12 THE ART OF TAMING- HORSES. 



eyes were covered. But although on some animals this 

 seemed to produce a soothing effect, on others it totally 

 failed. 



There can be very little doubt that most of the mys- 

 terious " horse-whisperers" relied for their power of sub- 

 duing a vicious horse partly on the special personal 

 influence already referred to, and partly on some one of 

 those cruel modes of intimidating the animal. It has 

 been observed that idiots can sometimes manage the 

 most savage horses and bulls, and conciliate the most 

 savage dogs at first sight. 



The value of Mr. Rarey's system consists in the fact 

 that it may be taught to, and successfully practised 

 by, a ploughboy of thirteen or fourteen for use on all 

 except extremely vicious and powerful horses. 



It requires patience it requires the habit of dealing 

 with horses as well as coolness ; but the real work is 

 rather a matter of skill than strength. Not only have 

 boys of five or six stone become successful horse- 

 tamers, but ladies of high rank have in the course of 

 ten minutes perfectly subdued and reduced to death- 

 like calmness fiery blood-horses. 



Therefore, in dealing with Mr. Earey's plan we are 

 not wasting our time about a trick for conquering these 

 rare exceptions incurably-savage horses but consider- 

 ing the principles of a universally applicable system for 

 taming and training horses for man's use, with a perfec- 

 tion of docility rarely found except in aged pet horses, 

 and with a rapidity heretofore quite unknown. 



The system of Arabia and Australia are the two ex- 

 tremes. In Australia, where the people are always in a 

 hurry, the usual mode of breaking in the bush horses is 

 to ride them quiet; that is, to let the man fight it out with 

 the horse until the latter gives in ; for the time, at any 



