TAMING.] 



MODERN VETERINAKY PRACTICE. 



[MB. BAaET. 



county. Sonu'timos ho would cxchan-^o tliiii 

 coiitumo for a bear-skin, enveloped in wliich, 

 and mounted occasionally on a buflali), ho was 

 indeed a most fonnidahlo looking ohject. 



Tho system of Mr. Rarey now demands our 

 attention. 



The tnminjT method pursued by this Ame- 

 rican gentleman has been considered very 



This power of fixinjj tho eyes upon tho face successful ; at least, it has received an exten- 

 of any animal, seems to have an almost over- sive patronaj^o in this country, lie begins to 

 ■whelming ellect of bringing them into a stato make tho acquaintance of tho colt when at 

 of subjugation. It was but tho other day that j pasture, and by tho mildest means, and, alinoHt 

 we read, in an American paper, of a Yankee j without any physical signs, entices tho animal 



exhibiting himself as a snake-charmer. The 

 manner in which ho proceeded was thus detailed 

 — "A tall, bony, Yankee-looking foreigner, 

 last from California, made bis appearance in 

 Virginia, with a box of snakes — rattlesnakes, 

 moccasins, black snakes, vipers, &c. lie 

 collected a crowd around him, though at a 

 respectful distance, and grasping with both 

 hands a bunch of snakes, coiled them round 



to enter a stable, barn, or out-house, in tho 

 immediate neighbourhood. An old horse is 

 then let in, and the colt is, without any stir, 

 surrounded, and left alone with tlie operator. 

 Nothing of life is then permitted to be in his 

 presence save tho man who has to tame him, 

 and who strives to absorb the whole of the 

 attention of tho animal. Gentleness be- 

 comes the rule. Everything calculated to 



his neck, and thrust them into his bosom, as if excite fear, or raise alarm, is discarded from 

 they were strands of silk or cotton. Their i the appearance and conduct of the man, wlio 

 twistings and turnings seemed to give him approaches the animal holding out his hands, 

 pleasure, while the by-standers were filled | and speaking to him in the softest tones. By- 



with very opposite emotions. He professes 

 to tame his savage friends by moans of mes- 

 merism, and thus fights the rattlesnake with 

 his own weapon. Some in the crowd sug- 

 gested that no should take a wild, untamed 

 snake, and show his power over it, which he 

 agreed to do for twenty-five dollars. This 

 sum was readily subscribed, and a rattlc'snakcj 

 caught the day oeiore, was soon procured. 

 The operator examined him with some caution, 

 but presently turned the box over, and threw 

 the venomous reptile upon the green sward. 

 He kicked him about several times, caught 

 him by the tail, and threw him back and 

 forth, and finally seized him in the middle, 

 and held him at arm's length. The snake 

 turned his head towards him, and their eyes 

 met ; the latter fixed his gaze steadily upon 



aud-by the colt gains confidence, and will ap- 

 proach him, and smell his hands, when he 

 must take the opportunity of first stroking 

 the nose, and then tho face, cheeks, and neck. 

 "When the colt has yielded itself entirely to 

 this kind of treatment, a leathern belt is very 

 quietly passed up and on to his head, which is 

 the first step towards real subjugation. For 

 this purpose a rope halter should not bo em- 

 ployed, being objectionable because of its 

 coarseness. When this is accomplished, a plain, 

 smooth snaffle-bridle, with a moderate-sized 

 snaffle-bit, is passed into the mouth, and fitted 

 to the head. All this must be done without 

 hurry, and nothing whatever should be allowed 

 to move or agitate the feelings of the animal. 

 When this has been done, the next point is to 

 landle, with the utmost gentleness, the neck. 



the snake, and kept it so for several minutes, , shoulder, and near fore leg. After this, the 

 when he suddenly coiled it round his neck, shank is taken in the palm of the hand, and 

 thrust it in his bosom, as he had done the the foot raised from the ground. This move- 

 others, and the snake seemed entirely docile, i ment is assisted by pressing the back sinew 

 Two days after he repeated his experiment, i with the finger and thumb, or by turning the 

 for twenty dollars, on a large rattlesnake j colt's head and neck well to the left. When 

 which had just been caught, and with similar I tho foot has been once stirred, the operation 

 results. A crowd of ladies and gentlemen must bo repeated until the animal will permit 

 witnessed the singular exhibition. It was the foot to be bent near to the elbow-joint, 

 painful to behold, though the individual seemed and to be kept for a time in that position, 

 to have the most entire confidence in his , The body is next handled, the hand passing 

 ability to control the horrid animals." along to the hind quarter and leg. The hind 



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