Adventures of the Ojibbeway and Ioway Indians in England, France, and Belgium; Vol. 2 (of 2): being Notes of Eight Years' Travels and Residence in Europe with his North American Indian CollectionCatlin, George
History
Adventures of the Ojibbeway and Ioway Indians in England, France, and Belgium; Vol. 2 (of 2): being Notes of Eight Years' Travels and Residence in Europe with his North American Indian Collection
Catlin, George
England -- Description and travel; France -- Description and travel; Indians of North America
_Saturday, Feb. 12, 1842._--While the last experiments were being tried
on the yearling, W. espied B., a farmer and tenant of M., with several
men, at the distance of some fields, trying, most ineffectually, on the
old system, to break-in a horse. W. proposed to go down and show him
what effect had been produced on the yearling. The rest agreed, and
W., M., and E. proceeded towards B., W. leading the yearling. On their
way they had to lead her over a brook, which she passed after a little
persuasion, _without force_. One of the fields through which she had to
pass contained four horses, three of which trotted up and surrounded
her, but she did not become in the least degree restive, or desirous of
getting loose. When the party arrived at the spot, they found that B.
and his men had tied their filly short up to a tree in the corner of a
field, one side of which was walled, and the other hedged in. W. now
delivered the yearling up to M., and proposed to B. to tame his horse
after the new method, or (to use his own phrase) to "puff" it. B., who
was aware of the character of his horse, anxiously warned W. not to
approach it, cautioning him especially against the fore-feet, asserting
that the horse would rear and strike him with the fore-feet, as it had
"lamed" his own (B.'s) thigh just before they had come up. W. therefore
proceeded very cautiously. He climbed the wall, and came at the horse
through the tree, to the trunk of which he clung for some time, that he
might secure a retreat in case of need. Immediately upon his touching
the halter, the horse pranced about, and finally pulled away with a
dogged and stubborn expression, which seemed to bid W. defiance. Taking
advantage of this, W. leaned over as far as he could, clinging all the
time to the tree with his right hand, and succeeded in breathing into
one nostril, without, however, being able to blind the eyes. From that
moment all became easy. W., who is very skilful in the management of a
horse, coaxed it, and rubbed its face, and breathed from time to time
into the nostrils, while the horse offered no resistance. In about ten
minutes W. declared his conviction that the horse was subdued; and he
then unfastened it, and, to the great and evident astonishment of B.
(who had been trying all the morning in vain to gain a mastery over
it), led it quietly away with a loose halter. Stopping in the middle
of the field, with no one else near, W. quietly walked up to the
horse, placed his arm over one eye and his hand over the other, and
breathed into the nostrils. It was pleasing to observe how agreeable
this operation appeared to the horse, who put up its nose continually
to receive the "puff." In this manner W. led the horse through all
the fields, in one of which were the four horses already mentioned,
who had formerly been the companions of the one just tamed, and who
surrounded it, without, however, making it in the least degree restive.
At length W.
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