[Illustration: O. S. Pratt]
THE HORSE’S FRIEND.
THE ONLY PRACTICAL METHOD
OF
EDUCATING THE HORSE
AND
ERADICATING VICIOUS HABITS,
FOLLOWED BY A VARIETY OF VALUABLE RECIPES, INSTRUCTIONS IN
FARRIERY, HORSESHOEING, THE LATEST RULES OF TROTTING, AND THE
RECORD OF FAST HORSES UP TO 1876.
[Illustration]
BY PROF. O. S. PRATT.
TENTH THOUSAND.
ILLUSTRATED BY OVER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ELEGANT ENGRAVINGS.
BUFFALO:
PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR.
1876.
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1875, by
O. S. PRATT,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C.
Entered according to the act of the Parliament of Canada, in
the year 1876, by
O. S. PRATT,
In the Office of the Minister of Agriculture.
The Electrotyping, Printing and Binding, by
THE COURIER COMPANY,
BUFFALO, N. Y.
The Drawing and Engraving, by the
BUREAU OF ILLUSTRATION,
BUFFALO, N. Y.
DEDICATION.
To His Excellency, ULYSSES S. GRANT, President of the United States;
to the members of the two houses of Congress, and to the gentlemen
connected with Foreign Legations, who have belonged to my private
classes, in connection with the thousands in all the principal cities
and towns of the United States and Canada, who have been members of my
various classes, this work on THE EDUCATION OF THE HORSE, is respectfully
dedicated. Cheered by their presence, and encouraged by their approbation
during the eight years in which the author has been engaged in
diffusing a knowledge of his system of Equine Education, their generous
appreciation continues to fill the present with treasured memories of the
past, amongst the most prized of which is that of the friendship it has
been his happiness to secure from gentlemen distinguished alike in the
walks of politics, religion, science, literature and art.
THE AUTHOR.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Portrait of O. S. Pratt, Frontispiece.
The old homestead, 16
My first store in Batavia, 22
My second and enlarged store, 26
Gold-headed cane, 51
Gold-mounted whip, 61
Portrait of Mrs. Pratt, 78
Washington gold medal, 82
Bridgeport Academy, 94
Nahant Beach residence, 100
Lewiston Academy, 108
Music box, 120
Silver tea-service, 130
New method of haltering a wild colt, 160
To educate to the words “Come here”, 164
How to lay a horse down, 168
How to get a horse up that throws himself, 172
To educate a colt not to be afraid of his heels, 176
To educate a colt to drive before being harnessed, 180
To educate a colt to move his body and head, 184
Improved method of bitting a colt, 188
Educating the colt to ride, 192
Instructions to ride the colt, 196
To halter-break a colt, 200
To educate a horse not to kick in the stable, 204
To educate a horse not to paw or kick in the stable, 208
To educate a horse not to get cast in the stall, 212
To educate a colt to lead behind a wagon, 216
To educate a horse bad to catch, 220
To educate a horse not to rear, 224
To educate and prevent a horse from cribbing, 226
To educate and break a halter-puller, 232
To educate a horse not to kick when line gets under his tail, 236
To educate a horse not to kick, 240
To educate a horse bad to groom, 246
Bits used in educating horses, 250
To educate horses not to fear objects when driving, 256
To educate a horse not to fear an umbrella, 260
Second lesson, 264
To educate a single-footed horse to trot square, 268
To educate a pacing horse to trot, 272
To educate a horse to trot, 276
To educate a horse not to kick while in shafts, 280
To educate a lazy horse and infuse life into him, 286
To start a balky horse, 290
To educate a balky horse, 294
To educate a horse not to kick while being shod, 298
To educate a horse while standing bad to shoe, 302
Double-hitch Bonaparte bridle, 306
Controlling a horse bad to shoe, 310
To educate a horse not to fear the cars, 314
To educate a horse to back at the word of command, 318
To educate horses or cattle not to jump fences, 322
To educate a cow not to kick while being milked, 326
To educate a cow to let her milk down, 330
Practical results of foregoing education, 334
To educate cattle to lead behind a wagon, 338
To educate a tender-mouthed horse, 342
To educate horses not to fear a buffalo robe, 345
Patent steel and hoof-expanding shoe, 362
To educate a horse to mount a pedestal, 366
To educate a horse to walk on his hind feet, 370
To educate a horse to push a vehicle, 376
To educate a horse to be vicious, 378
To educate a horse to walk on his knees, 382
To educate a horse to drive a boy off the pedestal, 386
To educate a horse to sit down, 390
To educate a horse to bore for oil, 394
A sure method of making a horse bad to catch, 398
To educate a horse to take a handkerchief from his side, 402
To educate a horse to kiss a boy, 406
System of educating dogs, 410
Another illustration of educating dogs, 414
Curing colic in horses, 418
The only practical way to give a horse medicine, 422
New method of telling the horse’s age, 426 and 427
To prevent horses from interfering or overreaching, 440
Paring the hoof, 451
Long foot before treatment, 452
Long foot after treatment, 453
Coffin-bone, 454
Fitting a shoe to remove pressure from the heel, 456
Instructions respecting the feet, 457
Contracted foot after treatment, 458
Expanding the foot after it has been pared out, 461
Lateral quarter-crack before treatment, 462
Quarter-crack under treatment, 463
Straight quarter-crack under treatment, 464
Quarter-crack after treatment, 467
Toe crack before treatment, 468
Toe crack after treatment, 473
Four engravings showing thrush and pumice foot, 474
Hoof-bound, under treatment, 475
Overgrowth of hoof, 479
Overgrowth of hoof—front view before treatment, 480
Overgrowth of hoof—front view after treatment, 481
Navicula—enlargement of metacarpal bone, 482
Showing how to find enlargement of metacarpal bone, 488
A foot that is deprived of the free use of the back tendons, 490
Ossified growth of upper and lower pastern joint, 491
The sensitive frog, 492
Section of the pastern and other bones, 494
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Introduction—Early Life—Thirst for Knowledge—First Attempts in
Business—Success—Marriage, 11
CHAPTER II.
Enlarging Business—Attachment to the Horse—Visits to Batavia of
Rarey and Hamilton—My own System—Coming before the Public—Early
Success, 24
CHAPTER III.
Visit to Montrose—Large Class at Scranton—Diploma—Wilkesbarre
—Enthusiastic Reception—Complimentary Notice—Testimonial, 35
CHAPTER IV.
Across the Mountains—Easton—Hamburg—Lancaster—Testimonials—
Westchester—Diploma—Philadelphia—Class of 2,523—Cane, 41
CHAPTER V.
York—Port Deposit—Baltimore—Success—Diploma—Getting Whipped—Class
of 3,500, 56
CHAPTER VI.
Washington—A Large Class—The President a Pupil—The White
House—Halls of Congress—Diploma—Dr. Newman’s Address—Gold Medal, 67
CHAPTER VII.
Annapolis—Delaware—New Jersey—New York State—The Great
Emporium—Chicago in Flames, 84
CHAPTER VIII.
Bridgeport—Fall of Academy—Providence—Boston—Class of
3,000—Lynn—Purchase of a Residence—Portland—Bangor, 95
CHAPTER IX.
Lewiston—Educating the Horse “Anfield”—Testimonial—Concord—
Manchester—A Steam Engine in the Ring—Lowell—Lawrence, 104
CHAPTER X.
Tour in Canada—Montreal—Class of 1,000—Victoria Bridge—
Cathedral—Quebec—Ottawa—Kingston—Detroit—Diploma—Valuable
Testimonial—Simcoe, 113
CHAPTER XI.
Toronto—“British Ensign”—Diploma—Silver Tea-Set—Hamilton—
Belleville—Diploma—Picton, 124
HISTORY OF THE HORSE, 141
DIRECTIONS FOR FEEDING AND FITTING HORSES, 154
SYSTEM OF EDUCATING THE HORSE, 161
INTELLIGENCE OF ANIMALS, 345
TRICK HORSES, 363
EDUCATING DOGS, 411
MISCELLANEOUS, 419
TRAINING STEERS, 428
TREATISE ON HORSESHOEING, 431
DUNBAR SYSTEM OF HORSESHOEING, 445
RECIPES, 496
RECORD OF FAST HORSES UP TO 1876, 513
REVISED RULES OF TROTTING COURSE, 521
AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—EARLY LIFE—THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE—FIRST ATTEMPTS IN
BUSINESS—SUCCESS—MARRIAGE.
In the social interchanges of life it is always pleasant to possess some
knowledge of the antecedent history of the ones we meet; to know who and
what they are; while to one who feels that there is something in his own
career not unworthy of notice, there is a satisfaction in recounting
the steps by which his success has been attained; especially, if in
gaining it he has been called to contend with difficulties and vanquish
obstacles which opposed his progress. Such narratives may prove helps and
encouragements, as they show what energy and perseverance have achieved,
and thus stimulate others to stronger and more successful endeavors.
This was taught by the greatest of our American poets in his well-known
lines:
“Lives of great men all remind us
We may make our lives sublime;
And, departing, leave behind us
Foot-prints on the sands of time.”
Although few men may lay claim to greatness in its military, political
or literary sense, there is something in every earnest life which will
interest and instruct other men, and which may prove an assistance to
some, who, with failing hearts are engaged in life’s stern battle. With
this brief explanation of his design, the author of the following pages
trusts to receive the favorable attention of his readers as he proceeds
to recount the leading incidents of a somewhat eventful career.
I was born in the town of Darien, Genesee County, in the State of New
York, on the seventh day of December, A. D. 1835. There, amidst the
quiet and elevating influences of nature, the bright days of my infancy
and childhood were passed, until my boyhood’s days were over, and my
fifteenth year of life was reached.
My father owned the farm on which we lived, besides being the proprietor
of several mills, and, like many other purely practical men, he had a
higher appreciation of material than of intellectual advantages. As a
consequence, he was more desirous that I should early engage in the
active business of the farm, than that I should employ hours, which might
be made profitable in work, in studies which paid no immediate profit.
At the age of eight years I was often sent after the cows, barefooted,
and a distance of nearly a mile through the woods, coming home after
the shades of night had fallen, and being obliged to trace my way by
following the cows in the narrow path made by them. Day after day, in my
great desire to secure an education, I would beg my father to send me to
school, but always he had work for me to do, and thus my endeavors were
foiled. But such was my determination to secure an education, that I
resolved, at all hazards, to go to school, and often did I jump from my
bed-room window and run a distance of half a mile to the school-house. My
greatest ambition was to be a merchant, and I knew that I must procure
at least a limited scholastic education to enable me to succeed in my
anticipated calling. But, while I was laying my youthful plans for the
future, my father would lay plans for work, and often, on returning at
night from school, I would hide in the barn till after dark, dreading
the punishment which awaited me for having gone to school in place of
working.
[Illustration: THE OLD HOMESTEAD, DARIEN, GENESEE CO., N. Y.]
At the age of ten years I have taken a team, gone alone into the woods
and loaded saw-logs on a sleigh, using the horses to draw up the logs. As
my father owned a saw-mill as well as a farm, it seemed to him necessary
that every effort should be put forth to keep both branches of business
going; therefore, no time was allotted to his children for securing an
education. Many times have I approached him, timidly and with tears,
humbly requesting to be allowed to go to school, when, instead of
responding to my desire, he would send me to the saw-mill to work; and at
the age of twelve or thirteen I ran the mill alone, though, while doing
so, I have had to mount on the lever and load it with extra weight, as
I was not heavy enough to raise the water-gate. Thus I labored on from
month to month, until I was fourteen, in the meantime going but little to
school. Many times I would lay plans to run away, believing that I could
do for myself, and make my own mark in the world.
Money, in those times and in that region, was not plentiful, and I was
early taught its value, a lesson of great practical value to a youth who
has to hew his own path through life. Many times I have traveled miles
on a special errand for a neighbor, or for some traveler, and received
as compensation a single penny. Money, so hardly acquired, was not to be
expended lightly, and I saved my little earnings till the accumulated
sum amounted to four dollars. This seemed to me like quite a fortune. I
now felt myself to be a capitalist, and, naturally, the desire to use
my riches to advantage led me to seek some profitable investment which
would increase my wealth. My earliest speculation was the purchase of a
gun; but after the first pleasure of its possession had passed, I saw
my mistake in having expended money for something that would yield me
no increase, and began to look around for an opportunity to retrieve my
error. Soon a chance occurred for me to trade the gun off for a cow. I
saw there was “money in it,” and closed the bargain, thus turning my
first mistake into a profitable investment. Having become the owner of
a cow, my ambition was awakened to increase my stock, and I kept my
attention fixed in that direction until I was the sole proprietor of
three cows. I had now entered on my fifteenth year, and having learned
one day, in conversing with my father, that his intention was soon to
sell his farm and stock, and remove to the Far West, I proposed to him
to allow me to carve my own way in the world. I felt ambitious to strike
out for myself, and “paddle my own canoe.” To this my father consented,
when, after selling my cows and receiving the money, with all my fortune
in my pockets, I bade farewell to the parental roof and its many pleasant
associations, looking for the last time upon the
“Old family Bible that lay on the stand,”
and taking that decisive step by which I was to become the architect of
my own fortune.
Having an uncle who resided in the town of Byron, I turned my steps in
that direction, and for the ensuing winter found a home beneath his roof.
During that season I devoted myself to study, attending the village
school under the superintendence of Mr. Bennum, whom I greatly esteemed,
and whose many acts of kindness linger in my memory to the present hour.
On the opening of spring my thoughts turned towards commercial life,
and I devoted my time to becoming better acquainted with various
business avocations, intending to adopt some profitable employment.
After reflecting well, I took the money I had accumulated and with it
purchased a horse, wagon, and harness. Then, through the kindness of
a dear friend, who became responsible for me, I was loaned one hundred
dollars, and with this as my working capital I commenced traveling over
the country, buying produce and shipping it to Buffalo and New York.
I continued in this business until the year 1855, when, having arrived
at the age of twenty, I began to think of enlarging my operations.
Influenced by this desire, I directed my course to the beautiful and
flourishing town of Batavia, where I secured a store and became a dealer
in all kinds of produce, shipping it, as before, to Buffalo and New York.
[Illustration: FIRST STORE IN BATAVIA, N. Y.]
The cut here given is an accurate representation of my first place
of business, and speaks for itself in regard to the size and general
appearance of the place. It was, however, as it proved, insufficient for
the business which flowed in upon me and increased so greatly that soon
I found it necessary to secure larger and more commodious premises. At
the time of doing this I determined to still further extend my business
by opening a wholesale and retail grocery and provision store. Fortune
smiled on my endeavors, and all evidences encouraged the belief that I
was on the direct road to wealth.
Having thus attained a good position in business, my mind began to make
excursions in another direction. The wisest of men has said that “Whoso
findeth a wife findeth a good thing,” and, having a natural liking for
“a good thing,” I found my thoughts led to the important subject of
marriage, until I finally determined to try the experiment of trading
in the matrimonial market. After thus deciding, it took me but a short
time to reach the important object contemplated, for, it would seem, I
was specially directed in my course. I formed the acquaintance of Miss
Northrop, an estimable and accomplished young lady, the only daughter
of the late Dr. Northrop, and soon the fair one was led to the hymeneal
altar and became the wife and partner of O. S. Pratt.