Philip Tome told this story of his father's efforts to win a bet by taming a horse (Tome 1854: 23-26).

In 1799, my father being at Irving Stephenson’s tavern at the mouth of Pine Creek found there a large collection of men. A horse called the Blue Dun was kept there. It was a very large and powerful horse and it was with difficulty that three men could take him from the stable. My father witnessed the operation and laughed, saying that he could take the horse from the stable without any assistance. The others disputed this stoutly, saying that the horse would kill him if he attempted it, upon which he offered to bet twenty dollars that he could perform it. His offer was soon accepted and as he had not the money by him, he requested a loan of twenty dollars of an acquaintance who stood near. The man readily granted his request and offered to go halves with him. He felt confident, from his acquaintance with my father, that he would accomplish it. The money was accordingly staked.

Stevenson [sic] then remarked that four were concerned, two on a side, and proposed to add to the bet four bottles of wine and four dinners. The opposite party thought there was no risk and were willing to bet anything, so the proposal was accepted. My father then stipulated that he should be allowed to strike the horse just as he chose. The opposite party insisted that he should not strike the horse at all, and they finally left the matter to four men who decided that he might strike the horse in any manner he chose provided he did it no material injury. He then prepared to go into the stable.

When they saw him so willing to perform his undertaking they offered to withdraw the bet, fearing that he would be killed at the first movement. But my father said, “No. What I have said, I will try to do.”

As he opened the door and went in, they tried to persuade him to abandon the undertaking saying that he would lose his life. He replied coolly, “I have to die but once.”

He went up to the horse and spoke coaxingly, when it looked ill-natured and turned to kick him. He struck the horse three times in the flank with his open hand, so sharply that it sounded like the crack of a whip. When he spoke to the horse again he stood and trembled. He then went to the horse’s head to put on a bridle when he appeared restive and attempted to bite him. He spoke to him again and struck him three times with a stick which he held in his hands so severely that the third blow brought him to his knees. The animal now seemed subdued and trembled from head to foot.

My father then put the bridle upon him, which had not been done by one man alone for a year. He then spoke to the horse, wheeled him around, and led him out of the stable. Seeing another horse be began to plunge, when my father struck him in flank three times with his open hand and the second and third blows brought him to his knees. As he dropped to his knee the last time, my father sprang upon his back.

The horse went off very quiet and gentle and he rode it to the water, came back, dismounted and led him around the yard by the bridle in sight of other horses, but yet he remained quiet and docile. He then made him jump three or four times over a horse-trough four or five feet high.

He now told the others that if they would give him a bottle of wine he would take him up a flight of stairs that led to the chamber-floor of the barn. They said if he would do it they would give him five bottles of wine. He took the horse by the bridle and led him up the stairs and down, when they gave up the bets.