Chap, xxi.] HABITS OF THE WILD HORSES. 483 



Mr. Fell has watched the habits of the Wild Horses in 

 Lafonia closely. The strong and active horses each guard 

 their own herd of mares. They keep the closest watch over 

 them, and if one strays at all, drive her back into the herd by 

 kicking her. The younger horses live in herds apart, but the 

 more vigorous are always on the look-out to pick up a mare 

 from the herds of the older ones, and to drive her off with 

 them, and they sometimes gather a few mares and hold them 

 for a short time, till they are recaptured. When they think 

 they are strong enough, they try the strength of the old horses 

 in battle, and eventually each old horse is beaten by some 

 rival and displaced. The fighting is done mainly with the 

 tusks, and front to front, not with the heels. Thus the most 

 active and strongest males are constantly selected naturally for 

 the continuation of the herds. 



The wild horses, as well as others, are often broken in by 

 tying them with a raw hide halter to a post, and leaving them 

 for several days without food or water. After long ineffectual 

 struggles to break loose, the animals become convinced of the 

 absolute power over them of the halter, and in future become 

 cowed and docile directly a halter or lasso is over their heads. 

 The wild horses when broken in are very tame and quiet to ride. 



I was astonished at the facility with which the Falkland 

 Island horses obey the rein. There is no necessity, as a rule, 

 to make them feel the bit at all in order to turn them. 

 Merely laying the part of the reins close to the hand against 

 that side of the neck from which they are wanted to turn is 

 sufficient. Well-broken horses can be turned round and 

 round in a circle by this means, by a gentle touch on the neck 

 only. Our horses in England are certainly not half so well 

 broken. 



Our progress on our ride was mostly slow, because of the 

 bogginess of the ground, and it was dark by the time that we 

 reached the end of our 60 miles' ride. Mr. Fell gave us an 

 opportunity of seeing an assembly of the herd of tame cattle 

 belonging to the Company in the part of Lafonia near Darwin 

 Harbour. The Company has imported some first-class Bulls 

 of the hornless polled breed. 



The wild cattle in Lafonia will probably all be killed off in 

 order that sheep may be substituted. At present the Company 

 pays men to kill these wild cattle for their hides. The cattle 

 are thrown by means of the lasso or bolas, and ham-strung, or 

 "cut down," as the term is, and then killed and skinned at 

 leisure. 2,000 had been thus killed in Lafonia in the year of 

 our visit. 



It seems remarkable that such very different means of hand- 



