1833. j BREAKING-IN WILD HORSES. 151 



own society, and thus fulfil their instinct of association. In the 

 above case the shepherd-dog ranks the sheep as its fellow- 

 brethren, and thus gains confidence ; and the wild dogs, though 

 knowing that the individual sheep are not dogs, but are good to 

 3af ? yet partly consent to this view when seeing them in a flock 

 with a shepherd-dog at their head. 



One evening a " domidor" (a subduer of horses) came for the 

 purpose of brea-king-in some colts. I will describe the prepara- 

 tory steps, for I believe they have not been mentioned by other 

 travellers. A troop of wild young horses is driven into the 

 corral, or large enclosure of stakes, and the door is shut. We 

 will suppose that one man alone has to catch and mount a horse, 

 which as yet had never felt bridle or saddle. I conceive, except 

 by a Gaucho, such a feat would be utterly impracticable. The 

 Gaucho picks out a full-grown colt ; and as the beast rushes 

 round the circus, he throws his lazo so as to catch both the front 

 legs. Instantly the horse rolls over with a heavy shock, and 

 whilst struggling on the ground, the Gaucho, holding the lazo 

 tight, makes a circle, so as to catch one of the hind legs, just 

 beneath the fetlock, and draws it close to the two front legs : 

 he then hitches the lazo, so that the three are bound together. 

 Then sitting on the horse's neck, he fixes a strong bridle, with- 

 out a bit, to the lower jaw : this he does by passing a narrow 

 thong through the eye-holes at the end of the reins, and several 

 times round both jaw and tongue. The two front legs are now 

 tied closely together with a strong leathern thong, fastened by 

 a slip-knot. The lazo, which bound the three together, being 

 then loosed, the horse rises with difficulty. The Gaucho now 

 holding fast the bridle fixed to the lower jaw, leads the horse 

 outside the corral. If a second man is present (otherwise the 

 trouble is much greater) he holds the animal's head, whilst the 

 first puts on the horsecloths and saddle, and girths the whole to- 

 gether. During this operation, the horse, from dread and asto- 

 nishment at thus being bound round the waist, throws himself 

 over and over again on the ground, and, till beaten, is unwilling 

 to rise. At last, when the saddling is finished, the poor animal 

 can hardly breathe from fear, and is white with foam and sweat. 

 The man now prepares to mount by pressing heavily on the 

 stirrup, so that the horse may not lose its balance ; and at the 



