1 in the same progressive manner4 ,never pull upon the reins1 to stop your horse1 without speaking to him4 ,i have never yet failed of success in putting a horse to a coach or gig2 but1 it is certain1 that there are some horses so fiery and vicious1 that few persons would have patience enough to succeed4 ,i here speak of those horses that have contracted vicious habits1 after having been broken for a long time4 ,never fail to give your horse a very small quantity of salt1 after having exercised him to go in a cart or gig4 ,do not give him more than a thimble-full at a time4 ,he will generally go well the first day2 but he ought to have a few hours exercise each day1 for a few days4 ,a ,,horse ,,that ,,stops1 ,,and ,,refuses ,,to ,,go1 ,,when ,,in ,a ,,carriage4 ,if a horse stops1 and refuses to go1 or runs back1 go up before him1 handle him in the forehead and coax him4 ,if he is not an old offender1 he will go off in about fifteen minutes4 ,if he has been spoiled for a long time1 it requires more patience to correct him4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,horse ,,tamed4 ,a ,,mode ,,of ,,breaking ,,wild ,,horses1 ,,very ,,different ,,from ,,that ,,discovered ,,by ,,me4 ,i have seen a wild horse taken and shut up in a stable4 ,the man who was to gentle or tame him1 took a whip1 such as a coachman uses1 and went in to him2 and1 as the horse was frightened1 and ran away from him1 he fell to whipping him most unmercifully4 ,at the end of half an hour1 the horse1 seeing it impossible to escape the whip by running away1 advanced towards the man who had been his persecutor4 ,the man threw down his whip1 and began to handle him2 but the horse1 at the end of a few minutes1 began to be refractory1 when he took it up again1 and repeated the lesson with so much severity1 that the horse soon came back to him4 ,this he continued for some time2 when1 at the end of about two hours1 he saddled the horse and drove him about with his whip1 making him come up to him every now and then1 till at last he mounted him and rode off very well4 ,i observed1 that the horse frequently trembled1 when he went to get on him1 notwithstanding he rode him off pretty well2 he appeared to be afraid of many objects he met with1 and was far1 very far from being that gentle1 docile animal1 tamed by the simple1 natural means made use of in my method of breaking horses4 ,besides this1 those horses do not remain gentle4 ,i speak from experience4 ,,another ,,mode ,,of ,,breaking ,a ,,horse ,,for ,a ,,few ,,hours4 ,stop up the horse's ears1 so that he cannot hear at all1 and you can very soon handle him as if he were a gentle horse2 but1 when you unstop his ears1 he will become as wild as ever4 ,if you perform this two or three times upon the same horse1 it will have no effect upon him at last4 ,,advice ,,to ,,farmers1 ,,concerning ,,the ,,gentling ,,of ,,young ,,cows4 ,though ,i did not intend to say any thing about horned cattle1 it may not1 perhaps1 be amiss to relate what ,i have experienced and been eye-witness to1 in the state of ,louisiana1 concerning the gentling of young cows1 since ,i discovered the secret of breaking horses in a few hours4 ,whenever ,i have had a heifer or young cow to gentle1 7it must be observed1 that they are much wilder here than in the northern states17 ,i have made it a practice to have them tied by the horns to a post1 and have made a servant begin to handle them well all over1 speaking to them uninterruptedly2 and this he did for two or three mornings1 before milking them1 always finishing by giving them a little salt4 ,at the end of three or four days1 they never failed of becoming gentle1 and could be milked without being tied4 ,though ,i have seen by experience1 that horned cattle1 especially bulls1 are much less sensible to the touch than horses1 a part of which may possibly be owing to the thickness of their skin1 yet even with them ,i have done much4 ,let any one who will1 do more4 ,,the ,,astonishing ,,manner ,,in ,,which ,i ,,tamed ,,or ,,gentled ,a ,,wild ,,deer4 ,the second day after my arrival in the town of ,tantoyuca1 ,i presented myself to the first ,alcade1 or chief magistrate of the town4 ,i showed him the documents ,i had brought with me from the ,president and other authorities1 and expressed a desire of putting in practice1 in that town the ability ,i possessed of taming1 in a few hours1 wild horses4 ,the ,alcade seemed to be of a morose1 surly temper1 and answered me1 saying1 he did not believe in witches1 nor miracles1 and though he said he respected the ,president's document1 yet he believed he had been imposed upon1 c4 ,he appeared not even disposed to give me a trial4 ,he had a brother-in-law1 a ,spaniard1 a genteel1 wealthy gentleman3 this man was very much disposed to favor my undertaking4 ,he possessed numerous herds of wild horses4 ,he gave me one of his houses to live in1 whilst ,i staid in the town1 for ,i had my wife and family with me4 ,about six o'clock1 7this was in ,february1 #ahbf17 whilst we were all sitting at the door1 taking the air1 a wild deer came bouncing by us4 ,it had been chased out of the woods by a leopard or a tiger4 ,the large spotted tiger and leopard are both natives of this country1 and are often seen within half a mile of the towns in the ,guanteca4 ,the deer ran down opposite the ,alcade's house3 there1 a man threw a rope upon it1 and caught it4 ,i immediately went to the man1 bought the deer1 and told him to tie it and bring it up to my house4 ,he accordingly did so4 ,i untied it1 and shut it up in a room1 where it remained all night4 ,the next morning1 before sun-rise1 ,i went to it1 and began the operation of gentling2 and1 at nine o'clock1 ,i made it follow me to the ,alcade's1 accompanied by his brother-in-law4 ,the ,alcade was so delighted at seeing the deer follow me into his house1 that he gave me every facility to perform in that town1 which ,i did1 and brought away a fine purse of doubloons1 which he and his friends gave me1 as a gratification for having broken a wild horse in their presence4 ,this deer having been shut up all night1 as ,i have observed1 ,i got up early in the morning1 and went to the room in which it was confined4 ,as ,i opened the door1 it appeared almost frightened to death4 ,i shut the door1 however1 and remained perfectly still for some time4 ,the deer had retired to the further corner of the room1 which was very small3 it had turned round1 and was looking at me4 ,i kept my position1 with my left hand stretched out1 for half an hour before ,i began to move1 as slow as possible1 towards the deer1 which kept its eyes fixed steadfast upon me1 and never stirred1 till ,i got nigh enough to touch it4 ,i moved my hand for some time1 before ,i dared to let it fall upon its head3 at last1 ,i ventured to let the end of my fingers fall1 as lightly as possible1 upon its head2 it trembled and flinched a little2 ,i repeated1 with the greatest rapidity1 those very light touches1 and in less than five minutes1 as ,i suppose1 7for it was impossible for me to look at my watch without frightening the deer17 ,i began to rub it upon the head2 and1 in less than half an hour1 ,i took its head under my arm1 and handled it all over in two hours from the time ,i went in to it4 ,i made my servant and several others go to it1 and stroke and rub it4 ,it was a full-grown deer1 and not less than two or three years old4 ,the mode of taming it consisted in stroking it gently1 and taking its head in my arms1 c4 ,i relate this circumstance more to prove the astonishing effect the tact has upon some animals1 and to point out the different ways of applying it1 than from any benefit resulting from taming this latter kind of animals4 ,a ,,remedy ,,for ,,an ,,ox ,,that ,,lies ,,down1 ,,and ,,wont ,,get ,,up4 ,i have seen some oxen lie down1 when put before the plough1 and show so much obstinacy1 that they suffered themselves to be whipped most unmercifully1 and even burnt1 without showing signs of obedience4 ,if an ox lies down and will not get up1 either by gentle or rough means1 tie him in such a manner that it will be impossible for him to get up4 ,let him remain in this situation1 without eating or drinking1 for ten hours3 then untie him1 and he will not fail to go off4 ,let him go two or three rounds1 and then feed him well4 ,it is not common for him to return to his former offence1 unless he has been an old offender2 in which case1 let him remain tied two or three hours longer1 and he will not fail of leaving off his old tricks4 ,a ,,curious ,,method ,,of ,,teaching ,,turkies ,,to ,,dance ,,at ,,the ,,sound ,,of ,,the ,,triangle ,,or ,,any ,,other ,,musical ,,instrument4 ,it is a well known fact1 that in the ,east ,indies1 camels are often taught to dance at the sound of music4 ,i knew that this was done by putting them upon hot floors1 c4 ,they are afterwards exhibited at public spectacles4 ,i never had learned the precise course pursued2 yet notwithstanding1 ,i undertook to teach a dog to dance4 ,i heated large pieces of tin plate1 put the dog upon them1 and at the same time struck upon a triangle1 that being the easiest instrument ,i knew of4 ,i tried this several times1 without any other success than having most miserably burnt two or three dogs' feet in the experiments4 ,at last1 in one of my chemical operations1 7for ,i was then teaching chemistry to a few young gentleman17 ,i made use of the sand-bath4 ,it immediately occurred to me1 that in teaching an animal to dance by means of heat1 the heat ought to be tempered by something similar to the sand-bath4 ,i therefore determined to make a new trial2 and1 having no dog at hand1 ,i made choice of four good-looking turkies1 two males and two females4 ,i made two cages2 the bottom of one was made of tin plates1 upon which ,i strewed a certain portion of fine sand4 ,then ,i put fire under the cage4 ,the turkies were in the other cage1 which had a door of communication with the one having a tin bottom4 ,when ,i thought the bottom of the cage sufficiently hot1 ,i drove the turkies from the one to the other1 shut the door1 and began to strike rapidly and loudly upon the triangle1 which ,i held in my hand4 ,the sensation of heat which the turkies experienced1 caused them to skip about as if they had been possessed with some evil spirit4 ,after letting them continue their exercise for a quarter of an hour or so1 ,i opened the door and drove them back into the first cage1 and at the same time stopped playing4 ,then ,i fed them well1 and lastly turned them loose in the yard4 ,the next day1 ,i made them go through the same ceremony1 before ,i gave them any thing to eat1 and so on1 for a quarter of an hour or more every day1 for ten days2 at the end of which1 ,i struck upon the triangle before ,i turned them into the hot cage4 ,only one of them1 more docile than the other three1 began to jump about a little4 ,the others1 it is true1 looked up1 and seemed1 as it were1 astonished4 ,i was then fully convinced that they would all shortly learn to dance1 if ,i continued the same method of giving them lessons4 ,i accordingly continued on1 in the same manner1 for twenty days more2 at the end of which1 ,i let them loose one day in a room1 and began to strike violently upon the triangle4 ,all four of the turkies began to skip and run about1 keeping pretty close to one another1 and changing every minute their position4 ,it was the most ludicrous1 and1 at the same time1 entertaining sight imaginable4 ,the impression which the sound of the triangle had made upon them1 on account of their having felt the heat at the bottom of the cage1 every time they had heard that music1 became a lasting one2 and they would begin to dance1 ever after1 though in the yard amidst the other turkies1 whenever they heard the sound of that instrument4 ,they generally separated themselves from the others1 and run together4 ,they may be taught with any other instrument1 as well as with the triangle4 ,it will take much longer to teach a dog1 than a turkey4 ,the reason is1 as ,i suppose1 that the dog is not so easily deceived4 ,the only difficulty attending this mode of teaching turkies to dance is1 to keep your tin plates neither too hot nor too cold2 for1 if too hot1 they will get their feet burnt2 and1 if too cold1 they won't dance4 ,i sold the four above-mentioned turkies1 for four doubloons1 to a man who went about exhibiting various curiosities4 ,,remedy ,,for ,,the ,,gripes1 ,,or ,,colic4 ,give to the horse a pint of port or claret wine1 with a small nutmeg grated fine1 and half a spoonful of powdered ginger1 all well mixed1 and given rather hotter than lukewarm4 ,the best method is to get ready some boiling hot water1 then put the nutmeg and ginger1 together with a little loaf sugar1 into a vessel1 and pour the hot water upon them1 and cover it for three minutes2 then add the wine1 and give this dose to the horse pretty warm4 ,it generally gives relief in a short time4 ,my intention is not to say any thing upon farriery1 except two or three of the most common diseases to which horses are subject4 ,much has already been written by able professors4 ,,concerning ,,the ,,bots4 ,in twenty-seven years time1 ,i never had a horse die of the bots4 ,i believe that almost every body is convinced that the bots come from the eggs or knits1 which are deposited upon the horse's hair1 by that troublesome fly1 resembling a bee in color4 ,this has always been my opinion4 ,now1 as it is generally known1 that a horse that has the bots1 does not appear to suffer1 till he is too far gone to be cured1 to prevent the fatal effects of this disease1 ,i have made it a practice to give my horses1 in the month of ,september1 the following remedy3 ,of olive oil1 honey and lemon-juice1 each1 two ounces and a half3 mix and give these to the horse2 the next day purge well4 ,whether a horse be inclined or not to have the bots1 this remedy will do him no hurt4 ,,the ,,blind ,,staggers4 ,it is believed1 that the disease called ,,staggers1 is generally occasioned by a diseased state of the stomach4 ,copious and timely bleeding is the sheet-anchor on which we must depend4 ,i shall1 however1 give the following recipe1 which has often proved serviceable3 ,take of oil of peppermint1 one scruple2 tincture of valerian1 one ounce2 assaftida1 five drachms3 mix for a dose4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,taming ,,of ,,wild ,,horses4 ,,by ,j4 ,s4 ,,rarey1 ,,the ,,american ,,horse ,,tamer4 ,,the ,,three ,,fundamental ,,principles ,,of ,,my ,,theory2 ,founded on the ,leading ,characteristics of the ,horse4 ,,first4--,that he is so constituted by nature that he will not offer resistance to any demand made of him which he fully comprehends1 if made in a way consistent with the laws of his nature4 ,,second4--,that he has no consciousness of his strength beyond his experience1 and can be handled according to our will without force4 ,,third4--,that we can1 in compliance with the laws of his nature by which he examines all things new to him1 take any object1 however frightful around1 over1 or on him1 that does not inflict pain1 without causing him to fear4 ,to take these assertions in order1 ,i will first give you some of the reasons why ,i think he is naturally obedient1 and will not offer resistance to anything fully comprehended4 ,the horse1 though possessed of some faculties superior to man's1 being deficient in reasoning powers1 has no knowledge of right or wrong1 of free will and independent government1 and knows not of any imposition practised upon him1 however unreasonable these impositions may be4 ,consequently1 he cannot come to any decision as to what he should or should not do1 because he has not the reasoning faculties of man to argue the justice of the thing demanded of him4 ,if he had1 taking into consideration his superior strength1 he would be useless to man as a servant4 ,give him mind in proportion to his strength1 and he will demand of us the green fields for his inheritance1 where he will roam at leisure1 denying the right of servitude at all4 ,god has wisely formed his nature so that it can be operated upon by the knowledge of man according to the dictates of his will2 and he might well be termed an unconscious1 submissive servant4 ,this truth we can see verified in every day's experience by the abuses practised upon him4 ,any one who chooses to be so cruel1 can mount the noble steed and run him till he drops with fatigue1 or1 as is often the case with the more spirited1 falls dead beneath his rider4 ,if he had the power to reason1 would he not rear and pitch his rider1 rather than suffer him to run him to death8 ,or would he condescend to carry at all the vain impostor1 who1 with but equal intellect1 was trying to impose on his equal rights and equally independent spirit4 ,but happily for us1 he has no consciousness of imposition1 no thought of disobedience except by impulse caused by the violation of the law of his nature4 ,consequently1 when disobedient1 it is the fault of man4 ,then1 we can but come to the conclusion that1 if a horse is not taken in a way at variance with the laws of his nature1 he will do anything that he fully comprehends1 without making any offer of resistance4 ,second--,the fact of the horse being unconscious of the amount of his strength can be proven to the satisfaction of any one4 ,for instance1 such remarks as these are common1 and perhaps familiar to your recollection4 ,one person says to another1 8,if that wild horse there was conscious of the amount of his strength1 his owner would have no business with him in that vehicle2 such light reins and harness too--if he knew he could snap them asunder in a minute and be as free as the air we breathe20 and1 8,that horse yonder1 that is pawing and fretting to follow the company that is fast leaving him--if he knew his strength1 he would not remain long fastened to that hitching post so much against his will1 by a strap that would no more resist his powerful weight and strength than a cotton thread would bind a strong man40 ,yet these facts1 made common by every-day occurrence1 are not thought of as anything wonderful4 ,like the ignorant man who looks at the different phases of the moon1 you look at these things as he looks at her different changes without troubling your mind with the question1 8,why are these things so80 ,what would be the condition of the world if all our minds lay dormant8 ,if men did not think1 reason1 and act1 our undisturbed1 slumbering intellects would not excel the imbecility of the brute2 we should live in chaos1 hardly aware of our existence4 ,and yet1 with all our activity of mind1 we daily pass by unobserved that which would be wonderful if philosophized and reasoned upon2 and with the same inconsistency wonder at that which a little consideration1 reason1 and philosophy would make but a simple affair4 ,third--,he will allow any object1 however frightful in appearance1 to come around1 over1 or on him1 that does not inflict pain4 ,we know from a natural course of reasoning1 that there has never been an effect without a cause1 and we infer from this1 that there can be no action ,illustration3 ,,leg ,,strap4 ,illustration3 ,,mr4 ,,rarey',s ,,extra ,,strap4 either in animate or inanimate matter1 without there first being some cause to produce it4 ,and from this self-evident fact we know that there is some cause for every impulse or movement of either mind or matter1 and that this law governs every action or movement of the animal kingdom4 ,then1 according to this theory1 there must be some cause before fear can exist2 and1 if fear exists from the effect of imagination1 and not from the infliction of real pain1 it can be removed by complying with those laws of nature by which the horse examines an object1 and determines upon its innocence or harm4 ,a log or stump by the road side may be1 in the imagination of the horse1 some great beast about to pounce upon him2 but after you take him up to it and let him stand by it a little while1 and touch it with his nose1 and go through his process of examination1 he will not care anything more about it4 ,and the same principle and process will have the same effect with any other object1 however frightful in appearance1 in which there is no harm4 ,take a boy that has been frightened by a false face1 or any other object that he could not comprehend at once2 but let him take that face1 or object in his hands and examine it1 and he will not care anything more about it4 ,this is a demonstration of the same principle4 ,with this introduction to the principles of my theory1 ,i shall next attempt to teach you how to put it into practice2 and1 whatever instructions may follow you can rely on1 as having been proven practically by my own experiments4 ,and knowing from experience just what obstacles ,i have met with in handling bad horses1 ,i shall try to anticipate them for you1 and assist you in surmounting them1 by commencing with the first steps to be taken with the colt1 and accompany you through the whole task of breaking4 ,,how ,,to ,,succeed ,,in ,,getting ,,the ,,colt ,,from ,,pasture4 ,go to the pasture and walk around the whole herd quietly1 and at such a distance as not to cause them to scare and run4 ,then approach them very slowly1 and if they stick up their heads and seem to be frightened1 wait until they become quiet1 so as not to make them run before you are close enough to drive them in the direction you want them to go4 ,and when you begin to drive1 do not flourish your arms or halloo1 but gently follow them off1 leaving the direction free for them that you wish them to take4 ,thus taking advantage of their ignorance1 you will be able to get them into the pound as easily as the hunter drives the quails into his net4 ,for1 if they have always run in the pasture uncared for 7as many horses do in prairie countries and on large plantations71 there is no reason why they should not be as wild as the sportsman's birds1 and require the same gentle treatment1 if you want to get them without trouble2 for the horse in his natural state1 is as wild as any of the undomesticated animals1 though more easily tamed than the most of them4 ,,how ,,to ,,stable ,a ,,colt ,,without ,,trouble4 ,the next step will be1 to get the horse into a stable or shed4 ,this should be done as quietly as possible1 so as not to excite any suspicion in the horse of any danger befalling him4 ,the best way to do this1 is to lead a gentle horse into the stable first1 and hitch him1 then quietly walk around the colt and let him go in of his own accord4 ,it is almost impossible to get men who have never practised on this principle to go slowly and considerately enough about it4 ,they do not know that in handling a wild horse1 above all other things1 is that good old adage true1 that 8haste makes waste20 that is1 waste of time--for the gain of trouble and perplexity4 ,one wrong move may frighten your horse1 and make him think it necessary to escape at all hazards for the safety of his life--and thus make two hours' work of a ten minutes' job2 and this would be all your own fault1 and entirely unnecessary--for he will not run unless you run after him1 and that would not be good policy unless you knew that you could outrun him1 for you will have to let him stop of his own accord after all4 ,but he will not try to break away unless you attempt to force him into measures4 ,if he does not see the way at once1 and is a little fretful about going in1 do not undertake to drive him1 but give him a little less room outside1 by gently closing in around him4 ,do not raise your arms1 but let them hang at your side1 for you might as well raise a club3 the horse has never studied anatomy1 and does not know but that they will unhinge themselves and fly at him4 ,if he attempts to turn back1 walk before him1 but do not run2 and if he gets past you1 encircle him again in the same quiet manner1 and he will soon find that you are not going to hurt him2 and then you can walk so close around him that he will go into the stable for more room1 and to get farther from you4 ,as soon as he is in1 remove the quiet horse and shut the door4 ,this will be his first notion of confinement--not knowing how he got into such a place1 nor how to get out of it4 ,that he may take it as quietly as possible1 see that the shed is entirely free from dogs1 chickens1 or anything that would annoy him4 ,then give him a few ears of corn1 and let him remain alone fifteen or twenty minutes1 until he has examined his apartment1 and has become reconciled to his confinement4 ,,time ,,to ,,reflect4 ,and now1 while your horse is eating those few ears of corn1 is the proper time to see that your halter is ready and all right1 and to reflect on the best mode of operations2 for in horsebreaking it is highly important that you should be governed by some system4 ,and you should know1 before you attempt to do anything1 just what you are going to do1 and how you are going to do it4 ,and1 if you are experienced in the art of taming wild horses1 you ought to be able to tell1 within a few minutes1 the length of time it would take you to halter the colt1 and teach him to lead4 ,,the ,,kind ,,of ,,halter4 ,always use a leather halter1 and be sure to have it made so that it will not draw tight around his nose if he pulls on it4 ,it should be of the right size to fit his head easily and nicely2 so that the nose-band will not be too tight or too low4 ,never put a rope halter on an unbroken colt1 under any circumstances whatever4 ,they have caused more horses to hurt or kill themselves than would pay for twice the cost of all the leather halters that have ever been needed for the purpose of haltering colts4 ,it is almost impossible to break a colt that is very wild with a rope halter1 without having him pull1 rear1 and throw himself1 and thus endanger his life2 and ,i will tell you why4 ,it is just as natural for a horse to try to get his head out of anything that hurts it1 or feels unpleasant1 as it would be for you to try to get your hand out of a fire4 ,the cords of the rope are hard and cutting2 this makes him raise his head and draw on it1 and as soon as he pulls1 the slip noose 7the way rope halters are always made7 tightens1 and pinches his nose1 and then he will struggle for life1 until1 perchance1 he throws himself2 and who would have his horse throw himself1 and run the risk of breaking his neck1 rather than pay the price of a leather halter8 ,but this is not the worst4 ,a horse that has once pulled on his halter can never be as well broken as one that has never pulled at all4 ,,remarks ,,on ,,the ,,horse4 ,but before we attempt to do anything more with the colt1 ,i will give you some of the characteristics of his nature1 that you may better understand his motions4 ,every one that has ever paid any attention to the horse1 has noticed his natural inclination to smell everything which to him looks new and frightful4 ,this is their strange mode of examining everything4 ,and1 when they are frightened at anything1 though they look at it sharply1 they seem to have no confidence in this optical examination alone1 but must touch it with the nose before they are entirely satisfied2 and1 as soon as this is done1 all is right4 ,,experiment ,,with ,,the ,,robe4 ,if you want to satisfy yourself of this characteristic of the horse1 and to learn something of importance concerning the peculiarities of his nature1 c41 turn him into the barn-yard1 or a large stable will do1 and then gather up something that you know will frighten him--a red blanket1 buffalo-robe1 or something of that kind4 ,hold it up so that he can see it1 he will stick up his head and snort4 ,then throw it down somewhere in the centre of the lot or barn1 and walk off to one side4 ,watch his motions1 and study his nature4 ,if he is frightened at the object1 he will not rest until he has touched it with his nose4 ,you will see him begin to walk around the robe and snort1 all the time getting a little closer1 as if drawn up by some magic spell1 until he finally gets within reach of it4 ,he will then very cautiously stretch out his neck as far as he can reach1 merely touching it with his nose1 as though he thought it was ready to fly at him4 ,but after he has repeated these touches a few times1 for the first time 7though he has been looking at it all the while17 he seems to have an idea what it is4 ,but now he has found1 by the sense of feeling1 that it is nothing that will do him any harm1 and he is ready to play with it4 ,and if you watch him closely1 you will see him take hold of it with his teeth1 and raise it up and pull at it4 ,and in a few minutes you can see that he has not that same wild look about his eye1 but stands like a horse biting at some familiar stump4 ,yet the horse is never so well satisfied when he is about anything that has frightened him1 as when he is standing with his nose to it4 ,and1 in nine cases out of ten1 you will see some of that same wild look about him again1 as he turns to walk from it4 ,and you will probably see him looking back very suspiciously as he walks away1 as though he thought it might come after him yet4 ,and in all probability1 he will have to go back and make another examination before he is satisfied4 ,but he will familiarize himself with it1 and1 if he should run in that lot a few days1 the robe that frightened him so much at first will be no more to him than a familiar stump4 ,,suggestions ,,on ,,the ,,habit ,,of ,,smelling4 ,we might very naturally suppose from the fact of the horse's applying his nose to everything new to him1 that he always does so for the purpose of smelling these objects2 but ,i believe that it is as much or more for the purpose of feeling1 and that he makes use of his nose1 or muzzle1 7as it is sometimes called71 as we would of our hands2 because it is the only organ by which he can touch or feel anything with much susceptibility4 ,i believe that he invariably makes use of the four senses--seeing1 hearing1 smelling1 and feeling--in all of his examinations1 of which the sense of feeling is1 perhaps1 the most important4 ,and ,i think that1 in the experiment with the robe1 his gradual approach and final touch with his nose was as much for the purpose of feeling as anything else1 his sense of smell being so keen that it would not be necessary for him to touch his nose against anything in order to get the proper scent2 for it is said that a horse can smell a man at the distance of a mile4 ,and if the scent of the robe was all that was necessary1 he could get that several rods off4 ,but we know from experience1 that if a horse sees and smells a robe a short distance from him1 he is very much frightened 7unless he is used to it7 until he touches or feels it with his nose2 which is a positive proof that feeling is the controlling sense in this case4 ,,prevailing ,,opinion ,,of ,,horsemen4 ,it is a prevailing opinion among horsemen generally that the sense of smell is the governing sense of the horse4 ,and ,faucher1 as well as others1 has with that view got up receipts of strong smelling oils1 c41 to tame the horse1 sometimes using the chestnut of his leg1 which they dry1 grind into powder1 and blow into his nostrils1 sometimes using the oils of rhodium1 origanum1 c41 that are noted for their strong smell2 and sometimes they scent the hand with the sweat from under the arm1 or blow their breath into his nostrils1 c41 c4 ,all of which1 as far as the scent goes1 have no effect whatever in gentling the horse1 or conveying any idea to his mind2 though the acts that accompany these efforts--handling him1 touching him about the nose and head1 and patting him1 as they direct you should1 after administering the articles1 may have a very great effect1 which they mistake to be the effect of the ingredients used4 ,and ,faucher1 in his work1 entitled 8,the ,arabian ,art of ,taming ,horses10 page #ag1 tells us how to accustom a horse to a robe1 by administering certain articles to his nose2 and goes on to say that these articles must first be applied to the horse's nose before you attempt to break him1 in order to operate successfully4 ,now1 reader1 can you1 or any one else1 give one single reason how scent can convey any idea to the horse's mind of what we want him to do8 ,if not1 then of course strong scents of any kind are of no avail in taming the unbroken horse4 ,for1 everything that we get him to do of his own accord1 without force1 must be accomplished by some means of conveying our ideas to his mind4 ,i say to my horse1 8,go-'long60 and he goes4 8,ho60 and he stops2 because these two words1 of which he has learned the meaning by the tap of the whip and the pull of the rein that first accompanied them1 convey the two ideas to his mind of go and stop4 ,neither ,faucher1 nor any one else1 can ever teach the horse a single thing by the means of scent alone4 ,how long do you suppose a horse would have to stand and smell a bottle of oil before he would learn to bend his knee and make a bow at your bidding1 8,go yonder and bring your hat10 or 8,come here and lie down08 ,thus you see the absurdity of trying to break or tame the horse by the means of receipts for articles to smell at1 or medicine to give him1 of any kind whatever4 ,the only science that has ever existed in the world1 relative to the breaking of horses1 that has been of any value1 is that true method which takes them in their native state1 and improves their intelligence4 ,,powel',s ,,system ,,of ,,approaching ,,the ,,colt4 ,but1 before we go further1 ,i will give you ,willis ,j4 ,powel's system of approaching a wild colt1 as given by him in a work on the 8,art of ,taming ,wild ,horses40 ,he says1 8,a horse is gentled by my secret in from two to sixteen hours40 ,the time ,i have most commonly employed has been from four to six hours4 ,he goes on to say1 7see page #ce1 of this work74 ,,remarks ,,on ,,powel',s ,,treatment4--,,how ,,to ,,govern ,,horses ,,of ,,any ,,kind4 ,these instructions are very good1 but not quite sufficient for horses of all kinds1 and for haltering and leading the colt2 but ,i have inserted them here because they give some of the true philosophy of approaching the horse1 and of establishing confidence between man and horse4 ,he speaks only of the kind that fear man4 ,to those who understand the philosophy of horsemanship1 these are the easiest trained2 for when we have a horse that is wild and lively1 we can train him to our will in a very short time--for they are generally quick to learn1 and always ready to obey4 ,but there is another kind that are of a stubborn or vicious disposition2 and although they are not wild1 and do not require taming in the sense it is generally understood1 they are just as ignorant as a wild horse1 if not more so1 and need to be taught just as much3 and in order to have them obey quickly1 it is very necessary that they should be made to fear their master2 for1 in order to obtain perfect obedience from any horse1 we must first have him fear us1 for our motto is1 fear1 love1 and obey2 and we must have the fulfilment of the first two before we can expect the latter2 for it is by our philosophy of creating fear1 love1 and confidence1 that we govern to our will every kind of horse whatever4 ,then1 in order to take horses as we find them1 of all kinds1 and to train them to our liking1 we will always take with us1 when we go into a stable to train a colt1 a long switch whip 7whalebone buggy-whips are the best71 with a good silk cracker1 so as to cut keenly and make a sharp report1 which1 if handled with dexterity1 and rightly applied1 accompanied with a sharp fierce word1 will be sufficient to enliven the spirits of any horse4 ,with this whip in your right hand1 with the lash pointing backward1 enter the stable alone4 ,it is a great disadvantage in training a horse to have any one in the stable with you2 you should be entirely alone1 so as to have nothing but yourself to attract his attention4 ,if he is wild1 you will soon see him on the opposite side of the stable from you2 and now is the time to use a little judgment4 ,i should not want1 for myself1 more than half or three-quarters of an hour to handle any kind of a colt1 and have him running about in the stable after me2 though ,i would advise a new beginner to take more time1 and not be in too much of a hurry4 ,if you have but one colt to gentle1 and are not particular about the length of time you spend1 and have not had any experience in handling colts1 ,i would advise you to take ,mr4 ,powel's method at first1 till you gentle him1 which he says takes from two to six hours4 ,but as ,i want to accomplish the same1 and what is more1 teach the horse to lead1 in less than one hour1 ,i shall give you a much quicker process of accomplishing the same end4 ,accordingly1 when you have entered the stable1 stand still1 and let your horse look at you a minute or two1 and as soon as he is settled in one place1 approach him slowly1 with both arms stationary1 your right hanging by your side1 holding the whip as directed and the left bent at the elbow1 with your hand projecting4 ,as you approach him1 go not too much towards his head or croup1 so as not to make him move either forward or backward1 thus keeping your horse stationary2 if he does move a little either forward or backward1 step a little to the right or left very cautiously2 this will keep him in one place4 ,as you get very near him1 draw a little to his shoulder1 and stop a few seconds4 ,if you are in his reach he will turn his head and smell your hand1 not that he has any preference for your hand1 but because that is projecting1 and is the nearest portion of your body to the horse4 ,this all colts will do1 and they will smell your naked hand just as quickly as they will anything that you can put in it1 and with just as good an effect1 however much some men have preached the doctrine of taming horses by giving them the scent of articles from the hand4 ,i have already proved that to be a mistake4 ,as soon as he touches his nose to your hand1 caress him as before directed1 always using a very light soft hand1 merely touching the horse1 always rubbing the way the hair lies1 so that your hand will pass along as smoothly as possible4 ,as you stand by his side1 you may find it more convenient to rub his neck or the side of his head1 which will answer the same purpose as rubbing his forehead4 ,favour every inclination of the horse to smell or touch you with his nose4 ,always follow each touch or communication of this kind with the most tender and affectionate caresses1 accompanied with a kind look1 and pleasant word of some sort1 such as1 8,ho6 my little boy--ho6 my little boy60 8,pretty boy60 8,nice lady60 or something of that kind1 constantly repeating the same words1 with the same kind1 steady tone of voice2 for the horse soon learns to read the expression of the face and voice1 and will know as well when fear1 love1 or anger prevails1 as you know your own feelings2 two of which1 fear and anger1 a good horseman should never feel4 ,,how ,,to ,,proceed ,,if ,,your ,,horse ,,be ,,of ,a ,,stubborn ,,disposition4 ,if your horse1 instead of being wild1 seems to be of a stubborn or mulish disposition2 if he lays back his ears as you approach him1 or turns his heels to kick you1 he has not that regard or fear of man that he should have1 to enable you to handle him quickly and easily2 and it might be well to give him a few sharp cuts with the whip1 about the legs1 pretty close to the body4 ,it will crack keenly as ,illustration3 ,,horse ,,with ,,mr4 ,,rarey',s ,,extra ,,strap ,,on4 it plies around his legs1 and the crack of the whip will affect him as much as the stroke2 besides1 one sharp cut about his legs will affect him more than two or three over his back1 the skin on the inner part of his legs or about his flank being thinner1 more tender1 than on his back4 ,but do not whip him much--just enough to scare him2 it is not because we want to hurt the horse that we whip him1 we only do it to scare that bad disposition out of him4 ,but whatever you do1 do quickly1 sharply1 and with a good deal of fire1 but always without anger4 ,if you are going to scare him at all you must do it at once4 ,never go into a pitched battle with your horse1 and whip him until he is mad and will fight you2 you had better not touch him at all1 for you will establish1 instead of fear and regard1 feelings of resentment1 hatred1 and ill-will4 ,it will do him no good1 but an injury1 to strike a blow1 unless you can scare him2 but if you succeed in scaring him1 you can whip him without making him mad2 for fear and anger never exist together in the horse1 and as soon as one is visible1 you will find that the other has disappeared4 ,as soon as you have frightened him so that he will stand up straight and pay some attention to you1 approach him again1 and caress him a good deal more than you whipped him1 then you will excite the two controlling passions of his nature1 love and fear1 and then he will love and fear you too1 and1 as soon as he learns what to do1 will obey quickly4 ,,how ,,to ,,halter ,,and ,,lead ,a ,,colt4 ,as soon as you have gentled the colt a little1 take the halter in your left hand and approach him as before1 and on the same side that you have gentled him4 ,if he is very timid about your approaching closely to him1 you can get up to him quicker by making the whip a part of your arm1 and reaching out very gently with the butt-end of it2 rubbing him lightly on the neck1 all the time getting a little closer1 shortening the whip by taking it up in your hand1 until you finally get close enough to put your hands on him4 ,if he is inclined to hold his head from you1 put the end of the halter-strap around his neck1 drop your whip1 and draw very gently2 he will let his neck give1 and you can pull his head to you4 ,then take hold of that part of the halter which buckles over the top of his head1 and pass the long side1 or that part which goes into the buckle1 under his neck1 grasping it on the opposite side with your right hand1 letting the first strap loose--the latter will be sufficient to hold his head to you4 ,lower the halter a little1 just enough to get his nose into that part which goes around it2 then raise it somewhat1 and fasten the top buckle1 and you will have it all right4 ,the first time you halter a colt you should stand on the left side1 pretty well back to his shoulder1 only taking hold of that part of the halter that goes round his neck2 then with your two hands about his neck you can hold his head to you1 and raise the halter on it without making him dodge by putting your hands about his nose4 ,you should have a long rope or strap ready1 and as soon as you have the halter on1 attach this to it1 so that you can let him walk the length of the stable without letting go of the strap1 or without making him pull on the halter1 for if you only let him feel the weight of your hand on the halter1 and give him rope when he runs from you1 he will never rear1 pull1 or throw himself1 yet you will be holding him all the time1 and doing more towards gentling him than if you had the power to snub him right up and hold him to one spot2 because1 he does not know anything about his strength1 and if you don't do anything to make him pull1 he will never know that he can4 ,in a few minutes you can begin to control him with the halter1 then shorten the distance between yourself and the horse by taking up the strap in your hand4 ,as soon as he will allow you to hold him by a tolerably short strap1 and to step up to him without flying back1 you can begin to give some idea about leading4 ,but to do this1 do not go before and attempt to pull him after you1 but commence by pulling him very quietly to one side4 ,he has nothing to brace either side of his neck1 and will soon yield to a steady1 gradual pull of the halter2 and as soon as you have pulled him a step or two to one side1 step up to him and caress him1 and then pull him again1 repeating this operation until you can pull him around in every direction1 and walk about the stable with him1 which you can do in a few minutes1 for he will soon think when you have made him step to the right or left a few times1 that he is compelled to follow the pull of the halter1 not knowing that he has the power to resist your pulling2 besides you have handled him so gently that he is not afraid of you1 and you always caress him when he comes up to you1 and he likes that1 and would just as lief follow you as not4 ,and after he has had a few lessons of that kind1 if you turn him out in a lot1 he will come up to you every opportunity he gets4 ,you should lead him about in the stable some time before you take him out1 opening the door1 so that he can see out1 leading him up to it and back again1 and past it4 ,see that there is nothing on the outside to make him jump when you take him out1 and as you go out with him1 try to make him go very slowly1 catching hold of the halter close to the jaw with your left hand1 while the right is resting on the top of the neck1 holding to his mane4 ,after you are out with him a little while1 you can lead him about as you please4 ,don't let any second person come up to you when you first take him out2 a stranger taking hold of the halter would frighten him1 and make him run4 ,there should not even be any one standing near him1 to attract his attention or scare him4 ,if you are alone1 and manage him rightly1 it will not require any more force to lead or hold him than it would to manage a broken horse4 ,,how ,,to ,,lead ,a ,,colt ,,by ,,the ,,side ,,of ,a ,,broken ,,horse4 ,if you should want to lead your colt by the side of another horse1 as is often the case1 ,i would advise you to take your horse into the stable1 attach a second strap to the colt's halter1 and lead your horse up alongside of him4 ,then get on the broken horse and take one strap around his breast1 under his martingale 7if he has any on71 holding it in your left hand4 ,this will prevent the colt from getting back too far2 besides1 you will have more power to hold him with the strap pulling against the horse's breast4 ,the other strap take up in your right hand to prevent him from running ahead2 then turn him about a few times in the stable1 and if the door is wide enough1 ride out with him in that position2 if not1 take the broken horse out first1 and stand his breast up against the door1 then lead the colt to the same spot1 and take the straps as before directed1 one on each side of his neck1 then let some one start the colt out1 and as he comes out1 turn your horse to the left1 and you will have them all right4 ,this is the best way to lead a colt2 you can manage any kind of colt in this way1 without any trouble2 for if he tries to run ahead1 or pull back1 the two straps will bring the horses facing each other1 so that you can very easily follow up his movements without doing much holding1 and as soon as he stops running backward you are right with him1 and all ready to go ahead2 and if he gets stubborn and does not want to go1 you can remove all his stubbornness by riding your horse against his neck1 thus compelling him to turn to the right2 and as soon as you have turned him about a few times1 he will be willing to go along4 ,the next thing1 after you have got through leading him1 will be to take him into a stable1 and hitch him in such a way as not to have him pull on the halter1 and as they are often troublesome to get into a stable the first few times1 ,i will give you some instructions about getting him in4 ,,how ,,to ,,lead ,a ,,colt ,,into ,,the ,,stable ,,and ,,hitch ,,him ,,without ,,having ,,him ,,pull ,,on ,,the ,,halter4 ,you should lead the broken horse into the stable first1 and get the colt1 if you can1 to follow in after him4 ,if he refuses to go1 step up to him1 taking a little stick or switch in your right hand2 then take hold of the halter close to his head with your left hand1 at the same time reaching over his back with your right arm1 so that you can tap him on the opposite side with your switch2 bring him up facing the door1 tap him lightly with your switch1 reaching as far back with it as you can4 ,this tapping1 by being pretty well back1 and on the opposite side1 will drive him ahead1 and keep him close to you2 then1 by giving him the right direction with your left hand you can walk into the stable with him4 ,i have walked colts into the stable in this way in less than a minute1 after men had worked at them half an hour1 trying to pull them in4 ,if you cannot walk him in at once in this way1 turn him about and walk him around in every direction1 until you can get him up to the door without pulling at him4 ,then let him stand a few minutes1 keeping his head in the right direction with the halter1 and he will walk in in less than ten minutes4 ,never attempt to pull the colt into the stable2 that would make him think at once that it was a dangerous place1 and if he was not afraid of it before he would be then4 ,besides1 we do not want him to know anything about pulling on the halter4 ,colts are often hurt1 and sometimes killed1 by trying to force them into the stable2 and those who attempt to do it in that way go into an uphill business1 when a plain smooth road is before them4 ,if you want to hitch your colt1 put him in a tolerably wide stall1 which should not be too long1 and should be connected by a bar or something of that kind to the partition behind it2 so that1 after the colt is in1 he cannot get far enough back to take a straight1 backward pull on the halter2 then1 by hitching him in the centre of the stall1 it would be impossible for him to pull on the halter1 the partition behind preventing him from going back1 and the halter in the centre checking him every time he turns to the right or left4 ,in a stall of this kind you can break any horse to stand hitched by a light strap1 anywhere1 without his ever knowing anything about pulling4 ,but if you have broken your horse to lead1 and have learned him the use of the halter 7which you should always do before you hitch him to anything71 you can hitch him in any kind of a stall1 and give him something to eat to keep him up to his place for a few minutes at first1 and there is not one colt in fifty that will pull on his halter4 ,,the ,,kind ,,of ,,bit1 ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,accustom ,a ,,horse ,,to ,,it4 ,you should use a large1 smooth1 snaffle-bit1 so as not to hurt his mouth1 with a bar to each side1 to prevent the bit from pulling through either way4 ,this you should attach to the head-stall of your bridle1 and put it on your colt without any reins to it1 and let him run loose in a large stable or shed some time1 until he becomes a little used to the bit1 and will bear it without trying to get it out of his mouth4 ,it would be well1 if convenient1 to repeat this several times1 before you do anything more with the colt2 as soon as he will bear the bit1 attach a single rein to it1 without any martingale4 ,you should also have a halter on your colt1 or a bridle made after the fashion of a halter1 with a strap to it1 so that you can hold or lead him about without pulling on the bit much4 ,he is now ready for the saddle4 ,,how ,,to ,,saddle ,a ,,colt4 ,any one man who understands this theory can put a saddle on the wildest colt that ever grew1 without any help1 and without scaring him4 ,the first thing will be to tie each stirrup-strap into a loose knot to make them short1 and prevent the stirrups from flying about and hitting him4 ,then double up the skirts1 and take the saddle under your right arm1 so as not to frighten him with it as you approach4 ,when you get to him1 rub him gently a few times with your hand1 and then raise the saddle very slowly1 until he can see it1 and smell it1 and feel it with his nose4 ,then let the skirt loose1 and rub it very gently against his neck the way the hair lies1 letting him hear the rattle of the skirts as he feels them against him--each time getting a little farther backward1 and finally slip it over his shoulders on his back4 ,shake it a little with your hand1 and in less than five minutes you can rattle it about over his back as much as you please1 and pull it off and throw it on again1 without his paying much attention to it4 ,as soon as you have accustomed him to the saddle1 fasten the girth4 ,be careful how you do this4 ,it often frightens the colt when he feels the girth binding him1 and making the saddle fit tight on his back4 ,you should bring up the girth very gently1 and not draw it too tight at first1 just enough to hold the saddle on4 ,move him a little1 and then girth it as tight as you choose1 and he will not mind it4 ,you should see that the pad of your saddle is all right before you put it on1 and that there is nothing to make it hurt him1 or feel unpleasant to his back4 ,it should not have any loose straps on the back part of it1 to flap about and scare him4 ,after you have saddled him in this way1 take a switch in your right hand to tap him up with1 and walk about in the stable a few times with your right arm over your saddle1 taking hold of the reins on each side of his neck with your right and left hands1 thus marching him about in the stable until you teach him the use of the bridle1 and can turn him about in any direction1 and stop him by a gentle pull of the rein4 ,always caress him1 and loose the reins a little every time you stop him4 ,you should always be alone1 and have your colt in some light stable or shed the first time you ride him2 the loft should be high1 so that you can sit on his back without endangering your head4 ,you can teach him more in two hours' time in a stable of this kind than you could in two weeks in the common way of breaking colts1 out in an open place4 ,if you follow my course of treatment1 you need not run any risk1 or have any trouble in riding the worst kind of horse4 ,you take him a step at a time1 until you get up a mutual confidence and trust between yourself and horse4 ,first teach him to lead and stand hitched2 next acquaint him with the saddle and the use of the bit2 and then1 all that remains is1 to get on him without scaring him1 and you can ride him as well as any horse4 ,,how ,,to ,,mount ,,the ,,colt4 ,first gentle him well on both sides1 about the saddle1 and all over1 until he will stand still without holding1 and is not afraid to see you anywhere about him4 ,as soon as you have him thus gentled1 get a small block1 about one foot or eighteen inches in height1 and set it down by the side of him1 about where you want to stand to mount him2 step up on this1 raising yourself very gently3 horses notice every change of position very closely1 and if you were to step up suddenly on the block1 it would be very apt to scare him2 but1 by raising yourself gradually on it1 he will see you1 without being frightened1 in a position very nearly the same as when you are on his back4 ,as soon as he will bear this without alarm1 untie the stirrup-strap next to you1 and put your left foot into the stirrup1 and stand square over it1 holding your knee against the horse1 and your toe out1 so as to touch him under the shoulder with the toe of your boot4 ,place your right hand on the front of the saddle1 and on the opposite side of you1 taking hold of a portion of the mane and the reins1 as they hang loosely over his neck1 with your left hand2 then gradually bear your weight on the stirrup1 and on your right hand1 until the horse feels your whole weight on the saddle3 repeat this several times1 each time raising yourself a little higher from the block1 until he will allow you to raise your leg over his croup and place yourself in the saddle4 ,there are three great advantages in having a block to mount from4 ,first1 a sudden change of position is very apt to frighten a young horse who has never been handled3 he will allow you to walk up to him1 and stand by his side1 without scaring at you1 because you have gentled him to that position2 but if you get down on your hands and knees1 and crawl towards him1 he will be very much frightened2 and upon the same principle he would be frightened at your new position1 if you had the power to hold yourself over his back without touching him4 ,then the first great advantage of the block is to gradually gentle him to that new position in which he will see you when you ride him4 ,secondly1 by the process of leaning your weight in the stirrups1 and on your hand1 you can gradually accustom him to your weight1 so as not to frighten him by having him feel it all at once4 ,and1 in the third place1 the block elevates you so that you will not have to make a spring in order to get on the horse's back1 but from it you can gradually raise yourself into the saddle4 ,when you take these precautions1 there is no horse so wild but what you can mount him without making him jump4 ,i have tried it on the worst horses that could be found1 and have never failed in any case4 ,when mounting1 your horse should always stand without being held4 ,a horse is never well broken when he has to be held with a tight rein when mounting2 and a colt is never so safe to mount as when you see that assurance of confidence1 and absence of fear1 which cause him to stand without holding4 ,,how ,,to ,,ride ,,the ,,colt4 ,when you want him to start1 do not touch him on the side with your heel1 or do anything to frighten him and make him jump4 ,but speak to him kindly1 and if he does not start1 pull him a little to the left until he starts1 and then let him walk off slowly with the reins loose4 ,walk him around in the stable a few times until he gets used to the bit1 and you can turn him about in every direction1 and stop him as you please4 ,it would be well to get on and off a good many times1 until he gets perfectly used to it before you take him out of the stable4 ,after you have trained him in this way1 which should not take you more than one or two hours1 you can ride him anywhere you choose without ever having him jump or make an effort to throw you4 ,when you first take him out of the stable1 be very gentle with him1 as he will feel a little more at liberty to jump or run1 and be a little easier frightened than he was while in the stable4 ,but after handling him so much in the stable1 he will be pretty well broken1 and you will be able to manage him without trouble or danger4 ,when you first mount him take a little the shortest hold on the left rein1 so that if anything frightens him you can prevent him from jumping by pulling his head around to you4 ,this operation of pulling a horse's head round against his side will prevent any horse from jumping ahead1 rearing up1 or running away4 ,if he is stubborn and will not go1 you can make him move by pulling his head round to one side1 when whipping would have no effect4 ,and turning him round a few times will make him dizzy1 and then by letting him have his head straight1 and giving him a little touch with the whip1 he will go along without any trouble4 ,never use martingales on a colt when you first ride him2 every movement of the hand should go right to the bit in the direction in which it is applied to the reins1 without a martingale to change the direction of the force applied4 ,you can guide the colt much better without it1 and teach him the use of the bit in much less time4 ,besides1 martingales would prevent you from pulling his head round if he should try to jump4 ,after your colt has been ridden until he is gentle and well accustomed to the bit1 you may find it an advantage if he carries his head too high1 or his nose too far out1 to put martingales on him4 ,you should be careful not to ride your colt so far at first as to heat1 worry1 or tire him4 ,get off as soon as you see he is a little fatigued2 gentle him and let him rest2 this will make him kind to you and prevent him from getting stubborn or mad4 ,,the ,,proper ,,way ,,to ,,bit ,a ,,colt4 ,farmers often put bitting harness on a colt the first thing they do to him1 buckling up the bitting as tight as they can draw it1 to make him carry his head high1 and then turn him out in a field to run a half-day at a time4 ,this is one of the worst punishments that they could inflict on the colt1 and very injurious to a young horse that has been used to running in pasture with his head down4 ,i have seen colts so injured in this way that they never got over it4 ,a horse should be well accustomed to the bit before you put on the bitting harness1 and when you first bit him you should only rein his head up to that point where he naturally holds it1 let that be high or low2 he will soon learn that he cannot lower his head1 and that raising it a little will loosen the bit in his mouth4 ,this will give him the idea of raising his head to loosen the bit1 and then you can draw the bitting a little tighter every time you put it on1 and he will still raise his head to loosen it2 by this means you will gradually get his head and neck in the position you want him to carry it1 and give him a nice and graceful carriage without hurting him1 making him mad1 or causing his mouth to get sore4 ,if you put the bitting on very tight the first time1 he cannot raise his head enough to loosen it1 but will bear on it all the time1 and paw1 sweat1 and throw himself4 ,many horses have been killed by falling backward with the bitting on2 their heads being drawn up strike the ground with the whole weight of the body4 ,horses that have their heads drawn up tightly should not have the bitting on more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a time4 ,,how ,,to ,,drive ,a ,,horse ,,that ,,is ,,very ,,wild ,,and ,,has ,,any ,,vicious ,,habits4 ,take up one fore foot and bend his knee till his hoof is bottom upwards1 and nearly touching his body2 then slip a loop over his knee1 and up until it comes above the pastern joint1 to keep it up1 being careful to draw the loop together between the hoof and pastern joint with a second strap of some kind to prevent the loop from slipping down and coming off4 ,this will leave the horse standing on three legs2 you can now handle him as you wish1 for it is utterly impossible for him to kick in this position4 ,there is something in this operation of taking up one foot that conquers a horse quicker and better than anything else you can do to him4 ,there is no process in the world equal to it to break a kicking horse1 for several reasons4 ,first1 there is a principle of this kind in the nature of the horse3 that by conquering one member you conquer to a great extent the whole horse4 ,you have perhaps seen men operate upon this principle1 by sewing a horse's ears together to prevent him from kicking4 ,i once saw a plan given in a newspaper to make a bad horse stand to be shod1 which was to fasten down one ear4 ,there were no reasons given why you should do so2 but ,i tried it several times1 and thought that it had a good effect--though ,i would not recommend its use2 especially stitching his ears together4 ,the only benefit arising from this process is1 that by disarranging his ears we draw his attention to them1 and he is not so apt to resist the shoeing4 ,by tying up one foot we operate on the same principle to a much better effect4 ,when you first fasten up a horse's foot he will sometimes get very mad1 and strike with his knee1 and try every possible way to get it down2 but he cannot do that1 and will soon give up4 ,this will conquer him better than anything you could do1 and without any possible danger of hurting himself or you either1 for you can tie up his foot and sit down and look at him until he gives up4 ,when you find that he is conquered1 go to him1 let down his foot1 rub his leg with your hand1 caress him1 and let him rest a little2 then put it up again4 ,repeat this a few times1 always putting up the same foot1 and he will soon learn to travel on three legs so that you can drive him some distance4 ,as soon as he gets a little used to this way of travelling1 put on your harness1 and hitch him to a sulky4 ,if he is the worst kicking horse that ever raised a foot1 you need not be fearful of his doing any damage while he has one foot up1 for he cannot kick1 neither can he run fast enough to do any harm4 ,and if he is the wildest horse that ever had harness on1 and has run away every time he has been hitched1 you can now hitch him in a sulky1 and drive him as you please4 ,if he wants to run1 you can let him have the lines1 and the whip too1 with perfect safety1 for he can go but a slow gait on three legs1 and will soon be tired1 and willing to stop2 only hold him enough to guide him in the right direction1 and he will soon be tired and willing to stop at the word4 ,thus you will effectually cure him at once of any further notion of running off4 ,kicking horses have always been the dread of everybody2 you always hear men say1 when they speak about a bad horse1 8,i don't care what he does1 so he don't kick40 ,this new method is an effectual cure for this worst of all habits4 ,there are plenty of ways by which you can hitch a kicking horse1 and force him to go1 though he kicks all the time2 but this don't have any good effect towards breaking him1 for we know that horses kick because they are afraid of what is behind them1 and when they kick against it and it hurts them they will only kick the harder2 and this will hurt them still more and make them remember the scrape much longer1 and make it still more difficult to persuade them to have any confidence in anything dragging behind them ever after4 ,but by this new method you can hitch them to a rattling sulky1 plough1 wagon1 or anything else in its worst shape4 ,they may be frightened at first1 but cannot kick or do anything to hurt themselves1 and will soon find that you do not intend to hurt them1 and then they will not care anything more about it4 ,you can then let down the leg and drive along gently without any further trouble4 ,by this new process a bad kicking horse can be learned to go gently in harness in a few hours' time4 ,,on ,,balking4 ,horses know nothing about balking1 only as they are brought into it by improper management1 and when a horse balks in harness it is generally from some mismanagement1 excitement1 confusion1 or from not knowing how to pull1 but seldom from any unwillingness to perform all that he understands4 ,high-spirited1 free-going horses are the most subject to balking1 and only so because drivers do not properly understand how to manage this kind4 ,a free horse in a team may be so anxious to go1 that when he hears the word he will start with a jump1 which will not move the load1 but give him such a severe jerk on the shoulders that he will fly back and stop the other horse2 the teamster will continue his driving without any cessation1 and by the time he has the slow horse started again he will find that the free horse has made another jump1 and again flown back2 and now he has them both badly balked1 and so confused that neither of them knows what is the matter1 or how to start the load4 ,next will come the slashing and cracking of the whip1 and hallooing of the driver1 till something is broken or he is through with his course of treatment4 ,but what a mistake the driver commits by whipping his horse for this act6 ,reason and common sense should teach him that the horse is willing and anxious to go1 but did not know how to start the load4 ,and should he whip him for that8 ,if so1 he should whip him again for not knowing how to talk4 ,a man that wants to act with any rationality or reason should not fly into a passion1 but should always think before he strikes4 ,it takes a steady pressure against the collar to move a load1 and you cannot expect him to act with a steady1 determined purpose while you are whipping him4 ,there is hardly one balking horse in five hundred that will pull true from whipping2 it is only adding fuel to fire1 and will make him more liable to balk another time4 ,you always see horses that have been balked a few times1 turn their heads and look back1 as soon as they are a little frustrated4 ,this is because they have been whipped and are afraid of what is behind them4 ,this is an invariable rule with balked horses1 just as much as it is for them to look around at their sides when they have the bots2 in either case they are deserving of the same sympathy and the same kind1 rational treatment4 ,when your horse balks or is a little excited1 if he wants to start quickly1 or looks around and doesn't want to go--there is something wrong1 and he needs kind treatment immediately4 ,caress him kindly1 and if he doesn't understand at once what you want him to do1 he will not be so much excited as to jump and break things1 and do everything wrong through fear4 ,as long as you are calm1 and keep down the excitement of the horse1 there are ten chances to have him understand you1 where there would not be one under harsh treatment1 and then the little flare up would not carry with it any unfavorable recollections1 and he would soon forget all about it1 and learn to pull true4 ,almost every wrong act the horse commits is from mismanagement1 fear1 or excitement2 one harsh word will so excite a nervous horse as to increase his pulse ten beats in a minute4 ,when we remember that we are dealing with dumb brutes1 and reflect how difficult it must be for them to understand our motions1 signs1 and language1 we should never get out of patience with them because they don't understand us1 or wonder at their doing things wrong4 ,with all our intellect1 if we were placed in the horse's situation1 it would be difficult for us to understand the driving of some foreigner1 of foreign ways and foreign language4 ,we should always recollect that our ways and language are just as foreign and unknown to the horse as any language in the world is to us1 and should try to practise what we could understand were we the horse1 endeavoring by some simple means to work on his understanding rather than on the different parts of his body4 ,all balked horses can be started true and steady in a few minutes' time2 they are all willing to pull as soon as they know how1 and ,i never yet found a balked horse that ,i could not teach to start his load in fifteen1 and often less than three1 minutes' time4 ,almost any team1 when first balked1 will start kindly if you let them stand five or ten minutes as though there was nothing wrong1 and then speak to them with a steady voice1 and turn them a little to the right or left1 so as to get them both in motion before they feel the pinch of the load4 ,but if you want to start a team that you are not driving yourself1 that has been balked1 fooled and whipped for some time1 go to them and hang the lines on their hames1 or fasten them to the wagon1 so that they will be perfectly loose2 make the driver and spectators 7if there are any7 stand off some distance to one side1 so as not to attract the attention of the horse2 unloose their check-reins1 so that they can get their heads down if they choose2 let them stand a few minutes in this condition until you can see that they are a little composed4 ,while they are standing you should be about their heads1 gentling them2 it will make them a little more kind1 and the spectators will think that you are doing something that they do not understand1 and will not learn the secret4 ,when you have them ready to start1 stand before them1 and as you seldom have but one balky horse in a team1 get as near in front of him as you can1 and if he is too fast for the other horse1 let his nose come against your breast2 this will keep him steady1 for he will go slow rather than run on you2 turn them gently to the right1 without letting them pull on the traces as far as the tongue will let them go2 stop them with a kind word1 gentle them a little1 and then turn them back to the left1 by the same process4 ,you will have them under your control by this time1 and as you turn them again to the right1 steady them in the collar1 and you can take them where you please4 ,there is a quicker process that will generally start a balky horse1 but not so sure4 ,stand him a little ahead1 so that his shoulders will be against the collar1 and then take up one of his forefeet in your hand1 and let the driver start them1 and when the weight comes against his shoulders1 he will try to step2 then let him have his foot1 and he will go right along4 ,if you want to break a horse from balking that has long been in that habit1 you ought to set apart a half-day for that purpose4 ,put him by the side of some steady horse2 have check-lines on them2 tie up all the traces and straps1 so that there will be nothing to excite them2 do not rein them up1 but let them have their heads loose4 ,walk them about together for some time as slowly and lazily as possible2 stop often1 and go up to your balky horse and gentle him4 ,do not take any whip about him1 or do anything to excite him1 but keep him just as quiet as you can4 ,he will soon learn to start off at the word1 and stop whenever you tell him4 ,as soon as he performs rightly1 hitch him in an empty wagon2 have it stand in a favorable position for starting4 ,it would be well to shorten the stay-chain behind the steady horse1 so that if it is necessary1 he can take the weight of the wagon the first time you start them4 ,do not drive but a few rods at first2 watch your balky horse closely1 and if you see that he is getting excited1 stop him before he stops of his own accord1 caress him a little1 and start again4 ,as soon as they go well1 drive them over a small hill a few times1 and then over a larger one1 occasionally adding a little load4 ,this process will make any horse true to pull4 ,,to ,,break ,a ,,horse ,,to ,,harness4 ,take him in a light stable1 as you did to ride him2 take the harness and go through the same process that you did with the saddle1 until you get him familiar with it1 so that you can put it on him1 and rattle it about without his caring for it4 ,as soon as he will bear this1 put on the lines1 caress him as you draw them over him1 and drive him about in the stable till he will bear them over his hips4 ,the lines are a great aggravation to some colts1 and often frighten them as much as if you were to raise a whip over them4 ,as soon as he is familiar with the harness and lines1 take him out and put him by the side of a gentle horse1 and go through the same process that you did with the balking horse4 ,always use a bridle without blinds when you are breaking a horse to harness4 ,,how ,,to ,,hitch ,a ,,horse ,,in ,a ,,sulky4 ,lead him to and around it2 let him look at it1 touch it with his nose1 and stand by it till he does not care for it2 then pull the shafts a little to the left1 and stand your horse in front of the off-wheel4 ,let some one stand on the right side of the horse1 and hold him by the bit1 while you stand on the left side1 facing the sulky4 ,this will keep him straight4 ,run your left hand back1 and let it rest on his hip1 and lay hold of the shafts with your right1 bringing them up very gently to the left hand1 which still remains stationary4 ,do not let anything but your arm touch his back1 and as soon as you have the shafts square over him1 let the person on the opposite side take hold of one of them1 and lower them very gently to the shaft-bearers4 ,be very slow and deliberate about hitching2 the longer time you take the better1 as a general thing4 ,when you have the shafts placed1 shake them slightly1 so that he will feel them against each side4 ,as soon as he will bear them without scaring1 fasten your braces1 c41 and start him along very slowly4 ,let one man lead the horse1 to keep him gentle1 while the other gradually works back with the lines till he can get behind and drive him4 ,after you have driven him in this way a short distance1 you can get into the sulky1 and all will go right4 ,it is very important to have your horse go gently when you first hitch him4 ,after you have walked him awhile1 there is not half so much danger of his scaring4 ,men do very wrong to jump up behind a horse to drive him as soon as they have him hitched4 ,there are too many things for him to comprehend all at once4 ,the shafts1 the lines1 the harness1 and the rattling of the sulky1 all tend to scare him1 and he must be made familiar with them by degrees4 ,if your horse is very wild1 ,i would advise you to put up one foot the first time you drive him4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,horse ,,lie ,,down4 ,everything that we want to teach the horse must be commenced in some way to give him an idea of what you want him to do1 and then be repeated till he learns it perfectly4 ,to make a horse lie down1 bend his left fore leg and slip a loop over it1 so that he cannot get it down4 ,then put a surcingle around his body1 and fasten one end of a long strap around the other fore leg1 just above the hoof4 ,place the other end under the surcingle1 so as to keep the strap in the right direction2 take a short hold of it with your right hand2 stand on the left side of the horse1 grasp the bit in your left hand1 pull steadily on the strap with your right2 bear against his shoulder till you cause him to move4 ,as soon as he lifts his weight1 your pulling will raise the other foot1 and he will have to come on his knees4 ,keep the strap tight in your hand1 so that he cannot straighten his leg if he rises up4 ,hold him in this position1 and turn his head towards you2 bear against his side with your shoulder1 not hard1 but with a steady1 equal pressure1 and in about ten minutes he will lie down4 ,as soon as he lies down1 he will be completely conquered1 and you can handle him as you please4 ,take off the straps1 and straighten out his legs2 rub him lightly about the face and neck with your hand the way the hair lies2 handle all his legs1 and after he has lain ten or twenty minutes1 let him get up again4 ,after resting him a short time make him lie down as before4 ,repeat the operation three or four times1 which will be sufficient for one lesson4 ,give him two lessons a day1 and when you have given him four lessons1 he will lie down by taking hold of one foot4 ,as soon as he is well broken to lie down in this way1 tap him on the opposite leg with a stick when you take hold of his foot1 and in a few days he will lie down from the mere motion of the stick4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,horse ,,follow ,,you4 ,turn him into a large stable or shed1 where there is no chance to get out1 with a halter or bridle on4 ,go to him and gentle him a little1 take hold of his halter and turn him towards you1 at the same time touching him lightly over the hips with a long whip4 ,lead him the length of the stable1 rubbing him on the neck1 saying in a steady tone of voice as you lead him1 8,come along boy80 or use his name instead of 8boy0 if you choose4 ,every time you turn touch him slightly with the whip1 to make him step up close to you1 and then caress him with your hand4 ,he will soon learn to hurry up to escape the whip and be caressed1 and you can make him follow you around without taking hold of the halter4 ,if he should stop and turn from you1 give him a few sharp cuts about the hind legs1 and he will soon turn his head towards you1 when you must always caress him4 ,a few lessons of this kind will make him run after you1 when he sees the motion of the whip--in twenty or thirty minutes he will follow you about the stable4 ,after you have given him two or three lessons in the stable1 take him out into a small field and train him2 and from thence you can take him into the road and make him follow you anywhere1 and run after you4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,horse ,,stand ,,without ,,holding4 ,after you have him well broken to follow you1 place him in the centre of the stable--begin at his head to caress him1 gradually working backwards4 ,if he moves1 give him a cut with the whip1 and put him back to the same spot from which he started4 ,if he stands1 caress him as before1 and continue gentling him in this way until you can get round him without making him move4 ,keep walking around him1 increasing your pace1 and only touch him occasionally4 ,enlarge your circle as you walk around1 and if he then moves1 give him another cut with the whip1 and put him back to his place4 ,if he stands1 go to him frequently and caress him1 and then walk around him again4 ,do not keep him in one position too long at a time1 but make him come to you occasionally1 and follow you around the stable4 ,then make him stand in another place1 and proceed as before4 ,you should not train your horse more than half an hour at a time4