The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-03-05
For the Rree Trader
TIE WILD HORSE.

plains OF Great Tartary, and also in sever
al parts of South America In neither
however, can we recognize an origina
race. The horses ofthe Ukraine aud those
OF South America are equally the descend
! ants OF those that escaped from the slavery
Of man
| The Tartar horses are fleet and strong
bat comparatively of an ordinary breed
Those OF South America retain almost un
impaired, the size and form of the Europe.
an horse In no part of America, Or Of tn e
more newly discovered islands of the Pa
| cfic, was The horse known until he was
introduced by Europeana and the origin OF
| the horses Of '-ar,ary has been clearly
traced to those who were employed in the
ssige of Azoph in 1857, but which were
turned loose for want of forage.
All travellers who have cro,sed the
plains extending from the shores Of la
Plata to Patagonia have spoken Of numer-
Gus droves of wild horses Some affirm
that they have seen loOJ0 in one troop
They appear to be under the command Of
a leader, the strongest and boldest Of the
herd, and whom they implicitly obey a
secret Instinct teaches them that their
safety consists IN their union aud in a
principle Of subordiuati8n The Lion, the
tiger. and the leopard are their principal
enemies. At sonae signal, Inteiligible TO
them all, they either close into dense
mass and traruple their enemy 10 death;
or, placing the mares and their colt in the
center. they form themselves INTO a circle
and welcome him with their heels IL the
attack, ,heir leader is the first to face the
danger, and when rrud-nca demands re-
troat, they follow his rapid flight.
IN the thinly !nhabiied parts OF South
America, it is dangerous To fall IN with any
OF these troops The wila horses a proach
near as they dare. They cal! to the
Loaded hOrsc with great eageruess, aud II
the rider be EOt on the alert and have
not Considerable sireu:t Of arta and
,harpae-s of spur, his beast wI.! .livest l. in:
self OF lis burden, take 10 his heels, aai
Oe gone forever.
Captain Head give. the following ac-
count OF :. Teetiag with troop cf Wild
horses, where the country Was more tnIcK
ly inhabited ":Sone poor captured anI-
mails are supposed 10 tie forced along by
their riders at their utmost speed -
they are thus galiop.ng along, urged by the
spur, II is !nterestlA. to see The groups ot
Wild horses one sees The mares, which
are never ridden in South America, seem
not 10 understand what makes the poor
horse carry his head 80 low and look so
weary The little innocent colts cone
roaming te meet him, aud then start away
frightened, while the Old horses. whose
white marles on TIE flanks and backs
betray'tne:. acquaintance with the spur ami
az. he wall, slowly away 10. some distance
III an breaking iuto a ;rot as they seek
their safety snoi. aed look behind them,
gr.. nn one side then on the other, turn
in. their nose from night TO left, and car
ryiss their long tails high IN tle AK.
TAe sanc piea-.n. writer describes The
system of horse management among the
rude inhabitants Of the plAins OF SoutA
America They have no stables, no fenced
pastures Oae horse j. usually kept Ted
at the doo: of tho nut, fed scantIly al al sht
on maize, or at other times, severa! may
be inclosed in the corral. which i = circti-
lar space .urr undrd by rough posts drir~
en- firmly in the ground
The mares are never ridden OF at!enlpta
10 be tanned but wander with their !oa.s
where they please
When the Gauel5 the native inhSblt.
aut -! tA+ -.....=. han;- aorsc. Tor himself
q: -. ,ae sup,.iy OF tiie traveller. he either
goes with his lassc II the uorra. aud Sc
lec:- those possibly which ON the proceed
iny day, had for tue tIrsttIn!e been lacked,
or he scsmpers acrn.s The plains and pres
entity returns with gn unwl..ingly strus-
cling or suhiued captive. When the
services OF the animals have been eHacted,
he either takes them to the corral and
feeds them with small quantity OF maze,
/: he th!nks he shall presently need them
again. or he ONCE mere turns them loose
on the plains " hen the GaIcho wishes
10 take a Wild horse, lac mounts one that
has been used to the sport and gallons
over the plain. As soon as he CO tie. suii!-
ciently near his prey, the lass" IS thro"n
around the two hind legs. aud, as the
Guucho rides little On oae side, the jerk
rulls the cAtaUgied horses feet iatera!iy,
soa To throw him on his side, without, en
dancering his knees or his face
Before the horse can recover from the
shock. the rider dismsunts. and, snatchiug
his cloak from his shoulders, wraps II
~ ound the prostrate animals head. lie
then forces iuto his mouth one Ct the pow
erful bits Of the country, straps a saddle
upon his back, and, bestriding hia,, re
moves the cloak upon which the astonlsn-
ed horse springs on his legs and endeav-
ors by q thousand vain efforts, TO d!seL
cumber himself of his new master, who
sits quite composealy on his back, and, 10y
a Jiscipline which never fails, reduces the
horse. to such complete obedience tha, he
is soon trained to lend his whole speed and
strength to the capture of his companions
The @ animais poss .ss much OF the torm
Of the Spanish horsr, from which they
s,rusp thev arc II ned, as has esen seen,
with lar less difficulty than coaid be
thought POSSIBLE; and, although there Is
the obedience Of fear, and enforced at first
| by the whip and spur, t ere are no horses
who so sooo and so perfectly exert their
sacacilv and their power IN the service "i
man They are possessed OF no extra rii-
nary speed, but they are capable OF e.idi-
ring itntnease fatigue. They are frequent
!y ridden 60 or 10 miles per dry, without
drawing bit and have been urged on 10y
the spur of the cruel Gaucho more than Il
| 100 miles. and Al the rate OF l2m!ies In the
| hour. Like the Arab horse, they know
no intermediate gait between the walk ana
tho gallep; although, a; the end OF DAY
| 50 hard. their sides are horribly nlangleh
and they are completely exhausted, there
! is this consolation for them, they are in-
mediately turned loose on the plians,
and /, will te their own fault ii
they are speedily caught again The
mares are occasionally killed ior food, and
especially on occasions of unusua! festiv-
i,y. General San Martin, during the
war fer Independence, gave IL feast to the
Indian allies attached to his army. and
mares fie ,h and blood mixed with gin for
med the whole OF the entertainment. On
such dry and suitry plains the supply OF
water is often .canty. and theu a species OF
madness seizes on the horses, end their
generous and docils qualities are no longer
recognized Theyru>h violently INTO every
noud and lake, savagely manglins and
tramplins upon one another, and the car
cases of many thcd-ands Of them have
bean seen in and around considerable
| pool Thus il one OF the inrans 20 pre-
vent the too rapid increase OF this quadru>
ped by the ordinance OF nature, there pre-
| sented. -,