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BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
RIDING: ON THE FLAT AND ACROSS COUNTRY.
A Guide to Practical Horsemanship. Third Edition. Illustrated by
STURGESS. Square 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._
_The Standard._--“A master of his subject.”
VETERINARY NOTES FOR HORSE OWNERS.
A Popular Manual of Veterinary Surgery and Medicine. Fourth Edition.
Illustrated. Crown 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._
_The Field._--“Of the many popular veterinary books which have come
under our notice, this is certainly one of the most scientific and
reliable.”
TRAINING AND HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA.
Fourth Edition. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._
_The Veterinary Journal._--“No better guide could be placed in the hands
of either amateur horseman or veterinary surgeon.”
SOUNDNESS AND AGE OF HORSES. Over 100 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 8_s._
6_d._
_The Field._--“Is evidently the result of much careful research, and the
horseman, as well as the veterinarian, will find in it much that is
interesting and instructive.”
INDIAN RACING REMINISCENCES. Illustrated by I. KNOX FERGUSSON. Crown.
8vo. 8_s._ 6_d._
_The Field._--“The last page comes all too soon.”
THE STUDENT’S MANUAL OF TACTICS. Crown 8vo. 6_s._
_The Times._--“Captain Hayes’s book deals exclusively with tactics, and
is a well-considered treatise on that branch of the art of war, giving
not merely rules, but, also, principles and reason.”
ILLUSTRATED
HORSE BREAKING.
[Illustration]
ILLUSTRATED
HORSE BREAKING.
BY
CAPT. M. HORACE HAYES,
LATE OF ‘THE BUFFS.’
AUTHOR OF “RIDING: ON THE FLAT AND ACROSS COUNTRY;”
“VETERINARY NOTES FOR HORSE OWNERS;”
“RACING REMINISCENCES IN INDIA;”
“TRAINING AND HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA,” ETC.
Fifty-two Illustrations by
J. H. OSWALD BROWN.
LONDON:
W. THACKER & CO., 87, NEWGATE STREET.
CALCUTTA: THACKER, SPINK & CO.
BOMBAY: THACKER & CO. LIMITED
1889.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I.--THEORY OF HORSE-BREAKING 1
II.--PRINCIPLES OF MOUTHING 41
III.--HORSE-CONTROL 77
IV.--RENDERING HORSES DOCILE 147
V.--GIVING HORSES GOOD MOUTHS 166
VI.--TEACHING HORSES TO JUMP 188
VII.--MOUNTING HORSES FOR THE FIRST TIME 197
VIII.--BREAKING HORSES FOR LADIES’ RIDING 209
IX.--BREAKING HORSES TO HARNESS 212
X.--FAULTS OF MOUTH 216
XI.--NERVOUSNESS AND IMPATIENCE OF CONTROL 222
XII.--JIBBING IN SADDLE 227
XIII.--JUMPING FAULTS 230
XIV.--VICES IN HARNESS 233
XV.--AGGRESSIVENESS 242
XVI.--RIDING AND DRIVING THE NEWLY-BROKEN HORSE 247
XVII.--STABLE VICES 251
XVIII.--TEACHING THE HORSE TRICKS 259
XIX.--TESTING A HORSE’S MANNERS, MOUTH, AND TEMPER 271
XX.--ON IMPROVISED GEAR 272
APPENDIX 274
ILLUSTRATIONS.
FIG. PAGE
1.--HORSE BENDING HIS NECK TO THE REIN WITHOUT SWINGING
ROUND HIS HIND-QUARTERS AT THE SAME TIME, IN
ANSWER TO THE PULL 58
2.--SHEWS HORSE HAVING ANSWERED THE PULL OF OFF REIN
AS HE SHOULD, AND CONSEQUENTLY COMING STRAIGHT
AT HIS FENCE 61
3.--THE PROPER LENGTH FOR A STANDING MARTINGALE 70
4.--FIRST LOOP IN FORMING A HALTER 79
5.--SECOND STEP IN FORMING A ROPE HALTER 79
6.--ROPE-HALTER ON POLE, READY FOR USE 82
7.--HALTING VICIOUS HORSE WITH ROPE-HALTER ON POLE 83
8.--PRATT’S METHOD OF HALTERING 87
9.--NOOSING A FORE-LEG 90
10.--PULLING UP A FORE-LEG WHEN NOOSED 91
11.--PICKING UP A FORE-LEG 95
12.--HOW TO HOLD UP A FORE-LEG 97
13.--RAREY’S LEG-STRAP 100
14.--TYING UP FORE-LEG WITH STIRRUP LEATHER 101
15.--THE BEST METHOD OF FASTENING UP A FORE-LEG 103
16.--A STIRRUP LEATHER AS USED FOR HOLDING UP A FORE-LEG 106
17.--THE HALTER-TWITCH 109
18.--DO. DO. 110
19.--PRATT’S ROPE-TWITCH, FIRST PORTION 114
20.--PRATT’S TWITCH COMPLETED 115
21.--PRATT’S TWITCH ON HORSE’S HEAD, AND TIGHTENED AT
WORD “STEADY” 116
22.--HEAD-STALL TWITCH ON HORSE 117
23.--THE BRIDLE-TWITCH, FRONT AND NEAR-SIDE VIEW 119
24.--THE BRIDLE-TWITCH, OFF-SIDE VIEW 120
25.--THE STRAIGHT-JACKET 122
26.--HORSE WITH STRAIGHT-JACKET ON 123
27.--PICKING UP A HIND-LEG 127
28.--FIRST STEP IN PICKING UP A HIND-LEG WITHOUT THE
ASSISTANCE OF A HELPER 130
29.--SECOND STEP IN PICKING UP A HIND-LEG WITHOUT THE
ASSISTANCE OF A HELPER 133
30.--SHEWING HOW TO FASTEN A ROPE TO THE END OF HORSE’S
TAIL WITH A “DOUBLE SHEET BEND” 136
31.--HIND HOOF HELD UP BY TWO ASSISTANTS WITH ROPE FROM
TAIL 137
32.--LEG PULLED BACK WITH ONE ROPE, A METHOD TO BE
AVOIDED, AS THROWING THE HORSE OFF HIS BALANCE 139
33.--MODE OF FASTENING A ROPE TO A SHORT TAIL 140
34.--SHORT-TAILED HORSE WITH ROPES ATTACHED TO TAIL 141
35.--IMPROVISED HOBBLE MADE WITH A STIRRUP IRON 144
36.--WOODEN GAG 145
37.--CRUPPER LEADING REIN 149
38.--THROWING A HORSE BY MEANS OF PULLING HIS HEAD
ROUND WITH A ROPE 155
39.--HORSE WITH HIS HEAD PULLED ROUND WHEN THROWN 159
40.--BEST METHOD OF KEEPING A HORSE ON THE GROUND THAT
HAS FALLEN IN HARNESS 163
41.--HORSE WITH DRIVING GEAR ON 168
42.--HORSE WITH DRIVING PAD ON, NEW MODEL 169
43.--BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF POSITION OF DRIVER 175
44.--DRIVING ON FOOT 184
45.--DO. DO. 185
46.--HORSE PREPARED TO BE MOUNTED FOR THE FIRST TIME 200
47.--SECONG STAGE IN BREAKING A HORSE FOR RIDING 201
48.--PULLING KICKER’S HEAD ROUND IN STALL 253
49.--TAIL TIED WITH TAPES TO PREVENT HORSE RUBBING IT 257
50.--COMMANCHE BRIDLE, OFF SIDE 262
51.--COMMANCHE BRIDLE, NEAR SIDE 263
52.--THE KNOT ON OFF SIDE OF COMMANCHE BRIDLE ENLARGED 264
PREFACE.
I offer this work to the favourable consideration of the public, as an
attempt to describe a reasoned-out system of horse-breaking, which I
have found, by practical experience, to be easy of execution, rapid in
its effects, and requiring the possession of no exceptional strength,
activity, pluck, or horsemanship by the operator, who, to become expert
in it, will, as a rule, need only practice. It is in accordance with our
English and Irish ideas on the subject; for it aims at teaching the
horse “manners,” and giving him a snaffle-bridle mouth; so that he will
“go up to the bridle,” and “bend” himself in thorough obedience to rein
and leg.
As a personal explanation, I may mention that after having spent many
years racing and training in India, during which time I practised the
ordinary methods of breaking, I returned to England, where I learned the
use of the standing martingale and long driving reins, as applied
specially to jumpers, from Mr. John Hubert Moore, who was the cleverest
“maker” of steeplechasers Ireland ever knew. He, I may remark, obtained
these methods, in his youth, from an old Irish breaker, named Fallon,
who was born more than a century ago. I had also valuable instruction in
“horse taming” from Professor Sample. Having read an account of MM.
Raabe and Lunel’s “_hippo-lasso_,” as a means of control for veterinary
operations, I conceived, with happy results, the idea of utilising this
ingenious contrivance in breaking. I also learned, about the same time,
how to halter a loose horse without running any danger of being kicked,
or bitten.
Having thus acquired a fair amount of information, on what has always
been to me a favourite subject, I naturally wished to put it into
practice.
As I knew, judging from my former ignorance, how much men in India stood
in need of instruction in horse-breaking, I determined to return to that
country with the object of teaching this art; so as to acquire the
experience I needed, and to “pay my expenses” at the same time. I am
glad to say that I was successful in both respects. During a two years’
tour, I held classes at all the principal stations of the Empire--from
Tricinopoly to Peshawur, and from Quetta to Mandalay--and, having met a
very large number of vicious animals and fine horsemen, I obtained
experience, and greatly added to my stock of knowledge, which I shall
now try to utilise for the benefit of my readers. As I proceeded through
India, I felt the necessity of rejecting some methods I had formerly
prized, altering others, and adopting new ones; so that the course of
instruction which I was able to give to my more recent classes, was far
more extensive, and of better proved utility, than what I had to offer
at the beginning of my travels. The great want which I had, at first,
felt was a method by which a person could secure and handle, with
perfect safety, any horse, no matter how vicious he might be. However,
after many kicks, a few bites, and several lucky escapes, I was able to
perfect the required method, which is so simple, that the only wonder is
that I did not think of it before. I may explain that the Australian
horses met with in India, where they form a considerable proportion of
the animals used for riding and driving, are far more dangerous and
difficult to handle and control, than British stock. Had I remained in
England all my life, I should not have acquired a quarter of the
experience of vicious horses I was afforded, during the time I lately
spent in India. It goes almost without saying, that the harder the
pupil is to teach, the greater chance has the instructor of becoming
expert in his business. I need hardly say, that I shall, always, be very
grateful to any of my readers who may favour me with special information
on this, or kindred subjects.
I may mention, that, after returning from India, I held classes in
England, Gibraltar, Malta, Egypt, Ceylon, Singapore, and China.
I have much pleasure in giving, in the body of this work, the sources
from which I have taken various hints.
The chief claim I, here, make to originality, is, that in bringing
together the results of experience in different countries, I have
endeavoured to reduce the art of breaking horses to a more or less
complete system, many of the principles of which, I venture to think, I
have been the first to expound, and that I have made several
improvements in existing methods. The new things which I have introduced
need no special mention here.
My best thanks are due to Mr. J. H. Oswald Brown, for the faithful and
painstaking manner in which he has illustrated the letter-press of this
book. The drawings speak for themselves.
Although I am aware that the proceeding on my part may be deemed
unusual; still, in order to strengthen my words, I have ventured to
submit to my readers, in an appendix, the recorded opinions of various
members of my classes on the practical working of the theories and
methods described in this book.
I shall, at all times, be ready to give practical instruction to persons
wishing to learn this art of making the horse a safe, and pleasant
conveyance.
JUNIOR ARMY AND NAVY CLUB,
ST. JAMES’S STREET, LONDON. S.W.
_January 1, 1889._
ILLUSTRATED HORSE-BREAKING.
CHAPTER I.
THEORY OF HORSE-BREAKING.
Object of horse-breaking--Causes of faults which can be remedied by
breaking--Vice in the horse--Distinction between nervousness and
deliberate vice--Mental qualities of the horse--Association of
ideas in breaking--Value and scope of breaking--On the possibility
of overcoming any form of vice--Necessity for obtaining control
over the horse--On the nature of the coercion to be applied to
unruly horses--Punishment--Fatigue as a means of
subjugation--Effect of the voice--Personal influence in
breaking--Advisability of possessing various methods of breaking--A
good mouth, the chief requirement--Permanency in the effects of
breaking--Expedition in breaking--The ordinary method of
breaking--Breaking by kindness alone--The rough and ready style of
breaking--Summary of the principles of the art of rendering horses
docile.
_The object of horse-breaking_ is to teach the animal to obey the orders
of his master in the best possible manner. Hence, this art includes
instruction in the advantageous application of his powers, as well as
methods for rendering him docile.
* * * * *
_Causes of faults which can be remedied by breaking are_:--1.
Nervousness; or the unnecessary fear of the presence or handling of man,
or of the effect of any of the horse’s other surroundings, which,
however startling they might be to him in a wild state, he can find by
experience will not hurt him.
2. Impatience of control, which frequently co-exists with nervousness,
in the same animal.
3. Ignorance of the meaning of the indications used by man to convey his
wishes to the horse.
4. Deliberate disobedience. There is no doubt that sulkiness of temper
is, often, inherited.
5. Active hostility, which, as far as my experience goes, is, always,
the result of bad treatment, whether brought on by cruelty, or by
allowing a naturally fractious animal to get the upper hand.
It is evident that vices caused by disease, or infirmity, do not come
within the province of the breaker.
6. The fact of having been taught some trick--for instance, kicking when
touched behind the saddle--the practice of which constitutes a vice.
* * * * *
_Vice in the Horse_, from a breaking point of view, may be held to
signify the practice, on the part of the animal towards man, of
disobedience--wilful or otherwise--of any legitimate command; or want of
docility.
* * * * *
_The distinction between nervousness and deliberate vice_ may be easily
made, if we observe how a horse acts after we have proved to him that he
need have no fear of us. For instance, if we fix up a horse, say, in a
“strait-jacket,” (see page 118) so that he cannot kick, and continue to
“gentle” him over with our hand, until he is thoroughly assured of the
good faith of our intentions; we might justly term him a vicious brute
if he kicked at us, without our touching him, the moment the restraint
was removed. I may mention, in this connection, that fear of the near
approach of man will often induce a purely nervous animal to kick out,
if a person, and especially a stranger, ventures to come within reach.
Although we may frequently find a horse kick from nervousness, he will
rarely bite from that cause alone. As a verbal distinction between
faults due to deliberate vice, and those caused by fear of man, or of
the animal’s strange surroundings, would not, generally, be understood
at first glance, I need not attempt to make it in these pages.
The more experience I acquire in the breaking of horses, the more
convinced I become, that the so-called “nervousness” of animals that
have been handled some time, is largely made up of impatience of
control, and, in many cases, of active hostility. Without, for a moment,
imputing intentional deceit to a “nervous” “old stager,” I make bold to
assert that many crafty, dangerous brutes pose before their owners as
ill-used victims of a too highly strung nervous system. Take, for
instance, an aged horse, like many I have met, that snorts with apparent
terror at anyone that approaches him, and is ready, on the slightest
chance of reaching his mark, to strike out in front, or lash out from
behind, if saddling or mounting him be attempted. His nervous emotion,
the first time he was taken in hand, or the first time he began his
unpleasant tricks, may have been thoroughly genuine; but its exhibition
was evidently attended with the result of his more or less successfully
resisting control. This act of insubordination having revealed to the
horse the extent of his own power, which, to every animal, is a
pleasurable sensation, was naturally repeated again and again, until the
vicious habit was confirmed; although its necessity might have been,
scores and scores of times, disproved by the saddling or mounting
having been accomplished without the infliction of any pain to the
horse, however great the trouble may have been to the groom or rider. In
the case I have mentioned, the fault lay with the person who had charge
of the animal, and who ought to have, then and there, mastered him the
very first time he shewed resistance to a legitimate order. Whether the
continued failure to resist discipline was caused by the infliction of
cruelty, or by the exhibition of incompetence on the part of the man,
matters little as regards their detrimental result on the animal,
except, that unsuccessful punishment always aggravates a vice to a
deplorable extent. I am inclined to think that really nervous horses are
not as naturally “game” as their more placid fellows; while I am
thoroughly convinced, that the majority of the _pseudo_ nervous sort are
sulky, treacherous brutes. I am, however, ready to admit that there are
many exceptions to the rule I have ventured to lay down. At the same
time, it would be most unwise to ignore the fact that the repetition of
any trick, however it may be caused, the practice of which renders the
animal difficult of control, has an increasingly bad effect on him the
longer it be continued.
_Mental qualities of the Horse._--The possibility of our being able to
obtain an easy mastery over the horse, who is greatly our superior in
strength and activity, and quite our equal in pluck, rests on the fact
that instinct, rather than reason, guides his actions. To investigate
this, we may try the experiment, when standing to the side and a little
to the rear of a kicker, of touching him about the hocks or quarters
with a conveniently long stick, when, if he “lets out” straight behind
him, we may conclude that this is a purely reflex or instinctive action
on his part. If the animal kicks at the stick, as the cause of
annoyance, he certainly conducts himself in a manner that is not
altogether irrational. But if he tries to kick the man who holds the
stick, we cannot deny him the possession of reasoning power. In order
that my meaning be not misunderstood, I here suppose that this
experimental horse is one which would viciously kick a person who, when
standing behind him, would be rash enough to touch the animal, however
gently, with his hand; and not one whose kick would be more of a
push--to remove an offending object--than a blow. Luckily, horses that
can reason, even to such a small extent as this, are rare.
I usually teach horses to lie down (see page 153) by tying up, in the
first instance, one fore-leg, arranging the necessary gear, and then
making the animal forcibly “go down.” Although many horses will “fight”
desperately, time after time, when they are thus compelled to submit,
and at a moment when they are utterly helpless, I have never found one
that would resent, as a result of this hard-earned experience, the
preliminary tying up of the fore-leg. But after having even once been
twitched in the usual way, a horse will, as a rule, “fight” the moment
his muzzle is touched. In the first case, owing to the more distant
connection, the animal is unable to associate the idea of the irksome
compulsion employed to make him lie down, with that of tying up his leg;
apparently to us an extremely simple mental effort. In the second
instance, the action of the muscles, on the hand touching the muzzle,
would seem almost entirely instinctive.
The useful intelligence of the horse undoubtedly depends on the
retentiveness of his memory, upon which we should work in educating him
to become our faithful servant. If, however, we neglect the cultivation
of this his chief mental gift, and try to gain our end by stimulating
other and weaker qualities of his mind, we shall run a serious risk of
spoiling his disposition. It has been often remarked to me by good
judges--and it is my own experience--that teaching horses a lot of
tricks, the acquisition of which demands some strain on their reasoning
powers, and petting them, are very apt to cause them to become crafty
and difficult to manage. In acting as I have advised, we follow the
practice of judicious parents who educate their sons according to the
lads’ respective talents. Thus, for instance, a boy with an extremely
retentive memory, but small capacity for reasoning out problems, would
have a fair chance of shining as a linguist; although he would,
certainly, prove a failure as a mathematician.
The feeling of self-preservation is so strongly implanted in the mind of
every animal, and the retentiveness of the horse’s memory is so great,
that, if once the idea of his being our physical superior gets into his
head, he will, naturally, be inclined to resist our commands. Hence, it
is a maxim among all good breakers, that, if possible, a horse should
never be allowed to know his own power. As a corollary to this, I may
state that if we have a dispute as to discipline with a horse, we should
not part company before making him yield; lest he may carry away the
mischievous impression that he has got the best of the battle. The
breaker need not attempt too much in any one lesson; but what he
undertakes he should succeed in performing before quitting his pupil.
For instance, with a horse that will not allow his hind legs to be
touched, the breaker may reasonably content himself with making him
quiet to handle about these parts, without insisting on his standing
submissively to be shod behind--an operation that may be attempted on
the following day. We should also make use of our knowledge of the
limited scope of a horse’s reasoning powers, to change the subject of
contention, if we fear that there is any chance of our being worsted in
a pitched battle with the animal; so that the victory--even if it does
not affect the original cause of dispute--shall always remain on our
side. As an illustration, I may mention the advisability of forcibly
making a determined and headstrong runaway lie down, until he thoroughly
“gives in”; in order to make him yield the more readily to the
indications of the rein.
_Association of ideas in breaking._--As association of ideas is the most
valuable aid we possess to memory, we should largely utilise the
practical working out of this principle in breaking. The intelligent
obedience to the voice of their driver, in turning, stopping, going on,
and in varying their paces, displayed by many cart-horses, is a common
instance; as is, also, that of the ’bus horse, who starts onward the
moment he hears the door of the conveyance slammed-to by the conductor.
A friend of mine had a horse that became so increasingly difficult to
mount, that at last he found it impossible to get on to him by ordinary
means, on account of the animal “breaking away” the moment he attempted
to put his toe into the stirrup. Living near a river, he hit on the
expedient of placing the horse with his off side “broad-side on,” and
close to, a steep part of the bank, and then attempting to mount on the
near side. As usual, when the man’s foot touched the iron, the horse
swung round, and, on this occasion only, fell down twenty feet into the
river. The effect of this lesson, which was entirely harmless, was to
make the animal perfectly steady to mount, so long as he stood on the
bank of the river, in a position similar to that from which he had had
his tumble; but he was just as difficult to mount as ever, anywhere
else. Such a method, to be perfect, should be of universal, and not of
local, application. I may add, with reference to my remarks on page 4,
that my friend’s unruly brute of a horse would, by many, be deemed a
nervous creature, and a worthy recipient of any amount of kindness and
petting. The most effective means of applying the principle of
association of ideas to the breaking of vicious horses, is one by which
the animal arrives at the right conclusion from wrong premisses; as with
Pratt’s rope-twitch (see page 113), when making a horse steady to mount.
Evidently mistaking the cause of the pain inflicted on him by its
employment, he connects the idea of punishment with the word “steady,”
and not with the application of the cord. Were he able to argue rightly
on this subject, he would remain quiet only when the twitch was on, and
would entirely disregard the verbal admonition, for which he entertains
such marked respect.
_Value and scope of breaking._--The scope of breaking is wider than
persons might generally imagine; for not alone does it include the
education of the untutored animal, but it also embraces the correction
of faults, which, while seriously detracting from the horse’s value, are
usually looked upon as unavoidable dispensations that have to be borne
with becoming philosophy; as, for instance, prancing and refusal to walk
quietly, when “fresh”; chucking up the head; stargazing; boring to one
side; shewing excitement in harness when the whip is cracked; shying off
the ball at polo; refusal to stand perfectly steady when being mounted;
etc. I need hardly say that the knowledge, which I shall endeavour to
impart to my readers, of the art of giving a horse a snaffle-bridle
mouth and to render him steady and reliable, is of infinitely more value
to everyone, except, perhaps, to the showman who requires an
advertisement, than instruction, which I shall also supply, in methods
for taming man-eaters, and other exceptionally dangerous animals. This
art of “horse taming” is of very little practical use; for the need of
its application is of but rare occurrence. Even the celebrated Rarey,
after subduing three or four “savages,” when in England, had to content
himself with exhibiting them about the country, as reformed characters,
for lack of new subjects on which to shew his skill. When wishing to
form a class for practical instruction in breaking, during my tours, I
have frequently met with the objection that there were no vicious horses
in that particular place. As I always replied that I needed animals with
only common faults of mouth and temper, I was never at a loss for
subjects to demonstrate the fact, that there are but few horses that are
entirely free from some riding or driving fault, which, more or less,
impairs their value, and which, as a rule, can be readily overcome. The
more frequent vices I have encountered among army horses are:
unsteadiness at mounting; “rushing” at fences; refusing to quit the
ranks; refusing to jump; buckjumping (among Australian horses); and
“difficult to shoe behind.”
_On the possibility of overcoming any form of vice._--The influences
which man, being the weaker animal, can apply to making the horse
obedient to his wishes, are: affection; the natural submission yielded
by an inferior to a superior intellect; fear; and the impression--which
is, generally, erroneous--that the order given cannot be resisted. The
first three are the usual means for rendering docile a high-couraged
horse. Although we may, to a certain extent, use the last-mentioned
influence with quiet horses, and, especially in mouthing, we should
remember that it is our last resource, when all others fail, in reducing
a rebellious animal to submission. If, however, the horse which we have
taken in hand, happen to reason sufficiently well to enable him to “see
through” our artifices, our labour will, of course, be in vain. Herein
lies the whole question of success, or failure, in making vicious horses
docile. Man-eaters, like the historic Cruiser, the taming of whom made
Rarey famous, being actuated, almost entirely, by instinctive hostility,
yield far more readily to authority, than the sulky animal that, having
found out a method by which he can thwart the wishes of his would-be
master, craftily adheres to it, with a fair show of reason on his side.
I may mention that the assertion made by many “horse-tamers,” that they
can cure any horse of any kind of vice, is manifestly absurd.
Of all forms of vice, those caused by stubbornness are the most
difficult to eradicate; for the animal which sets its will in deliberate
opposition to ours, fights us with the weapons--those of reason--by
which, alone, we are, usually, superior to it. A horse that objects,
from nervousness, or from mere impatience of control, to have its hind
quarters handled, will quickly submit; as will, also, in the vast
majority of cases, a “refuser,” or jibber in saddle; if they be broken
in the manner which will be explained further on. A jibber in draught,
however, is apt to find out, that although the breaker is all-powerful,
when it has no harness on; the advantage is all the other way, as soon
as it gets between the shafts; it being easier, as Professor Sample
used to say, to break a horse than to break a horse _and_ trap. Besides
this, it is impossible, in many cases, to directly apply breaking
methods to animals in harness, in the same manner as we can do in
saddle. For instance, if a trapper be accustomed to jib, as soon as it
comes to a stiff incline; to back into the ditch, or fence; and, then,
to proceed to kick the vehicle to pieces; all that the breaker can do,
is to take it out, and endeavour to, indirectly, counteract the fault in
some convenient place. He may succeed, to all appearance; although the
pupil may forget the instruction received, if anything goes wrong, such
as an abrupt halt, which cannot always be avoided, the first time the
horse is driven up a hill in a crowded thoroughfare. In such a case, if
the animal “shows fight,” it will, almost to a certainty, gain the
victory, and the good influence of the previous teaching will be lost.
For vices unconnected with harness, on the contrary, the breaker can
always find some suitable spot on which to work his will on the
disobedient one, under every advantageous condition. I say this with
every reasonable reserve; for we may meet with cases, sometimes, of
saddle vices--such as running away on a race-course, only, when
galloped--to which it is difficult to directly apply efficient breaking
methods.
Unless when caused by disease, as, for instance, chronic sexual
excitement in the mare, defects of vision, and pain in the legs or feet,
which might make a horse refuse to jump, practically speaking, almost
any riding or driving vice (I naturally exclude those vices that concern
the veterinary surgeon, and not the breaker) can be overcome in time,
say within a week or ten days; although I readily admit that I have been
beaten in a few cases (about two per cent. of faulty horses) when my
time was limited, or when I did not possess the experience I have since
acquired.
I have had many hundreds of horses with various forms of “pain in the
temper” pass through my hands, and, out of all these, selected from
thousands of other animals, I met with only one or two which I would
call incapable of being made serviceable on account of absolute idiocy.
Hence, I conclude that cases of marked mental aberration are extremely
rare in the horse. I do not think that I met with more than one horse
which appeared incapable, from natural nervousness, of being rendered
quite steady.
As the breaker has to work on the material at hand, and as he has no
power to change the nervous organisation of the animal, however well he
may establish the habit of implicit obedience, it is impossible for him
to make a naturally sulky animal work with the gaiety of heart and
pluck, that an honest horse will display.
_Necessity for obtaining control over the Horse._--In order to fulfil
the necessary conditions of safety for himself, the breaker should be
able, by the system under which he works--to quote the words of that
admirable horse-master, Professor Sample--to make the animal rideable
and driveable before he is either ridden or driven. The breaker who
employs the ordinary methods, is not alone exposed to danger when
mounting, or even driving his pupils for the first few times; but also
in the preliminary handling, unless, indeed, in the case of young foals.
The advice to go boldly up to the horse and show him that you are not
afraid of him, so freely tendered on such occasions, should be treated
by its recipient as a piece of “cheap swagger,” or the outcome of
pretentious ignorance; for, even granted that such a demeanour would
efficiently soothe a terrified animal, or cow a treacherously-disposed
one--suppositions that are altogether absurd--such counsel would in no
way supply the necessary foolhardiness for such an undertaking. My
advice to either amateur or professional is, never to give a horse a
chance of doing wrong; so, in order to be consistent after having said
this, I shall endeavour to describe a method by which any horse,
unsecured, say, in a yard or loose box, can be brought under complete
control with, practically speaking, no risk to the operator.
_On the nature of the coercion to be applied to unruly Horses._--The
only risk run in enforcing the obedience which it is absolutely
necessary to exact from unruly horses, is that of spoiling the animal’s
pluck and spirit--a contingency that can be incurred only when the
fractiousness arises from “nervousness,” or from want of comprehension;
for what we term pluck and spirit in the horse should have no taint of
stubbornness. The coercion employed should, naturally, be limited to
what would be sufficient to overcome the wilfulness; for we should never
employ a general effect, when a particular one will answer our purpose.
Thus, suppose we had a high-couraged, generous animal, that had been
made difficult to mount by a bad rider, on various occasions, prodding
the horse in the side with his toe, when attempting to get into the
saddle, we might get control over the animal by Pratt’s twitch (see page
113), or by tying him head and tail, and then prove to him that we would
not touch him with our toe, when mounting. The Rareyfying of such an
animal for this or any similar fault, would be injudicious in the
extreme; as it would, almost to a certainty, injuriously affect one of
his most valuable qualities, namely, his pluck. As a sulky animal has
little or no pluck to lose; we may well content ourselves in gaining his
obedience without troubling ourselves much about any possible
deterioration of his courage.
_Punishment._--The chief practical reasons against the employment of
punishment in the breaking of horses are: that it is very liable to fail
in its object; and that it is calculated to break the spirit of
high-couraged animals, and to increase the sulkiness of stubborn ones.
Of course I don’t mean to say that a vigorous “shaking up,” and a sharp
cut or two with a stick (for preference), or whip, is not advisable for
stopping the exhibition of “calfish” tricks by a young colt. Owing to
the galling failures I have had--they were not many, for I stopped in
time--I have made it a rule for my own guidance, never to touch a mare,
so as to hurt her, when breaking.
I am aware that punishment, pushed to extreme limits, has, often, proved
efficacious in reducing an animal to obedience, when all other means
have failed. As it would, then, amount to gross cruelty, I cannot
recommend its adoption in this form.
_Fatigue as a means of subjugation._--Fatigue may be used as a valuable
adjunct to other means of breaking, but should seldom be employed
alone; its effect, usually, appearing to be as transitory as the
sensation itself. Thus, if we, while riding or driving a bolter, in
order to cure him of his vice, allow him to run himself to a
stand-still, we shall, in all probability, find the animal quite as
ready, if not more so, to run away, the next time he is “fresh.” In such
a case, the fact of the horse having been allowed to do the very thing
he wanted to accomplish, in defiance of the wishes of his would-be
master, can have no possible effect in forming in him the habit of
obedience. Fatigue may, often, appear to be the sole cause of the
quietness evinced by an animal under treatment of some of the breaking
methods I describe. This, however, will, on investigation, be found to
be incorrect. Even the fatigue caused in, say, rendering an unruly horse
quiet to shoe behind, by keeping him on the ground and “gentling” him
(see page 157), is out of all proportion small compared to the amount of
control obtained. One of the best examples I know of the fact, that it
is the feeling of powerlessness to rebel, and not the sensation of
fatigue, that compels obedience by these methods, is furnished by the
experiment of making a violent horse, like an Australian buckjumper,
quiet to mount in the manner described on page 197; the effect produced
being striking; the feeling of helplessness, evident; and the amount of
fatigue, small.
_Effect of the voice._--The human voice has a powerful controlling
effect over the horse. To apply it to advantage, the same tone and the
same word or words should be invariably used to express the same
meaning. All ambiguity of sound should be avoided. The words employed
should be expressed in a decided manner, and in a clear tone of voice. I
have seen some very dangerous animals approached and handled by
“shouting at” them, and adopting a resolute manner, when going up to
them in the stable. A horse, undoubtedly, recognises the voice more
quickly than the appearance of a man.
_Personal influence in breaking._--For obtaining quick results, the
breaker should have the horse entirely to himself; so that no disturbing
influence may distract the animal’s attention. The great objection to
the practice of personal influence, as a breaking agent, is that,
although the animal may be perfectly obedient to the man who has had the
exclusive handling of him, he may be refractory with other people, and
may, even, jealously resent any interference from an outsider. I have
frequently been struck with this fact when breaking savage horses who
would, if they could help it, allow no one, except their groom, to
meddle with them; for I always found that they were far more vicious to
approach when their stable attendant was holding them, than when he was
absent. We may often see the same trait of character evinced by dogs
that would fly at any stranger who dared to touch them, as long as they
were with their master; although they might be fairly amiable if he were
not present. However much we may admire, in the abstract, this fidelity
to one, in the horse, it is very apt to detract from the animal’s
usefulness under civilised conditions, especially, if the owner be not
regarded as the confidential friend in question. When the groom is the
object of this exclusive form of affection, it is generally advisable to
have him changed for a new man. If a horse has to be rendered
serviceable for general, as well as particular use, the breaker should
refrain from accomplishing his ends by the exercise of his own personal
influence, and hence, should get him to obey by rein and leg, rather
than by voice and petting.
_Advisability of possessing various methods of breaking._--As the
removal of the cause is the only proper plan for the treatment of either
disease, or vice, and as these causes differ, the breaker, to be
successful, should be provided with various methods for enforcing his
commands. Hence, we may rest assured that the horse-tamer who advertises
his one particular method, as a certain cure for all forms of vice, is
as arrant a quack as the man who foists on the public a pill for the
removal of every kind of disease. In the following pages I shall
describe various breaking methods, which the reader can apply according
as he recognises the cause of resistance to his wishes, or of inability
to understand them.
_Giving a Horse a good mouth, the chief requirement in breaking._--The
horse’s mouth ought to be the foundation of all good breaking; for an
animal with a good mouth can hardly “do wrong”; unless, indeed, under
very exceptional circumstances. As it is impracticable to be constantly
repeating any “taming” method, such as Rareyfying, or tying a horse by
his head and tail, we must disregard such practices as means for the
maintenance of a permanent state of discipline--however useful they may
be for enforcing authority in the first instance--and must trust to the
influence of the rein, which is ever constant on the mouth, when riding
or driving, to keep the horse mindful of his duty when in action. The
use of the leg should, of course, not be neglected in riding. The taming
methods will, naturally, be required with animals that are difficult to
handle when dismounted, or when out of the shafts.
_Permanency in the effects of breaking._--The primary step to establish
the habit of obedience, is, naturally, to make the horse obey in the
first instance, and then to repeat the process as may be needed. Such a
procedure is thoroughly rational; for it is founded on the fact that
force of habit is the strongest influence which rules the equine mind. I
have often, what I think unjustly, incurred blame because, after I had
practically demonstrated to my pupils the feasibility of making a
confirmed jibber, obstinate refuser, or almost unrideable buckjumper,
willing and quiet in one lesson, that such animals have, in the course
of time, become just as bad as ever; on account of their respective
owners not taking the trouble, as advised by me, of repeating the easy
methods I shewed. The reason men usually fail to subdue “difficult”
horses, is because they do not know how to take the first step towards
making the animal obedient. If, however, they be supplied with this
all-important information, their task should be one of increasing
facility after each repetition; and, if persevered in, would be rapidly
completed; but it must be repeated until the desired habit is
established.
However well a horse may have been broken of a bad habit, he will be far
more likely to acquire it again under bad management, than he would have
been, had he been originally free from it; for no course of discipline,
although it may keep the animal under thorough control, can efface out
of his mind the memory of the practice of a former habit. I need
scarcely say that injudicious treatment will always be capable of
spoiling any horse, whether invariably quiet, or reformed. Hence, a
teacher of breaking will be wise to confine himself to showing “how it
is done,” and not to risk his reputation in making the impossible
attempt of _permanently_ “curing” a vicious horse. Besides, it is only
“human nature” for the owner of an animal that has reverted to his evil
courses, to blame the breaker, and not himself.
_Expedition in breaking._--In order to give some idea of the
possibilities of the system of breaking which I advocate and practise, I
may state that, by it, any unhandled horse, no matter how wild or how
old he may be, can be made quiet to ride and obedient to the ordinary
indications of the rein, in from, say, two to four hours. Such a horse,
to become a reliable “conveyance,” would, probably, require about six
more lessons--two a day--of an hour and a half’s duration each. He
ought, by that time, to have acquired a good mouth, steady paces, and
“cleverness” to jump any ordinary fence. Army remounts that have never
had even a halter on them, should, on an emergency, speaking generally,
be fit for the riding-school in a couple of days. I need not dwell on
the value of such expedition in military exigencies, and in all cases
where time is an object. “Spoiled” horses, such as jibbers, rearers,
kickers, and buckjumpers, that have learned to know their own power,
would, naturally, take longer to break, than entirely unhandled animals;
although the limit of five days need not, usually, be exceeded even with
them. The possibility of horses going back to their old tricks may
always be provided against by judicious repetition of the necessary
discipline, which will be very rarely needed after the first three or
four days, if the animal be “mouthed” in the manner I shall hereafter
describe. Without using any forcible methods, which, as a rule, would
not be required with a valuable horse, the breaker ought not to need
more than a week to make any ordinary horse thoroughly fit for all the
usual requirements of saddle or harness.
To those who might advance the argument that because the ordinary method
of breaking takes about ten times as long as the system I advocate, it
must, therefore, be more permanent in its influence, I would beg to
submit that such a contention would hold good, only, on the untenable
supposition that the effects of the respective processes were equal in
force. I see no possible benefit, except the very questionable one of
giving the animal an exaggerated opinion of his own powers of
resistance, in taking a month to accomplish what may be quite as
efficiently done in an hour; as, for instance, making a fractious horse
steady to mount, or quiet to shoe behind, or a sulky refuser to jump
kindly. We must surely admit that the repetition of an effect, and not
the time occupied in its production, is the cause of the permanency of
its influence.
_The ordinary method of breaking._--The usual method of rendering horses
docile by early and continued handling, followed by patient and skilful
riding, answers fairly well with men who regard breaking as a pleasure,
and have plenty of spare time to indulge their taste in this respect.
It is, however, inapplicable to circumstances under which the number of
animals to be broken is out of proportion to the supply of labour;
especially in the case of inexpensive stock. It is, also, besides being
tedious, often ineffective in the reduction to obedience of “spoiled
horses,” and of those that have been allowed to run wild for a
considerable time before being “taken up”; the reason being, that it
does not supply us with means for enforcing our commands, then and
there, on exceptionally unruly animals, which, in order to be rendered
docile, must be confirmed in the habit of obedience.
_Breaking by kindness alone._--While fully admiring the kindness of
heart of those enthusiasts who regard a horse as a friend to be won by
affection, I must say that the better plan for making him a useful
member of society, is to treat him as a servant who has to be taught his
work, and from whom implicit obedience has to be demanded. Until he
does his work honestly and well, the less petting he gets the better;
for he is an animal that is very apt to become headstrong and fractious,
by a small amount of indulgence in his own way. I entirely deprecate any
fighting with the horse, or punishment with whip and spur, which he can
resist; but I insist on the necessity--after proving to the horse that
he has nothing to fear, and after teaching him to understand one’s
wishes--of shewing that he must obey. I shall endeavour, in due course,
to explain to the reader how such obedience can be peremptorily
enforced.
_The rough and ready style of breaking._--The method of reducing a horse
to discipline, by forcibly securing him, getting on his back, and
sticking on until he bucks himself to a standstill, is applicable only
to unbroken animals of a more or less mature age, whose owners demand
nothing further, than to have them made “quiet to ride.” The objections
to this method, as far as I can see, are: that it is not always
possible to obtain the services of a rider of sufficient pluck and
adhesiveness; that some horses, by “throwing themselves over,” can get
rid of any man off their back; that if the horse wins the fight, the
victory will have the effect of making him much worse than he was
before; that the mastery, even if the process be repeated, is, often,
not permanent, especially with a new rider; that it is apt to spoil the
horse’s mouth; and that, in the case of nervous or sulky animals, it is
liable to increase their particular faults. The buckjumping style of
breaking is, of course, only good as far as it goes, and has no just
claim to teach the manners that make the horse, as assuredly as they do
the man.
_Summary of the principles of the art of rendering Horses docile_ may be
summed up as follows:
1. To obtain control over the animal.
2. To prove to him that he has nothing to fear from us, or from the
surroundings in which we place him: in other words, to give him
“confidence” and cure him of “nervousness.”
3. To teach him to understand the meaning of the indications by which we
desire to convey our orders to him.
4. To make him obey our orders in the most implicit manner, in the event
of his offering deliberate resistance to them.
5. To instruct him how to use his powers to the best advantage.
6. To make, by repetition, these acts of obedience and “cleverness” thus
taught, into confirmed habits; so that the horse, who is, essentially,
an animal of habit, may become a permanently useful servant.
As an illustration, I may say that we should conduct the education of a
colt or filly, according to the principles we should adopt with a
recently-caught young savage whom we desired to make a useful servant.
While shewing him that we had complete control over him, we should prove
to him that he had nothing to fear from us, and, in doing so, would
gain his confidence and affection. We should teach him our language,
and, according as he understood our words, so should we demand implicit
obedience to our orders, and would, thus, quickly establish the desired
habit.