THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



91 



the bond of secresy, seeinp; that a treatise on ' The 

 Modern Art of Taming Wikl Horses, by J. S. 

 Rarey, the Horse Tamer, reprinted from the Ame- 

 rican Edition,' can be obtained at the pubhshers', 

 Messrs. G. Routledge and Co., Farringdon-street, 

 City, for the sum of sixpence. 



" 1 remain. Sir, your obedient servant, 



"George Farquiiar Leslie. 

 " 45, Rutland Gate, S.W." 



Other parties have written to the Times— some 

 in their own name, others signing themselves 

 *' Zebra," &c. However, we give the pamphlet 

 entire, premising that some parts of Mr. Rarey's 

 process (secret no longer) appear to us not only 

 cruel, but dangerous to the animal, in the hands 

 of inexperienced persons ; and how men of intelli- 

 gence could proclaim to the world that no cruelty 

 was practised, seems to us, after reading the book, 

 a perfect mystery. Here it is, in extenso : 



THE MODERN ART OF TAMING WILD 

 HORSES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The first domestication of the horse, one of the 

 greatest achievements of man in the animal king- 

 dom, was not the work of a day, but, like all other 

 great accomplishments, was brought about by a 

 gradual process of discoveries and experiments. 

 He first subdued the more subordinate animals, on 

 account of their being easily caught and tamed, 

 and used for many years the mere drudges — the 

 ox, the ass, and the camel — instead of the fleet 

 and elegant horse. This noble animal was the last 

 brought into subjection, owing, perhaps, to man's 

 limited and inaccurate knowledge of his nature, 

 and his consequent inability to control him. This 

 fact alone is sufficient evidence of his superiority 

 over all other animals. 



Man, in all his inventions and discoveries, has 

 almost invariably commenced with some simple 

 principle, and gradually developed it from one de- 

 gree of perfection to another. The first hint that 

 we have of the use of electricity was Franklin's 

 drawing it from the clouds with his kite : now, it 

 is the instrument of conveying thought from mind 

 to mind, with a rapidity that surpasses time. The 

 great propelling power that drives the wheel of the 

 engine over our land, and ploughs the ocean with 

 our steamers, was first discovered escaping from a 

 tea-kettle. And so the powers of the horse, second 

 only to the powers of steam, became known to man 

 only as experiments and investigation revealed 

 them. 



The horse, according to the best accounts we 

 can gather, has been the constant servant of man 

 for nearly four thousand years, ever rewarding him 



with his labour, and adding to his comfort, in pro- 

 portion to his skill and manner of using him ; but 

 being to those who govern him by brute force, and 

 know nothing of the beauty and delight to be 

 gained from the cultivation of his finer nature, a fret- 

 ful, vicious; and often dangerous servant; whilst 

 to the Arab, whose horse is the pride of his life, 

 and who governs him by the law of kindness, we 

 find him to be quite a diflferent animal. The 

 manner in which he is treated from a foal, gives 

 him an afl'ection and attachment for his master not 

 known in any other country. The Arab and his 

 children, ihe mare and her foal, inhabit the tent 

 together; and although the colt and the mare's 

 neck are often pillows for the children to roll 

 upon, no accident ever occurs, the mare being as 

 careful of the children as of the colt. Such is the 

 mutual attachment between the horse and his 

 master, that he will leave his companions at his 

 master's call, ever glad to obey his voice. And 

 when the Arab falls from his horse, and is unable 

 to rise again, he will stand by him and neigh for 

 assistance ; and if he lies down to sleep, as fatigue 

 compels him to do, in the midst of the desert, his 

 faithful steed will watch over him, and neigh to 

 arouse him, if man or beast approaches. The Arabs 

 frequently teach their horses secret signs, or 

 signals, which they make use of on urgent occa- 

 sions, to call forth their utmost exertions. These 

 are more efficient than the barbarous mode of 

 urging them on with the spur and whip, a forcible 

 illustration of which will be found in the following 

 anecdote : 



A Bedouin named Jabal possessed a mare of 

 great celebrity. Hassad Pasha, then Governor of 

 Damascus, wished to buy the animal, and re- 

 peatedly made the owner the most liberal offers, 

 which Jabal steadily refused. The Pacha then 

 had recourse to threats, but with no better suc- 

 cess. At length one Gafar, a Bedouin of another 

 tribe, presented himself to the Pasha, and asked 

 what he would give the man who should make him 

 master of Jabal's mare i I will fill his horse's 

 nose-bag with gold," replied Hassad. The result 

 of this interview having gone abroad, Jabal became 

 more watchful than ever, and always secured hia 

 mare at night with an iron chain, one end of which 

 was fastened to her hind-fetlock, whilst the other, 

 after passing through the tent-cloth, was attached 

 to a picket driven in the ground under the felt that 

 served himself and his wife for a bed. But one 

 midnight Gafar crept silently into the tent, and 

 succeeded in loosening the chain. Just before start" 

 ing off with his prize, he caught up Jabal's lance, 

 and, poking him with the butt end, cried out, " 1 

 am Gafar ! I have stolen your noble mare, and 

 will give you notice in time." This warning was 



