THE COLONIAL HORSE 181 



successfully gathered together, and is being cajoled, terrified, and 

 urged to approach the yards, some inanimate object, such as a 

 sheepskin or a sack, will startle them, or perhaps a fluttering 

 fowl or squeaking pig, alarmed by the unwonted sounds of 

 charging cavalry, will cross in front of the driven horses, and so 

 alarm them that no amount of whip-cracking or shouting, nor 

 the most fearful oaths that blasphemy can invent, will stop the 

 terrified animals from rushing back amongst their pursuers, 

 breaking through the ranks and regaining their liberty on the 

 plains. To attempt to begin the work again the same day 

 would be hopeless ; the steaming flanks, drooping heads, and 

 bobbing tails of the stockmen's mounts too plainly show that 

 no more can be got out of them till they have rested. 



At one time the number of these animals became so great, 

 and consumed so much valuable grass which might have served 

 for cattle or sheep, that they were destroyed by the hundred 

 where it was not found practicable to catch them in the manner 

 I have described. Even when so caught they would at that 

 time often fetch only a few shillings. 



Mr. Saunders says of them : 



They do to export, where they get more broken on the voyage 

 to India, or to sell by auction, and are not infrequently bought by 

 those who keep horses for some cruel destructive work, trusting to 

 fatigue to quiet them. They are harnessed to four-horse coaches 

 without any further breaking in, and form the far-travelling, ill-used, 

 jibbing horses that are everywhere to be seen drawing the public 

 conveyances of Australia. The poor things have never been taught 

 to walk a step in harness, and are afraid to do so. It is no uncom- 

 mon thing to see an Australian coach delayed five minutes, or even 

 a quarter of an hour, after changing horses, before any two of the 

 nervous, untaught, timid, ill-used brutes can be made to rush in 

 one direction long enough to start the coach on level ground, a 

 piece of ignorance for which they are belaboured and galloped the 

 whole stage by the infuriated coachman, most of the passengers 

 declaring that the ' obstinate brutes richly deserve it.'" 



At the time of the gold discoveries in Victoria the prices 

 of horses went up by leaps and bounds throughout Australia. 



