LEIE ARGENTINE. WAY WITH A HORSE: M O one accustomed to

the ways of English- horse-breakers, with the constant handling of the foal almost from its birth, the patent bits and reins and harness, and- all the compli- cated breaking tackle, the Argentine method seems primitive and very rough. But after all the only just. way to judge is to ride the " finished article " ; and more often than not the Argentine horse, with its easy collected lope and beautiful mouth, is a better " ride " than the English broken horse. The latter is too often a hard-mouthed, yawing, and thoroughly unpleasant animal.

When staying with a friend at his- estancia in.the Province of Cordoba I watched the proeees. of catching and- galloping a colt for the first time. After three or four- of the, estancia peones had been sent by the copalaz, or foreman, to bring upthe parada, or mob. of colts, the capalaz' and I sauntered down to the corrales to await their asrival. A fine figure of- a. man this capataz, tall, erect, with my hair and. moustechios; big black sombrero and short little embroidered jumper, topped.by a. large white silk handkerchief. Just. showing: underneath the jumper was a heavy silver belt, andalong silver knife was knelt- in the faja, or sash,. at the back. The neat little boots- with their high heels, carried long-rowelled Chilean spurs. He told. me of the breeding of the colt he was going to catch—how his airs was an imported thoroughbred and his dam a native mare. His pony was following behind him like a dog, the cared°, or raw-hide halter, in the hand_ of the capalaz being almost. superfluous.

It was summer and the alfallares (lucerne- paddocks) were a. waving growth of green, coloured in parte with a bluish-purple tinge caused by the flower breaking. into blossom.. In the, distance a bit of laud was. still• under the plough, a gleam of gold denoting a ripening crop of:wheat, and a vivid patelrof blue a square of linseed. There was. nothing to break.the monotony of the flat plain except some windmills, the estancia buildings, the fences, and the stock. A cloud of dust in the distance heralds the approach of the parada ; and soon r distinguish a mob of some forty horses ; one peon in front to stop them racing away, and the others behind to urge on the laggards. With a little encouragement they are driven through the corral gate, which is then securely fastened. This is probably only their second visit to the corrales ; the first was when they were branded: The corral is some twenty yards square, strongly fenced with- stout quebracho pasts sad. thick, wires.. The colts are a, good-looking lob, showing- clearly that, their father was no commoner. The. peones- tie. up their horses. outside the corral; except- the domador • (horse-breaker), who off-saddles jest out- .side, and then leads his horse to the patenke, or tying-post, returning to the corral on foot. He is a swarthy,. thickaset little fellow; showing more Indian then Spanish blood.

- The copulae now mounts his wise-looking pony (what an easy swing into the saddle for a man of sixty I), the gate is opened, and he comes slowly into the corral untying the lasso from the back of the saddle. Taking the loose coils in his- bridle-hand, he runs a sufficient. number through the iron ring to form the noose. The colt he has decided to catch is a good-looking

chestnut, with four white stockings, and has rather a small, bad:tempered eye. The capalaz gives his lasso a few easy

revolutions above his head ; the arm. is, practically stationary, but the wrist is moving with delightful suppleness. The colts- are racing round the corral in fear of that swinging rope, raising the dust in-such clouds that I can catch only a glimpse of whirl.

ing manes and tails. Just for a moment the dust, subsides, and I see the capable with an easy tossing movement throw the noose over the chestanit'a head, tightening it with a quick Hick of the wrist. This is- a wonderful movement. The tautness,, as it were, becomes: visible, and shivers along the lasso from the man's hand. like, a wriggling snake or a fast-moving ripple on water. Responding to an invisible pressure of the lege, the. capataz's pony follows the chestnut. If it did not, something: unpleasant would. happen, for when the lassoed colt. came to the end of the rope at full speed the lassador's pony; ,remaining stationary, might be thrown off its feet by the shock, As it is, the half-choked: chestnut is brought gradually to a standstill. At once peones slip into the corral on foot with their lassoes to' catch the. fore-legs of the chestnut.

Now is the-time the old capataz must keep his. wits- ahout,him, because as the peones approach the chestnut backs-and plunges, and breaks. first one way and then the other, hi short rushes, like a hooked salmon. The capataz must ever keep Ns pony's head towards the lassoed colt, and must not let the else get.

between his own pony's legs or the chestnut's ; the first mistake

would. almost certainly mean a bad fall, the second pubahly a broken-leg for the chestnut. After several attempts one of the-- peones neatly catches the fore-legs of the colt- as he goes past, and in an instant the others drop their ropes and go to help their comrade. The capalaz pulls the chestnut from behind by the neck, the men on foot pull the legs forward, and tints the animal is thrown off hishalance, rears up, and crashes over back- wards. The capataz loosens his lasso ; one man jumps to the colt's head. and keeps it on the ground, and two others with. the. shortened lasso keep a strain on his fore-legs so that he cannot rise. The time has come for the domador to saddle the colt.

The domador fits a raw-hide head-stall on to the chestnut's- head, and buttons the long raw-hide- halter on to, it. He then ties a soft leather thong twice round the: colt's bottom, jaw-- behind the tushes if these have appeared. The reins are single, Ave feet long,. andvery strong. This method of control is found

to bring an even strain on the horse's whole lower jaw, and this. does not always happen in English- horse-breaking. Next, then ,domador cautiously ties the two hind-lege together with a stout, piece of hide some six inches long that buttons round each bind. leg below the hock. The. fore-legs are now released and the. colt: is- induced to stand up. After one plunge he stands quite still,. trembling. One of the men grasps. his near ear in such a way as to cover up the eye and. prevent him seeing the domador saddling up. This use of the- fore-arm at once as. a.blinker and: as a, support. for the man is a characteristic movement of-the peones in handling. horses. Very gingerly the chnnador places the first blankets on the chestnut's back; there are three or four of these, the last to go on being a leather one. Then come. the: bastes, two padded rolls just laced together. Over all is placed the broad leather girth, or dacha, from which comes our slang. word " cinch "—i.e., something se secure that it cannot fail.

The domador proceeds carefully to thread the tying-thong of girth through and through the rings. But the pressure on • belly is too much for the chestnut ; with one plunge he sends. domador, ear-holder, and saddle flying in different direCtions, and tows the man.holding the halter round the corral face dawn- and blaspheming. The other men pink themselves up, come: to. his rescue, and pall up the chestnut. The saddling up is begun. all over again. This time the girth is tightened successfully, and the sheepskin is placed on top, and tied down with the cinthon, or little girth.

The colt is taken out of the yard, and on the way shows a little of his .quality by two or three very useful bucks, despite the manias that are still on his hind-legs. Outside he is firmly held, whilst the domador undoes the manias. The capataz ands peon mount their ponies, one each side of the colt in order to ride .him off the fences. The domador mounts leisurely and carefully—any sudden movement would throw the colt into an instant panic, though there must be a certain amount of panic in any case—reaches for his off stirrup, gets his grip, and jerks out a " Large to 1"—" Let him go !" Fer a second the chestnut stands perfectly still, and then, with something between a snort and a squeal, sets himself to get rid of the inexplicable burden on his back.

It is-alnagnificent sight .to watch a horse with thoroughbred blood in him buck, especially when the man on his back is an artist, and in the ease I am describing the rider was certainly that. Now watch the chestnut.! With his nose almost on the ground between his fore-legs, he bucks in a circle less than ten feet in diameter. Then sucblenlyin the middle of a spring he buns right round and bucks in the opposite direction. Next he gives up the circle " stunt " and tries straight bucking, but this is child's-play to the domador, who begins hitting him with his whip all over the body—neck, shoulders, flanks, and quarters. The chestnut bolts from the punishment, but the two padritia- dorm- are ready-for him; keeping alongside, they let him run for some three hundred yards, and then skilfully steer him towards the tying-post. As they all approach this, the domador takes two or threegood pulls at the colt's mouth with all his strength, A good man will not do more, for one of the chief secrete of "'mouthing " is to pull hard but not too-often. The colt stands still. He is already nearly exhausted by this brief gruelling. Getting a good grip on the head-stall with his left hand, the. domador quietly dismounts. The colt is-secured to the tying- post in such a way that should he fall or attempt to roll, he cannot get his feet over the halter. He is now tied again by the hind-legs for off-saddling. For some time after a horse is caught up this method is used both for saddling and off- saddling. Thanks to it, not one Argentine pony out of a hundred cowkieks when -you tighten his girth or mount.

The chestnut will be left tied up all night, and will be galloped a little further the next morning. Then he will be let loose, after being thoroughly handled- all over and well petted. He will be ridden round the paddocks for short distances every day for perhaps a week, and then gradually his education as a cattle pony will begin. No bit will be put in his mouth for probably six months. And it is in a great measure due to the neckmuscles being softened, without the tongue and bottom jaw becoming callous, that the ordinary Argentine pony possesses such an excellent mouth.

Good domadoree are scarce ; for to be a good domador the posses- sion of a firm seat is not enough. As the word implies, a domador must be able to tame ; and many first-class riders are valueless as tamers for the simple reason that they do not mind if a horse bucks or not, It is indeed a treat to part cattle on a perfectly trained pingo, which instantly responds to the slightest sway of the body, and-jumps from a walk to full speed almost at once from the least pressure of the legs. Alas ! the days of parting cattle on horseback ore nearly over, as the parting gate is every- where coming into use. I know that the freezers—the meat- buyers—will not agree with me, for they would rather have tuibruised cattle than let me have my sport. There have been many hard things said about the Argentine pony, especially after the Boer War, but any one who has worked with him and ridden him continually in his own country at his own job loves him for his intelligence and pluck. If he has a big

head, he also has a devil of a big heart. J. M. T.