RIDING OP THE GAUCIIOS. 195 



me to spur him. AVhen I remonstrated that it was 

 a pity, for the horse was quite exhausted, he cned 

 out, " Why not 1 never mind — spur him — it is m?/ 

 horse." I had then some difficuky in making him 

 comprehend that it was for the horse's sake, and 

 not on his account, that I did not choose to use my 

 spurs. He exclaimed, with a look of great sur- 

 prise, "Ah, Don Carlos, que cosa!" It was clear 

 that such an idea liad never before entered his 

 head. 



The Gauchos are well known to be perfect ri- 

 dei's. The idea of being thrown, let the horse do 

 what it likes, never enters their head. Their cri- 

 terion of a good rider is a man who can manage 

 an untamed colt, or who, if his horse falls, alights 

 on his own feet, or can perform other such exploits. 

 I have heard of a man betting that he would throw 

 his horse down twenty times, and that nineteen 

 times he would not fall himself. I recollect seeing 

 a Gaucho riding a veiy stubborn horse, which three 

 times successively reared so high as to fall back- 

 wards with great violence. The man judged with 

 uncommon coolness the proper moment for slipping 

 off, not an instant before or after the right time ; 

 and as soon as the horse got up, the man jumped on 

 his back, and at last they started at a gallop. The 

 Gaucho never appears to exert any muscular force. 

 I was one day watching a good rider, as we were 

 galloping along at a rapid pace, and thought to my- 

 self, " Surely, if the horse starts, you appear so care- 

 less on your seat, you must fall." At this moment, 

 a male ostrich sprang from its nest right beneath 

 the horse's nose : the young colt bounded on one 

 side like a stag ; but as for the man, all that could 

 be said was, that he started and took fright with 

 his horse. 



In Chile and Peru more pains are taken with the 



