224 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



are weaned at the asre of ei^rht or ten months. The fillies con- 

 tinue to run with the manada, and become part of it. The 

 colts are altered when branded, and continue to run with the 

 manada until they are three or four years of age, when they 

 are broken and put into the caballada^ or herd of broken horses. 

 The Mexicans never broke their mares, and considered it dis- 

 creditable and a mark of great poverty to ride one. 



§ 166. Horse-breaking. — The ]SIexican system of breaking 

 horses is peculiar. They are broken only to the saddle ; for 

 horses were never used before wagons by the Spanish-Califor- 

 nians. The horse having run free all his life, is too wild to be 

 caught Avithout a lasso, or to be approached at first while he is 

 on his feet. He is therefore caught by the neck with one reata, 

 by a hind-foot with another, and then thrown down by pulling 

 the reatas in different directions. A vaquero goes to the horse 

 as he lies down and puts a jdquiraa^ or a kind of halter, on his 

 head. The jaquima is provided with a piece of leather, which 

 can be pulled over the eyes so as to blind the horse, but it is 

 first lifted to let him see. The reatas are taken from the 

 neck and leg of the prostrate horse, and a long rope having 

 been fastened to the jaquima, he is allowed to rise. This is 

 the first time he has been haltered and he dislikes the restraint, 

 but he exerts himself in vain to get loose. After he has tired 

 himself in vain efforts, the vaquero goes up for the purpose of 

 pulling down the blind. The horse is terrified at so near an 

 approach of a man, and trembles with excitement. If he pulls 

 back hard the vaquero sees there is little danger, and slowly 

 advancing and putting his hand to the blind pulls it down over 

 the horse's eyes. But if the horse stand up, it is probable that 

 he w^ill rear up when the vaquero comes near, or strike at him 

 with a fore-foot. Such animals are very dangerous, and are 

 usually allowed to tire themselves by standing without food, 

 or else they are drawn up to a fence or tree, behind which the 

 vaquero can protect himself. So soon as the bhnd is down, 

 the horse is perfectly quiet. He can be rubbed, and saddled, 

 and mounted without a motion. The first thins: after blind- 



