The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-03-25
TANNING HORSES.

TANNING HORSESs
DEAR SIR: 1t twas on the 25lh of May, 49,
90, ut Orange Court House, in the Old Do
minion, where then lived, that first saw
the late jonathan Smith. twas Court day,
and he,surrounded 10y crowd Of gentlencn,
began thus:
Every groom and trainer, gentleman, has
his own way Of bridling, and breaking ami
managing horses. ] am a teacher of the art;
] can tame the most ungovernable horse on
this green i'll one hour. And ifnny of you
want 10 kno,c hoO, will teach you the theory,
and show the practice on this condition: II
| fail, you shall pay me nothing; i'll succeed
and satisfy you that you can do il as well as
! !, you and each of you, shall pay me $40. j
will make the horse follow me without Bride,
halter or saddle, through this crowd; stand
quietly while | crack lhs whip repeatedly o.
yer his back; make him give Inc any foot al
command, and lie down ifyou wish IT,
agreed, agreed cried half dozen voices,
of which was one. Bring up Madison's
mare, and if he can do half what he says
with her, he must deal with the devil
No, gentlemen said Smith, there is no
divilishment in il, but plain common sense,
as you will sec. Take the mare into the
house yonder, Iii was log house, about
twenty feet square) 'ull horses may be man
aged in the same way. ... ...
The mare was n wild, skittish young thing,
high tempered withul, disposed 10 kick aud
bite, and would not let stranger touch her.
Come genlemeu,' said Smith, let US go TO
the stable.' ......... ..... ......
As he went along, he examined carefully
n whip he curried, formed like u wagoner's,
but lighter in the handle, and longer in the
thong and lash. When we got TO the door,
Look through the cracks, and see i0hdt do,
aud ho,V do it, Shut the door after me, and
flsten it,
In he went very suddenly and very boldly,
and before the mare could survey him, he
IVES giving her the lash on the hind legs ind
thighs. with quick, sharp strokes. Around
she went, kicking, jumping, HACKING outund
seeming as if she would break through the
side ofthe house, keeping the greatest pos
sible distance from him. Norest, no breath
ing time was given the sweat began 10 flow
the mare slower in her movements and occa-
sionaly 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
Come along But she was off again Instant
ly, and again the lash was applied. Present.
ly she stopped, turned, looked at him, and
inclined slightly towards him, He reached
out his hand, stopped whipping, and touch.
ed her neck, saying again, "Come along
But there was no come along in her; there
she stood suIlenly. Away he leaped, and
piled the lash and repeated Come along
She soon turned came towards him,and stop
ped. He was watching her, and the mo-
ment she began TO advance, he did also, so
that now he was near her, he patted her,
stopped whipping, and us he moved away,
said come along. She began to move with
him; but as fpanc struck, a moment after
wards, darted off. The lash was poured in
ed. a.
you'll see now,' said Smith to us, they
generally do this when giving up
She approached; he patted her neck, stop
ped whipping and said come along NOV
ing slowly from her. She now obeyed, fol-
lowing him several times around the room.
He patted her neck, and, as she was follow
ing him, he suddenly darted away and began
the whip, crying come along Instantly she
was at his side, and the whip ceased 10 flash
lhroughthe air, aud he was palting her neck
ms she followed him around. Whenever she |
Jagged, he was away, and the whip applied. |
Never after that would she remain two feet
from him.
you see, gentlenen,' said he, the princi-
pie. The whip meyer touches her 10 hurt,
when near me; nothing near me, or thatI
bring to her, is to hurt her, SO much as her
fear of me, or anything in contact with me-
He tlen took off his glove, thrust his fist
INTO his armpit, and then rubbed it OH and
n her nostrls. After walking few more
lines around the room, the mare following
close to him, he said, open the door, The
loor was opened, and the mare followed close
o him off TO the crowd, and through it and
back again TO the stable. .s.s.a
He came out, closed the door, and said, tlIis
gentlemen, is always The first lesson, and
never has to be repeated. Alter horse fol-
ows in the STABLE it is but TO make him do
It in a small lot, where he cannot escape you.
1t has taken about thirty minutes. On the
whole, il is humane, for il prevents all future
On entering her stable llereaE
Ter, she should be reminded by single touch
IF the whp,and come along She win now
blow the smallest boy,who will go malone,
give her tile hint with the whip, and say, +
come along for treniy has been formed
with her TO this effect that when near you SHE
S never TO be struck; but if at distance aud