ed
for the visitors to ride, and I have no doubt that they were so
reserved. We found them anything but gentle, from our point of view, but
managed to get through the day without being thrown out of the saddles.
They danced and pirouetted more than was to our liking when we first
mounted, and it was only after we had ridden several miles that their
behavior was what might be called quiet.

"The process of breaking horses to the saddle here is interesting,
though it is rough and cruel. The horses are kept all together in a
large paddock; some of them already broken, and some that have never
known saddle, bridle, or halter. Every morning they are driven up by the
black boys. Selections are made of the animals required for the day's
riding, and then the remainder are turned loose into the paddock again.
The daily visit to the paddock accustoms the younger horses to the
presence of men, so that they are not altogether wild when they are
taken in hand for breaking.

"There is a class of men going about the country whose business it is to
break horses at so much a head; usually two pounds, or ten dollars. The
whole herd is driven into the yard, and then the horse breaker proceeds
to his work. With the aid of two or three black fellows he lassoos a
horse and puts a strong halter on him. Then, while the black fellows
hold the animal, he is saddled and bridled, and the breaker gets on his
back. The halter is gathered up around the horse's neck, and at the word
of command the black fellows jump away from him.

"Then begins a lively performance of bucking and jumping, the rider all
the time clinging to the saddle with his knees. Sometimes the horse
tries to lie down and roll in order to free himself from his
incumbrance; he succeeds occasionally, but as a general thing he does
not. Even should he manage to shake off his ride, the latter is on the
creature's back again before he gets fairly on his feet, and then the
kicking and jumping are renewed. The rider keeps at the horse until he
has subdued him and ridden him several times around the yard; possibly
he may take a spin out into the paddock and back again, but he does not
always do so. The great point is to conquer at the first riding, and a
good horse-breaker never stops until he has done so.

"After this lesson is over the horse is left with the saddle on his
back, and it is not taken off until he is turned into the paddock at
night. The next day he receives another lesso