RAREY, THE HORSE'S
MASTER AND FRIEND.
BY SARA LOWE BROWN.
It is one of the honors of Franklin
county, Ohio, that early
in the second quarter of the Nineteenth
century, it produced, in
the person of John Solomon Rarey, a man
who bore to all the
world the message that in kindness there
is power. Ralph Waldo
Emerson said of him that he had
"turned a new leaf in civiliza-
tion," while William Lloyd Garrison
testified to his "fitness to
teach the world a great and everywhere
needed lesson of hu-
manity." The young man was educated
at the old Groveport
academy, Bishop Washburn's school on
Walnut creek and at
Ohio Wesleyan University, but he found
his message - that of
kindness to animals, especially the
horse--in the fields and
stables of his father's farm. With this
message that the rule
of love is the condition of greatest
achievement in the use of the
horse, he proceeded, when he was but
thirty-one, to the state
capital, to Canada, to Europe, Africa
and Asia, proclaiming his
gospel and working what seemed to be
miracles in the taming of
horses so vicious that all the methods
known to brutal horse-
breakers had failed to subdue them. His
achievements were
witnessed, applauded and honored by
kings, emperors and
savants, and he returned to his native
land to make a tour from
which he emerged with the praise of
reformers, philanthropists
and intellectuals generally.
Mr. Rarey's great work was done within
the period of ten
years, and it was so well done that its
influence will never be
lost. It gave new vitality to the
Societies for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, and put a kindlier
spirit into the methods
of training horses for service in the
armies, not only of this
country, but also of England and France.
It taught to the cab-
men and carters of London, Paris,
Edinburgh and other cities
Copyright, 1916, Sara Lowe Brown.
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488
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
the folly and wickedness of brutality to
their animals and gave
to lovers of the horse everywhere, both
men and women, the real
key to their successful management.
Only a man of fine intelligence, good
heart and real genius
could have done all this. And that is
precisely what John S.
Rarey was. No one can read the reports
of his lectures or the
accounts of his demonstrations without
being convinced that he
was a man of extraordinary powers of
speech, of pleasing per-
sonality, of courage and of confidence
never running to the
extreme of egotism. He performed
wonders, but he gave a
reason for them and showed others how
they could do as much,
if they would.
It was a rare lesson that Mr. Rarey
taught - a lesson that
men everywhere are too prone to forget.
If it were applied to
mankind, as one of his English admirers
said, "Christianity
would assign him a place among the
Apostles." It is akin to the
lesson that the world must learn again,
if the nations are to be
at peace.
THE RAREY FAMILY.
The Rarey family in America is traced
back to Charles
Rarey, who was born in Nord Ottensin,
Hamburg, in 1744, and
came, when a young man, to America as a
trader in dry goods.
Losing his fortune through the
repudiation of Continental money,
he turned to farming and, in 1778,
married Margaret Wolfe who,
though of English descent, was of
American birth. He was a
tenant farmer in Maryland and later in
Virginia. Of the eleven
children born of this union, one,
Nicholas, died. The others
came with their parents, in 1806, to
Ohio, the family settling on
a purchased farm in Franklin county, on
Walnut creek. They
were among the early settlers of the
county. Their farm was
surrounded by forest in which there was
an abundance of game,
including bears and wolves which were
often a menace to the
stock. But Charles and his family of
fearless, energetic boys
were great hunters; they retaliated on
the wild animals and made
merchandise of their furs, thus adding
to the profits from their
farming. Prosperity came as a result of
this double industry,
and farm after farm was added to the
Rarey holdings. Charles
Rarey died at the Walnut creek
homestead, January 3, 1826,
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. 489
aged 82 years; his wife, Margaret Wolfe, died at the same place, October 10, 1839, aged 74 years; their remains are buried in the little cemetery near by. Adam Rarey, son of Charles and Margaret and father of John, was born in 1786, and at the age of 26 married Mary Catherine Pontius, a pretty young woman of Pennsylvania birth then living in Chillicothe. The couple for four or five years lived on a farm near the paternal home, but, annoyed by the over- flowing of Walnut creek and tempted by the opening of the public |
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road from Columbus to Lancaster, moved to another tract where, because their home was a convenient stopping place for travelers between Columbus and Lancaster, they opened, soon after the declaration of peace in 1815; a house of public entertainment, maintaining it till Adam's death in 1839. It was in the brick house, erected by Adam Rarey (the front walls of which were retained in the Rarey mansion, now re- modeled as the Hotel Elmont) that John Solomon Rarey was born, December 6, 1827. One of his earliest traits was an intense fondness for the farm horses and colts. When he was |
490 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. three years old, it was his delight to ride the plowhorse when his father or elder brother was working in the fields. When he was 12, his father gave him a spirited bay colt to break, according to his own ideas. He did so, making the animal the marvel of the neighborhood. His fame spread, and men came hundreds of miles to be instructed by the boy in the training of horses; so that, while he was yet a youth, he found himself in a prosperous business. |
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Convinced that the horse is an animal of higher intelligence than generally supposed and having decided to make horse- training his life-work, John went to Texas, where he spent sev- eral months in studying and training the wild horses of the plains. Kindness, firmness and patience were the essentials of his system, and to these qualities the wild horses yielded as readily as did those at his Ohio home. There he also owned and |
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 491
trained a team of elks which he often
drove to the capital and
to county fairs.
OFF TO EUROPE.
Now fairly launched on his great career,
Mr. Rarey re-
turned to Ohio and in 1856 gave a public
exhibition of his art
at the Ohio Stage Company's yard, Gay
and Fifth streets, Co-
lumbus. About the same time he published
a small book con-
taining the essentials of his method.
The book had a large sale,
and the principles it set forth are
still employed in the training
of the American cavalry horses. In 1857,
with letters of intro-
duction from Governor Salmon P. Chase,
of Ohio, Mr. Rarey
went to Toronto, where he gave a single
exhibition before Sir
Edmund Head, Governor-General of Canada,
and the British
army officers. Thence with other
indorsements and letters of
recommendation, he sailed for England,
traveling with R. A.
Goodenough, a Toronto merchant and
amateur breeder of horses.
On the voyage, he was invited by two
Englishmen to try his
method on a vicious horse in which they
were interested. On
his arrival in Liverpool, November 29,
he undertook the task,
accomplishing it to their entire
satisfaction. They cheerfully
paid him the fee agreed upon, and so he
had $100 in gold as the
proceeds of his first six hours on
English soil. The Liverpool
Journal complimented him by describing
him as "a perfect gen-
tleman of easy address and great
knowledge, not only of horses,
but of men."
The young American found no difficulty
in enlisting the
support of Sir Richard Airey,
Lieutenant-General of the British
army, and Prince Albert. Hearing of his
skill, Queen Victoria
expressed a desire to witness an
exhibition, and arrangements
were made for one at Windsor Castle
before the royal family
and suite. Here is Mr. Rarey's own
account of it, written in
a letter to his sister Margaret, under
date of January 17, 1858:
"After the royal family entered the
Riding House, Queen
Victoria and Prince Albert came in and
to the front, where I
was introduced to her Majesty and the
Prince Consort, while
sitting on the back of a large wild
colt, which stood perfectly
quiet with its head up. I, facing the
party, with my hat in hand,
made a short speech to the Queen. A drum
was afterwards
492 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. |
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Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 493
handed me, which I beat with fury,
without the horse exhibiting
any signs of fear.
"After taming a second horse, the
riding master selected a
horse belonging to Prince Albert, a
wild, nervous animal. I was
in a box stall alone with the horse for
fifteen minutes. When
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
entered, they found the animal
lying down, and I lying beside him, with
one of his hind feet
under my head and the other over my
chest. This so astonished
them that they laughed. As the place was
not large, all could
not see; so after the Queen and Prince
Consort had looked, they
stepped back to let others of the royal
party have a look. After
that, the Queen and Prince Consort came
back, talking to me
about the horse, inquiring if I could
make him rise. I answered
'Yes,' and commanded the animal to rise
to his feet. They stood
looking at the horse and said it was a
wonderful performance,
thanked me for the entertainment and
departed.
"After the exhibition, I was shown
through the castle from
kitchen to cellar, the state rooms and
the Queen's private rooms.
It was a very interesting sight. I also
dined in the castle and,
the next day, I received a note by the
special command of the
Queen, with a checque enclosed for $125, a gift for my
enter-
tainment. She also sent a messenger to
know if I would again
appear before her Majesty and the royal
guests in attendance
for the royal marriage. I accepted the
invitation and will have
the honor of addressing more royalty,
perhaps than has ever
been brought together on any previous
occasion."
Of this same performance before the
Queen and her suite,
the London Times of January 25,
1858, said:
"On that occasion the subjects on
which Mr. Rarey operated were
three in number. One was a fine spirited
black horse of high nervous
temperament, which had been returned to
Mr. Anderson, of Piccadilly (of
whom he had been bought for a large sum
of money) on the ground of
his being restive and all but
unmanageable. This animal, it is but right
to say, had been seen and handled by Mr.
Rarey, at Mr. Anderson's
stable, previous to his being taken to
Windsor. At the first interview
with the horse at Piccadilly, he was
placed in a loose box, which Mr.
Rarey entered, cracking a whip. Startled
by this unusual exhibition of
violence, the animal struck out with
both his hind legs and uttered a
kind of savage yell. The company who had
assembled to witness the
494 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
experiment were then asked to withdraw,
and Mr. Rarey was left alone
with the horse. On being called in
again, in less than a quarter of an
hour, they were amazed to find the
animal prostrate on his side, among
the straw in the stall, with his head
slightly raised, and Mr. Rarey, whom
he was eyeing without the least symptom
of alarm, lying beside him.
Mr. Rarey remained with him in this
position for some time, during
which he knocked the horse's fore and
hind hoofs together, made a
pillow of his thighs and finally got up
and ran a heavy wheelbarrow up
to and around the still prostrate
creature, without producing in him the
slightest sensation of fear.
"The next subject was a young
unbroken colt, brought from a farm
of Prince Albert in the vicinity, which
had never been handled in any
way and which Mr. Rarey had never before
seen. This colt was led in
by a halter and left alone with the
horse tamer, who intimated a wish
that the company would retire for a few
minutes to the farther end of
the building. After the lapse of about a
quarter of an hour, the royal
party were summoned to return, and then
they saw, as in the former
case, this wild colt lying on the
ground, and the horse tamer by his side,
who sat upon him and handled his legs,
feet and every other part by
turns-a process during which the
creature remained wholly passive.
"After Mr. Rarey had parted with
the colt, a handsome bay charger,
belonging to the Prince Consort, was
brought to him. This horse, one of
high spirit, which had always shown
great restlessness while being
mounted, and a constant tendency to take
fright, would, it was thought,
almost defy Mr. Rarey's attempts to tame
him; but the result was as
successful as in the two previous
instances. In a short time, the horse
tamer had him down also, as submissive
as all the rest, and was seen
crawling among his legs, sitting upon
his shoulders and hips and knock-
ing his hoofs together. Then, bidding
the horse rise, which he did in-
stantly, Mr. Rarey jumped upon his back
and oy turns held an umbrella
over his head and beat a tattoo on a
drum, the hitherto proud and rest-
less animal now owning subjection to a
new master, remaining the while
almost as motionless as a statue."
According to invitation, Mr. Rarey gave
his second exhi-
bition before royalty, January 23, 1858,
in the Riding School
attached to the Royal Mews at Buckingham
Palace. His audi-
ence, on that occasion, included
the Queen, the Prince Consort,
the Princess Royal, the Prince of Wales,
Prince Alfred and
other members of the royal family, with
the ladies of the Court
and most of the foreign princes and
distinguished visitors then
in London, including Prince Frederick
William of Prussia, the
Prince of Prussia, Prince Frederick
Charles of Prussia, Prince
Albert of Prussia, Prince Frederick
Albert of Prussia, Prince
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
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Adalbert of Prussia, Prince Hohenzollern
Sigmaringen, the Duke
of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the Duke of
Brabant, the Count of
Flanders, Prince William of Baden,
Prince Edward of Saxe-
Weimer and Prince Julius of Holstein
Glucksburg; also the
Duke of Wellington, Major General Sir
Richard Airey, Lord
Alfred Paget, Clerk Marshal; Colonel
Hood, Clerk Marshal to
the Prince Consort and Major Groves,
Crown Equerry.
At this second exhibition, Mr. Rarey was
assisted by Lord
Alfred Paget, to whom had been
communicated his secret of
horse-control, as well as to Sir Richard
Airey and Colonel Hood.
This from the London Times shows that
Mr. Rarey's power
was not personal to him:
"Lord Alfred took for his subject a
beautiful grey pony belonging
to the Prince of Wales. He was left
alone with the pony for a few
minutes in the riding school, and on the
admission of the royal party, it
was prostrate on the ground, with his
lordship sitting, caressing it, hand-
ling its feet and legs, resting on its
haunches and in all respects treating
it in a manner proving its complete
subjection to him. That over, Mr.
Rarey appeared with the black horse from
Anderson's, in Piccadilly, to
which reference has been made. Placing
himself at one end of the
riding school, he called to the animal
which he had left at the other,
and it immediately cantered toward him
in a playful manner. It lay
down at his bidding or followed him like
a dog around the building.
When down, a plank was laid upon its
shoulders, up which Lord Paget
ran a wheelbarrow. Finally, when the
horse had regained his legs, he
was mounted by Mr. Rarey who sat on the
animal's crupper with his
back to the head, beating a drum and
cracking a whip over him, this
treatment resulting in neither motion
nor fear on the part of the horse.
"One of the fine stud of
cream-colored horses belonging to her
Majesty was next subjected to the
manipulation of Mr. Rarey, with an
equally surprising and successful
result, so far as laying the animal,
which is an entire horse, down was
concerned, and handling him all
over with the utmost freedom. Besides
the frequent display of some
vicious propensities, this particular
animal of late has never permitted
anybody to ride him; but he allowed Mr.
Rarey to mount him without
offering the least resistance. With this
the exhibition terminated, and
the Queen and her illustrious visitors,
by whom it was witnessed with the
most evident tokens of interest and
wonder, took their departure."
At the wedding in St. James Palace, the
following morning,
Mr. Rarey was an invited guest.
496 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
HE TAMES CRUISER. Seeing what Mr. Rarey did was quickly followed by specu- lation as to how he did it. Sir Richard Airey and the others to whom the information had been given at once testified that in the treatment that had not been seen, there was nothing of cruelty, of tricks, of drugs, of mesmerism or any other similar |
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influence; that his treatment was one of extreme kindness and tenderness toward the animal, the object being to convince him that man is his natural master and friend, and to elicit his con- fidence and kindly regard. His appeal, they declared, was, as he said, to "the intellect and affections of the horse." But that did not dispose of all the doubters. |
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 497
"If Mr. Rarey would set criticism
at naught," wrote Lord
Dorchester, "let him come down to
Murrell's Green with a few
of his aristocratic friends and try
Cruiser. If he can ride him
as a hack, I guarantee him immortality
and an amount of ready
money that would make a British bank
director's mouth water."
That was a challenge, indeed! Cruiser,
sired by Venison,
dammed by Little Red Rover, was bred by
Lord Dorchester in
1852, and from a foal had been
considered vicious; he was al-
ways troublesome to handle, and showed
temper on every oppor-
tunity. On the road from Danebury to
Greaywell, he went on
his knees and tore the ground up with
his teeth. Dorchester had
seen him lean against the wall of his
box and kick and scream
for ten minutes together. For days he
would allow no one to
enter his box and, on one occasion tore
an iron bar, one inch
thick, in two with his teeth. But he was
of great racing stock
and had himself made one appearance, as
a two-year-old, at New-
market, when he was beaten a neck, after
a close finish, by the
Duke of Bedford's Para. In consequence
of going amiss, Cruiser
never started again, but at the time of
the challenge, six colts
and seven fillies were to his credit.
However, he was the torment
and menace of all who had him in charge,
and his value had
depreciated from $15,000 to $10,000; it
had even been proposed.
for the safety of his keepers to deprive
him of his sight. At
Rawcliffe, he was always exhibited by a
groom with a bludgeon
in his hand, and few were bold enough to
venture into his yard.
the cordial wish of every visitor
apparently being that some
friendly bullet would lay him low.
Mr. Rarey promptly accepted the
challenge and asked that
Cruiser be sent to him in London, but
Lord Dorchester replied
that Mr. Rarey must come to the horse.
So it was done, Mr.
Rarey finding Cruiser a prisoner in a
brick stable with a solid
oak door. For three years the horse had
worn an eight-pound
muzzle of iron with a bar in front of
his mouth so that he could
eat only by licking the feed up with his
tongue. The quarters
were cramped for successful operation
but the situation had to
be accepted and, accompanied by Lords
Dorchester and Burleigh,
Mr. Rarey set about the task which was
to make or mar his
English fame. Twice Cruiser flew at the
trainer with a fierce
498 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. bellow, but the latter escaped only to return to the attack and at length succeeded in tying Cruiser's head to the rack. This sense of restraint maddened the horse, the blood vessels of his head |
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dilated and his frenzy for nearly twenty minutes was such that Lord Dorchester begged Mr. Rarey not to peril his life and to think no more of the one hundred pound bond which he had |
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
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entered into to return the horse cured
in three months. But
Mr. Rarey knew the game better than did
either Dorchester or
the horse. Gradually the latter's fury
was spent and the way
was opened to other proofs to the animal
that he had met his
master. At the end of three hours
Cruiser bore Lord Dorchester
up and down the straw yard, as he had
previously borne Mr.
Rarey. Later, he trotted, led behind a
cart, to Virginia Water
for the night. The next day, Cruiser was
led to London behind
an open buggy, where he became the chief
exhibit in proof of the
trainer's prowess. Queen Victoria was
delighted and she and
the royal children were frequent
visitors, caressing Cruiser in
regret for the hard usage to which he
had been subjected. Four
times she witnessed exhibitions by Mr.
Rarey, asserting that for
her there could be no better amusement.
Now began a period of triumph for the
American. A class
of two thousand persons was formed,
headed by the Queen and
the Prince Consort and including
princes, dukes, earls, duchesses,
marchionesses and other representatives
of the nobility, each sub-
scriber paying a fee of $52.50. Mr.
Rarey's popularity ran high,
due not only to his marvelous successes
but also to his quiet,
gentlemanly deportment and unassuming
manners. Verses and
music were composed and dedicated to
him. There was the
Rarey Waltz, written by his highly
gratified pupil, Matilda
Langen and played at Her Majesty's state
ball by Mr. Weippert's
band. One of the literary tributes
follows:
A SONNET
To MR.
RAREY, THE HORSE TAMER.
If it be great to conquer with the sword
And bend unwilling captives to our will;
If it be great, by utterance of a word,
To cause destruction and death's empire
fill;
If, when the young, bold Macedonian king
First rode the horse, companion of his
fame,
None else dare ride, the very air did
ring
With long-continued plaudits of his
name,
And his delighted father called aloud,
"My kingdom is too small for such a
son!"
500 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
Hast thou not reason to be truly proud
Who all such feats of triumph hast
outdone,
For none are like to thine, since they
embrace
The noblest triumphs in the noblest
race!
- Catherine.
Another who lauded the American in verse
was Mr. Ham-
ilton McCarthy, sculptor, who also added
to Johnson's Dictionary
the word, "Rareyfy," which he
defined as a verb, active, mean-
ing "to tame a horse by kindness;
to win by love; to mollify by
the oil of kindness; to reclaim a badly
broken horse; to cure
madness by excessive
kindness." The sculptor's poem
runs:
RAREY, THE EQUINE KING.
"'Mongst all the wonders known of
late
Is Rarey's rising fame,
How he subdues the vicious Horse
And can the wildest tame.
The hopeless Cruiser he has tamed
And savage Stafford--they
Have winced their spirit to his eye
And owned his gentle sway.
The fearless Zebra he's subdued,
Despite his tameless fame,
To own there's one Creation's lord
Has more than the mere name.
My lord, His Grace of Wellington,
Master of the Horse is called,
Rides with the Queen in times of state,
By patent right installed.
The Horse's master Rarey is,
And noble proofs has shown
In presence of illustrious hosts
Who all his genius own.
Yea, e'en the Queen -Prince
Albert, too-
Paid tribute to his fame,
Welcomed the Hero of the Horse
And saw how he could tame.
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 501
Cruiser, who late like maniac
Amongst the tombs long dwelt,
Is now so meek that e'en the Queen
His gentle head has felt.
That high-blood class, Aristocrat,
The nobles of the land,
Came boldly to the Equine Chief,
Nor spared the generous hand.
That noble race knew no distrust,
Nor grudged the laborer's fee,
But thought it small comparison
The coming boon to see.
Ten guineas they two thousand times,
Or e'en ten thousand more,
Most gladly would have handed down
To know what was in store.
The charmed power, at length revealed,
Reproved the proud surmise-
Proved 'twas no drug, mesmeric art,
Concealed by specious guise.
The Equine Chief, of gentle sway,
By mind o'er mind prevails,
Not force 'gainst force or brute 'gainst
brute
To triumph never fails.
Love in the Horse's King begets
Love in the creature, too;
Affection's greetings there are seen,
Most genuinely true.
By gentle means the wildest colt
Yields to the master mind,
Submits his noble spirit up
And finds that man is kind.
No cruel goad, relentless spur,
Contortion hobbled, jocked-
Abstaining from those coward tricks,
His noble heart is shocked.
502 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
In all the world no country is
So fine a Horse can show;
For beauty, symmetry and strength
We need no further go.
Till Rarey came we could not tame,
Save by the cruel thong
And hosts of dire contrivances,
As futile as they're strong.
The breaker-in has now no place
For cruel treatment more,
But now must train himself to see
The better plan in store.
Yea, more! Let legislators learn
To Rareyfy the law
And take a page from Rarey's book
And from its morals draw.
Let breakers, grooms and owners all,
With skill if they would tame,
Learn their unbridled hearts to rule
And keep subdued the same.
Let gospel teachers learn to show
How love begets its kind;
Deal not so much damnation round,
But Rareyfy mankind.
What human Cruisers they'd reclaim,
And two-legged zebras turn
To ornament society
And peaceful laurels earn.
If you have got a tameless wife
And fain would have a strifeless life,
Of patience be not chary;
Show her that you're her kindest friend,
Sincerely proving 'tis your end
To treat her a la Rarey.
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 503
Wife-beating then will cease to be
The sin that shames society,
So rife in our day;
Wives then will know the Rarey charm
Has no intent to do them harm,
And joy beneath its sway.
How shall that good Society,
Known as the Animals' Friend,
Acknowledge Rarey's patronage
Or see when it shall end?
He comes, a Legion to their aid,
A rich donation pays;
He brings a principle to work
The marvel of our days.
A living principle, I say,
A beacon-point of sight-
A proof there needs no cruelty
To train a Horse aright.
This is worth preserving, if not for its
literary excellence,
at least as evidence that Mr. Rarey had
captivated the English
public. His performances, which were
closely observed, not only
worked a complete transformation in the
methods of horse-train-
ing in a land proud of its horses, but,
as the sculptor-poet in-
dicates, set people thinking of the
power of kindness, generally
too much held in reserve. As Mr.
McCarthy, in his verses, in-
dicates, Mr. Rarey tamed a zebra as he
did the horses, and for
the first time in the history of the
world, his audience one day
had the pleasure of seeing this hitherto
untamable animal quietly
ridden into the arena by a groom.
At a dinner given by the coach
proprietors, horse-dealers and
livery stable-keepers of England, at
Willis' rooms, King street,
St. James, in aid of a provident fund
belonging to their associated
trades, the chair was occupied by the
Earl of Shelbourne, who
was supported by the Earl of Cork, Lord
Edward Thynne, Hon.
Sydney Pierrepont, Count Bathyany, Mr.
H. Baring, M. P.,
Mr. Rarey, Mr. Tattersall and others.
Grace having been said
and the usual loyal and patriotic toasts
duly honored, the Hon.
S. Pierrepont said that he took credit
to himself for being the
504 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. oldest horse-breaker in England; that more horses had passed through his hands during the three score years he had been in the profession than through those of any other man in the United |
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Kingdom; but there was now present a gentleman whose great ability as a horse tamer had given him a general notoriety. He referred to Mr. Rarey who had tamed Cruiser and the zebra and he would now call upon them to drink to Mr. Rarey's health. |
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 505
The latter, responding, expressed his
appreciation of the com-
pliment and said that, having been at
all times fond of horses,
he had made their habits his study. It
was from what he con-
sidered a correct understanding of those
habits and the temper
of the animals that he derived the power
that he had over them.
He said he had no desire to play the
charlatan and at the very
moment of his arrival in England, he had
waited on Sir Richard
Airey and other gentlemen and had
offered, as a proof of his
humane mode of treatment, to lodge a
large sum of money in
their hands. Interested, as he was, in
everything that concerned
the horse, he could not but approve of
the fund, in the interest
of which the dinner was given, and hope
it would enjoy unin-
terrupted prosperity.
In August, 1858, Mr. Goodenough, the
Toronto merchant
who had accompanied Mr. Rarey to
England, returned home,
their partnership not having been
profitable to Mr. Rarey, as he
did not assist in any way in the
exhibitions.
SOME GUESSES AS TO HIS METHOD.
With all the praise of Mr. Rarey, there
came also the attempt
to imitate and to teach what he was
teaching. One of these
imitators was so bold that Mr. Rarey
authorized the Messrs.
Tattersall to pay one thousand guineas
to any man who could
satisfy them that he was able to teach
the Rarey method of
horse-taming unless he had first learned
it from Mr. Rarey. This
offer brought some amusing claims. A. V.
D. Way, a German
who was teaching modern languages in
Dublin, wrote:
"Having seen Mr. Rarey's letter,
these lines are to state that that
gentleman's secret consists in looking
sharply into the eyes of the horse
to be tamed and giving him some bread or
other soft eatable, moistened
with the tamer's own sweat. He looks
sharply into the eyes of the
horse because the horse cannot bear the
brilliancy of the human eye, seeks
to avoid the same and becomes by this
manner afraid of the tamer, and
begins to become tamer and tamer. He
gives him some bread or other
things moistened with sweat in order to
make him do everything he likes.
even to follow him like a dog, which the
horse does as soon as he has
eaten something having the flavor of the
tamer's sweat. It is possible
that Mr. Rrarey employs but one of these
two named, but that can be
no reason why the promised thousand
guineas should not be paid to me.
506 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
I knew this secret these twenty-five
years and having, therefore, not
learned it from Mr. Rarey, either
directly or indirectly, I hope and trust
I will hear from you by return post.
Pardon me this trouble, gentlemen,
and believe me your humble ob'd't
servant
A. V. D. WAY, from Germany.
"P. S. It strikes me that Mr. Rarey
may say or think some words
in using the above, which words nobody might be able to guess, done in
order to avoid the payment of the 1000
guineas, but these words or other
things are of no effect and can be
omitted.
A. V. D. WAY."
Another letter, written from the Bristol
Coffee House, ran:
"Believing that I have discovered
Mr. Rarery's method of taming
horses, I have taken the liberty of
communicating with you upon the
subject, and of course, if I am correct,
laying claim to the offered re-
ward. If I am right, it is neither more
nor less than the use of magni-
fying spectacles, placed over the eyes
of the animal so as to terrify him
with the apparent immensity of objects.
I have been led into this belief
from the fact of my often having seen
horses in the Crimea brought to
a sudden stand and exhibit great
symptoms of terror at sight of a camel.
and the well known retentiveness of
memory in the horse would assist
in strengthening me in my belief. Mr.
Rarey's remark, as reported,
about Cruiser being about to have been
deprived of sight also is an ad-
ditional reason, because Mr. Rarey's
audience would at once have seen
the inutility of depriving an animal of
the only organ through which a
wholesome and yet human dread could be
imparted. Awaiting the honor
of your reply (prevent the publication
of this idea, if it should but
slightly differ from Mr. Rarey's mode) I
am, gentlemen, your humble
ob'd't servant,
N. CORRINGSBY."
The only excuse for the prevalence of
any mystery about
Mr. Rarey's method of training horses
was his effort, in the
earlier days of his career, to protect
himself financially. He
gave lessons for a fee and sold a little
book of instructions and
required every one who bought a book to
pledge himself to keep
the book private, not to let anybody
read it and, in handling
horses, to prevent anybody from learning
the secret and not to
instruct anybody in his art. Later, when
his purposes had been
served, he publicly released everybody
from the pledge and was
glad to have the rule of kindness
everywhere proclaimed and
practiced.
508
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
In his earlier study of the nature of
the horse, Mr. Rarey
observed that the animal acts upon
knowledge received through
his senses, seeing, hearing, smelling
and feeling; that he uses
the nose as human beings do the hand to
touch and feel every
object that is new to him and determine
whether or not it is
something to be feared. In his boyhood,
Mr. Rarey once turned
a team of driving horses into a lot, in
which there were two or
three stumps, on one of which he had
thrown a buffalo robe.
The first horse, seeing the robe, was
frightened. He ran to a
point as far away from the robe as he
could get and, with head
extended, walked around and around the
stump, each time getting
a little nearer, until he could touch
the robe with his nose. On
the first contact, he jumped back but,
seeing that it did not move,
he touched it again, finally seizing it
with his teeth and tossing
it up and then jumping back again. After
learning that the robe
could not harm him, the horse seized the
robe and dragged it
about the lot. That was the boy's first
lesson in the nature of
the horse, but it was most valuable. It
was the foundation stone
of his whole theory.
So, in his lectures he declared that the
only way to tame
or to train a horse is to work with, and
not against, his intelli-
gence, "for the horse has
intelligence and every good trait of
character which, if cultivated, will
make him kind, docile and
gentle." The horse must become
acquainted with the person
or object before he can have confidence,
and his only means to
acquaintanceship are the senses. So, in
coming into the presence
of a strange horse, Mr. Rarey approached
slowly, spoke gently,
and stroked him lightly and kindly.
Having established friend-
ship with the horse, he proceeded to
prove to the animal that he
was master. For this purpose he used two
straps and a surcingle.
One strap he buckled around the fetlock,
raising one front foot;
then he adjusted the surcingle around
the horse's body, fastened
the second strap, with a running loop,
to the other foreleg, pass-
ing the end through the surcingle and
held it in his hand. Thus,
at the desired moment, he brought the
horse to his knees and
then to a lying posture. There were
times when this was done
with great difficulty, but firmness,
courage and kindness always
won sooner or later; and when the horse
recognized that his
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 509
friend was also his master, there was no
further trouble. The
muscles of the animal's legs relaxed,
and the trainer's head was
as safe at the horse's heels as it would
have been on a downy
pillow. Of course, there was nothing in
the invention of the
straps or in the recumbent posture,
except that no other practical
mode had been discovered, at once and
lastingly to subdue the
force and stubbornness of the animal,
without a violent contest
which must always irritate, frighten and
perhaps ruin the most
gentle subject.
Replying to the charge that he used
drugs, magic and witch-
craft, Mr. Rarey, in one of his
lectures, said: "The absurdity
of this notion is apparent when we
consider that, if the horse
could be tamed by any of these methods,
we could apply them
with the same efficacy upon children -
upon the human family.
If any man tells you that he has a
recipe for taming horses, try
it upon yourself and judge of its effect
upon the horse. If you
are not knocked to the ground by the
potency of the drug, then
believe me it will have no more effect
upon the horse."
Mr. Rarey did not claim to be able, in a
single lesson, to
redeem a horse forever from vicious
ways. What he did do
was to indicate beyond all possibility
of doubt the true mode of
treatment. He had to leave to others, by
constant and patient
repetition, to lead the once unruly and
evil-minded horse to that
constant and kindly service of which, as
he believed, every
animal is capable.
OTHER ENGLISH EXPERIENCES.
It was in 1858 that an American circus
visited London
and, with a view to drawing patronage,
hired Cruiser of Mr.
Rarey for exhibition in the ring. The
horse was to be managed
by Mr. Cook, the ringmaster. In due
course, the latter came
forward and briefly recounted the
wonderful history of the ani-
mal, exhibiting to the audience the
heavy muzzle and chain halter
with which he had been confined. Then he
gave a signal for
the entrance of Cruiser. There was a
suppressed murmur of
voices for a moment, the doors were
swung back and Cruiser,
with every eye fixed on him, walked
quietly into the ring, led
by the groom. Mr. Cook attempted to show
the several details
510 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. of the Rarey process, but did his work at arm's length and mani- fested such bungling and trepidation that there was trouble. Mr. Cook made three ineffectual attempts to strap up the nigh fore leg and then, to make Cruiser more obedient, gave him a gentle cut with his whip. That was enough to arouse the horse's anger, irritated and nervous as he was in the glare of the gas lights, the rustling crowd and the music of the band. His eyes flashed fire in an instant and, with one desperate plunge, he freed his leg from the strap. His white teeth were uncovered and, with a cry of rage, he rushed upon the terrified ringmaster who turned |
|
and fled from the ring, with his assistant. Cruiser then had the freedom of the premises and leaped from one side of the ring to the other in a high state of excitement. A panic seized the audience, for there was only a low barrier for their protection. They rushed over the backs of the seats toward the exits; two or three mothers threw their children over into the boxes to save their lives, and not a few shrieks were uttered by the affrighted women. Up to this time, Mr. Rarey, who had gone to the circus to see how Cruiser would behave himself in public, had sat calmly looking on; but when matters got to their worst, he left his seat |
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. 511 and went down into the ring. The crowd paused to see the result. Mr. Rarey stood as still as a statue, holding up his hand and calling, "Cruiser! Cruiser!" The horse looked uneasily at the motionless figure but, soon recognizing the voice, approached slowly, extending his nose. Mr. Rarey let him approach and, when he was quite near, went to him, stroking him softly on the |
|
face. The maddened horse was again an affectionate slave and in three minutes was lying prostrate with Mr. Rarey cracking the whip about his ears with perfect impunity. The result of the evening's adventure was the conviction that the most perfect system of horse-taming, or of doing anything else, is absolutely valueless, if put into the hands of persons who lack the courage, patience and judgment which are indispensable in reducing it to |
512 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
practice. It is needless to add that
Cruiser was not again per-
mitted to appear in that circus.
One of the most thrilling of the
exhibitions that Mr. Rarey
gave in England was given November 9,
1859, when he tamed
a powerful and beautiful thoroughbred
stallion. It was, said a
chronicler of the event, a mortal combat
between man and beast.
The moment the animal appeared, it was
evident that the tamer's
powers would be tested to the utmost.
The horse looked at the
audience, stood on his hind feet and
ploughed up the ground; he
roared in fury and kicked; he snapped at
the groom and at Mr.
Rarey and bit his own flesh severely in
his passion. He tore to
pieces every strap put upon him, hurling
to the ground the groom
who had come to Mr. Rarey's assistance.
At one time the horse
broke completely away and stood for a
moment a victor in the
midst of the excited audience. Two men
came to Mr. Rarey's
aid, but they were unable to hold the
animal which scattered men
and everything else around him like
chaff. He was bathed in
white foam and clouds of vapor arose
from his body. At one
moment he tossed up the straw, at
another he sent the strong
barriers flying; for a time he stood
alone in the arena, roaring
furiously and tearing with his teeth at
everything within reach.
Mr. Rarey, having rested from the first
encounter, approached
the horse, and then began a contest
which no one who witnessed
it can ever forget. It was a struggle of
art and tact against
overwhelming strength. For an hour the
battle continued; now
the man had gained the mastery, now the
horse; the animal,
touching the earth, seemed to derive
fresh strength. At last,
Mr. Rarey extemporized a strap from the
fragments of the
broken bridle and gained his first step
to conquest. Still the
horse fought fiercely, rising and
plunging in all directions, en-
deavoring to bite his tamer or trample
him down. A long strug-
gle ensued. The contest had lasted an
hour and a half, when at
length the horse stood quiet, thoroughly
subdued, allowing Mr.
Rarey to strike his front and hind hoofs
together, to jump over
him and pull him about at will. After
mounting the horse and
concluding his lecture from that
position, Mr. Rarey led him
around the arena with a straw. The
exhibition proved that,
whatever tact and science he possessed,
he also had most extraor-
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 513
dinary muscular power, coolness and
courage. No ordinary man
would have ventured to contend to the
last with so formidable
and dangerous an antagonist. On this
occasion, as on all when
Mr. Rarey appeared, there was in a
measure a reproduction of
the exciting scenes of the Roman
amphitheater, with none of the
cruelty. There were the beautiful horses entering the arena,
with flying mane and dilated nostrils -
wild, vicious, neighing,
snorting, pawing the earth and placing
themselves in a succession
of fine attitudes, rushing sometimes at,
and sometimes away from
the man who was to show that he was
their master. For the
most part, the horses were brought
before the audience without
any preparation, not even the trainer
knowing beforehand the
character of the animal. This plan gave
to each performance the
interest of originality and put to the
greatest test the judgment
and skill of the tamer.
There were those who thought Mr. Rarey
took risks too
great, particularly when, in
demonstrating his complete mastery
of the horse, he was accustomed to put
his head between the
horse's hoofs. This latter brought to
Mr. Rarey an anonymous
protest which is marked by such
admiration and good will that
it is worth reproducing. It read:
"SIR: The interest and admiration
with which I witnessed your
exhibition on Saturday last induce me to
take the liberty of animadvert-
ing on one part of it. No doubt, your
great experience enables you to
judge with a certain approximation to
accuracy of the degree of sub-
mission to which you have brought a
horse. But still, as no rule is
without an exception, I was sorry to see
you run an apparent risk that
was quite unnecessary, when you lay down
with your head between the
animal's hind hoofs. The act was
striking-and why? Because every
one felt he was assisting at a wager, in
which you staked your life on
your knowledge of a horse's temper. Now,
one of two things: Either
this implied wager is a real one, in
which case all people of reflection
would think the chances were too unequal
to make it justifiable, no man
having a right to risk his life without
an adequate motive; or it is a
certainty and, in point of fact, without
any risk at all. And in this
latter case I cannot but feel that an
action which seems an appeal to the
vulgar feeling which takes delight in
seeing others in positions of danger
that the onlookers would themselves
shrink from, is unworthy of the
reality, the absence of sham and humbug
that characterize the rest of
your proceedings. As a further excuse
for the liberty I am taking, allow
514 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
me to mention that, having just now
described your victory over the
King of Oude and also expressed the
feeling that I have above stated to
two ladies (one of whom was a pupil of
yours last year), it is in obedi-
ence to their commands that I thus
write. It is useless to sign my name,
but permit me to subscribe myself an
admirer of pluck, daring and in-
telligence."
TRIUMPHS ON THE CONTINENT.
In the fall of 1858, Mr. Rarey went to
Paris where his fame
had preceded him. The Emperor appointed
a commission to
witness and report on the American's
performances, and speedily
was assured that the method was rational
and successful. Mr.
Rarey's most notable single achievement
there was the taming
of Stafford, a fiery and utterly
intractable half-blood, about six
years old. His great strength and
ferocity made it dangerous
even to approach him and for a year he
had been kept closely
confined. A numerous assembly,
comprising nearly all the mem-
bers of the Jockey Club, and many noble
and distinguished per-
sonages, was present when Stafford,
rearing and plunging in
such a manner as to tax the strength of
two grooms, was brought
in. As a further precaution the animal
had been carefully blind-
folded, and he was in an utterly vicious
mood when turned over
to the trainer. An hour and a half
later, Mr. Rarey rode the
horse guided by a simple bridle. He then
dismounted, unbridled
the horse and led him around the arena
as if he had been the
most docile omnibus horse. "His
submission," said a writer of
the time, "was the effect neither
of fear nor constraint, but
simply of confidence and
affection." This performance won for
Mr. Rarey the applause of Paris; the
Emperor caused his name
to be inscribed for 2000 francs on the subscription list, and in
two days a class of more than five
thousand was organized.
Theophile Gautier, the distinguished
novelist, was one of Mr.
Rarey's admirers and in Le Moniteur
Universel, January 21,
1860, paid him a tribute from which this
is quoted:
"Assurance, thorough knowledge of
the horse, the art of statics and,
let me repeat, a personal influence,
magnetic and fascinating, seem to me
the means employed by Rarey. He
astonishes, paralyzes, tires and charms
the horse, he convinces him logically of
his inability to defend himself.
However, are the animals subdued for
long or permanently? The lesson
forgotten, will they return to their
former character? Will another
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 515
than Rarey be able effectively to apply
the system? I am unable to say,
and experience only can answer the
questions. What pleases me in the
method of this American subduer is that
it is humane-no nose torture,
no bridling, no whip with cutting
thongs, no spurs with sharp points, no
post of suffering, nothing but kindness,
the moral victory, the throwing
and the idea of inferiority, suggested to
the animal in the succession of
his futile efforts."
Mr. Rarey's visit to Stockholm was
characterized by an
unusually warm reception by the Prince
Regent, afterwards
King, who took occasion to say, on Mr.
Rarey's presentation,
that he had been attentively reading the
different accounts of his
performances and that he had already
selected a subject for re-
formation- a remarkably spirited animal
of Arabian and
English thoroughbred stock, which though
four years old, had
never been broken, except to be led, if
gently treated, by the
halter. The time was set for the test,
and the royal riding school
was especially prepared by the addition
of splendid carpets and
sofas to the already magnificent
furniture. The issue was the
same as it had been so often before. The
animal was subdued,
and the Prince Regent and his guests had
an exciting experience
that brought them to their feet in
approval. When it was all
over, the Prince Regent summoned Mr.
Rarey, put many ques-
tions regarding the treatment of horses
and finally presented to
him a medal as a token of special
regard. It was a medal bearing
the motto, "Illis quorum meruere
labores" - a social distinction,
conferring upon the wearer special
privileges in visiting the royal
palaces and arsenals, commanding
everywhere regard from the
servants of the King.
In Berlin, Mr. Rarey had a similarly
cordial reception by
the Prince Regent, later King of
Prussia, who alluded to the
exhibition he had witnessed in London on
the evening before the
marriage of the Princess Royal. He gave
exhibitions in the
royal riding school before members of
the Court. In the au-
dience was Baron Alexander von Humboldt,
distinguished
scientist, who later, on being invited
by the American minister
to dine with Mr. Rarey, expressed the
hope that he would be
"polite enough to live to be
present." That desire was gratified
and, in responding to a toast, the
venerable scholar declared with
516 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. much feeling his admiration for America, adding that he had always considered himself at least half American. A most pressing invitation to visit Russia came to Mr. Rarey |
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from Colonel Baron de Wercinski, who told of the vast number of the Czar's cavalry and the great difficulty of breaking the horses from the steppes as well as of many noblemen who, being |
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 517
fond of horses, maintained stables, in
recruiting for which both
men and animals were killed. Mr. Rarey,
he was sure, could
be a great benefactor of the horse
empire, if he would come and
introduce his system. In response to
this, Mr. Rarey went to
St. Petersburg, bearing so many
credentials that he was brought
at once to the notice of men most likely
to further his project.
He went immediately to the residence of
Baron Meyendorff,
equerry of the Czar, whom he found on
the point of going to
the Neva to witness some national
sports. Without ceremony,
Mr. Rarey was invited to take a seat in
the sleigh which pro-
ceeded to the river as fast as three
spirited horses abreast could
draw it. There he saw thousands of the
nobility and common
people at play. On the solid surface of
the ice were erected
large buildings which seemed intended to
last for centuries rather
than to serve the temporary purpose of a
winter season. Thous-
ands of gay turnouts, filled with
ladies, half-buried in costly furs,
showed the presence of the wealthy
classes, while the prominent
stands designated the nobility. The
race-track was a circle
marked on the ice by green boughs and
around the entire ring
congregated the peasantry on foot or in
sleighs. Here Mr. Rarey
observed that trotting was the national
pastime and he saw many
horses whose speed would have made them
notable anywhere.
The style was three abreast, the center
horse ornamented with
a towering yoke, decorated with gay
streamers and a tinkling
bell. After the more formal races had
been run, there were
scrub races which offered some
unexpected amusement, the hi-
larity reaching a climax when three
half-tamed horses from the
steppes, entered by an obscure peasant,
beat the record of the
best horses of the Neva. The crowd went
wild over the achieve-
ment, and the young sprigs of nobility,
crowding around the
owner of the winning horses, carried him
about on their shoul-
ders and at last took him off in triumph
to the Czar.
Then came the Laplanders, with reindeer
drawing rude
sleighs, who offered for a small sum to
give anybody a turn
around the circle. Many crowded in, and
away the loaded
sleighs went at high speed. The deer
were perfectly trained and
seemed to enter into the sport with all
the spirit of the jolly
throng and their happy masters.
518
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
A few days after this pleasant
introduction to Russian life,
Mr. Rarey received from the Czar an
order to go to one of the
imperial preserves and bring in a wild
horse of the steppes that
the Cossacks had designed for the
imperial stables -an animal
so wild that he had been left to roam in
a deer park. Accom-
panied by Colonel Lefler, the head of
the horse department, and
two other officers, Mr. Rarey proceeded
to the park. Servants
drove the horse into an enclosure that
served as a shelter in in-
clement weather, and Mr. Rarey entered
alone and barricaded
the door. The contest, marked by the
usual screaming and biting,
lasted for two hours, but the man was
victor and rode the animal
to St. Petersburg. The astonished Czar
congratulated him and
arranged for a private exhibition.
At the appointed time and place, two
peasants brought into
the presence of the Czar and his court
another animal, the wildest
the steppes could produce. He came
rearing, plunging, kicking
and biting, and Mr. Rarey went quietly
to meet him, laying his
hand on the animal's neck, passing it
gently over his ears and
directly ordering the peasants to loose
their hold on the ropes.
As the horse lost his fierceness, the
Czar looked on in amazement
and asked the peasants, half sternly,
half humorously, why they
could not thus handle the horse. To this
they could only reply
that Mr. Rarey must be in league with
the devil.
IN ENGLAND AGAIN.
Returning to England, Mr. Rarey gave a
series of demon-
strations 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 leathern 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 So-
ciety's meeting, but had killed one of
his grooms and severely
Ohio Arch. and list. Society Publications. 519
injured another, was in half an hour brought into complete sub- jection. 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 |
520
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
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 con-
vinced 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.
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
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 521
to an Englishman famed for his
undeviating kindness and cour-
tesy 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 in-
telligent 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 he 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 testi-
monial 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.
IN ARABIA AND THE EAST.
Leaving Great Britain, Mr. Rarey went
again to Paris, gave
four exhibitions, declined splendid
offers to lecture in the French
provinces, pushed on to Rome and Naples
and, by way of Sicily
and Malta, to Alexandria. In the second week in February,
1860, he was sailing up the Nile toward
Cairo. It was just the
season for turning the Arab horses out
to grass, and there they
stood up to their knees in it (with an
ever-shifting background
of camels, donkeys and buffaloes, on
whose back three or four
dusky urchins might be seen riding home
at nightfall), mile after
mile in bay, chestnut and flea-bitten
gray platoons, about five
yards apart, and tethered to stakes by
one fore and both hind
legs, so as just to command their
allotted range of herbage. At
Cairo his stay was very limited,
although he received a pressing
invitation from the Viceroy of Egypt to
visit him at his country
seat higher up the river; but to
gaze on the high-caste "children
522 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
of the star" was his sole mission,
and he had no time to linger.
He accordingly went at once with his
party across the Great
Desert to the shores of the Red sea and,
taking leave of them
there, merely stepped aside to see the
pyramids, as he retraced
his steps to Alexandria.
Thence he sailed to a port near Jaffa,
and proceeded to
Jerusalem. It was on a picturesque
grassy knoll, hard by a
grove of olives, that he gave the Pacha
a specimen of his art.
The latter had ordered out for his
inspection four of his best
mares of the purest Nedgedee caste and,
after Mr. Rarey had
ridden one, a spirited gray, he took a
brown horse from the
hands of the attendant eunuch and, with
the aid of the two
little straps, made the animal follow
him all about the pasture.
The gray, whose ragged hips and long
neck did not improve
her, was a little over fifteen hands
high and so highly valued
that her master had refused a thousand
pounds for her.
Then followed an excursion to the Dead
sea, which was
somewhat spoiled by a party of Bedouins,
who descended on
the tent and cooking utensils, made the
cook stand and deliver
his watch and maltreated the solitary
soldier for saucily re-
monstrating. Mr. Rarey and his party
were some miles ahead
at the time; but the former learned from
the incident the lesson
of caution and left all of his
possessions in Damascus when later,
accompanied only by Major Frazer, of
lion-hunting fame, and
an interpreter, he spent several days in
the desert in search of
horse lore, riding up to every
encampment he could descry and
trusting for food and a night's lodging
to the sheiks of the vil-
lages.
At Beyrout, on his return, he found the
best Arab he had
seen on his travels, among a lot of
twenty which some Sardinian
officers had got together for their
king. Rhodes and Smyrna
had little to show in this way; but at
Constantinople, he found
several studs, principally
saddle-horses, where the animals were
thoroughly understood and scientifically
handled. The Arabs
had disappointed him. Their intimate
life with the horse from
the animal's birth had given them
complete mastery, but he
doubted if they had thought out any
system or discovered any
principle by which they could handle a
horse entirely new to
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 523
them. He was confirmed in this belief by
the helplessness and
fright they showed when the stallion he
was riding on the tour
refused, one morning, to let one of them
bridle him. The
Prophet was invoked in vain, and finally
Mr. Rarey had to be
summoned from the tent of the sheik
where he was eating brown
bread and wild honey, to put matters to
right-a matter of no
great difficulty when the crowd of
agitated turbans had been
thrust back a space.
But Mr. Rarey found beauty in other
things as well as in
the horse. He tells in his diary of
camping one night close to
the foot of Mount Hermon at the upper
fountain of the Jordan.
Proceeding thence at daybreak on the
road to Damascus, they
saw Arab villages built like swallows'
nests on the edge of the
mountain cliff. He met tall,
dark-skinned, white-bearded fath-
ers, bearing themselves like princes and
driving their flocks of
goats, sheep and cattle down the winding
mountain paths to
graze in the meadows below. With one of
these patriarchs was
a beautiful Arab girl sitting astride a
proud, prancing steed and
affectionately looking to the care of
the kids, whose heads came
to the top of the pockets on either side
of the saddle on which
she sat. Her picturesque attire
-handsome red jacket, full blue
trousers and thin veil head covering,
which she drew closely
about her face, almost hiding her
regular features-completed
the splendid picture this child of
nature made. The men he
found to be intelligent and manly
specimens of their kind.
During his stay in Constantinople, Mr.
Rarey was a guest
at the Sultan's palace, where he drank
coffee with his hosts and
smoked a pipe whose amber mouthpiece was
set with diamonds.
FAREWELL TO ENGLAND.
Returning to England in the spring of
1860, Mr. Rarey
found himself even more famous than when
he left. The news
of his trip had preceded him. Colonel
Thomas Seymour wrote:
"Since his return, men and not
horses have gone wild. If he
could find a way of training the
Cruisers of mankind, Christian-
ity would assign him a place among the
Apostles." Mark Lemon,
editor of Punch, wrote: "I feel
proud of knowing you and still
prouder that I can call you my
friend." Both in text and picture,
524 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. Punch paid tribute to the young American and reflected the general applause. J. M. Browker, of Calcutta, editor of the Indian Field, offered his services in arranging a class, if Mr. Rarey would visit India and give a course of lessons in horse- training. The invitation was declined, but Mr. Rarey was glad to give lessons to Captain Beresford who was later employed to carry the art to India. P. C. French, of Southampton wrote: "It is to be hoped that the horse will be henceforth better under- |
|
stood and better treated. The subject is now constantly dis- cussed, and a dinner seldom passes without your name being mentioned in connection with this wonderful power you possess." C. Goodchild, of Enfield, wrote, asking for an interview, and saying that he could not otherwise tell of the good he had re- ceived from the lectures; he had successfully employed the method in the training of two ponies and a horse. For a free lecture to the cabmen and omnibus drivers of London, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to |
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 525
Animals presented to Mr. Rarey a
splendid gold medal. The
government employed him to teach his
method to two classes of
cavalry, and so the method was
communicated to the entire army.
Resisting many invitations to make
England his home, he decided
to return to his native land and, on
October 27, 1860, gave a
farewell lecture to an audience of 8,000
in Crystal Palace. In
the course of his remarks, he thanked
England for the great
kindness he had experienced and hoped
that the introduction of
his method had been of advantage to the
cause of humanity. He
had always sympathized with the noble
horse and he was de-
lighted that he had been able to prove
that so much might be
done by kindness. Returning to America,
he would bear the
most grateful feelings toward the
English people.
With the esteem of all he had met and
unspoiled by their
praise, Mr. Rarey took passage for New
York. The Herald of
November 11, 1860, hailed him as
"the subjugator of vicious
steeds, the recipient of honors and
decorations from royal and
imperial hands, the tutor of chevaliers
and dames with equestrian
tastes, the wearer of medals awarded by
several humane societies
of England and Scotland, the modern
Centaur." "He is return-
ing," continued the Herald,
"after a three years' absence, during
which he astonished high and low with
proofs of his wondrous
skill in taming refractory brutes. A
cavalcade of our best horse-
men and Amazons can be formed to escort
this American prince
of horse-tamers from the Battery to the
Fifth Avenue Hotel.
And why should we not honor Mr. Rarey
with a grand reception.
He is one of those men whose talents
have helped to make our
country famous in other lands. In fact,
in all departments of art
and science, Americans have shown
themselves first among the
foremost. In his own useful way, Mr.
Rarey has outstripped
all the world. The very Arab marvels at
his influence over the
horse, and calls upon Allah to attest
his wonderful power. Is it
not then highly proper that we should
extend a fitting reception
to the great horse-tamer? We feel
assured that our suggestion
will be acted on and that Mr. Rarey will
meet a welcome worthy
of him."
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 527
THE AMERICAN TOUR.
The return of Mr. Rarey, accompanied by
Cruiser, now his
constant companion, was an event in New
York. In his head
there may have been running the lines of
a song some generous
Britisher had written and set to the
tune of "Yankee Doodle."
Two of the stanzas were:
"The daily news that we receive
Has set some people frantic,
Tho' all we hear we don't believe
That crosses the Atlantic;
But facts are stubborn things, I guess,
And tho' opinions vary.
Each correspondent of the press
Speaks well of Mr. Rarey.
Mr. Rarey comes to town
To tame both horse and pony-
He'll play the drum and make them dance
Like Madame Taglione.
"No doubt there will be many go
To witness Rarey's system
Of taming brutes by kindness, and
With no one to assist him;
I hope he'll have a bumper, which
We safely may declare he
Deserves for his humanity-
Success to Mr. Rarey!"
At any rate, having prepared for a
continuance of his good
work in "Yankee Doodle" land
by offering a reward of $100
for the most vicious horse brought to
him, he hurried off to
Groveport to spend the Christmas
vacation at home. In January
he returned to New York and at Niblo's
Garden gave a series
of exhibitions with Cruiser, his
Shetland ponies and such vicious
horses as were brought to him. Here, as
elsewhere in his talks,
Mr. Rarey declared, as the reporter for
Frank Leslie's Illustrated
Newspaper put it, that "the horse
is a creature of impressions;
if he fears you, he will run away, if he
is angry with you, he will
attack you-he is a child in intellect
and must be treated like
one.
Brute force can never tame a horse completely - there
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 529
is always a sore spot left which will
break out at the first oppor-
tunity. The horse must be convinced by
humane treatment and
undeviating firmness that man is his
natural master." A wild
South American pony, a vicious stallion
believed by his owner.
E. Luff, of Harlem Lane, to be "the
worst animal in the world,"
unbroken colts and an iron gray,
"as big as the Great Eastern"
were all successfully treated with
varying degrees of ease.
PRAISED BY INTELLECTUALS.
Having instructed, entertained and
convinced New York.
Mr. Rarey moved on to Boston, where he
gave similar lectures
and demonstrations. Like the horses, the intellectuals of that
city were soon at his feet. Said the
Courier of that city:
"Whatever credit may be due-and
doubtless much credit is due
to others for their contributions in the
way of observation and experi-
ment to the new method of
horse-taming-it is Mr. Rarey alone who
can justly claim the admiration and
gratitude of the world for having
sifted, analyzed, harmonized and
co-ordinated all the isolated facts into
a complete and rational method. These
facts lay scattered in the brains
of horse-breakers throughout the world,
but they were used empirically,
applied in ignorance of their true value
and in conjunction with cruel,
barbarous and absurd practices, which
went far to neutralize their effect
and obscure their true relation and
value. * * * The Rarey rules are
not abstruse or difficult of
apprehension. They are capable of being
simply stated and easily learned, but
they are far from being so easily
applied. The difficulty, however, lies
not in the rules themselves, but in
the nature of man. The first and great
one, without compliance with
which all the others avail but little,
is complete self-control on the part
of him who would succeed as a trainer of
horses. The Bible tells us
that he who ruleth himself is greater
than he who taketh a city, and the
fame of the conquerors of Monterey and
Mexico show how great by
the popular voice are the city takers.
Now, greater than these, if we
accept the dictum of Holy Writ, is
Rarey, the horse-tamer, and so great
must every man be who would rival him.
If an ambition to rank among
the subduers of horses shall cause an
augmentation of those who can
keep their temper, this will not be one
of the least of the benefits for
which the world will have to thank Mr.
Rarey."
From William Lloyd Garrison, the
distinguished publicist,
who spent many of the best years of his
life in the abolition
cause, came the following letter, under
date of April 5, 1861:
530 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
"I was much gratified at the brief
interview had with you this fore-
noon, as it deepened my conviction of
your fitness to teach the world a
great and everywhere needed lesson of
humanity, whereby in teaching
them how to subdue the most refractory
animals, men might learn to
govern their own passions, and thus
substitute the law of love for the
spirit of brutality. The modesty of your
deportment also evinced the
possession of self-respect and
self-reliance, which are the antagonism
of self-seeking and self-glorification,
and quite essential to the character
of a true philanthropist and reformer.
"I can only renew the expression of
my deep interest in your hu-
mane mission, hoping that your labors
will be extended to every part of
Christendom and that your life, as
benefactor and redeemer, may be
long spared. For all that you are doing
for the relief and true govern-
ment of the noblest and at the same time
the most abused and over-
tasked of the animal race, allow me, in
parting, pleasantly to invoke for
you (if you will excuse the pun) the
horsepitality of the world-by
which I mean, may you meet with a kind
and hearty reception wherever
you travel.
"Yours, to augment human happiness
and lessen animal suffering.
"WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON."
Another interesting Boston letter was
from E. H. Hepworth,
who wrote:
"I want to express my gratitude for
the exhibition of last week.
I feel that you are accomplishing a
great good. I have always loved the
horse and have suffered great pain in
seeing him frequently abused. I
cannot help feeling that he is a noble
animal and that his reasoning
power is far beyond what is commonly
acknowledged. The Arab gets
more out of his horse than the American
can, and the Arabian horse is
said to know more than any other animal.
But I have for a time thought
that the difference is one, or rather
mostly one, of education. We do
not yet know what our horses are capable
of doing and being, because
we mostly spoil them in 'bringing up.' I
have to express the hope that
all who have to do with horses will hear
and heed you, and remain your
obedient servant, "E. H. HEPWORTH."
IN CHICAGO AND PHILADELPHIA.
The throng that gathered in Bryan Hall,
Chicago, December
21, 1861, went with the same incredulity
that marked the mental
attitude of audiences elsewhere. Many
went, as they confessed,
to see Mr. Rarey fail. After the trainer had explained his
method of handling Cruiser, a narrative
which was listened to
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 531
with rapt attention by the immense
audience, a large, wicked-
looking black horse was brought onto the
platform, which had
been covered with boards topped with
sawdust and protected by
a barricade and hempen cable. The animal
was addicted to
biting and kicking and not drawing
quietly in harness. Only
a day or two before, while working
beside another animal, this
horse had kicked himself free of harness
and wagon and attacked
his mate with his teeth, and had been
beaten away with clubs.
When brought out by the assistants, he
paused, gazed at the
thousands of human faces before him, and
gave a frantic leap
and a series of evolutions. After
dragging the trainer several
times about the stage, his hind heels
more than half of the time
in the air, the strap was buckled on,
the assistant retired and Mr.
Rarey was left alone with the vicious
animal. Twenty minutes
later, to the wonder and astonishment of
the spectators, the
horse was being led around the enclosure
by a single straw, as
docile and submissive as a pet fawn. Mr.
Rarey mounted him,
got beneath him, put his head between
the dangerous hoofs and
thrust his bare hand into the animal's
mouth. The wild spirit
of the horse had apparently been turned
to affection.
On January 26, 1862, Mr. Rarey
gave a matinee perform-
ance to the usual crowded house at
Niblo's Garden, New York,
taming three vicious horses to the
complete satisfaction of the
most incredulous. He gave a second
demonstration there, do-
nating half the proceeds to the Widows'
and Orphans' fund.
His first appearance in Philadelphia was
in the Academy
of Music, and marked a decided
innovation in the history of that
institution, the entire equipment of
which was turned over to
him for three exhibitions. The courts
and green rooms, sacred
to prima donnas and dashing baritones,
were relinquished to
intractable stallions, unamiable colts,
Shetland ponies and Mile-
sian hostlers. When Mr. Rarey appeared
upon the stage, the
house was filled to its last seat and
all the standing room was
occupied. "His voice," wrote a
reporter, "was quick and full
and could be heard with distinctness
almost all over the house.
He has a fund of dry humor in his
composition that makes his
lectures extremely interesting. Cruiser
was brought before the
audience, led by a single groom, and
pranced about with eager-
532 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
ness and apparent pride. He is a
splendid specimen of horse-
flesh, of a beautiful dark bay color, of
glossy skin black in the
limbs and very straight, an action as
full of ease as it is of
animation, and with the mild eye that is
characteristic of
thoroughbred racers. Most of Mr. Rarey's
method was illus-
trated by Cruiser. He was completely
successful in his efforts,
which were applauded by the
spectators."
The second exhibition was attended by
even greater delight
and enthusiasm, on the part of the
audience, than was the first.
"Mr. Rarey," said one of the
papers of the time, "is rapidly be-
coming a lion. He is talked of in every
circle; even the ladies
converse freely of him and horses generally.
Music Hall is no
longer remembered as a concert, lecture,
fair or preaching temple,
but as an arena in which equine miracles
are performed, as a
theatre in which all manner of ugly and
vicious horses are sub-
dued and made gentle and plastic.
Inasmuch as it teaches the
great principle that kindness is greater
than force, gentleness than
brutality - that a little common sense
is better than a great deal
of whip -we regard the purpose to which
the hall has been put
as most excellent. It is as good as so
many sermons to teach
men to become humane and sensible."
When Mr. Rarey had explained that he had
come, not as a
gladiator, but as an educator to teach
that a horse is bad only
as he is badly treated, Cruiser was brought
in and made his
obeisance to the assembly by gracefully
turning his neck, putting
forward his right foot and moving his
ears back and forth. The
next horse afforded a good subject for
Mr. Rarey's art. He
leaped, kicked, reared and performed
other antics showing his
intractability, but, as usual, he was
soon under control, proving
again the virtue of the method of the
trainer.
The third exihibition, for which, in
spite of the intensely
cold weather, the house was again
packed, marked the climax
in interest; and so insistent were the
demands for more that Mr.
Rarey consented to remain for two more
exhibitions, which were
given on the following Thursday and
Saturday.
On his second visit to Boston, Mr. Rarey
appeared in Music
Hall and for five nights the statue of
Beethoven looked down
upon an unwonted spectacle. "Such
things were never dreamed
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 533
of," said one writer, "when
this magnificent temple was dedi-
cated to Apollo; but, when we remember
that, without the horse,
the violin and violoncello would be
mute, we must concede the
noblest of domestic animals the right of
entrance upon a stage
where horse hair is so potent." In
the audiences were repre-
sentatives of all classes of society.
There were, as somebody
said, "clergymen, lawyers,
merchants, scholars, poets, literary
hacks and illiterate
hackmen."-ex-President Franklin Pierce,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Wendell Phillips
and others less dis-
tinguished and sooner forgotten.
One-half of the proceeds of
his final exhibition was given to the
charities of the city, and the
verdict of the press, when he left was
that he had made an in-
delible impression on the Boston public
by the wonderful success
of his method, which proved but an
illustration of the law of
kindness.
"I have not seen," said Ralph
Waldo Emerson, "that any
of our colleges have bestowed on Mr.
Rarey the diploma of
Doctor of Laws. Yet what excuse have we,
after the exhibition
of Mr. Rarey's treatment of the horse,
for the use of brute
force? He has turned a new leaf in
civilization, and I think
the Board of Education of Massachusetts
would not take an
unwise step, if they should engage the
master to go to each col-
lege and teachers' convention in the
state and explain his treat-
ment. What extension, what novelty in
his fundamental maxim
that he who would deal with a horse must
know neither fear
nor anger! When I saw his performance, I
could not help
thinking it was a sort of Aesop's fable
and suspecting that he
was a very sly satirist and that he must
know and feel what
sarcastic lessons he was reading schools
and universities."
GIVES HIS METHOD TO THE ARMY.
Early in December, 1862, Mr. Rarey
received the following
letter:
"HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
"MR. JOHN S. RAREY: December 6, 1862.
"SIR: You are hereby authorized to
visit the Army of the Potomac
for the purpose of inspecting the horses
and mules of the cavalry, artil-
534 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
lery and teams belonging to that army.
All officers of the Army of the
Potomac are directed to afford every
facility to Mr. Rarey to make this
inspection.
"By order of Major General Halleck,
General-in-Chief.
"Very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
"J. C. KELTON, A. D. G."
Mr. Rarey accepted the invitation, made
the inspection and
communicated to the army officers his
method of training the
horse. The method was adopted, and its
principles are today
to be found in the army regulations.
Here is an excerpt from
Mr. Rarey's diary, written while he was
making the inspection:
"On Saturday, December 14, 1862,
the third day of the battle, I
stood on the bluff of the Rappahannock,
this side of Fredericksburg, and
witnessed the battle for some time. Two
or three shells fell near me.
In the afternoon of the same day,
through the kindness of Professor
Lowe, I went up alone in a balloon to
watch the fight. A shot was fired
directly at me, but passed under the
balloon. Had to change my loca-
tion."
Returning from the inspection, in the
course of which every
courtesy had been accorded him, Mr.
Rarey gave a lecture in
Smith & Nixon's hall, Cincinnati, to
one of the largest audiences
ever within its walls. The lecture and
his mastering of vicious
horses were attended with the usual
interest and success. In
February, 1862, at the request of his
nephew, C. W. Fairington,
Mr. Rarey went to Havana, where he gave
a successful demon-
stration before a large audience in
which were the Captain-Gen-
eral of Cuba and other dignitaries. His
talk was interpreted to
the audience, but he writes in his diary
that he was "convinced
that they had no idea or appreciation of
my art." At the second
exhibition, he had no interpreter. He simply illustrated his
method first by attempting to ride the
horse before taming him
and, second, by taming him and riding
him afterward. This
aroused their interest, but did not
enlighten them as to the
method; they clung to the idea that they
had witnessed a struggle
like a bull-fight. "Probably,"
he says, "they would have been
better pleased, had blood been spilled.
I am glad there were
present a number of Cubans who were
anxious that some of my
principles might be instilled into the
dumb negroes and low cre-
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 535
oles, whose only thought was to beat the
poor creatures under
them and over which they were permitted
to exercise the author-
ity of master."
At Matanzas, before an audience in which
there were many
appreciative Americans, he subdued a
very vicious mule. A
Spanish nobleman presented him with a
beautiful ring which he
said was of great antiquity and was
bought from the collection
of a French minister, and which showed a
fine engraving of the
head of Hercules.
Returning to New York, Mr. Rarey gave a
series of exhi-
bitions at Niblo's Garden, entertaining
on alternate nights with
Edwin Forrest, the great tragedian of
the day. There offers
were made to him for a series of
lectures in the United States
and Canada, but he declined them,
preferring to direct his own
activities, lecturing where and when he
pleased.
In Allyn Hall, Hartford, Conn., Mr.
Rarey gave an exhi-
bition which was notable for his
illustration of the proper man-
ner of mounting into the saddle. He
condemned the ordinary
way of standing off from the horse,
approaching him at a right
angle and pulling and straining on the
saddle to the great danger
of turning it over in spite of the
girth. The correct way, he
said, was to stand close by the horse's
shoulder, facing the same
way as the horse and then, with left
hand on the rein near the
bit and right hand over the saddle, rise
into the seat by a motion
that seems literally as graduated and
even as the ascent from
one stair to another. Indeed, it seemed
to be identical with that
motion. There was no perceptible
springing or vaulting, but all
was as quick and easy as the stepping
from one stair up to
another. And this he did, with no girth
to hold the saddle on.
In September, 1862, Mr. Rarey gave an
exhibition in Co-
lumbus, Ohio. at the old Atheneum. Of this the Ohio State
Journal of the 2nd said:
"We do not feel justified in
leaving the exhibition of Mr. Rarey's
horse-training powers to the brief
notice of a local column. His exhibi-
tions are not so much for the show as
for the utility that may be de-
rived from them. And no man who has
sufficient native capacity to love
a spirited and noble horse can witness
Mr. Rarey's wonderful display
of power over that finely organized animal, without learning much that
536 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
is both useful and humane. Mr. Rarey is
not empiric in any sense. His
method is as truly philosophical as any
inductive science can be. As a
gentleman, he is sincere, thoughtful and
unpretending. He assigns, in
clear and direct language, a just and
indisputable reason for the proposi-
tions he submits, in regard to the
training of the noble animal whose
whole nature, physiological and
psychological, he has so thoroughly and
successfully studied. The elaboration of
the chemist for the demonstra-
tion of the affinities of matter are not
more purely scientific than are
Mr. Rarey's demonstrations of the
philosophical mode of training the
powers of the horse to pleasant and
profitable subjection to the human
will. He is therefore always heard by
the most intelligent people with
the utmost interest and respect.
"On the present occasion, Mr.
Rarey, who is a sound patriot, at the
suggestion of certain estimable ladies
who are steadily toiling for the
good of our soldiers, voluntarily
tendered his services for an evening's
exhibition as a benefit for the funds of
the Soldiers' Aid Society. His
offer was gladly accepted; and a splendid
benefit it was. The Atheneum
was literally packed with one of the
most intelligent and genteel audi-
ences that ever assembled in our city.
And when it is considered that
most of the tickets were at $1 each, the
substantialness of the benefit
may be inferred.
"After taming one horse and
exhibiting three Shetland ponies, one,
a colt, twenty inches high and weighing
twenty-one pounds, was brought
forward in the arms of a boy; it looked
more like a shaggy dog than
anything of the genus equinus, though it
afterwards cantered about the
stage with much activity and grace. Next
came the spirited, but spoiled
and vicious brute, with which Mr. Rarey
was to try conclusions. It was
a compact and powerfully built horse, in
good condition, but dangerous
and vicious beyond all control. His
owner sent his character with him
and expressed a very reasonable
apprehension for Mr. Rarey's safety in
handling him. This horse was a total
stranger to Mr. Rarey, and the
first demonstrations that attended their
acquaintance entirely justified the
amiability of character that his owner's
letter had so honestly certified
to. His hind feet were aimed at the
reformer's personnel. These ex-
hibitions of the brute's tender mercies
towards Mr. Rarey were rapidly
repeated, exciting the audience as with
a touch of tragic. But the calm
and steady manner of Mr. Rarey, as he
watched the equine performance
of the Highland fling, speedily
dispelled all apprehensions for his safety.
His complete success with this animal
elicited great applause."
PLANNED A BOOK ON THE HORSE.
Mr. Rarey planned an illustrated book on
the horse, in four
parts and seventy-three chapters, and in
1862 entered into an
agreement with Mr. Pliny Miles to make
the necessary research
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. 537
and prepare the copy. A complete outline of the book, with Mr. Miles' acknowledgment of receipt of the specifications, is among Mr. Rarey's papers; also several letters from Mr. Miles touching his progress in the work. Part I was to have been devoted to the natural history of the horse and other beasts of burden, together with mention of the horse in history, poetry, mythology and art; Part II, to a history and description of the different races and breeds of horses in all countries; Part III, to horse taming, training, breed- ing and management, and Part IV, to a history of horse exhibi- |
|
tions, circuses and shows, ancient and modern, horse fairs and associations and a plan of an American Horse association. This last-named association was to be national in scope and was to hold meetings annually in different parts of the country, with premiums and prizes for the best specimens of horses exhibited, and prizes for the best essays on designated topics relating to the breeding, training and management of horses. A "Rarey medal." provided each year by the interest on an investment by Mr. Rarey in government bonds, was to be one of the essay prizes. |
538 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. Mr. Miles began his research in the Astor and other libra- ries of New York, but soon went to London, where the facilities -for his work were better. On December 20, 1862, he wrote that |
|
the manuscript was nearly ready, but there is no further knowl- edge of it. Probably it was never sent; certainly it was never published. The only published work by Mr. Rarey was his little |
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications. 539
book of instructions on horses which
sold for $10. This book
was pirated, so laden with trash as to
be unrecognizable and
sold to the great profit of the pirates,
for $2.50.
On the site of the house in which he was
born, Mr. Rarey
built a mansion where he entertained
many a national celebrity,
and made a home for his aged mother, to
whom he showed the
utmost devotion. By this time his health
had begun to decline.
His years abroad and at home had been
strenuous. In the train-
ing of horses his physical strength had
been continuously taxed
and his great popularity had forced upon
him extraordinary
social duties. In consequence, he
suffered, in December, 1865,
a stroke of paralysis, from which he
never recovered. He spent
the subsequent summer at Whi e Sulphur
Springs and returned
to Groveport where he lived quietly,
hoping to regain strength
for another visit to Europe. Accompanied
by his niece, Mrs.
Elizabeth Williams, he went to Cleveland
for a visit and, while
there, died, October 4, 1866. The
remains were brought to
Groveport and at the Rarey mansion
there, on the 7th, were held
the funeral services which were attended
by friends from all
parts of the country. In accordance with
his wish, the burial
was made in the village cemetery beside
the grave of his father.
Cruiser survived his master and friend
nine years, dying at
the Rarey farm, July 6, 1875, in the
twenty-third year of his
age. Mr. Rarey, whose fame he had
shared, amply provided in
his will for the comfort and care of the
noble animal that had
shared his triumphs and had helped to
impress upon the world
the important lesson that kindness is
power.
RAREY, THE HORSE'S
MASTER AND FRIEND.
BY SARA LOWE BROWN.
It is one of the honors of Franklin
county, Ohio, that early
in the second quarter of the Nineteenth
century, it produced, in
the person of John Solomon Rarey, a man
who bore to all the
world the message that in kindness there
is power. Ralph Waldo
Emerson said of him that he had
"turned a new leaf in civiliza-
tion," while William Lloyd Garrison
testified to his "fitness to
teach the world a great and everywhere
needed lesson of hu-
manity." The young man was educated
at the old Groveport
academy, Bishop Washburn's school on
Walnut creek and at
Ohio Wesleyan University, but he found
his message - that of
kindness to animals, especially the
horse--in the fields and
stables of his father's farm. With this
message that the rule
of love is the condition of greatest
achievement in the use of the
horse, he proceeded, when he was but
thirty-one, to the state
capital, to Canada, to Europe, Africa
and Asia, proclaiming his
gospel and working what seemed to be
miracles in the taming of
horses so vicious that all the methods
known to brutal horse-
breakers had failed to subdue them. His
achievements were
witnessed, applauded and honored by
kings, emperors and
savants, and he returned to his native
land to make a tour from
which he emerged with the praise of
reformers, philanthropists
and intellectuals generally.
Mr. Rarey's great work was done within
the period of ten
years, and it was so well done that its
influence will never be
lost. It gave new vitality to the
Societies for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, and put a kindlier
spirit into the methods
of training horses for service in the
armies, not only of this
country, but also of England and France.
It taught to the cab-
men and carters of London, Paris,
Edinburgh and other cities
Copyright, 1916, Sara Lowe Brown.
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