Rarey, the Horse's Master and Friend

RAREY, THE HORSE'S MASTER AND FRIEND - 7

IN ENGLAND AGAIN.

Returning to England, Mr. Rarey gave a series of demonstrations at the Royal Alhambra Palace, London, attracting large audiences and subduing many vicious horses, including the King of Oude, whose owner, Mr. Parr, had decided to have him shot, after a vicious assault in which a groom and a pony had been nearly killed. As a last effort to save the horse, Mr. Parr took him to the American trainer. The horse was brought in by two grooms, each holding a leather thong of considerable length attached to a cruel iron bit; at the end of the struggle, he was meekly following wherever the trainer led and welcoming all sorts of liberties with his head and heels. The Suffolk cart horse that had won several prizes at the Royal Agricultural Society's meeting, but had killed one of his grooms and severely injured another, was in half an hour brought into complete subjection. Before taming a stylish coach horse of Sheffield, Mr. Rarey read to the audience a letter from the owner to the effect that the horse objected to everything except an abundance of corn and an unlimited range of pasture; that no one dared to groom him, to ride him was death and to approach him was to be bitten. But after the usual contest, Mr. Rarey leaped on the horse's back and remained there, in spite of the animal's most violent efforts to dislodge him. When the horse reared, the trainer threw himself forward; when he kicked, he was allowed free scope; when he attempted to run away, he was turned round and round. Once the trainer let the horse go at full gallop down the course, to the evident consternation of the audience; but just as the animal's nose touched the rope which marked rather than made the barrier, Mr. Rarey brought him back to his haunches, as if by a powerful brake, and then a similar charge was made in the opposite direction. The trainer's horsemanship was perfect. It delighted the audience, and it ultimately convinced the horse that his master was upon his back.

At Manchester, three difficult subjects were offered to him in one day. One of them was a little cob sire that was never trusted without a muzzle; and so confident was the owner of the animal's power to foil the American that he advertised the coming combat at his own expense that his friends might all be there to see the pony win. The latter was turned unmuzzled into the arena, and flew twice at the trainer with all the fury of a mastiff. Mr. Rarey eluded the animal the first time and caught it as it rose on its legs for the second spring. Then followed the usual proceedings of getting acquainted, winning the pony's friendship and finally gaining the mastery. It was all so easily and quickly done that the great crowd that had gathered, most of them to scoff, went away wondering and admiring.

*The Duke of Athole*

Mr. Rarey toured England, Ireland and Scotland, visiting the Duke and Duchess of Athole, at their beautiful estate, Dunkeld, on the river Tay. That estate was one of the most showy places in the world, containing many thousand acres of pleasure ground, with a hundred miles of walks and drives - a place where the nobility delighted to gather and where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had visited for weeks at a time. Game was abundant and in his park the duke had twenty thousand deer. Hunting and deer-stalking, in company with the duke and his royal guests, were among the pleasures enjoyed by Mr. Rarey there. Thence he went to the Shetland Islands, where he bought five of the smallest ponies to be found, one of which he subsequently gave to an Englishman famed for his undeviating kindness and courtesy to travelers from America. The Glasgow Citizen, October 22, 1859, paid him this tribute:

"In appearance Mr. Rarey is decidedly prepossessing, being about five feet, nine inches in height, light-haired, light-complexioned, with intelligent eyes, an open countenance and a manner that won the audience from the moment that he raised his hat and unaffectedly acknowledged their plaudits. He is singularly young for the noise he has made in the world, his age being only thirty-one. He did more to put down the harsh and improper treatment of the horse than all the societies formed for this purpose and all the sermons preached against cruelty to animals. As for Cruiser, he is a fine thoroughbred animal, conscious of blood, conscious also, evidently, of the admiration lie is accustomed to excite, but without any indication of vice about him."

In Glasgow, Mr. Rarey gave a free lecture to the cabmen and carters, for which he was presented with a handsome testimonial by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The clergymen of Edinburgh attended his lecture, and so strong an impression did his method make that they preached sermons in which they alluded to his success as exemplifying the power of love and kindness.

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