258 THE NEW SYSTEM OF EDUCATING HORSES. 



named Graves, a resident of Lockport, N.Y. This pony 

 was afterwards purchased of Mr. Graves by the said Pratt, 

 and is the same that has been used by him. 



This man Pratt, who had carried on previously a small 

 grocery-store in Batavia as his sole business, and was so 

 illiterate that he could not even write, started out, adver- 

 tising himself as the great horse-tamer of the world. 

 Adopting the tactics of the most presumptuous quack, 

 he pushed himself into notice. This man, with others, 

 worked upon the Wilkins horse referred to in Mr. 

 Bonner's letter for a week, utterly failing to do any thing 

 with him. He claimed that the horse could not be 

 broken. I offered to forfeit $2,000 if I could not make 

 this horse gentle to handle with entire safety in forty 

 minutes. I did it in thirty minutes. This private experi- 

 ment led to my giving a series of test experiments before 

 a committee of leading horsemen in that city. With what 

 success the reports which I here copy will show : 



From the New York Sunday Democrat. 



On Friday evening Mr. D. Magner gave an exhibition, to which 

 none but invited guests were admitted. Among the horse-fanciers 

 present were Robert Bonner, Dan Mace, Ed. Wilkins, J. D. Walton, 

 George Lewis. Jacob Creveling, Amos Little, Dave Bonner, W. S. 

 Ridabock, R. J. Anderson, Arthur Gillender, Walter Briggs, W. Jack- 

 son, Jo. Bennet, N. H. Leadbetter, Jacob Baulch, James Moffatt, Wil- 

 liam Rutzer, Dr Ogle, Dr. Brighton of Boston, Dr. Lee, Henry Casey, 

 J. C. Durant, Isaac Sonburg, Dr. O'Shea, Hamilton Busbey, William 

 Watson of Westchester, with his two sons, William Apgar, C. Moran, 

 jun., Dr. Beadle, James Morris, E. H. Freeman, and M.'Bain. 



After exhibiting some extraordinary tricks by his trained horses, 

 Mr. Magner requested them to choose from those present a committee 

 to report on his system. 



The committee selected consisted of Messrs. Robert Bonner, chair- 

 man, Charles Swift, jun., secretary, Dan Mace, Amos Little, Arthur 

 Gillender, George Lewis, J. D. Walton, James Moffatt, W. W. Briggs, 

 N. H. Leadbetter, and others. 



The committee having taken their seats, Mr. Magner, in a brief ad- 

 dress, explained the main points of his treatment In the 



course of his remarks he very justly stated that more men than horses 

 require training. 



A notoriously vicious horse was then brought into the ring ; and in 

 less than thirty minutes he was trotting in harness as gentle as though 

 he had always been a family horse, and this, too, without throwing or 

 harsh treatment. Mr. Bonner, turning to the committee, said, " Rarey 



