Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-09-23
From the New York Spirit of tho Times.
THE HORSE tanner.
LAscoLLES. KY, Feb. 10, 1897.

Dear Slr'---lt was on the 26th OF May, 1873,
at Orange Court House, in the Old Dominion,
(God bless herD where l then lived, that l
saw the late Jonathan Smith. 1t was court
day, and he, surrounded by a crowd of gentle
men, began thus:--Every groom and trainer,
gentleman, and manager Of horses. am a
teacher of the art. l can tame the most ungo-i
vernable horse on this green in one hour. And
if any Of you want TO kno,c hour. l will teach
you the theory and show you the practice, on
this condition: III fail you shall pay me no.
thing succeed, and satisfy you, that you
can do as well as /, you and each of you who
are taught, shall pay me ten dollars. / will
make the horse follow me without any bride,
halter, or saddle, through this crowd; stand
quietly while crack this whip, repeatedly
over his back; making him give me any foot
at command; and lie down, if you require it.
"Agreed, agreed" cried half adozen voices.
OF which mine was Ones. Bring up Madison's
mare, and ifhe can do half what he says with
her, he must deal with the devil" sNo, gen.
temen," said Smith, ..there is no deyilment
in it, but plain common sense, as you will see.
Take the mare into the house yonder," Git was
"a long house, about twenty feet square,) sall
horses may be managed in the same way
The mare was wild, skittish young thing,
high tempered, and vicious withal, disposed
to kick and bite, and would not let a stranger
touch her. "Come, gentlemen" said Smith,
''let us go to the STABLE" AS he went along,
he examined carefully, whip which he carri-
cd, formed like wagoner's, butlighter in the
handle, and longer in The throng and lash.---
When he got to the door, Smith said that no
man but himself must enter. "Look through
tho hat / 1o and Lo3UT do
it. In he went, suddenly, and boldly, and
ing her the lash on the hind legs and thighs,
with quick sharp strokes. Around she went,
kicking, jumping, backing out, and seeming
as if she would break through the side of the
house, keeping at the greatest possible dis
lance from him. No rest, no breathing time
was given; the sweat began to flow, and the
mare slower in her movements, and OCCASION
ally to turn SO as to screen her hind legs from
the lash. When she turned her head towards
him, and approached nearest, he stopped the
whip, stretched out his hand towards her and
said, 'scome along" But she was off again
instantly, and again the lash was applied
Presently she stopped, turned, looked at him,
and inclined slightly towards him. Hereached
out his hand, stopped whipping, and touched
her neck, saying again "come along" But
there was no come alonginher; there she stood
sullenly. Away he leaped, and applied the
lash, and still repeated, ''come along" She
soon turned, came towards him and stopped.
| He was watching her, and the moment she
began to advance, he did also, so that now he
was near, he patted her: stopped whipping,
and as he moved away, said ''come along"
She began to move with him; but as if panic
struck, moment afterwards, darted off. The
lash was poured into her. She stopped, trem-
bled, dunged. "You'll see now," said Smith
to us, ssthey generally do this when they give
up" She approached; he patted her neck,
stopped whipping, and said, ''come along"
moving slowly from her. She now obeyed;
followed him several times around the room.
He patted her neck, and she was following
him, he suddenly darted away, and began
with his whip, crying out "come along" In
stantly she was at his side, and the whip ceas-
ed to flash through the air, and he was patting
her on the neck as she followed him around.--
Whenever she Jagged, he was away, and the
whip applied. Never after that would she re-
main two feet from him. "You see, gentle
men, said he, ''the principle The whip
never touches her TO hurt when nedr nie,---rlo-
thing near me, or that 10 her, is to hurt her so
much as her fear Of me, or any thing in con-
tact with me-" He then took off his glove,
thrust his fist into his armpit, and then rubbed
it in and on her nostrils. After few more
times around the room, the mare following
close after him, he said, "open the door,
The door was opened, and the mare followed
close to him off to the crowd, and through it,
and back again into the stable. He came out,
closed the doos, and said, this, gentlemen is
always the first lesson, and never has to be
repeated. After horse follows in the stable,
liz is but to make him do it in small lot where
he cannot escape you. 1t is taking about thir-
ty minutes. On the whole, it's humane, for
Iii prevents all future contention. entering
the stable hereafter, she should be reminded
by single touch Of the whip, and ''come a.
long, She will now follow the smallest boy,
who will 90 in alone, give her the hint with
the whip, and say come along for treaty
has been formed with her to this effect, that
when near you, she is never to be struck
but when she Is at distance and disobedlent,
she suffers, not after the fault, but during its
commission. BY this treatment her whole
nature will be changed, and she may be taught,
by the rational application of thepnnciPle, to
do any thing; she will let me handle her feet,
&c., SO soon as teach her what want her
to do" He went in, and closed the door.
She came up to him, he patted her shoulder,
then her arm, and carried his hand down her
fore leg; she drew back and trembled. In an
instant he was away from her, and the lash
applied, with come along Up she came,
and he began again; she now stood fast, while
he ran his hand over the leg, patting and sooth-
ing her.
"Shc is now satisfied, you see, that she is
not to be hurt when touch her." He then
went from leg to leg, till she stood perfectly
quiet while he handled them. He then slight.
ly tapped the inside Of the four leg, and said
foot, foot She raised it on the toe; he took
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