74 THE AET OF TAMING HORSES. 



STRAP NO. 1. 



up the leg as if you were going to shoe him, and passing 

 the strap over the fore-arm, put it through the buckle, 

 and buckle the lower limb as close as you can to the 

 arm without hurting the animal. 



Take care that your buckle is of the very best quality, 

 and the leather sound. It is a good plan to stretch it 

 before using it. The tongues of buckles used for this 

 purpose, if not of the very best quality, are very likely to 

 come out, when all your labour will have to be gone over 

 again. Sometimes you may find it better to lay the loop 

 open on the ground, and let the horse step into it. It is 

 better the buckle should be inside the leg if you mean 

 the horse to fall toward you, because then it is easier to 

 unbuckle when he is on the ground. 



In those instances in which you have had no oppor- 

 tunity of previously taming and soothing a colt, it will fre- 

 quently take you an hour of quiet, patient, silent persever- 

 ance before he will allow you to buckle up his leg if he 

 resists you have nothing for it but patience. You must 

 stroke him, you must fondle him, until he lets you 

 enthral him. Mr. Rarey always works alone, and dis- 

 dains assistance, and so do some of his best pupils, Lord 

 B., the Marquis of S., and Captain S. In travelling in 

 foreign countries you may have occasion to tame a colt 

 or wild horse alone, but there is no reason why you 

 should not have assistance if you can get it, and in that 



