Witness the operation of breaking-in a wild colt from amidst a herd of a
hundred or more. A Gaucho called the dormador makes his appearance,
dressed in a thin cotton shirt secured by a scarf round the waist, and a
coloured handkerchief bound to his head, while his legs are guarded by a
huge pair of boots, armed with enormous spurs. There he stands, with
his lasso coiled up and thrown carelessly over his arm. He advances
towards the herd, followed by two mounted Gauchos dressed in full
costume. As the colts gallop round the corral, into which they have
been driven, with wild eyes and waving manes, he selects one of them;
and whirling his lasso lightly round, casts it over the animal's head,
sinking down at the same time on his left knee, and holding it with both
hands. No sooner does the colt feel the lasso than it bounds into the
air, and dashes off, the dormador sliding and crouching along the
ground, playing him, as a fisherman does a large salmon, till he has
separated him from the rest of the herd. He then brings him into the
centre of the corral, plunging and rearing, with his tether much
shortened. Another Gaucho throws his lasso on the ground under the
colt's fore-feet, and by an upward jerk tightens it round his legs. At
the same time the dormador lets his lasso out freely; the horse dashes
out till it is brought to the ground by the other lasso, with a shock
sufficient, it would seem, to break every bone in his body. There he
lies motionless, while his fore and hind-feet are secured.
At length restored to consciousness, after some convulsive plunges he
again gets on his feet, and is led by a further relay of Gauchos to a
post, where he is saddled and bridled in spite of his struggles.
Regaining his strength, he plunges, kicks, and bites in all directions,
the Gauchos nimbly getting out of his way. The dormador, watching his
opportunity, now leaps into the saddle, and signs to his companions to
cast off the leg-lasso. Immediately the colt, finding his legs free,
jumps straight off the ground, and then commences to back, plunge, and
dash furiously out. The dormador, however, sticks on; and another
Gaucho, coming behind, administers a lash with his long cutting whip,
which makes the poor animal start off at full speed, with a snort like a
scream. A mounted Gaucho rides on either side of him, to keep him
straight. Off he goes over the level country for miles, occasionally
stopping to back and kick; but each time his efforts grow fainter, till
at length he is ridden back, with eyes bloodshot, covered with foam and
blood, and perfectly bewildered, when he is unsaddled and tied to the
post. "Poor beast!" observes Captain Kennedy, who describes such a
scene, "he looks as much broken down as broken in." Few of the Gauchos,
however, can overcome a horse after the manner of the one whose feat he
witnessed.