224 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 
are weaned at the age of eight or ten months. The fillies con- 
tinue to run with the manada, and become part of it. The 
colts are altered when branded, and continue to run with the 
manada until they are three or four years of age, when they 
are broken and put into the caballada, or herd of broken horses. 
The Mexicans never broke their mares, and considered it dis- 
creditable and a mark of great poverty to ride one. 
§ 166. Horse-breaking—The Mexican system of breaking 
horses is peculiar. They are broken only to the saddle; for 
horses were never used before wagons by the Spanish-Califor- 
nians. The horse having run free all his life, is too wild to be 
caught without a lasso, or to be approached at first while he is 
on his feet. He is therefore caught by the neck with one reata, 
by a hind-foot with another, and then thrown down by pulling 
the reatas in different directions. A vaquero goes to the horse 
as he lies down and puts a jéquima, or a kind of halter, on his 
head. The jaquima is provided with a piece of leather, which 
can be pulled over the eyes so as to blind the horse, but it is 
first lifted to let him see. The reatas are taken from the 
neck and leg of the prostrate horse, and a long rope having 
been fastened to the jaquima, he is allowed to rise. This is 
the first time he has been haltered and he dislikes the restraint, 
but he exerts himself in vain to get loose. After he has tired 
himself in vain efforts, the vaquero goes up for the purpose of 
pulling down the blind. The horse is terrified at so near an 
approach of a man, and trembles with excitement. If he pulls 
back hard the vaquero sees there is little danger, and slowly 
advancing and putting his hand to the blind pulls it down over 
the horse’s eyes. But if the horse stand up, it is probable that 
he will rear up when the vaquero comes near, or strike at him 
with a fore-foot. Such animals are very dangerous, and are 
usually allowed to tire themselves by standing without food, 
or else they are drawn up to a fence or tree, behind which the 
vaquero can protect himself. So soon as the blind is down, 
the horse is perfectly quiet. He can be rubbed, and saddled, 
and mounted without a motion. The first thing after blind- 
