The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-13
l62

WARD, the morse would rush at him; II forwards,
IN all probability he would attack him with his
teeth. This last sentence, however, embodies a
mere conjecture Of my own, for, in neither of
the two operations which witnessed did any
such catastrophe occur. On the contrary, the
horsetamers power over the animal was far
more speedy in operation than had expected
70 see it; SO much SO, that the idea would sug-
gest ITSELF Is this in very truth a mad and saw
age horse? can only state it as my own con-
ylction, that there was no delusion about the
matter-and this from the further course of the
operation. 1t appeared to me that Mr.. Rarey
must have some extraordinary power Of fasci-
nation about his ere, or his general bearing,
which soothed the fury and assuaged the terror
OF the animal. Soon you saw the horse stand
ing motionless In the midst Of the arena. and
watching, rather with an expression of curiosity
than Of fear and anger, the movements of the
man as be strobe up 20 his head very slowly,
very gently, and ever with extended hand. At
length, when Mr.. Rarey was close upon him,
he reached out his head, and eagerly smelt at
his hand, his wrist, his sleeves. There was no
precipitation. The object seemed to be to give
the horse as much time as he might choose TO
take. The tanners hand now caressed the
horses head above the nostrils, smoothed it
down, passed up to the forehead, and repeated
the process. By this time Mr.. Rarey was stand
ing by the horses left shoulder, and had caught
hold, with his other hand, of the end of his
head-stall or halter
I have been informed that at this stage of
the operation the horse viii break away some
times more than once; but this is obviously
mere question Of time. This ] did not see.
Mr.. Rarey now proceeded to pass his hand down
the animals side, just as any one Of us might
do to horse which he was fondling or petting.
ID fba anffx
pleased to be relieved from his .errors, and ap-
pearing to enjoy the tanners caress. at length
Mr. Rarey began to stroke his fore legs, more
especially the left fore leg. Here the critical
moment. In an incredibly short space of time,
(it was almost like trick of legerdemain,)
Mr.. Rarey got the strap out of his pocket, took
up the horses left fore leg, and slipped lcep
over It, so that he could not get it down. There
was nothing, however, abrupt or jerking about
the way this was done; it was just as though
he had been continuously stroking the leg; but
the thing was done. I was told that this is
the real instant of victory. From the moment
the horses leg is strapped up, be is conquered.
Plenty, however, remains 10 be told.
had supposed that, as soon as the horse felt
one of his fore legs thus confined, he would at
once recommence his struggles. This did not
happen In the cases which | witnessed. The
horse stood quiet, and suffered himself to be
caressed. Mr. Rarey stroked him over his back,
his shoulders, his left side, and then began to
make fresh appeals to his right leg This took
some minutes more. At length, he took long
strap out of his pocket, and fastened it by a
buckle around the right fore leg, just above the
hoof; he then carried the other end through
the circingle, holding the end firmly in his
right hand. The next step was to take short
hold of the halter, and 10 pull with eat
- IL
a jerk-on both, but mainly, as it seemed to
me, on the halter. The horse now took alarm
again, but the upward spring which he gave to
relieve himself from restraint of course lifted
the right leg from the ground, and, when he
came down again, It was on both his knees. /
should have said that Mr. Rarey had fitted the
horse with knee-caps before he pulled him
down. a considerable time-about ten min
utes-elapsed from this period of the operation
until the animal was fairly rolled over; and
this was one Of the most remarkable parts of
the exhibition.
Throughout, let him struggle as he might,
Mr.. Rarey never quilted his left shoulder, nor
relaxed his grasp on the strap. The horse
reared up into the air, making frantic beatings
with has handcufied fore legs, but it was all in
vain. Let him fight as he would, he was inva-
nably brought down on his knees and in this
truneated attitude he stood, painting, snorting,
foaming, until at last the herceness of his spirit
seemed 70 give way, and he looked around him
rather in pitiahle than a ferocious way. as
much as TO say, This IS really too bad |" But
whether be struggled, or whether he remained
quiet, the even pressure was meyer taken off
ne made one struggle more determined than
ali that had gone before; but with this his fury
was spent. at length, he suffered himself to
be literally tumbled over, thoroughly tanned
l noticed that, when he was fairly on his side
the poor creature gave a great sigh, which
seemed to my fancy to be one of relief as
though he had thought within himself, Well!
I've nothing to blame myself with but that's
well over, at any rate" When once upon his
side, the horse was effectually tanned he was
as passive In the hands Of his condueror as one
of the welltrained eircus-horses, which, Mt a
given signal, fall upon the floor Of the arena,
aud simulate death.
Whilst the animal lay in this condition. Mr..
Rarey patted and stroked him over or, to use
his own quaint phrase, "gentled," first one
side, then the other-now this leg. then that
From his expressions, you would have inferred
that he had magnetized the whole of the horses
frame in detail, and that, had he neglected to
make his passes over any particular section of
the horse, that section would still have remained
In a state of savagery. Thus you might have
doubt, implies an exaggeration. | only mean
70 convey an idea of the importance which the
operator seemed 70 attach to familiarizing the
animal with contact with the human hand over
Its whole frame. The straps which had con-
hned hls lore legs were soon removed, but still
the horse lay perfectly passive, AID seemingly
content with his situation. Mr.. Rarey lay upon
him, stepped over him, safe upon his head, took
his fore legs, rubbed them and moved them
backwards and forwards, as you would do if
you had intended 10 restore checked or impeled
Circulation. The same process took place with
the hind legs, and here it was evident that wolf
ton and the power of independent muscular
action was gone. The hind legs were soft and
faced they moved as they we're pulled, and
remained where they had been placed. Mr..
Rarey Icy down upon the ground, and, taking
one OF the horses hind feet, placed the armed
boot on MS forehead. Had there been but enc
momeniary spasm Of volition, or return of fe-
Tocity, the horse-tamer was a dead man. He
was Ike man tied TO the mouth of gun /:
nothing could have saved him, had the FIRE
been applied to the charge
his portion of the operation nav have lasted
about quarter of al hour Mr.. Rarey then
made the horse ger up, which he did readily
enough, but now every spark Of his original
feroelty seemed extinct. Saddle and bride
were brought IN. They we're first presented to
The horse, and were carefully examined by him.
The examination WIS conducted entirely by the
sense of smell.
When the process Of saddling, mounting, and
dismounting, had been freely accomplished. a
drum was brought in by one Of the attendants.
This also was presented to the horse, who care.
fully smelt it all over, and soon appeared salts.
fed that no harm was intended. The drum
was passed over his head, neck, shoulders; his