Part 2

In 1815, I met with a man by the name of Thomas Drinnen, who appeared to me rather eccentric in some respects, but an active, intelligent man, and very fond of horses. I told him I had discovered a secret to break them in a few hours. He wanted me to reveal it to him. I told him I would let him know enough of it to astonish the public, if he would go to Attakapas with me; for it was in the time of vacation, and I was on the Mississippi, on my way home. He said he could not, but would come there some time afterwards, if I would give him some of the ingredients to make trials with where he was then going. I accordingly supplied him with certain materials, (the better to disguise the real secret,) one of which was that callous substance growing upon a horse’s fore legs, called the spur; likewise, the sweat taken from under a man’s arm was to be used; the sweat of a horse, mare’s milk, &c. Said Drinnen really believed that these materials were efficacious in gentling a horse. I now declare to the world, that I had heard of some of them, and made use of the others in my experiments, but found them without the least effect.

In 1819, Drinnen came to Attakapas. I never had mentioned to any one that I knew such a secret. On the contrary, I came into Mr. Grigg’s inn, then and still existing at St. Martinsville, distant from my (then) plantation a half a mile, pretending to be astonished at what Drinnen was relating concerning horses, and at the same time incredulous, offering him a gratification of one hundred dollars, to see him break one of the wild horses of this country in so short a time. Mr. Gabriel Fuselier told him that he would do the same, if he should succeed in his essay upon any one of the wild horses upon his plantation, which was about two miles from the town. He accepted the offer, and the following day was decided upon for the trial; at which time he performed, and to the satisfaction of every one. But I had given him no further insight into the secret than this first part of it, more to see what impression it would have upon the public, than for any thing else, as my employment and standing in society were such that I did not like to appear before such a multitude of my acquaintances as a horse-breaker. This was, however, a foolish prejudice; for Fulton by the discovery of the means of making a boat advance with more velocity by the application of steam power, was not, on that account, looked upon as a common boatman.

After these experiments of Drinnen, to whom I had communicated so small a part of the secret, I was fully convinced that a large fortune might be made in almost any country with the secret, such as I knew it; and, as I understood the Spanish language, I agreed with Drinnen to go first to Havana and then to New Spain, and take him with me. Accordingly, I sent him to New Orleans, to fit out a small schooner we had bought in Newtown. But he took the fever and died, and I continued my occupations with success for several years, till I had accumulated a handsome property. Shortly after, I became security for several persons, three of whom left me to pay for them: at the same time, I had been robbed of six thousand three hundred dollars in the city of New Orleans, and had lost one thousand nine hundred dollars upon the steam-boat Teche. As property had fallen to almost nothing, I sacrificed every thing, to pay other people’s debts, and in 1824 went by land through Texas to Tamaulipas, where I received a splendid gratification from the governor of the state, Don Bernardo, Gutierrez de Lara, Don Felipe de la Garza, general of division, and from several other gentlemen who were present at a performance which took place in the town and sea-port of Soto la Marina. From thence I went to Mexico with my family, where I performed before the President, Vice President, the Marquis of Vivanco, Count de Regla Y Jala, General Guerrero, and several of the first characters of Mexico, in 1825, in the month of July. Our Envoy, Mr. Joel R. Poinsett, whom I had the honor of knowing personally at that time, can bear witness of the veracity of the signatures of the above-named gentlemen, as well as of their standing, all of whom gave me certificates which I have now in my possession, and some of which I shall publish in this work.

Here must be inserted the following extracts, the originals of which I have in my possession: as a confirmation of which I will first put down Mr. Poinsett’s:

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, } _Mexico, November 15th, 1835_. }

The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America in Mexico, hereby certifies: that every faith and credit are to be placed in the documents and certificates which have been given in this country to Willis J. Powell, while a resident in these countries. They are signed by gentlemen of the highest respectability; and there is no reason to doubt that he possesses, in an uncommon degree, the art of taming, in an incredible short time, the wildest and most unruly horses.

J. R. POINSETT.

[A true Copy.]

[TRANSLATION.]

_Captain General’s Office of the South_, } MEXICO, July 27th, 1825. }

Don Vincente Guerrero to all Gentlemen Governors, Military Commanders, Civil Authorities, and Inhabitants in general of the United Mexican States--Greeting:

GENTLEMEN: The astonishing faculty of Willis J. Powell, in taming wild horses in a few hours, was recommended to me by persons of the highest respectability, and in whom I place entire confidence. They have written to me in his favor, that I might facilitate him to perform in this city. He has verified the same to the entire satisfaction of all the beholders; and having resolved to continue his operations in other parts of the Federation, where he is now about to go, I recommend him, gentlemen, to your favor and protection, not doubting in the least but that you will be highly gratified with the acquaintance of a gentleman who has made a discovery of so much utility, and which, gentlemen, you will know how to appreciate, as persons who desire to encourage all useful improvements, or any thing that may tend to enlighten your fellow citizens: assuring you that I shall be very thankful for whatever kindness or favor you shall have dispensed to this citizen. It is what I expect from your natural goodness. God preserve your lives many years, &c., &c.

VINCENTE GUERRERO.

_Certificate of the Marquis of the Mine of Rayas, in the State of Guanajuato, in the Capital City of the same name._

[TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH.]

Citizen Willis J. Powell, a naturalist, and native of New York, of whose astonishing dexterity in gentling wild horses in a few hours, I had already been informed, (from several respectable gentlemen, who had been eye-witnesses to the same in the city of Mexico,) arrived in this city on the 20th of the present month. I immediately sent for him, offering him a handsome gratification to give us a proof of his ability. He verified the same by putting it in practice on the 27th, at the mine of Rayas, with a wild colt, chosen on purpose from among the wildest and fiercest of a party of forty of them, which had just arrived there to be gentled for the service of the said mine, in one of the stables of which he began the operation at three quarters past ten in the forenoon: and myself, as well as several other spectators of this performance, were struck with amazement at beholding this horse at two o’clock so gentle, that after having been led around in every direction by the halter, suffered himself to be rode both by men and boys, as well bare-backed as saddled, tightly girted and cruppered--permitting them to get upon him on either side. After a short time, being let loose, he followed any one who went before and motioned to him with gentleness, without pulling him by the halter--proceeding to where several persons were standing without showing any signs of fear at coming up to them, and passing in the midst of them, permitting any one to lift up his feet and handle him with as much ease as they could handle the gentlest plough-horse. Being put into a large yard, he ate with the rest of the wild horses, his companions, and in going a second time to catch him, there was no need of throwing the rope upon him, he letting any one come up before him and put the halter upon him. The third day, he was rode down from the mine to this city, where he was shod all around, standing perfectly still when the blacksmith took up his feet, and never flinching at the stroke of the hammer. Being shod and led out before a great number of people, the servant threw the saddle over his head, then let it fall over his heels and on either side, and under his belly, without frightening him in the least. To the above relation I was an eye-witness, since I was present from the beginning to the end, without any interruption to all the simple and progressive operations used in breaking this fiery, wild and hitherto untameable animal: being astonished above all to see, that in them this dexterous manager made no use of spurs, whip, clamor or exclamation; but, on the contrary, gentleness and caresses were the only means he put in practice to bring, as it were by enchantment to obedience, this wild animal, whose tractability, even at this time, is doubtless much greater than that which is observed in horses of a gentle nature, tamed at the end of a year or more, with much cost, labor and danger, often losing a great part of their natural spirit by the hard usage they undergo whilst one is breaking them--and more especially those of a noble and spirited nature. As a proof of my being present to all herein related, and wishing to encourage such an extraordinary discovery, I sign this declaration, which I make in Guanajuato, capital city of the state of the same name, &c., &c., August 30th, 1825.

THE MARQUIS OF SAN JUAN DE RAYAS.

OBSERVATIONS UPON HORSES IN GENERAL: AND WHAT LED ME TO THE DISCOVERY OF BREAKING THEM IN A SHORT TIME.

The first experiments I made upon wild horses, in order to break them in a shorter time than that usually employed to that end, consisted in the application of different kinds of smells, such as opium, the oil of cummin, assafœtida, that callous substance called the spur which grows upon the inside of a horse’s fore-legs, the sweat from a man’s arm-pit, mare’s milk, &c., &c. Opium has but little effect upon a horse, even if he smells it a considerable time. But of all these substances, no one tends so much to intoxicate, and even sicken, not only a horse but a man, as that taken from the horse when smelled of for any length of time. Any one who may doubt the veracity of what I here assert, can be easily convinced by experience, if he will. In the next place, the sweat from the arm-pit has a tendency to render a horse sleepy, if smelled for an hour or two. Some horses, thus rendered sleepy, can be handled; but on most horses it has no effect, or very little. Now, as I was determined to publish this secret some day or other, in its true light, I never revealed any other till now, but that accompanied with some one of these substances, with certain directions how to apply them. These directions contained enough of the true secret to tame a horse, so as to astonish the most penetrating. Now and then, a horse would remain gentle that had been thus tamed; but five out of ten would become wild again. Whenever I broke one myself, he always remained gentle. Drinnen sincerely thought that some of these substances were necessary to gentle a horse. I solemnly declare, before God and man, that I do not believe that a horse can be tamed, even for a short time, by the application of any of these substances, without applying to him more or less of the true secret; and furthermore: I declare, that all and every one of them are entirely useless, and of no effect. God is my witness, that if ever this secret was known before, I never learnt it from any man; I discovered it myself, and brought it, as I believe, to its greatest perfection.

A horse is gentled, by my secret, in from two to sixteen hours. The time I have most commonly employed, has been from four to six. After my

first experiments, I reflected upon the nature of horses in general, many of which, when confined, appeared to fear nothing: notwithstanding this, the result of my reflections was, that fear, much more than any thing else, was the cause of their resistance; of the resistance even of the fiercest; for, although these latter would run at a man, as well as at any other thing, when confined, yet, if they were let loose, and turned out into a field, they would leave him and scamper away. Being once convinced that fear was the only cause of the obstinacy seen in horses taken to be gentled by force, it now remained to discover by what means that fear might be taken away. To take away fear, is, to inspire confidence; or, inspiring confidence, is taking away fear. I believe there is no person, who does not experience a more agreeable sensation, when another person combs his hair, than when he combs it himself. To be vulgar, who is there, that has not found a pleasure in having another rub his legs or arms, hands or feet, if he felt a pain in them, much more than if he rubbed them himself. We all know what pleasure it gives a parrot to have one scratch or rub him upon the head. Now, of the five senses, the sense of feeling possesses something more, as to its influence of materiality, than the other four. It has a similar effect upon animals as upon men. Whereas, the sense of hearing, and that of seeing, have, in many respects, a very different influence upon the human species to what they have upon animals. Animals, in general, are almost or quite insensible to that pleasure, which the human species enjoy, in contemplating beautiful or magnificent objects, though they frequently express great fear at others. They experience the same sensation of fear at sudden or disagreeable sounds, whilst they appear almost insensible to soft and melodious ones. The sense of feeling, in horses, seems to be as exquisite as in men; and in some cases, more so. A horse feels a lively pain at the stroke of a whip, or the prick of a pin. He feels a pleasure in being curried, rubbed and handled. It is well known, that an object that frightens a horse, at first sight, will become familiar to him in a short time--even in a few minutes. The same may be said of those sounds which frighten him at first: such as the explosion of a gun or cannon; to all of which he soon becomes familiar, provided they are not accompanied with any thing that operates upon the sense of feeling; but he will never become familiar to the crack of a whip, so as not to be afraid of it, if he has been accustomed to experience its effects, when vigorously applied to his back. To conclude: Take away FEAR--Inspire CONFIDENCE--FAMILIARIZE.

THE SECRET.

“A GENTLE HAND MAY LEAD THE ELEPHANT BY A HAIR.”

Cause your horse to be put into a small yard, stable or room. If in a stable or room, it ought to be a large one, in order to give him more exercise with the halter, before you lead him out. If the horse belongs to that class which appears only to fear man, you must introduce yourself gently into the stable, room or yard where the horse is. He will naturally run from you, and frequently turn his head from you; but you must walk about extremely slow and softly, so that he can see you, and whenever he turns his head towards you, which he never fails to do in a short time, say in a quarter of an hour, or half an hour--I never knew one to be much longer without turning towards me--at the very moment he turns his head, hold out your left hand towards him, and stand perfectly still, keeping your eyes upon the horse, and watching his motions, if he makes any. If the horse does not stir for ten or fifteen minutes, advance as slowly as possible, and without making the least noise, always holding out your left hand, without any other ingredient in it than what nature put in it. The reason of my having made use of certain ingredients before people--such as the sweat from under a man’s arm, &c.--was, to disguise the real secret; and Drinnen, as well as several others, believed that the docility to which the horse arrived, in so short a time, was owing to those ingredients. It will be seen, in this explanation of the secret, that they were of no use, whatever; but, by placing so much confidence in them, those who had succeeded in breaking one horse, failed in another, and that is what I foresaw.

No one can accuse me of bad faith, to whom I discovered this or any part of the secret; for I always intended to publish the whole. In the second place, many revealed what I had told them, after the most solemn promise to the contrary. Caution is the parent of safety: I, therefore, by multiplying the ingredients, caused a confusion amongst those who thought they knew the real secret. Though I revealed enough of the secret for a man to break a horse in a few hours, it was not enough to make the horse remain gentle; that is, generally speaking: for some horses would be perfectly gentle ever after; but the greater number would not. The implicit faith placed in these ingredients, though innocent of themselves, became faith without works; and thus men remained always in doubt concerning this important secret. The secret is a complete lesson of morality; for all is GENTLENESS--PATIENCE--PERSEVERANCE.

But, I return to the explanation of the secret. If the horse makes the least motion when you advance towards him, stop and stand perfectly still till he is quiet. Remain a few minutes in this position, and then advance again in the same slow, almost imperceptible manner. Take notice: If the horse stirs, stop without changing your position. It is very uncommon for a horse to stir more than once, after you begin to advance, yet there are exceptions. He generally keeps his eye steadfast on you, till you get nigh enough to touch him upon the forehead. When you are thus near to him, raise slowly, and by degrees, your hand, and let it come in contact with that part just above the nostrils, as lightly as possible. If the horse flinches, (as many will,) repeat with great rapidity those light taps or strokes upon the forehead, going a little further up towards his ears by degrees, and descending with the same rapidity, till he will let you handle his forehead all over. Now let the strokes be repeated with more force over all his forehead, descending by lighter touches to each side of his head, till you can handle that part with equal facility. Then touch, in the same light manner, making your hands and fingers play around the bottom or lower part of the horse’s ears, coming down, now and then, to his forehead, which may be looked upon as the helm that governs all the rest. Having succeeded in handling his ears, advance towards the neck with the same precautions, and in the same manner; observing always to augment the force of the strokes, whenever the horse will permit it. Perform the same on both sides of the neck, till he lets you take it in your arms without flinching. Proceed in the same progressive manner to the sides, and then to the back of the horse. Every time the horse shows any uneasiness, return immediately to the forehead, as the true standard, patting him with your hands, and from thence rapidly to where you had already arrived; always gaining ground, a considerable distance further on, every time this happens. The head, ears, neck and body being thus gentled, proceed from the back to the root of the tail. This must be managed with dexterity, as a horse is never to be depended upon that is skittish about the tail. Let your hand fall lightly and rapidly on that part next to the body a minute or two, and then you will begin to give it a slight pull upwards every quarter of a minute. At the same time, you continue this handling of him, augmenting the force of the strokes, as well as the raising of the tail, till you can raise it and handle it with the greatest ease, which commonly happens in a quarter of an hour in most horses; in others almost immediately, and in some much longer. It now remains to handle all his legs. From the tail come back again to the head; handle it well, as likewise the ears, neck, breast, &c., speaking now and then to the horse. Begin, by degrees, to descend to the legs, always ascending and descending, gaining ground every time you descend, till you get to his feet. Talk to the horse in Latin, Greek, French, English or Spanish, or in any other language you please, but let him hear the sound of your voice, which at the beginning of the operation is not quite so necessary, but which I have always done in making him lift up his feet:--“Hold up your foot,” “Leve le pied”--“Alza el pie”--“Aron ton poda,” &c., at the same time lift his foot with your hand. He soon becomes familiar with the sounds, and will hold up his foot at command. Then proceed to the hind feet, and go on in the same manner; and, in a short time, the horse will let you lift them, and even take them up in your arms. All this operation is no magnetism, no galvanism. It is merely taking away the fear a horse generally has of a man, and familiarizing him with him, as the horse experiences a certain pleasure from this handling of him. As a striking proof of this assertion, I will relate what I performed in the state of Neuvo Leon, upon a wild boar, taken two days before in the woods, without being wounded. He was shut up in a pen, or kind of cage, and was so furious that he had eaten nothing for thirty hours. When I came to the cage, which was standing in a back yard, he gnashed his teeth, and became enraged, and foamed in a terrible manner. I stood still before him for more than three quarters of an hour. I held a staff in my hand, around the end of which I wrapped a cloth pretty tight, and advanced it, by little and little, towards the head of the boar. He at first tried to catch it in his mouth; but, by continually repeating the trial, I succeeded in touching the bristles of his head. He made some resistance; but, after I had slightly touched his head a dozen times, he stood still. I continued this operation around his head, and then upon his sides, for half an hour, and also upon his belly and back. At the end of an hour, he appeared half asleep, and I passed the staff over him with great facility, till at last, seeing him so easy, I ventured to pass my hand through the grates, and touch him with it; which, so far from irritating him, he seemed to take an uncommon pleasure in being rubbed and scratched. Here, it must be observed, that, instead of giving light strokes or taps with the hand upon this animal, as I do with a horse, I rather scratched and rubbed him; and, in this manner I continued, till I handled him with as much ease as I could a dog, and even took hold of his tusks. I left him for half an hour, and when I came back, he was eating corn, for the first time since he had been caught. He appeared to have been about two years old. In the afternoon, I handled him again, for some time; and, finding him so extremely gentle, I ventured to take him out of the cage into the yard, though with the precaution of tying a rope about his neck, in case of his becoming refractory. Before I took him out, however, I made my servant and two or three Indian boys handle him. This last precaution was useless, as he followed me into the house, and ate corn out of my hand. I caused him to be handled and fed that evening and the next morning, when he was finally turned loose among the pigs. This was in the year 1825. I came away the next day, and heard no more of him, and have never had a second trial upon that kind of animals.