HINTS TO OPERATORS. 137 



he has at this stage to judge how far his efforts are successful. If 

 he takes off the straps too soon, the patient is patient no longer, 

 but rises rapidly, and perhaps rewards him by planting a severe 

 blow on his ribs. It is here that Mr. Rarey displayed his great 

 skill to perfection. Apparently by intuition, he knew when his 

 pupil was mastered; but, as he was always ready to explain, it was 

 really by two symptoms that he judged whether he had gained the 

 mastery or not. One of these was the expression of the eye, which 

 it would be difficult to describe, and which experience alone could 

 adequately convey to those who wish to understand it; but the 

 other, being readily tested, is within the reach of every one. This 

 consists in the entire flaccidity of the muscles of the neck and 

 limbs; and until this is ascertained to have been obtained, the 

 straps should not be entirely removed. Mr. Rarey's plan of pro- 

 ceeding at this stage was the following. A second or two after the 

 horse went down, he let him raise his head, and then dragged it 

 down again to the ground by the mane. On repeating this once, 

 twice, or thrice, the animal would give in as far as that part was 

 concerned ; and being rewarded with a pat of the hand, the head 

 remained still on the ground, and that part was " gentled/' Next 

 removing the leg straps, the fore legs were separately gently 

 rubbed downwards; and on being lifted, and let fall, as if dead, 

 they also were passed as in a similar satisfactory state. The ope- 

 rator then going round by the back, proceeded to gentle the hind 

 limbs; and though, in vicious horses, he sometimes had narrow 

 escapes of being kicked, yet by his great activity and clever mode 

 of seizing his opportunity, he always succeeded in keeping out of 

 harm's way. Finally, the operator passed in front of the legs, and 

 performed all the usual " clap-traps" of putting his head between 

 them, knocking the hind and fore shoes together, standing on the 

 body, &c. While in this state, the horse lies in the attitude and 

 with the expression which is very well represented in the accom- 

 panying sketch, and there he will gladly lie as long as he is per- 

 mitted to do so. But he is not to be allowed to recruit his powers ; 

 and as soon as he had gone through the tricks which I have 

 described, Mr. Rarey made him rise, and then showed that the 

 power which he had gained was not lost as soon as the animal stood 

 on his legs again. Calling for a saddle, it was in every case shown 

 to the horse, and put first on his head, then on his neck, and finally 

 in its proper place. The animal then always submitted to be 

 mounted, and even allowed the dangerous plan recommended and 

 adopted by Mr. Rarey, of standing close to the hind-quarter while 

 putting the foot in the stirrup, to be carried out without kicking, 

 which before the " Rareyfication" most of the vicious brutes ope- 

 rated on in public would probably have done. 



BY THIS PLAN, it is indisputable that any active man, of good 

 12* 



