174 METHODS OF HORSE-CONTROL. 



Rareyfying a horse. — The method by which Rarey 

 used to tame vicious horses was to tie up one fore 

 leg (as in Fig. 35), and then pull up the other by 

 means of a strap attached to the pastern and passing 

 through the surcingle, which had previously been put on. 

 The operator stands on the side of the tied-up leg, and 

 draws the horse's head by the rein to the opposite side 

 as soon as the horse comes down on his knees. Having 

 got into that position, the animal is supposed to struggle to 

 get up, until at last, confessing the superior power of the 

 man, he " gives in " and rolls over on his side. He is 

 then "gentled" (see page 164), and, finally, on the straps 

 being removed, he is allowed to get up and to commence 

 life as a supposed reformed character. As the operator 

 has to stand close to the animal while it plunges and 

 fights for its liberty, this process of taming has been adopted 

 by very few. Its non-success as a breaking method was 

 further increased by the fact that it was ef^cacious only 

 with those vicious horses which would '* fight to the bitter 

 end." These animals, I can assure my readers, form only a 

 small proportion of the horses whose vices make them fit 

 subjects for taming. I have met with many horses which 

 were very dangerous to approach, but which were so sulky 

 that the mere act of tying-up a fore leg was sufficient to 

 make them lie down without their attempting the semblance 

 of a " fight." Others would similarly adopt the recumbent 

 position if they obtained the additional incentive of having 

 their head drawn round to the side of the fore leg which 

 alone supported the weight of the forehand. To make any 

 such method perfect, it is necessary to provide it with 



