MR JOHN DEWE AT CHRISTCHURCH.

West Coast Times, Issue 4259, 12 March 1883, Page 2

MR JOHN DEWE AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Under the heading of "Horse-tamins: at Tattersall's, " the Cliristchurch Star" of the 27th ult. has the following : — Rareys' humane and gentle system of breaking in a horse to the bit and bridle, and making it a useful animal to its owner, can still hardly be said to be the common method employed. Despite the strides we have made in our civilisation, there are little places left for improvement yet, especially in our treatment of dumb animals, Mr John Dewe's is the improved style of doing things, and his exhibition last night must have been a lesson in humanity to many people. Not that there was anything mysterious or unknown in it ; it was simply an example of that combination of patience and gentleness which always leads to the best results in men's dealings with the brute creation. The conditions under which he undertook to reduce to docility an unbroken mare, and another vicious one, belonging to Mr. A. Kelsey, were none of the most favorable. He was surrounded by a far from courteous or reasonable crowd of people, occupying the seats around the well-known rostrum of Messrs Matson and Campbell, whose match-striking, interruptions, noises, and sallies of rude wit, must have had an effect the very reverse of soothing, either on himself or on his horses. He was, however/, very successful, in spite of them, and the glare of the gaslight, which must also have been against him. Mr Wright haying introduced Mr Dewe to the the audience, which numbered some 250 people, by saying that Messrs Matson and Co, had. granted him the use of the place without guaranteeing the merits of the performance in any way, and stipulating that no cruelty should be used during it, proceedings began. After some preliminary operations on a horse which was supposed to be broken in, Mr Dewe tackled a rakish, looking piebald Chatham Island mare, the property of Mr Russell, who had purchased her from Mr James Grigg. The brute was evidently as wild as a hare and entered the ring snorting and evidently terrified. We understand that Mr Dewe had never seen her before and that no one had been on her back up to that time. How wild the unbroken Moriori was may be judged from the fact that it was just a quarter of an hour before she allowed the horsetamer to lay a finger on her neck. But by patience, deliberate movements, and quietness, before 50 minutes were up. he had put the halter on, bridled her, hobbled her, and she was nearly as docile and tractable as a dog. At each succeeding step of the process there was loud applause, for the stable-boys and grooms who had had to do with her were.evidently looking for a war between man and mare, and little expected the rapid education effected by the former. For the brute was not conquered and cowed, but simply tamed and accustomed to handling. Mr Dewe finally, after 'doing all that was imaginable in the way of standing up in the saddle, vaulting on to the mare's back, cracking the whip all about her, &c, &c, I with her near fore-leg strapped up, repeated his experiments with the animal at freedom. She allowed him to stand and walk about on her as she lay on the ground, pull her legs, and, in fact, do what he Eked with her. The whip was never used to lash the horse, but simply to accustom it to noise.

A second trial was made with, a vicious little brown. Chatham Island mare, the property of Mr Kelsey, who sent with her the following letter :—: — " Opawa, Feb. 21, 1883. " Dear Sir, — The following is a list of vices practised by my pony before you took her in hand : — She is a Chatham Island filly, rising 5 years old. She has a very vioious temper, whioh has been increased by ill-treatment before I had her. She is very dangerous to approach, and has chased two or three people out of the stable and round a good-sized yard. She is very fond of bucking when you first get in the saddle, having sent me and others over her head. She is very fidgety while harnessing her, and also when you are taking the same off. It took all the forenoon to get the front shoes on. Trusting you will be able to cure her. — I am, &c, " A. H. Kelsey. " In a few minutes the same style of treatment had proved efficacious. The little brown mare, which had commenced by lashing out once or twice when Dewe approached her, allowed herself to be saddled and ridden in the meekest manner possible. Mr Dewe gives another exhibition of his method in a short time, when promises of any number of wild unhandled colts have been made for him to operate on.