OF FARRIERY 



375 



above an inch and a half in diameter, through 

 wnich the thong is passed, and this forms a 

 running noose. The Gaucho, or native Peon, 

 is generally mounted on horseback when he 

 uses the lasso. One end of the thong is 

 affixed to his saddle girth : the remainder he 

 coils carefully in his left hand, leaving about 

 twelve feet belonging to the noose-end, in a 

 coil, and a half flivwhich he holds in his right 

 hand. He then swings this long noose hori- 

 zontally round his head, the weight of the 

 iron ring at the end of the noose assisting in 

 giving to it, by a continued circular motion, a 

 sufficient force to project it the whole length 

 of the line. 



When the Gauchos wish to have a grand 

 breaking-in, they drive a whole herd of wild 

 Horses into the corral. The corral was quite 

 full of Horses, most of which were young ones 

 about two or three years old. The capitar 

 (chief Gaucho), mounted on a strong steady 

 Horse, rode into the corral and threw his lasso 

 over the neck of a young Horse, and dragged 

 him to the gate. For some time he was very 

 unwilling to leave his comrades ; but the 

 moment he was forced out of the corral, his 

 first idea was to gallop away : however a 

 timely jerk of the lasso checked him in the 

 most effectual way. The peons now ran after 

 him on foot and threw a lasso over his fore- 

 legs just above the fetlock, and twitching it, 

 they pulled his legs from under him so sud- 

 denly, that I really thought the fall he got 

 had killed him. In an instant a Gaucho was 

 seated on his head, and with his long knife, 

 and in a few seconds, cut off the whole of the 

 Horse's mane, while another ^it the hair from 

 the end of his tail. This they told me was a 

 mark that the Horse had been once mounted. 

 Tb«y then put a piece of hide into his mouth 



to serve for a bit, and a strong hide halter ou 

 his head. The Gaucho who was to mount, 

 arranged his spurs, which were unusually long 

 and sharp, and while two men held the Horse 

 by his ears, he put on the saddle, which he 

 girthed extremely tight. He then caught 

 hold of the Horse's ear, and in an instant 

 vaulted into the saddle ; upon which the man 

 who held the Horse by the halter threw the 

 end to the rider, and from that moment no 

 one seemed to take any further notice of 

 him. 



The Horse instantly began to jump in a 

 manner which made it very difficult for the 

 rider to keep^iis seat, and quite different from 

 the kick or plunge of an English Horse : how- 

 ever, the Gaucho's spurs soon set him going, 

 and off he galloped, doing everything in his 

 power to throw his rider. 



Another Horse was immediately broughl 

 from the corral, and s\quick was the opera- 

 tion, that twelve Gaucll^s were mounted in a 

 spacJe which I think hardly exceeded an hour 

 It was wonderful to see the different manner 

 in which different Horses^ behaved. Some 

 would actually scream while the Gauchos 

 were girding the saddle upon their backs ; 

 some would instantly lie down and roll upoii 

 it; while some would stand without being 

 held ; their legs stiff, and in unnatural posi- 

 tions, their necks half bent towards their tails, 

 and looking vicious and obstinate ; and I 

 could not help thinking that I would not have 

 mounted one of those for any reward th<it 

 could be offered me, for they were invariabl.v 

 the most difficult to subdue. 

 ' It was now curious to look around and set 

 the Gauchos on the horizon in different direc- 

 tions, trying to bring their Horses back t( 

 the corral, which is the most difficult part 



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