CHAPTER XXIV 



Mr. Rarey's System Investigated. — The greater part of what is valuable 

 in it long known to all Horse-breakers. — Contradictions involved in 

 the System. — Grave objections to Mr. Rarey's Method of " Gentling " 

 Horses. — It is not necessary to throw a Vicious Horse for the purpose 

 of subjugating him. — Fundamental point of Difference between 

 Mr. Rarey's System of Horse-breaking and "Scrutator's." 



In the remarks which I may make on Mr. Rarey's work 

 or system of horse-training, I trust I shall be acquitted 

 of any intentional disrespect towards himself, or of being 

 actuated by any unworthy motives. He has come before 

 the British pubhc as the teacher of a pretended new 

 system of horse-taming. I shall now proceed to investi- 

 gate the merits of his work, and see whether the instruc- 

 tions therein contained are of any value to horse-owners 

 or horse-breakers in this country. 



First, we are told " how to succeed in getting a colt 

 from pasture." The directions under this head were 

 evidently not intended for Britishers, as we have neither 

 prairies nor large plantations, where herds of horses " may 

 be as wild as the sportsman's birds, and require the same 

 gentle treatment if you want to get them without trouble." 

 We conclude from Mr. Rarey's allusion to the " hunter's 

 driving the quails into his net," that his modem system 

 of horse-taming was first promulgated with the view of 

 enhghtening his own coimtrymen, not ours, which will 

 at once strike every Englishman acquainted with the 

 management of horses on the perusal of this work ; indeed, 



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