MARES riLAUGHTERKD EUR THEIR HIDES. 197 



dote, which I believe was true ; and it offers a 

 good illustration of the use of a well-broken ani- 

 mal. A respectable man riding one day met two 

 others, one of whom was mounted on a horse 

 which he knew to have been stolen from himself. 

 He challenged them ; they answered him by draw- 

 ing their sabres and giving chase. The man, on 

 his good and fleet beast, kept just ahead : as he 

 passed a thick bush he wheeled round it, and 

 broiight up his horse to a dead check. The pur- 

 suers were obliged to shoot on one side and ahead. 

 Then instantly dashing on, right behind them, he 

 buried his knife in the back of one, wounded the 

 other, recovered his horse from the dying robber, 

 and rode home. For these feats of horsemanship 

 two things are necessary : a most severe bit, like 

 the Mameluke, the power of which, though seldom 

 used, the horse knows full well ; and large blunt 

 spurs, that can be applied either as a mere touch, 

 or as an instrument of extreme pain. I conceive 

 that with English spurs, the slightest touch of which 

 pricks the skin, it would be impossible to break in 

 a horse after the South American fashion. 



At an estancia near Las Vacas, large numbers 

 of mares are weekly slaughtered for the sake of 

 their hides, although worth only five paper dollars, 

 or about half a crown apiece. It seems at first 

 strange that it can answer to kill mares for such a 

 trifle ; but as it is thought ridiculous in this country 

 ever to break in or ride a mare, they are of no 

 value except for breeding. The only thing for 

 which I ever saw mares used was to tread out 

 wheat fi-om the- ear ; for which purpose they were 

 driven round a circular enclosure, where the wheat- 

 sheaves were strewed. The man employed for 

 slaughtering the mares happened to be celebrated 

 for his dexterity with the lazo. Standing at tho 

 R2 



