TRAINING. 29 



that the power which overwhelms all the creature's 

 efiorts at resistance appears to originate and be identi- 

 fied with the man who can thus, for the first time, take 

 liberties with him, which he has lost the power of re- 

 senting; and man thenceforward becomes his master. 

 The method pursued by Mr Rarey in subduing such 

 a vicious and ungovernable horse as Cruiser, is this: 

 Placing himself under a waggon laden with hay, to 

 which the animal is partly coaxed, partly led by guide- 

 ropes, and stealing his fingers through the spokes of 

 the waggon-wheel, he raises and gently straps up one 

 fore leg, and fastens a long strap round the fetlock of 

 the other, the end of which he holds in his hand and 

 checks when necessary. The beast, thus unconsciously 

 tampered with, is quite disposed to resent in his usual 

 style the subsequent impertinent familiarities of his 

 tamer; but being by the foregoing precautions cast 

 prostrate on his first attempt to move, and finding all 

 his efforts to regain his liberty and carry out reprisals 

 abortive, worn-out and hopeless, he at length yields 

 himself helplessly to his victor's obliging attentions, of 

 sitting on him as he lies, drumming and fiddling in his 

 ears, &c., and is thenceforward man's obedient and 

 tractable servant. 



There is no doubt that Mr Earey's plan of thus 

 overcoming the unruly or vicious beast by mild but 

 effectual means, is the right one to gain the point, as 

 far as it goes; but breaking him in to saddle or draught, 

 improving his paces, or having ability in riding or driv- 

 ing any horse judiciously, must be considered another 

 affair, and only to be acquired through more or less 

 competent instruction, and by practice combined with 

 taste. 



