174 THE HORSE. 
stantly as a hack without much inconvenience, she never recovered her 
racing powers, and neither in private (as I have been informed), nor in 
public certainly, did she ever exhibit any approach to her former speed. 
ON THE WHOLE, THEREFORE, it may fairly be concluded that Mr. Rarey’s 
plans are well adapted for the control of vicious horses, supposing they 
are not subsequently wanted for the turf, in which case the utility of the 
process is very questionable. As, however, all our horses are not vicious, 
and as by the casting and gentling nothing more is effected than a general 
control, it remains to be considered how far this is useful in breaking 
colts for general purposes. My own belief is that it acts by producing 
in the horse a compound feeling of fear and gratitude, the former being 
the result of his fruitless efforts to get rid of the controlling hand of man, 
and the latter being established from finding that hand relieve him of his 
straps and then caress and “gentle” him. If, therefore, any horse, even 
without vice, is required to exhibit to his master or mistress any relations 
more intimate than those which are usually practised in this country, 
great advantage will result from the establishment of this fear and grati- 
tude. With the exception, however, of cavalry and circus horses, we 
generally content ourselves with that amount of intercourse which is 
acquired in the saddle, and we do not want our hacks to exhibit tricks, 
nor do we require them to follow us about at liberty like our dogs. It 
has been attempted to show that this particular plan gets rid of a great 
deal of cruelty to the horse, but this is altogether unfounded, for long 
before the great American trainer made his appearance, writers on the 
horse had denounced its use, and though many cruelly severe breakers 
and grooms existed, as they still exist, yet they were exceptions to the 
general rule. Cavalry horses, especially when on service, are required to 
submit to the control of the men in many ways which are never in demand 
for hacking or hunting, and the mere power of compelling the horse to 
le down and remain on the ground is worth a great deal of trouble to 
acquire. As far as they are concerned, I think the use of Mr. Rarey’s 
straps most valuable ; and it must be remembered that this was all that the 
Canadian ‘wilitary authorities certified in their recommendations which 
Mr. Rarey brought with him across the Atlantic. The clever management 
of his partner, Mr. Goodenough, and the profound secrecy maintained for 
so long, carried the public away far beyond this, and, as in the fable of the 
fox who had lost his tail, all those who had spent their ten guineas were 
anxious to place their friends in the same predicament. This is the only 
way in which I can account for the extraordinary conclusions to which so 
many practised horsemen arrived in 1858. Since that time, it is true, 
the fashion has subsided, and a more temperate view has been taken, the 
general opinion of good judges being, I believe, pretty much in accordance 
with those which I have always held publicly and privately, and which I 
have here endeavoured to convey to my readers. 
BEFORE PROCEEDING TO INQUIRE into the merits of Mr. Rarey’s plan as 
compared with our own mode of breaking, it will be well to describe 
what the latter is, and then ascertain which is the best mode of carrying 
out our object. No horseman in this country would dream of using 
the animal he intends to ride or drive without the control of a bit, 
and although he may aid this powerful instrument with his voice, his 
leg, his whip, or his spur, yet it always has been, and still is, the 
chief agent in the management of the horse. Again, no colt is to be 
considered as broken until his rider or driver has altered his paces, 
and given him such an action in the walk, trot, canter, and gallop, or 
