xt7crj48q01c https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7crj48q01c/data/mets.xml Powell, Willis J. 185  books b98-41-41900553 English Cottage Library Publishing House, : Boston : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Horses Training.Rarey, J. S. (John Solomon), 1827-1866. Tachyhippodamia, or, The new secret of taming horses--  : to which is added the breaking, training, and taming of horses / by J.S. Rarey. text Tachyhippodamia, or, The new secret of taming horses--  : to which is added the breaking, training, and taming of horses / by J.S. Rarey. 185 2002 true xt7crj48q01c section xt7crj48q01c  


TACHYHIPPODAMIA;

               03,


   TI1E TNEW SECRET OF



TAMING HORSES.

        GIVING FULL DIRECTIONS

HOW TO BfIEAK AND lIllE COLTS; TO TAME TIHE 311ST VtCIOrS HORSES ANI,
0F:N'l' TIFF:5 Ti ALT. KFIDlS rOF VE:HIClES OR WOI)lK; Ti) nil EAK TIIEM
  OF KIC'IjNO OIt ANY OTIIHI, RAl, TRIJ'KS; TO TEACH THEM ANY
          KINDS OF TVICKS Ol ACTIONS; ETC., ETC.

WITH NUMIE.ROtS VALU'ABLE IiRci:TS F-Rl DISEASES OF HORISES, MULES
COWS, ETC.; 11oW TO FATTEN IllIs:E.S, I'OIWS, ETC.; HO0W TO TEACH
  TV.RkEfS AJD) ANIMALS TV DANCE, HOW TO LAME VEER, ETC., LTC.

                      BY

          WILLIS J. POWELL.



                 TC WHICH 18 ADDED

EIJV BREAKING, TRAINING, AND TAM1ING TIORSES,


             B Y  J. S. R A r E Y.



             With Numerous Illustrations




   COTTAGE LIBRARY PUBLISHING HOUSE,
PIA 1ADF:IIFII' l, 1;'I V,1FN, NAV YQRK, 11xR4 lE ()RIi, ( I t'-
     NATl, sr. I.i )Ls,  iI(Ai ,(;o, s.N  (1,
             KAN.S.AS CLI V, AI1A..\N1',j.

 This page in the original text is blank.

 







TO THE READER.



  GENTLE READER: The work you are going to
peruse is not a voluminous one, neither did 1 take
any pains whatever as to the elegance of the style.
I wrote to make myself understood by the un-
learned as wvell as the learned. The price of the
work may seem high, on account of the small num-
ber of pages it contains: but it must be recollected
that it encloses the revelation of a secret'that has
fifed thousands of the wise and unwise with aston-
ishinent. I have received, as a gratification, more
thail two thousand dollars, from several Mexican
gentleman, for breaking a single horse, in this
manner, in their presence. I shall always feel
grateful for the kind and generous reception I
every where met with, when travelling through
their country. From Louisiana to Mexico-from
the Cal ifornias to Guatemala-and all over the

 

PREFACE.



Mexican states, when I have been travelling, 1
never asked for lodging without its being imme-
diately granted-I never asked for a meal of vict-
irnis and was refused: the proprietor of a private
house would feel himself injured, if you should
offer him money for receiving you. You may ex-
cept from this rule some poor Indian, who some-
times will admit of your offer, when you insist on
his receiving some trifle; but a wealthy farmer,
or one a little at his ease, would spurn the idea of
selling his hospitality. I speak of none of their
qualities but that of hospitality, which by the by,
is a great one, and very much recommended by
St. Paul. It is true, I lost nearly twenty thou-
sand dollars, which were deposited in a store, by
a revolution: but, in what country is a man's
property safe in revolutionary times
  Several Mexican gentleman solicited me to
publish this secret in their country, but I con-
stantly refused to do it; for I always intended
doing it in my own native country-not doubting
but that I should meet with encouragement from
my own countrymen. I was always jealous of
having the honor of being the first that ever mado
it known to the world. It is probable that the
famnous Irish " whisperer," Sullivan, who died in
1810, possessed the same secret, or some other very
much like it, as, it appears from the astonishing



itW

 
PREFACF.



things related of him, concerning what he did
upon horses. The reader will, however, observe,
that Sullivan lived in a country where horses
were raised as they are in England and in the
Northern states: that is, among men and familiar
to man. But the horses which I have generally
had to deal with, (though I have had every kind,)
had been running ,wild, in the plains and woods,
for four, five, six and even ten years, and which,
during that time, had never had a rope on them.
And besides, the horses of New Spain have always
been noted for being remarkably fiery and unman-
ageable. I have gentled a horse in Texas, which,
before that day had, in all probability, never seen
a man-a stud of eight or nine years of age, as
wild as a deer when taken an hour before. I be-
gan the operation, and in one hour made him fol-
low me without pulling him, by the halter, and
little boys got upon him bare-backed, and saddled
and rode him about: in a word, he wvas a gentle
horse. Those horses are called in Spanish Aleste-
nos, (pronounced Mestancyos and not Mustangs.)
What makes me think that Sullivan, as well as
he that did the same in England a hundred years
ago, made use of the same means as I do, is, that
when I was now and then breaking a horse.
(which generally took me three or four hours, al-
though, as I said above, I have done it even in



V

 
PREFACE.



half an hour, bhough rarely,) and afterwards went
into a town, the people flocked about to see me,
saying to their friends, "This is the man that
breaks a horse in half an hour." Now the same
has been published of Sullivan: most probably
they mentioned the shortest space of time he had
done it in, for it is likewise said of him, that' some-
times he shut himself up with the horse all night.
  Sometimes I have met with an extremely wild
horse, which seemed to be gentled, as by enchant-
ment, in a few minutes. I have gentled one of
this description in ten minutes, so as to lead him,
make him follow me everywhere I pleased, and
ride him with as great safety as if le had been
gentled twenty years before. But this is not a
general rule.
  The reader is here presented, in the explanation
of this secret, with a specimen of the wonderful
powers of the tact upon animals, and at the same
time, with a moral lesson of patience and gentle-
ness-virtues as necessary to get along throughl
life among men, as they are when used in taming
horses; and the exception to the general rule-I
mean those that are to be treated with rigor-is
not, perhaps, less rare. I am fully persuaded, that
almost every class of people will reap sonic benefit
or pleasure from the perusal of these pages. The
naturalist sees in it a lesson of Nature itself. The



Ti

 

PBEFA'ACE



moralist admires in it the display of gentleness
patience and perseverance; and every man who
rides a horse may some day or other find some
advantage in consulting it.
  I have endeavored to render this little work as
useful as possible, on three accounts. Firstly, on
account of the profits arising from the sale of a
useful work; secondly, for the credit one gets as
the author of something good; and lastly, on ac-
count of the satisfaction every generous mind must
feel in becoming useful to his fellow creatures. I
have been most generously encouraged by the in-
habitants of Attakapas, where I had resided so
many years. As soon as I began my subscription
they almost universally became subscribers.  In
the town of St Martinsville, only three or four in-
dividuals refused to subscribe.  In Opelousas I
met with a kind reception from most of the people
to whom I presented the list for subscription. At
Fausse River, Pointe Coupe, Plaquemine, and
down to New Orleans, they almost universally sub-
scribed.  I shall always feel grateful for their
kind reception.  Encouragement is the deepest
and deare.t debt that a writer can incur.
  I never declared myself to be the discoverer of
this secret till the year 1824, when I arrived in
the Mexican states.  I had my reasons for so do-



vii

 


Viii               PREFACE.

ing.  Never did a people express more surprise
and astonishment at any extraordinary event,
than the Mexicans (lid at iay first performance on
my arrival ainong them; and more especially on
account of my being a foreigner; for it is well
known that the Mexicans, rich and poor, high and
low, pride themselves upon being the best horse-
men in the world.  And I think there is no for-
eigner that ever travelled among themn, and ob-
served them as I have, but will readily agree in
ranking them among the first as to agility, skill
and elegance, when mounted upon their beautiful
Andalusian steeds.  If the Mexican ladies are
admired by all foreigners for their natural, easy,
anaffected, genteel carriage-surpassing, if possi-
ble, in that respect, the elegant Louisiana ladies
-so does the Mexican, when mounted on a fine
Xaral steed, equal, if not surpass, any other rider
in the world.  For this very reason, I was every
where received with the greatest cordiality and
applause, for no people knew how to appreciate
better than they a discovery of so surprising a
nature.
  I wish the reader to observe, that in explaining
the operation of the secret of gentling a horse, I
have always supposed the horse to be one that re-
quired the whole secret, in order to be gentled

 


                  PREFACE.               ix

though a man meets with many that do not require
one-third of what I there lay down: but it is bet-
ter to do too much than too little in this case, so I
shall say no more about it here.  VALE, YA ES
TARDE, BUENAS NOCHES TENGA USTED SENOR
CABALLERO.
                         THE AUTHOR.

 This page in the original text is blank.

 







              CONTENTS.



THE PROLOGUE, in which I mention the
  time I discovered this secret, and what
  gave rise to the desire I had of making
  such a discovery, and why I did not wish
  people to know that I had made it, as well
  as my reasons for making use of smells,
  &c., &c.                                17
POTNsETT's Certificate he then was Minister
  Plenipotentiary of the United States of
  America to Mexico.                      26
GENERAL GUERREROS' Letter of Recommen-
  dation.                                 26
THE MARQUIS DE RAYAS' Certificate.        27
OBSERVATION upon Horses in general, and
  what led me to the discovery of breaking
  them in a few hours.                    31
THE SECRET. In the explanation of the Se-
  cret is related the astonishing effect it had
  upon a wild boar, whlich I tamed in a few
  hours, in the state of Neuvo Leon.     35

 

CONTENTS.



How to deal with Refractory Horses, which
  have been gentled for a long time in the
  common way.                               61
How to deal with a skittish Horse.       63
How to deal with a Horse that ivill not suffer
  one to touch or handle his ears.       64
As example of' a vicious Horse, which would
  not suffer himself to be bridled by any one,
  and which I cured of that vice in a few
  hours.                                    65
How   to manage a kicking horse, so as to
  cure him of that vice in a very short time.  67

How to manage a Horse that kicks lip, so as
  to break him of that vicious habit.    68
How to manage a kicking horse, so as to be
  able to handle his feet with facility.  69
To teach a horse, so that he will not let a per-
  son, dressed in a certain mannercome nigh
  him                                       70
To teach your horse, so that lie will not let
  no one but yourself come near him.     72

How to prevent a Horse from  pulling Upon
  his bridle reins, in order to break therm.  73
THE Mexican Mode of Preventing a horse
  from breaking his bridie.                 74



x[i]

 

CONTENTS.



Hlow to manage a Horse that gets the studs,
  or that stops and wvil not advance a step,
  when you put him to the plough or cart,
  &c.                                       74
How to teach a Horse to lie down at the
  word of command.                          75
To teach a horse to count any number.   77
EASY Method of Fattening a Horse in a short
  time                                      7 i
A remedy for a horse that will not fatten
  though well fed.                          79
To Prevent a Horse's back from getting sore
  even on a long journey.                   80
How to treat a horse that gets foundered upon
  the road, when on a journey.              81
How to treat a horse upon a journey.    82
A H-Jorse that it apt to Stumble through care-
  lessness, and not on account of the Bad
  Construction of his Shoulders.            83
How to break a Mule by the secret, and the
  (lifference there is to be observed between
  a horse and a mule.                       84
[how Tlhales corrected a Mule from the vi-
  cious habit of lyiti g down with its load of
  salt, every time it crossed a certain river.  86
lIlow to make a dull horse appear mettlesome
andl full of fire for a short time.   88
    2



. ii

 

CONTENT.



THAT part, or those parts of the Mexican
  states, in which the best race of horses are
  to be found.                              89
CAUTION to be observed in cutting or paring
  the 1ioofs of horses.                    92
CAUTION to those who raise horses and mules. 93
How to accustom a horse to stay in a place
  that was raised in another.               93
To make a gentle horse, not used to a car-
  riage go in it,                           94
A horse that stops, and refuses to go when in
  a carriage.                              96
A mode of breaking wild horses very differ-
  ent from that discovered by me.           97
ANOTHER way of breaking them, by stopping
  up their ears.                            98
ADVICE to farmers, concerning the gentling
  of Young cows.                            98
THE astonishing manner in which I tamed a
  will deer, which was roped by a Guastecan
  ais it came out of the woods.             99
A remedy for an Ox that lies down, and won't
  get up.                                  102
A curious method of teaching, Turkies to
  dance at the sound of a triangle, or any
  other musical instrument.               103



KIV.

 

CONTENTS.



A remedy for the gripes or colic in horses.  106
OP the Botts.                            107
OF the Blind staggers.                   10 4

RAREY'S Metlod.-The three fundamental
  principles of Rarey's Theory.          109
How to succeed in getting the Colt from pas-
  ture.                                  114
How to stable a Colt without trouble.   115
TIME to reflect.                         117
THE kind of halter.                      117
REMARKS on the horse.                    118
EXPERIMENT with the robe.                119f
SUGGESTIONS on the habit of smelling.   121
PREVAILING opinion of horsemen.          122
REMARKS On Powel's treatment.            124
How to govern horses of any kind.        124
How to proceed if your horse be of a stubborn
  disposition                            128
Hfow to halter and lead a colt.          130
How to lead a colt by the side of a broken
  horse.                                 133



xv

 

xvi               CONTENTS.

How to lead a colt into the stable, and hitch
  himn, without ha3ing him pull on the halter. 135
TEjr lkind of bit, avd how to accustom the
  horsc to it.                           137
How to saddle a colt.                     138
How to mount the colt.                    140

hIIow to ride the colt.                   143
THIE proper way to bit a colt.            145

How to drive a horse that is very wild and
  has any vicious habits.                 146

ON Balking.                               150
To Break a horse to Harness.              156
How to Hitch a horse in a Sulky.      156
How to make a horse lie down.             158

How to make a horse follow you.       159
How to make a horse stand without holding. 161

 








TACHYHIPPODAMIA.



  In the year 1811, whilst residing in Georgia, I
read an account of a man who lived nmore than a
hundred years ago, who would take any wild horse,
and shut himself up with him in a small yard or
stable, and at the end of a few hours, colie out
with the horse perfectly gentle. Not1hing was ever
known about the means he employed in gentling
him, for lie died without ever communicating his
secret to any one. I always possessed a great
share of curiosity: therefore, as well to gratify it
as to become useful to myself and others, I made
a great many experiments upon young horses, but
without success. I ran great risks in these experi-
Ilents, but the danger, far from discouraging me,
animated me the more to make new trials. At
the end of the year 1811, 1 caine to Louisiana,
       2

 

18  TAMING' fOSE.



where there were many wild horses. I renewed
my experiments. After having met with many
difficulties, I discovered a secret in 1814, on my
plantation in the Attakapas, by which I broke a
horse in three hours. The horse always remained
gentle. By the same method, I broke another;
but two days after, I found him almost as wild as
ever. This perplexed me very much-why one
horse should remain gentle and the other not. I
broke two more, and undertook a fifth, which I
abandoned after several trials. This tookI place be-
tween seven and nine o'clock in the morning. I
then thought the application of the secret ought to
be varied. Accordingly, after having adoptcdl anid
rejected a great many waysofapplying it,I fell upon
one which proved to be the best. At eleven o'clock,
I went in again to the horse; but when lie saw me,
he reared and pitched and kicked in a most terrific
manner. I stopped, notwithstanding, stood still a
few minutes, and then begran the operation, and
saw, with pleasure, that at half past fourhbe was
perfectly gentle, and always remained so: for I
had already discovered this last most important
part of the secret-of having them always remain
gentle-and I never have revealed it to any living
person.
  To give an idea of this mode of gentling horses,
I will relate a few circumstances of the last men-



18

 

TAMING HORSES.



tioned horse. He was going on eight years old,
had always run in the prairie since he had been
randed, vwas a stud of a most fiery, ferocious dis-
position, and had never been roped from the time
he had been branded. To get him into the yard
where I gentled him, we were obliged to tie his legs
and drag him in, and no one durst go into the yard
where he was let loose. He ran at any one, when
confined in the yard, with as much fury as a lion
or tiger would have done, and he used his teeth
and fore feet with as much dexterity as if he had
been trained up to it from a colt. After I led him
out, I let the saddle fall over his heels, girted him
tight and cruppered him. Several boys got upon
him, rode him about the yard, tied a dry ox-hide
to his tail, and rode him out in this manner into
the prairie, without his showing the least sign of
fear, either at the rattling of the hide, or at any
other object lie met with in the prairie. The next
day, they rode him to the town, in the midst of a
great concourse of people; for it was a holiday.
Ile passed among them with as little fear as if be
had been raised in the town. When he came home,
lie followed any one without pulling him by the
halter. He let any one handle his leet, and take
them iUp with as much ease as they could those of
any plough horse. I declare that, in thus gentling
this anirial, I made use of no intoxicating bever-



19

 

TAMING  EIt SES.



age, or smell, or any other means whatever, that
might tend to stupify him, or diminish his natural
vigor or spiritedness in the least: but, on the con-
trary, horses thus gentled are fit for immediate use,
with all their vigor, as they do not become poor
and broken down by length of time and bad usage,
as it happens with spirited horses gentled in the
common way, with much cost and danger. This
is not the only advantage of the secret. It enables
the most timid man to break a horse, without dan-
ger or fear; for it consists in gentling him com-
pletely, before you attempt to get on hin.
  I have broken an immense number of wild
horses, in the Mexican provinces, of the most fiery
and spirited dispositions; and have certificates
from the President, Vice-President, and many of
the most respectable citizens of that Republic, who
have been eye-witnesses to this performance. In
the City of Mexico, General Maison, Captain
Hotchkiss and others, strangers, then in Mexico,
have seen me perform.
  This secret, though simple, requires a clear ex-
planation, and how to be applied according to
the three different kinds of horses: for, though a
man should discover enough of the secret to break
some of the common horses of this country, he still
would meet with many, even here, that he could
not b-eak, and would completely fail among the



20

 
TAXMING HORSES.



high blooded Spanish studs. But, by perfectly
knowing the secret, he will find them even easier
to be gentled than almost any others.
  There are three kinds of wild horses. The first
of these appear to fear nothing, and when confined
will run at a man with incredible fierceness. The
second appear only to fear man. The third class
appear to be afraid of every thing they meet with,
when separated from the rest of the horses. Many
of the Spanish horses belong to the first class, and
frequently suffer themselves to be killed before
they can be broken in the common way, and yet
they are easily gentled by my secret. Now, it is
positively necessary to vary the application of the
secret according to the disposition of the horse to
be gentled; all of which will be clearly and ex-
tensively explained in the publication of this work.
The work will, besides, contain some few observa-
Lions upon horses in general, and in what part of
the Mexican provinces the best race of horses is to
be found, &c., and au easy manner of fattening a
horse in a short time. Likewise, the Mexican mode
of preventing horses from breaking their bridles-
and how to prevent a horse's back from getting sore
even on long journeys: all of which I have proved
by experience. How to teach a horse, so that in a
few days lie will not suffer a person dressed in a
certain manner to ride him or come near him. To



21

 
TAKI1NG HORSES.



teach one, so that in a few days he will suffer no
one to ride him but his master.
  At the time I discovered this secret, I was teach-
ing, (and had been for some time,) the public
school or college of Attakapas on my plantation,
close to the town, and in my own buildings; for
the edifice designed for that purpose bad been
burnt down some time before. I received, besides
what each student paid me for board and tuition a
compensation for the use of my buildings, as well
as the annual pension from the government of the
state of Louisiana; and as I taught the Latin and
Greek languages, as well as the French, English
and Spanish, I had a great number of students,
from different parts of the state, and from other
states, which rendered my business pretty lucrative.
This was one reason why I did not turn my atten-
tion at that time to the gain I might expect to reap
from this discovery.
  In 1815, I met with a man by the name of
Thomas Drinneni, who appeared to me rather ec-
centric in some respects, but an active, intelligent
man, and very fond of horses. I told him I bad
discovered a secret to break them in a few hours.
Ie wanted me to reveal it to him. I told him I
would let him know enough of it to astonish the
public, if he would go to Attakapas with me; for
it. was in the time of vacation, and I was on the



22

 

TAMING 1IORSES.



Mississippi, on mny way home. He said he coald
not, but would come there some time afterwards,
if I would give him some of the ingredients to
make trials with where he was then going. I ac-
cordingly supplied him with certain materials, (the
better to disguise the real secret,) one of which
was that callous substance growing upon a horse's
fore legs, called the spur; likewise, the sweat taken
from under a man's arm was to be used; the sweat
of a horse, mare's milk, &c. Said Drennen really
believed that these materials were efficacious in
gentling a horse. I now declare to the world, that
I had heard of some of them, and made use of the
others in my experiments, but found them without
the least effect.
  In 1819, Drinnen came to Attakapas. I never
nad mentioned to any one that I knew such a secret.
On the contrary, I came into Mr. Grigg's inn, then
anld still existing at St. Martinsville, distant from
my (thcn) plantation a half a mile, pretending to
be astonished at what Drinnen was relating con-
cerning horses, and at the same time incredulous,
offering him a gratification of one hundred dollars
to see him break one of the wild horses of this
country in so short a time. Mr. Gabriel Fuselier
told him that he would do the same, if he should
bucceed in his essay upon any one of the wild horses
upon his plantatioD, which was about two miles



23

 
4TAMING HOMSES.



from the town. He accepted the offer, and the
following day was decided upon for the trial; at
which time he performed, and to the satisfaction
of every one. But I had given him no further in-
sight into the secret than this first part of it, more
to see what impression it would have upon the
public, than for any thing else, as my employment
and standing in society were such that I did not
like to appear before such a multitude of my ac-
quaintances as a horse-breaker. This was, how-
ever, a foolish prejudice; for Fulton by the dis-
covery of the means of making a boat advance
with more velocity by the application of steam
power, was not, on that account, looked upon as a
common boatman.
  After these experiments of Drinnen, to whom I
had communicated so small a part of the secret, I
was fully convinced that a large fortune might be
made in almost any country with the secret, such
as I knew it; and, as I understood the Spanhih lan-
guage, I agreed with Drinnen to go first to Hla-
vana and then to New Spain, and take him with
me. Accordingly, I sent him to New Orleans, to
fit out a small schooner we had bought in New-
town. But he took the fever and died, and I con-
tinued my occupations with success for several
years, till I had accumulated a handsome property.
Shortly after, I became security for several persons.



24

 
TAMING HORSES.



three of whom left me to pay for them: at the
the same time, I had been robbed of six thousand
three hundred dollars in the city of New Orleans,
and had lost one thousand nine hundred dollars
upon the steam-boat Teche. As property had
fallen to almost nothing, I sacrificed every thing
to pay other people's debts, and in 1824 went by
land through Texas to Tamaulipas, where I re-
ceived a splendid gratification from the governor
of the state, Don Bcrnardo, Gutierrez de Lara,
Don Felipe de la Garza, general of division, and
from several other gentlemen who were present at
a performance which took place in the town and
sea-port of Soto la Marina. From thence I went
to Mexico with my family, where I performed be-
fore the President, Vice President, the Marquis of
Vivanco, Count de Regla Y Jala, General Guer-
rero, and several of the first characters of Mexico,
in 1825, in the month of July. Our Envoy, Mr.
Joel It. Poinsett, whom I had the honor of knowing
personally at that time, can bear witness of the
veracity of the signatures of the above-named gen-
tlemen, as well as of their stantdin,, all of whom
gave me certificates which I have now in my pos-
session, and some of which I ehall publish in this
work.
  Here must be inserted the following extracts.
the originals of Which I have in my possession: as
      3



25

 

TAMING HORSES.



a confirmation of which I will first put down Mr.
Poinsett's:
    LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, (
                  AMexico, Nozember 151ti, 1835.  j
  The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and
Mliniister Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America in M1exico, hereby certifies: that every
fiiith and credit arc to be placed in. tlledocuments
and certificates wbich have been given in this coun-
try to Willis J. Powell, while a resident in these
countries. They are signed by gentlemen of the
hiiliost res3ectability; and there is no reason to
doubt that lhe p)osesses, in an uncemmoll degree,
the art of taming, in an incredible short time, the
wildest and most unruly borses.
                                J. R. POINSETT.
  [A true Copy.]
                 [TRANSLATION.]

               Captain General's Office of the South, 
                    MEXICO, July z7th, 18z-. 5
Don Vincente Guerrero to all Gentlemen Gover
  nors, Military Commanders, Civil Authorities,
  and Inhabitants in general of the United Mexi-
  caii States -Grectino':
  GENTLr-imEN; Ti1e astonishing faculty of Willis
J. Powell, in tamin- wild horses in a few hours,
was recommended to me by persons of the highest
respectability, aud in whom I place entire confi-



26

 
TAMING HOItSES.



dence. They have written to me in his favor, that
I might facilitate him to perform in this cfty. He
has verified the same to the entire satisfaction of
all the beholders; and having resolved to continue
his operations in other parts of the Fcderation,
where he is now about to go, I reconmmend him,
gentlemen, to your favor and protection, not doubt-
ing in the least but that you wvill be highly grati-
fied with the acquaintance of a gentleman who has
made a discovery of so much utility, and which,
gentlemen, you will know how to appreciate, as
persons who desire to cncourage all useful improve-
ments, or any thing that may tend to enlighten
your fellow citizens: assuring you that I sh1il. be
very thankful for whatever kindness or favor you
shall have dispensed to this citizen. It is what I
expect from your natural goodness. God preserve
rour lives many years, &-c., &c.
                         VINCENTE G(TERRE.rO.


LCrt.ificate of the Marquis of the Mine of Rayas, in the
    State of Cuanajuato, in the Capital City of the same
    name.

        t TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH.]

  Citizen Willis J. Powell, a naturalist, and native
of New York, of whose astonishing dexterity in



27

 

TAMING HORBSE.



gentling wild horses in a few hours, I had already
been informed, (from several respectable gentlemen,
who had been eye-witnesses to the same in the city
of Mexico,) arrived in this city on the 20th of the
present month. I immediately sent for him, offer-
ing him a handsome gratification to give us a
proof of his ability. He verified the same by put-
ting it in practice on the 27th, at the mine of Rayas,
with a wild colt, chosen on purpose from among
the wildest and fiercest of a party of forty of
them, which had just arrived there to be gentled
for the service of the said mine, in one of the sta-
bles of which he began the operation at three
quarters past ten in the forenoon: and myself, as
well as several other spectators of this performance,
were struck with amazement at beholding this
horse at two o'clock so gentle, that after having
been led around in every direction by the halter,
suffered himself to be rode both by men and boys,
as well bare-backed as saddled, tightly girted and
cruppered-perimitting them to get upon him on
either side. After a short time, being let loose, he
followed any one who went before and motioned
to him with gentleness, without pulling him by the
halter-proceeding to where several persons were
standing without showing any signs of fear at
coming up to them, and passing in the midst of
them, permitting any one to lift up his feet and



28

 
TAMING HORSM.



handle him with as much ease as they could
handle the gentlest plough-horse. Being put into a
large yard, he ate with the rest of the wild horses,
his companions, and in going a second time to
catch him, there was no need of throwing the rope
upon him, he letting any one come up before him
and put the halter upon him. The third day, lie
was rode down from the mine to this city, where he
was shod alf around, standing perfectly still when
the blacksmith took up his feet, and never flinching
at the stroke of the hammer. Being shod and led
out before a great number of people, the servant
threw the saddle over his head, then let it fall over
his heels and on either side, and under his belly,
without frighltening him in the least. To the above
relation I was an eye-witness, since I was present
from the beginning to the end, without any inter-
ruption to all the simple and progressive operations
used in breaking this fiery, wild and hitherto un-
tameable animal: being astonished above all to see,
that in them this dexterous manager made no use of
spurs, whip, clamor or exclamation; but, on t