Restive Old Horses. 567 



the field where the wild creature had been allowed to feed for the night, it came up to us 

 and rubbed its nose against my hand ! This adventure was described at the time in a paper 

 contributed to Honscho/d Words. 



The drawback of the Rareyfying plan, applied to a high-bred horse, if roughly and 

 hurriedly performed, is that it is apt to destroy his spirit, and " by cowing him make him a 

 coward." 



But the same objection applies to the main-force system of the old-fashioned dare-devil 

 colt-breaker. 



" Heavy ground and plenty of work, however, will tame an elephant. 



" If you are short of time and not prepared to risk your own bones, you have no business 

 with a vicious horse. 



" Restiveness out of doors in most cases arises from bad breaking. A horse seven oj 

 eight years old that is restive may possibly have been broken well in his early days, but 

 possessing hereditary predisposition to obstinacy, may have passed into the hands of nervous 

 people, perceived his advantage, and mastered them. Such horses require not only the utmost 

 firmness and determination, but it is necessary in this case to have recourse to a systematic 

 mode of making tlicm break tlicinsdves. Coaxing is no earthly use. Such a horse, when fidl 

 of keep, will very probably wear out the best man you can put up. To starve the horse down 

 to submission is useless as well as cruel, because the vice will return with the corn. If, therefore, 

 you become possessed of a thoroughly vicious one, I know of no better plan than that of 

 putting kiin in irons in a box well padded. Put on some strong tackle, and an iron upright 

 dumb jockey; bear him well up, and let him fight with himself until he is exhausted. Take 

 care you are very fit yourself, and then mount him. In most cases you will find, even if you 

 have a fight to get him into his bridle, that his punishment drill has had its effect, and that 

 he will go up to his work. If he is still resolute, and you do not care to wear yourself out, 

 take him back to the box, tackle him again, and give him another spell. Persevere at this 

 until he goes true and straight. Never take the tackle off day or night, except when you 

 ride him out, until he gives in, but let him have plenty of nourishment. In most cases, however, 

 with a very resolute, restive one, you will find that when tackled he will refuse his food as 

 well as his work. Do not let that induce you to remit your treatment, for, strange as it may 

 appear, it is well known to all who have had to do with restive horses that this is only 

 an artifice to induce you to give them their own way. When they behave themselves, let 

 them have every luxury possible to them ; but give them plenty of work, never failing, when 

 they misbehave themselves, to send them again to ' punishment drill.' " 



HOW TO BREAK COLONIAL HORSES. 



In the colonies labour is dear ; hence horses are roughly, hurriedly, and imperfectly 

 broken. At the same time, well-broken horses sell for extraordinary prices in the colonies, 

 either for use in towns or for export to India, where there is a constant demand for full-sized 

 horses fit to be ridden by military men and ladies. 



Mr. Edward Curr, an experienced colonial horseman, proposes to make use of Rarey's 

 plan and principles in order to make a profit out of horses bred in the bush by making them 

 docile and preventing them from becoming vicious. 



" Catch the foal while sucking, put a soft band round his neck, then stop him. If he is 

 under a fortnight old he will, in twenty minutes, allow himself to be handled, and becomes 

 familiar when he finds you do not mean to hurt him. Rub him softly all over, wrap a cloth 



