1833.) BREAKING-IN WILD HORSES. 151 
own society, and thus fulfil their instinct of association. In the 
above case the shepherd-dog ranks the sheep as its fellow- 
brethren, and thus gains confidence; and the wild dogs, though 
knowing that the individual sheep are not dogs, but are good to 
eat, yet partly consent to this view when seeing them in a flock 
with a shepherd-dog at their head. 
One evening a “ domidor” (a subduer of horses) came for the 
purpose of breaking-in some colts. I will describe the prepara- 
tory steps, for I believe they have not been mentioned by other 
travellers. A troop of wild young horses is driven into the 
corral, or large enclosure of stakes, and the door is shut.. We 
will suppose that one man alone has to catch and mount a horse, 
which as yet had never felt bridle or saddle. I conceive, except 
by a Gaucho, such a feat would be utterly impracticable. The 
Gaucho picks out a full-grown colt; and as the beast rushes 
round the circus, he throws his Jazo so as to catch both the front 
legs. Instantly the horse rolls over with a heavy shock, and 
whilst struggling on the ground, the Gaucho, holding the lazo. 
tight, makes a circle, so as to catch one of the hind legs, just 
beneath the fetlock, and draws it close to the two front legs: 
he then hitches the lazo, so that the three are bound together. 
Then sitting on the horse’s neck, he fixes a strong bridle, with- 
out a bit, to the lower jaw: this he does by passing a narrow 
thong through the eye-holes at the end of the reins, and several 
times round both jaw and tongue. The two front legs are now 
tied closely together with a strong leathern thong, fastened by 
a slip-knot. ‘The lazo, which bound the three together, being 
then loosed, the horse rises with difficulty. The Gaucho now 
holding fast the bridle fixed to the lower jaw, leads the horse 
outside the corral. If a second man is present (otherwise the 
trouble is much greater) he holds the animal’s head, whilst the 
first puts on the horsecloths and saddle, and girths the whole to- 
gether. During this operation, the horse, from dread and asto- 
nishment at thus being bound round the waist, throws himself 
over and over again on the ground, and, till beaten, is unwilling 
to rise. At last, when the saddling is finished, the poor animal 
can hardly breathe from fear, and is white with foam and sweat. 
The man now prepares to mount by pressing heavily on the 
stirrup, so that the horse may not lose its balance; and at the 
