TORONTO—“BRITISH ENSIGN”—DIPLOMA—SILVER TEA
SET—HAMILTON—BELLEVILLE—DIPLOMA—PICTON.
Winter was now drawing nigh, and, as I was desirous to reach Toronto, the
Queen City of the Province of Ontario, as soon as possible, I made but a
short stay at Brantford and other towns on my way. Arriving at Toronto
about the last of November, 1874, I secured possession of the Riding
Academy, and fitted it up at considerable cost, after which I gave public
exhibitions, which awakened an increasing interest. I remained there
sixty days, my class becoming larger daily, until, at the close of my
labors, my register showed the names of nearly thirteen hundred members,
many of whom were amongst the most influential citizens of the place.
During my stay I handled some two hundred horses, each of whom had been
addicted to some bad habit.
[Illustration: TORONTO ACADEMY—PRESENTATION OF TEA SERVICE AND
ILLUMINATED ADDRESS.]
Many members of my class were desirous that I should exhibit the power
of my system to educate horses not to fear the steam engine, and, that I
might meet their wishes, I procured a steam fire engine, which I caused
to be placed in my academy. During my stay there I educated some hundred
horses to the perfect satisfaction of their owners, and the evident
gratification of my class. Amongst others, I may name as a signal triumph
of my system the case of the stallion “British Ensign,” owned at Richmond
Hill, who, from his vicious habits of long standing, was thought to be
incurable, and, as a last resort, I was solicited to handle him. This
was at the close of my labors there, and, the day being announced, the
members of my class gathered in force to witness my last effort in their
city. The horse was led into the ring by two men by means of iron rods
securely fastened on each side of his mouth. From the account given of
this animal, one would almost expect that a man could tame a lion of the
desert as easily as him; but, strange as it may seem, within ten minutes
he followed me around the ring as meekly as a lamb, and within forty-five
minutes I was able to drive him before a vehicle, without reins or
side-straps, greatly to the surprise of the throngs who had assembled to
witness the spectacle.
The power and efficacy of my system was so completely demonstrated
that the leading journals of the city made favorable mention of my
unparalleled success, while my class signalized their sense of the value
of my system for properly educating the horse by presenting me with an
illuminated address, the elegant execution of which reflects credit on
the artist, while the courtly language and graceful sentiments are worthy
of the distinguished gentlemen whose names it bears. Not satisfied with
this, they accompanied the address with a costly tea-service of silver,
the intrinsic value of which was at least three hundred dollars. Long
will the recollections of my Toronto class cluster about my memory,
and fill my mind with pleasing emotions. The following is the diploma
presented by the Toronto class, the original of which can be seen in my
possession, on parchment:
TORONTO, _January, 1875_.
_Dear Sir_: The undersigned, on behalf of the members of
your numerous class in this city, desire to testify their
appreciation of the valuable instructions you have imparted to
them. The unwearying assiduity with which you have endeavored
to make those instructions comprehensive and entertaining, and
their high estimation of your admirable system of educating
and managing the horse. The knowledge imparted to us during
the many lectures and exhibitions of your unexampled method of
treating that noble animal may be of incalculable benefit to
many of us. We do not hesitate to say that numbers of accidents
occur daily (many fatally) through an insufficient knowledge
of managing the animal you have made so perfectly subject to
your will, and we advise every one whose business or profession
require frequent, if not constant, use of the horse to embrace
an early opportunity of acquiring a knowledge of your system.
Farmers, whom business occasionally calls into our cities, and
the immediate neighborhood of our railways, we especially urge
the necessity of learning your simple and effective method
of control, a method easily understood by the instructive
faculties of the horse as by the reasoning faculties of men.
We trust that your sojourn in the Queen City of the West has
been both pleasant and remunerative, so far at least that will
at no distant day induce your return.
In conclusion, we beg your acceptance of the accompanying
Tea-Service. Hoping that it may recall favorably to your
recollection those who constituted your class in Toronto and
who unanimously wish you every success in your laudable and
humane profession.
Signed, on behalf of the class, numbering 1,254 members.
A. MACNABB,
JOS. GRAND, SR.,
R. BOND,
B. COOPER,
C. W. JOHNSON,
R. PAUL, V. S.,
A. GOURAM,
GEO. GOURAM,
R. HAY, SR.,
R. HAY, JR.,
W. H. SMITH,
J. HAY,
HON. GEO. BROWN,
T. C. PATTERSON, Mail,
A. MCCALLER, M. P. P.,
W. BROWN, Shoe Manf.,
HON. FRANK SMITH,
ANDREW SMITH, V. S.,
G. W. TORRANO, Merchant,
GEO. SMITH, M. P. P.,
W. A. MURRAY, Merchant,
F. T. WORTS,
JAMES G. WORTS,
AUSTIN SMITH,
And 1,230 others.
Before closing my notice of Toronto, I would refer with grateful words to
the kind, and even laudatory, notices which my system and myself received
from the ably conducted press of that city, and, I might add, of the
whole Province, as the following extracts will evince.
[Illustration: TEA SERVICE FROM TORONTO CLASS.]
The Toronto _Mail_ thus speaks:
HORSE EDUCATION.—To-day we place before our readers
illustrations of several of the numerous articles, with the
text of the numerous addresses, presented to Prof. Pratt, the
horse educator. By close observation, an accurate knowledge
of the construction of the horse and its habits, and above
all by a recognition of those sound common-sense principles
advanced by the best teachers of the human kind. Mr. Pratt has
been enabled to build up a system which for its thoroughness
and adaptability is unexcelled in the present day. That this
is not an unwarranted assertion is proved incontestably by
the testimony of the leading horsemen of the United States
and Canada, though Mr. Pratt has been but a short time in the
Dominion. Wherever he has established classes, a just tribute
has been paid to his great services both to man and beast. In
Baltimore 3,590 pupils surrounded him, and he left with the
thanks of the citizens, and was presented with a magnificently
mounted whip. Detroit rallied 1,200 members, who gave the
Professor a musical box to sweetly play the song of their
appreciation. The Washington class of 2,500 members, presented
a gold medal, and that of Philadelphia, of 4,886 members, a
gold-headed cane. Toronto has not been behindhand, for, as
already announced, the class here made a presentation of a
beautiful tea-service and illuminated address. The Toronto
class now numbers 1,254 members.
The Toronto _Globe_, in brief but well considered words, declares:
Prof. Pratt’s lectures on the treatment of animals are
invaluable to farmers and all owners of horses and cattle. We
only wish every farmer and farmer’s boy in Canada could attend
one lecture.
The _Canada Farmer_, the leading agricultural paper of the Province, in
describing a visit to my exhibitions and lectures, remarks:
We have seldom passed an evening so pleasantly, or with so much
real profit, and our advice to every farmer and farmer’s son
in the country is, to take a course of lessons if possible,
but at all events to attend one of Professor Pratt’s public
exhibitions. We feel perfectly satisfied that a couple of hours
spent in witnessing one of these performances will impart a
better idea of the nature and management of the horse than is
possible to obtain by any course of reading on the subject, and
in this respect alone one such entertainment is worth fifty
times the amount charged for a life-membership.
I next visited the city of Hamilton, where I was welcomed by many warm
friends, who took an active interest in my welfare and seemed delighted
with my system, which, at this time, had gained great favor with the
Canadian people. Here I formed a large and profitable class, and secured
the friendship of many, from whom I have since met a cordial reception.
Leaving Hamilton, I directed my course to the town of Whitby, where I
formed a class of one hundred and twenty-five; next visiting Oshawa,
where my class reached the number of one hundred and forty; then to
Bowmanville, where a class of a hundred rewarded my efforts; from there
to Port Hope, where one hundred and fifty joined the class I opened;
thence to Belleville, where I enrolled about one hundred names. After
having left the latter place for about a week, I was followed by a
messenger, dispatched to me by my class, who bore a diploma highly
eulogizing my system. It was as follows:
BELLEVILLE, _May 11, 1875_.
PROF. O. S. PRATT.
_Dear Sir_: We, the undersigned, express our satisfaction of
the tuition we have received from you in the education of the
horse and most cheerfully recommend your art to all who own,
have or use horses, as being the best known and exhibited.
The manner in which you handled all the vicious horses brought
to you here, completely subduing them in a very short time,
gave us the greatest satisfaction.
Your liberality and gentlemanly deportment have secured
numerous friends.
Trusting you will meet with the same success in other places
that attended you here, and hoping you may be long spared to
propagate your noble system of horse training, we are, etc.
(Signed),
H. B. HUNT, Brewer.
G. H. RAMOY, C. E.
C. RAMOY, Coal Merchant.
DR. TRACEY, M. D.
S. M. HICKS, Miller.
E. F. POTS, Wholesale Liquor Merchant.
J. C. L. WARE, P. O. Clerk.
JOHN LAKE, Livery.
T. C. WALBRIDGE, Ex-M. P.
WELLINGTON BOULTER, Insp. Life Ins. Co.
GEO. A. SIMPSON, Coal Merchant.
STEPHEN GARRETT, Bailiff.
HAWLEY & MORDEN, Hawley House.
G. W. ALLEN, P.O. Clerk.
HENRY MCNINCH, Blacksmith.
And ninety others.
From Belleville I went to the town of Picton, where I found many admirers
of that noble animal, the horse. Though the place is not large, the
people flocked to my exhibitions, and gave me a class of one hundred and
forty members, while, after I had left their town, and was engaged at the
village of Wellington, twelve miles distant, a deputation from Picton
waited on me, and presented me with the following diploma, which will
speak for itself:
PICTON, _May 17, 1875_.
PROF. O. S. PRATT:
We, the members of your class, formed in the town of Picton,
are unwilling to allow you to take your leave without warmly
expressing the great satisfaction that has been ours since your
arrival among us. Your plain, lucid and highly interesting
lectures, combined with your gentlemanly deportment, has been
such as to leave a lasting and beneficial impression on our
memories. Your manner of handling vicious and untutored horses
has been highly gratifying to us, and the rapid progress made
by you clearly proves the superiority of your system. Your
book, so replete with instructions, illustrating what we have
seen practically demonstrated, will, we believe, greatly
benefit us in the practice of your system in future years.
Believe us, dear sir, to bespeak for you unequaled success in
your future efforts.
Yours, etc., etc.,
G. STRIKER, M. P. P.,
E. LOUKS, Rector of Picton.
A. M. KERR, Bank Agent.
FRED. WHITE, Teller.
BIDWELL WAY, Ed. “New Nation.”
J. H. ALLEN, Mayor,
J. F. INGSOLL, M. D.,
COLIN GEARING, Merchant.
R. A. NORMAN,
G. E. VANDUSEN,
RICHARD LAKE, Hotel Keeper.
M. CLARK, Merchant,
And one hundred and twenty others.
After forming classes in several places in the old loyal county of Prince
Edward, and meeting with good success, I crossed the beautiful waters of
the Bay of Quintie, arriving at the town of Napanee about the first of
June, 1875. There I formed a class of one hundred. Pursuing my journey,
I traveled north and west, exhibiting at many places, until I reached
the town of Peterborough, where I remained a short time, and formed a
class of one hundred members. Departing thence, I visited many towns and
villages, forming classes in each, on my way to Lindsay, at which place
I enrolled the names of seventy-eight members.
From Lindsay I went to Fenelon Falls, quite a newly-erected town, yet I
found many there to whom my visit was a pleasure, as I soon obtained a
class of some sixty members.
Passing on westward, I continued to meet with success, forming classes
in some few small villages until, on the 9th of September, I entered the
beautiful town of Barrie. There I found warm friends, and many lovers of
the horse, who met me cordially, and gave me a class of one hundred and
thirty-five members.
I next shaped my course northward, to the old town of Penetanguishine, on
the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. The larger portion of the inhabitants
are French Canadians, many of whom are unable to speak our language.
I was informed by some of the old inhabitants that the town was first
settled a century ago; but, notwithstanding this, their progress has been
slow, as at present the population is but about one thousand. My class
in this place numbered about seventy persons, who seemed highly pleased
with my system of educating the horse.
At Penetanguishine I took passage on the steamer Waubuno for Collingwood.
The boat is commanded by Captain Peter Campbell, a courteous gentleman,
who possesses the power of so adapting himself to his passengers as to
make a trip with him pleasant in both the enjoyment and the retrospect,
while the romantic scenery which meets the eye of the voyager who ascends
the bay is so beautiful that, were it not for the severity of the winters
there, one might easily be tempted to select his home amongst the
beauties of nature which adorn the shores of Georgian Bay.
On arriving at Collingwood, I gave an exhibition that created a strong
interest among the citizens, and resulted in my forming a good class, who
manifested both satisfaction and delight with the instructions I imparted.
After exhibiting at small towns on the way, I arrived at the truly
beautiful and lately-incorporated town of Meaford, on the fifth day of
October. A drenching rain was falling, which seemed to indicate that my
prospects of success would be blighted by the inauspicious storm; but,
as the day swept on towards noon, the parting clouds allowed the golden
sunbeams to flow through, and, by two o’clock, the whole aspect of the
scene was changed. I gave a public exhibition, and formed a class of
nearly one hundred members.
From Meaford I traveled over bad roads until I reached Owen Sound. Here
I did not find as many lovers of the horse as I anticipated, yet I was
pleased before the close of my labors by meeting a good degree of success.
Georgian Bay, near the southern bend of which is Owen Sound, is a
beautiful sheet of water, broadening out as it leaves Lake Huron, with
which it is connected, and forming what seems like a land-locked lake
in itself. Large steamers leave this port for Lake Superior, and many
tourists deem this route one of the most pleasing of all on the upper
lakes. Ere long, it is asserted, a communication will be opened from
this point to Winnipeg and the far-off Province of Manitoba.
Having thus brought my narrative down to the present time, I would add
a few words to the reader who may have kindly followed me through the
scenes I have recorded. In what I have written one object has been to
show the strong and unqualified endorsement my system of equine education
has everywhere received from the men best qualified to judge of its
merits, while, at the same time, the narrative is a fitting, and I hope
not an uninteresting, introduction to the system itself, which, with
other matter relating to the general subject, will be fully and clearly
taught in the following portions of the book.
And now, with a hearty appreciation of the unvarying kindness he has
received from his patrons in all portions of the land, the author begs
leave to respectfully dedicate this work to those whose aid, appreciation
and friendship have so often cheered him in his efforts.
HISTORY OF THE HORSE
From the earliest ages this noble animal has been the friend and
companion of man. Prized for his beauty, loved for his docility, and
valued for his strength, he has ever been regarded as the highest in
value and importance of all domesticated animals. In the remotest ages,
as far back as authentic history discloses anything of the life and
pursuits of man, we find that the horse occupied a prominent position in
his service. Painters have pictured on their canvas the majesty and grace
of the spirited animal. Poets have celebrated his strength and beauty in
their verses, and even inspired writers have introduced amongst their
most glowing descriptions the horsemen and chariots which formed a chief
feature in the pomp and magnificence of those early days.
In the most ancient hieroglyphs we find him present, and always so
represented as to show that, even in the remote antiquity from which they
date, he had been brought into complete and serviceable subjection. In
the oldest Egyptian paintings the horse is seen only in the war chariot,
and in the descriptions of the siege of Troy only the charioteer appears,
from which it has been supposed that the first horses used by the Greeks
were too small to be conveniently ridden. But in the lately-discovered
paintings in the palace of Nimrod, at Nineveh, disinterred by Layard, and
supposed to be more than three thousand years old, horsemen are exhibited
both in the chase and war.
But further back than even those distant times, in the ages where
authentic history merges into the shadowy light, amidst which myth and
fable mingle with the real, we find this noble animal figuring, but then
exalted into a semi-human sphere. The Centaurs, who inhabited the passes
of Mts. Pelion and Ossa, and the great plains of Thessaly, in Upper
Greece, were probably a race resembling in many respects the Tartars of
this age, and are supposed to have been the first who brought the horse
into subjection to man. They were fabled as being half horse and half
man. They are represented as perfect horses in all respects below and
behind the withers and the chest; there, at the insertion of the neck,
began a human body, the hip-joints articulating into the shoulders of
the lower animal, and the abdomen of the man passing gradually into the
chest of the horse. Above this the human form was perfect, with the erect
bearing, chest, shoulders, arms, neck and head of a complete man. They
were reputed to be possessed of extraordinary mental as well as physical
powers, and to be as superior to ordinary men in wisdom and art as they
were in fleetness and strength. They were evidently a tribe of horsemen
whom the ignorance and superstition of that early period elevated into
a superior race, in the supposition that the horse and man were united
in one. Everything points to them as being the first who succeeded in
breaking and using the horse.
Coming down to the times of authentic history, we find the Parthians
to have been amongst the most renowned for their skill in training and
using the horse. Their feats of horsemanship in battle showed a complete
mastery of the animal, which, in their battles with the Romans, rendered
them so efficient as mounted archers.
Frequently, in ancient paintings, the mounted steed is represented
without a bridle, and the Numidian cavalry are said to have guided and
restrained their horses without it; an assertion by no means improbable,
as a Comanche Indian of the present day will frequently jump on the back
of a wild and untrained horse, and guide him by the simple expedient of
covering with his hand the eye of the animal on the side opposite to that
in which he wishes to direct it.
In modern times the horse has been so closely associated with man that
he appears in every phase of society, and it is only when his numerous
uses are considered that we realize how greatly the human family is his
debtor. The knight of the days of chivalry would have been impossible
but for the trusty steed which bore him so gallantly in the lists at
the tourney, and amidst the deadlier strife of the battle. Before the
plow and at the harrow he has multiplied the productions of the earth
a hundred-fold beyond what human strength alone could have secured.
Laboring before the loaded wagon, he has been a steady drudge for man.
Harnessed to the elegant equipage or to the humbler “cab,” or bearing
along the dusty highway the stage-coach of the traveler, he has performed
a thousand offices indispensable to human comfort and advancement. It is
not too much to claim for him that civilization itself would have been
shorn of something of its present fair proportions but for the valuable
services rendered by this noble animal.
Yet, with all his acknowledged value, the horse has been too frequently
the victim of neglect and cruelty; often ill-fed, poorly sheltered,
and harshly treated, till, in many cases, the innate nobleness of his
nature has been obscured by vicious habits, contracted through the
mismanagement or abuse to which he has been subjected, and perpetuated
by ignorance and prejudice. Naturally, the horse is usually gentle and
confiding; he is quick to perceive, and possesses an excellent memory,
which qualities render him capable of being educated easily, and to an
extent far greater than is generally supposed. Added to this, he is
capable of deep and lasting attachment.
What the horse may have been in his natural state is not known, as none
at present exist in that condition. The horses which at the present day
are found in a wild state in Northern Asia and America, are known to be
the descendants of individuals formerly domesticated. On the prairies
of the West, the pampas of South America, and the plains of Tartary,
they live in troops, roaming at large, without fixed place of abode,
seeking the richest pasturages by day, and resting at night in dry and
sheltered situations; these large troops, which have lived independently
for many generations, entirely exempt from the influence of man, probably
afford a tolerably correct idea of what the primeval animal was. They
are generally smaller, yet stronger, than the domesticated animal, with
rougher coats, stronger limbs, and larger heads. Even when adult, the
wild horse is readily domesticated, and may be broken to any use without
great difficulty, thus proving the natural gentleness and docility of
his nature. They are captured by the lasso, bitted, mounted, and broken
within an hour by the daring and skillful Gauchos.
The Arabians, long renowned for their attachment to the horse, early
showed the extent to which intelligent training could develop his finer
qualities, and render him the most docile and obedient of animals.
Something in that country or its climate is especially suited to the
development of the horse, and, although introduced there long after his
domestication in other eastern countries, he rapidly attained a degree
of excellence which surpassed all others, until the horses of Arabia and
the adjacent portions of Asia and Africa became the most celebrated for
speed, courage, spirit, intelligence and docility of any of the equine
race. Small in size, he has a beautiful, lean, bony head, with a very
broad forehead, a tapering muzzle, and large, well-opened nostrils; his
mane is very long, thin and silky. It is from the Arabian horse, crossed
with the Barb, that the best stock of England and America has sprung.
Although much of the superiority of these horses is attributable to
peculiarly favorable conditions of the country where they originated,
yet many of their excellent qualities may be traced to kindness and
intelligent training by which those qualities were first developed,
and through which they have been transmitted until they have become
characteristics of the race.
The Arabian understands the value of his horse, appreciates the nobility
of his nature, and treats him accordingly. They kiss and caress them;
they adorn them with jewels, and amulets formed out of sentences of the
Koran, as a preservative against evil and accidents. “In short,” says
a modern author, “they treat them almost like rational beings, which
are ready to sacrifice their lives for their master’s benefit.” In the
desert he is the familiar comrade, tentmate and playmate of his master,
as docile and intelligent as a dog. Rev. V. Monro relates an anecdote
of an Arab, “the net value of whose dress and accoutrements might be
calculated at something under seventeen pence half-penny,” who refused
all offers made to purchase a beautiful mare on which he rode, declaring
that he loved the animal better than his own life. The French author, Dr.
St. Pierre, quotes a remarkable instance of the attachment an Arabian
feels for his horse: “The whole stock of a poor Arabian of the desert
consisted of a most beautiful mare. The French Consul at Said offered
to purchase her, with an intention of sending her to his master, Louis
XIV. The Arab, pressed by want, hesitated for a long time, but at length
consented, on condition of receiving a very considerable sum, which he
named. The Consul, not daring, without instructions, to give so high a
price, wrote to Versailles for permission to close the bargain on the
terms stipulated. Louis XIV gave orders to pay the money. The Consul
immediately sent notice to the Arab, who soon after made his appearance
mounted on his magnificent courser, and the gold he had demanded was
paid down to him. The Arab, covered with a miserable rag, dismounts and
looks at the money; then, turning his eyes to the mare, he thus accosts
her: ‘To whom am I going to yield thee up? To Europeans, who will tie
thee close, who will beat thee, who will render thee miserable. Return
with me, my beauty, my darling, my jewel, and rejoice the hearts of my
children!’ As he pronounced these words, he sprung upon her back and
scampered off towards the desert.”
It is not surprising that such a high appreciation of and fondness for
this noble animal, united to an intelligent training, has resulted in
the production of a race of horses unrivaled in excellence. But among
Europeans and Americans the treatment of the horse has been usually so
harsh, and the mode of training so deficient in intelligence, as to
greatly lessen his value, even where a brutal ignorance has not brought
into activity every vice latent in his nature. Of the numerous faults
ascribed to the horse a very small portion are chargeable to his natural
disposition, the remainder being the direct result of vicious training,
or rather of the absence of training, and the substitution of something
which, under that name, first produces and then fosters the faults for
which the animal is punished; while often the punishment is ineffectual,
because the animal has no conception of why it is made to suffer.
Education is as essential to the horse as it is to man, and in each
case it must proceed on the same general principles. Man, if uneducated
and untrained would degenerate into barbarism, and the horse, unless
brought under subjection to an intelligent will, will remain wild and
ungovernable. In each case education is the process by which the higher
and better qualities are developed and the lower and evil are restrained.
The first grand lesson to be learned by each is that of subjection
to authority; the child is taught that by his parent; the horse must
learn it from his trainer. But, after that, knowledge is required, and
this must be imparted by methods adapted to the nature that is to be
cultivated. The object of the practical portion of this book is to show
in what that knowledge consists and how it may be communicated to the
horse, and so impressed upon his memory that it will never be forgotten.
The author has the fullest confidence that the methods of breaking and
training the horse, herein taught, will, if early applied, prevent his
acquiring any of the faults which, under former systems, have proved so
numerous; while the treatment recommended for correcting bad habits,
already formed, will prove effectual in even the most stubborn cases,
and with the most intractable dispositions. The reader will not be
asked to accept any unproved theory, but will be instructed in a system
which, although subjected to the severest tests, has never failed to
accomplish the desired results. And that it never will fail, the author
feels assured, it being firmly based on reason and experience. That it
may require patience and self-control on the part of the instructor
the author does not deny; but so does the instruction of a child, the
breaking of a dog to the gun, or even the training of a vine to its
trellis; but the satisfactory results which are certain to be attained
will furnish an ample reward.
DIRECTIONS FOR FEEDING AND FITTING A HORSE.
1. TO RAISE A TROTTER SO THAT HE WILL LAST A LONG TIME.—A horse that is
going to display great excellence as a trotter will not attain his speed
at four years, nor at five, but will reach his highest excellence when
the well-bred horse of seven years has been long gone from the turf.
_Nothing in nature, soon matured, lasts long._
In fitting a running horse, the case is different, as his constitution is
not the same; the colts of blooded horses are inclined to mature earlier
than any others, and, being of leaner and wiry build, they can stand more
feed at an early period than a lower-bred horse.
There are good reasons, which I fully endorse, for not feeding growing
colts much grain. If the colt is weaned, I would recommend from one to
two quarts per day, varying the quantity according to his size, as one
with a large, loose frame will require more than a close-built colt,
which keeps in good order and fills out as he grows up. Good pasturage,
however, is the main requisite. Give no corn to colts while they are
young. Late in the fall give your colt all the hay he can eat, and be
careful to have his oats clean and of good quality. When his first winter
comes, let the colt have a good place to run, and be well-housed at
night. Never turn such colts out with old horses, calves and heifers;
should you do so, you may expect a shivering, scrawny colt, scarcely able
to put one leg before the other; while, by avoiding this error, your colt
will be as gay and frisky as when standing by its mother.
When weaning, a warm bran-mash, now and then, with a few oats mixed
in, will be beneficial; it will do the whole system good, and improve
digestion. Give colts and horses all the water they can drink, but do not
give it often. Never give a colt physic unless it is sick; to prevent
sickness, diet when symptoms of indisposition appear.
Yearling colts should have three quarts of oats per day; their other food
must be abundant and good. When two years old in the spring, give four
quarts of oats per day; when three years old give six quarts, and when
four years old give eight quarts daily.
2. TO MOUTH AND BIT A COLT.—The bitting must not be continued long at
a time, from five to twenty minutes is sufficient, great care must be
observed not to overdo the colt as short lessons, often repeated, make a
better impression and are more lasting. When the colt becomes fatigued
his temper will begin to rise, and I am satisfied that two-thirds of
horses viciously inclined are made so by improper handling when young. In
handling a two-year-old trotter the utmost care, as well as gentleness
and firmness, must be exercised. It was not customary, in former times,
to handle colts until they were four years old, but later experience
has shown the advantages of beginning at an earlier age. A colt can be
taught at two years old, and be made to trot at three if the handling
is properly done. But a danger to be especially guarded against is the
impatience of the owner who, when he finds that the young colt can trot
a little, always desires to see him do it more or a little faster. If he
pushes the colt in such a way he will soon have one that will do nothing.
The only proper and safe way is to proceed gradually, but continually;
the colt should be kept at it gently, so as to retain all he learns,
which he will do if he is not forced off his feet.
Then break him to ride; mount and dismount, but do not straddle him till
he gets accustomed to your getting off and on; then ride him for a few
moments, but not so long that he will get leg-weary. I recommend less
walking for trotters than was formerly employed.
3. TO EDUCATE HIM FOR THE ROAD.—In doing this the skeleton is preferable,
to keep the weight off his back. Take your horse to some track; if there
is none, then upon the road; do not speed him along at the same rate;
but in short “spurts,” when he will extend himself without injury. If he
seems tired, let him up a little. You must watch for such indications,
as this is a critical time in the education of your horse. This jogging
should not exceed from two to four miles a day, with “spurts” of not
over a quarter of a mile. You should carefully ascertain whether or not
he improves, as at this age his improvement should be constant. Perhaps,
at this time, you may see him break his gait, showing that he has had
too much work for his age and has become sore. Then suspend your driving
and when he gets well apply my trotting rig as shown in the engraving.
The colt then, finding something on his mouth and legs to keep him
steady, will alter his way of going. Though he is to be taught to go
without being pulled hard, it should still be remembered that the colt or
horse will often want to get his head down and feel the bit. The driver
should then support him, with as little pull as possible, yet enough to
accomplish that purpose; the horse with good mouth will always feel the
driver’s hand.
SYSTEM OF EDUCATING THE HORSE.
_NEW METHOD OF HALTERING A VICIOUS OR WILD COLT._
[Illustration: NEW METHOD OF HALTERING A VICIOUS OR WILD COLT.]
Having directed my attention for many years to compiling a system of
educating the horse, and traveling over twenty-five States of the Union,
together with nearly all the cities and towns in the Provinces of
Ontario and Quebec, during the past eight years, it is highly probable
that few, if any, men are better prepared to impart instruction or to
give direction with regard to the management of the horse than myself.
Therefore, without being egotistic, or overrating my ability, I can but
say that, if the reader will adopt the various ideas found in my work
relating to the colt alone, he will have gained knowledge sufficient to
more than repay him for the amount paid for the book.
I deem it advisable to give special directions to those who raise colts,
not only as to their manner of treatment and education, but, knowing
full well the difficulty sometimes attending the first haltering of wild
colts, I have prepared the foregoing plate as illustrative of my method,
and now proceed to give directions which, if strictly followed, will
insure success.
Take a pole about ten feet long; drive a nail near the end, then drive
another about fifteen inches from it; now take a rope halter, and hang
the part that goes on the top of the head on these nails; then enlarge
the nose-piece, by means of the slip-noose, sufficiently to allow it to
slip on easily, observing to hold the halter stale in your hands with the
pole; approach your colt with great care, and allow him to smell of the
halter, and, in a few minutes, he will yield to your advances, and allow
you to place the halter on him without much difficulty. Make the shank or
stale of the halter about three times the ordinary length, for, as soon
as he finds himself caught, he will use his best exertions to get away
from you.
_TO EDUCATE THE HORSE TO THE WORDS “COME HERE.”_
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE THE HORSE TO THE WORDS “COME HERE.”]
Place a Camanche bridle on the horse, made as follows: take a small cord
about sixteen feet long, tie the end around the neck firmly, so that it
cannot slip; then double your cord, placing it under the neck, from,
the shoulder to the mouth; step back at the side of your horse, and say
“Come here;” at the same time give him a sharp jerk, and he will swing
around to you; when he comes, caress him with your hand on the shoulder;
now repeat the same on opposite side, remembering to caress each time;
do this four or five times, and you will find that your horse will obey
and fully understand the words “come here.” Always speak the words with a
distinct and commanding tone of voice.
I desire that the reader may understand that obedience in the horse is
accomplished by pain; so, when you inflict pain, accompanied by a word,
the horse is made to understand that the words mean pain; and, rather
than suffer pain, he cheerfully obeys the word.
Persons have practiced the foregoing idea and succeeded in accomplishing
their purpose and have, no doubt, been highly gratified that their
horse was so intelligent, yielding a quiet obedience to their efforts
in a very short time; now had the owner known that a foundation for a
complete education was properly laid, how easily could he have built a
superstructure thereon that would have been permanent and beneficial
during the life of the animal. Men are often conceited and think that
because they have experienced no difficulty in the past in breaking and
handling their horses, therefore all will be sunshine in the future. I
would advise a careful perusal of my work, and, by so doing, those of the
character above described will have their conceit supplanted as they gain
the knowledge of a practical system of properly educating the horse.
_HOW TO LAY A HORSE DOWN._
[Illustration: HOW TO LAY A HORSE DOWN.]
Place a rope or rein around the horse’s body, forming a surcingle; pass
the other end under the tail and bring it back, tying it to the part
around the body, thus forming a surcingle and crooper; also put a ring,
say an inch in diameter, in the surcingle on the back; then strap up the
nigh fore-leg as follows: take a quarter-strap, pass it two or three
times around below the fetlock, then through the keeper; bring the leg
up and buckle close to the belly; place around the neck a quarter-inch
strong rope, loosely, fixing the knot so it will not slip; bring the
end down the near side of the head, through the mouth, and back on the
off-side through the ring in the surcingle; now take a position on the
nigh-side of the horse, commencing to pull gently, allowing him to
struggle a short time, after which he will lie down quite easily, without
sustaining any injury.
By adhering strictly to the instructions given, every person will
readily see, that the object in laying the horse down is to give him
to understand that you are master; and, after repeating this two or
three times, he will be perfectly satisfied of the fact. While down,
place a small pole between his legs, moving it about; if he shows fear
or resists, give him a sharp pull on the cord in his mouth by way of
correction. In other words, punish him for doing wrong, and caress him
for doing right, thus making him understand the difference between right
and wrong.
_HOW TO GET A HORSE UP THAT THROWS HIMSELF._
[Illustration: HOW TO GET A HORSE UP THAT THROWS HIMSELF.]
Animals are often sulky, and quickly acquire the habit of lying down.
Balky horses, when urged to go, will lie down and refuse to get up, and
an ox will sometimes lie down in the furrow when before the plough. When
the habit is thoroughly settled, it becomes very annoying to the owner or
driver, who often resorts to severe means, but fails to accomplish the
end desired; therefore, to prevent violence and ill-treatment, I give the
easy and simple remedy subjoined, which, when adopted, will be found to
be practical and _never-failing_:
Raise the animal’s head up, as illustrated in the foregoing plate, and
pour into his nostril a small quantity of water, not to exceed a pint,
from a pitcher or cup, and you will be amused by the pleasing result: the
animal will rise to his feet as quickly as it is possible for him to do
so; he believes himself to be drowning, and will extricate himself with
all speed.
Simple as is this expedient, it is yet unfailing in its efficacy; and
that which most commends it to the acceptance of kind-hearted men is the
absence of all cruelty in its application. No pain is caused, but the
unusual sensation, together with the necessity for air on the part of the
horse, banishes his former feeling of sulkiness or anger and the yields
to the almost irresistible impulse to spring to his feet and free his
nostrils of the water.
If any one who has never applied this remedy should doubt its power, he
only needs to try the experiment in a mild way on himself, when he will
realize its power upon the horse.
I believe it would be impossible to devise another method so free from
pain, so harmless to the horse, and yet so thoroughly efficacious as is
the one we have here given.
_TO EDUCATE A COLT NOT TO BE AFRAID OF HIS HEELS._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A COLT NOT TO BE AFRAID OF HIS HEELS.]
Too much importance cannot be attached to the manner of educating a
horse’s heels, as it is in that point his greatest means of defense and
resistance lies, and most men make the mistake of breaking one end of the
horse, while they allow his hind parts to go uneducated. The instructions
I am about to give will, if properly followed, insure success.
After laying your colt down, commence to handle his hind parts and heels,
being careful to hold the cord firmly in your left hand, so that, if he
attempts to get up, you can control him; then strike him gently with a
stick, and, if he should show fear, which he naturally will, punish him
in the mouth; then place the stick between his legs and commence moving
it around, and, if he makes no resistance, remember to caress him; almost
as much is accomplished by caressing as by punishing.
The above instruction is equally applicable to a kicking horse, but
in his education he will require more lessons before the habit will
be entirely removed; still, kindness and a little patience will soon
accomplish all you desire.
Men in general exercise too little patience in the training of their
colts, and they frequently expect to accomplish more in a short space of
time than can possibly be performed. Yet the time really required, when
measured by days, is so short as to be really surprising. Let us suppose
that in training a colt one were to spend two hours a day for ten days,
which is the longest time that could possibly be needed; compute the time
at ten hours to the day, and the whole amounts to but two days, at the
end of which he would have a well-educated animal. I doubt if a farmer
or horse-raiser could employ his time more profitably in any other way
than in thoroughly educating his colts, as he thus enhances their value,
for there is no sensible man who would not give ten dollars more for a
properly educated animal than for one improperly trained.
_TO EDUCATE A COLT TO DRIVE BEFORE BEING HARNESSED._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A COLT TO DRIVE BEFORE BEING HARNESSED.]
Place on him the Bonaparte bridle, as shown in engraving, with your cord
in the left hand and whip in the right; the cord referred to should be
about eighteen feet long; now drive him around a circle to the right
about fifteen minutes; then drive him to the left about the same time.
You have now educated your colt to drive, and may with safety put on your
harness, observing to put the reins through the shaft tugs at his side;
then commence driving him carefully for some fifteen minutes on a walk,
turning him to the right and left as before directed. Do not use the whip
more than sufficient to give him a knowledge of its use. Never drive a
colt without blinders. It is better to first hitch him to a sulky or a
cart, and do not put on breechings, but allow the cross-bar frequently to
come against his heels, so that he may never be afraid, or learn to kick.
Never forget, when your colt is obedient, to stop him, and walk up to and
caress him.
I am unwilling to pass on to another illustration without more fully
impressing on the minds of those who raise or break colts the necessity
of kind and careful usage in educating their animals. Never approach
your colt quickly. Never, pull the halter or bridle off quickly. Always
handle the colt’s ears with great care. Never punish him on the body
with anything but a whip, and with it as seldom as possible, as many
colts become sulky and show signs of balking when severely whipped. It is
better that you should give your colt two or three lessons each day, as
heretofore directed, at intervals of say two hours apart: by this means
you do not overtax his brain, nor cause him to get weary. In this, as in
many other cases, the wisest course is to “make haste slowly.”
_HOW TO EDUCATE A COLT TO MOVE HIS BODY WHEN HE MOVES HIS HEAD._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A COLT TO MOVE HIS BODY WHEN HE MOVES HIS
HEAD.]
Place on your bridle, then your harness; carry your reins through the
shaft tugs; take your position behind the horse (see engraving); now
commence to drive, turning him round frequently, first to the right,
then to the left, and he will quickly understand to move his body when
he moves his head. By this means you are educating to the shafts, and
educating not to be afraid of his heels, thus thoroughly breaking your
horse at both sides and both ends.
After your colt has been driven two or three times, as above described,
educate him to obey the word “whoa:” let him walk along smartly, then
speak plain, with audible voice, and say “whoa;” at the same time pull on
the reins with some force; when he stops, caress him; repeat this a few
times, and, in the short space of fifteen minutes, you will have taught
him the use of the word. Now your horse is educated to drive and stop at
the word of command.
The next thing in order is to teach him to back. To accomplish this,
grasp your reins firmly, and with a determined effort; speak firmly,
making use of the word “back,” at the same time pulling with all your
might; if he obeys the first time, step up and caress him; if not,
increase the power by inviting one or more of your friends to assist on
the reins, being fully determined to accomplish your purpose. As soon as
he obeys, don’t fail to caress him, and by this process you will educate
your horse to the word, which he will never forget.
Your colt being educated, you may now hitch him up to a vehicle,
observing to drive him very slow, only on a walk, and after thus driving
him a few times, you can with certainty say that you have a thoroughly
educated horse, whose value will be greatly increased, compared with the
old or any other system of breaking the colt. _Always_ observing to drive
your colt with blinders, only using the whip enough to let him know the
use of it. Be kind to your animal, never using harsh means, and he will
reward your kindness by implicit obedience.
_IMPROVED METHOD OF BITTING A COLT._
[Illustration: IMPROVED METHOD OF BITTING A COLT.]
Use the Bonaparte bridle, placing a loop on the lower jaw; carry the cord
back on the neck, bringing the end of the cord down through the loop on
the jaw; then draw the horse’s head up in an easy and graceful position,
and tie a bow-knot. Should the horse attempt to rear and go over
backwards, give a little pull to untie the cord, and the horse is saved
from any accident. The object aimed at in bitting a horse is to give an
easy position, with a high and graceful carriage of the head, and, in our
efforts to do this, we must be careful not to give him a dead bearing on
the bit, or make him what is usually known as a “lugger.” All the bitting
rings which we have examined, and especially those of English make, are
objectionable, as having a tendency to produce this result. The rig which
we here give you is entirely free from this objection, and is better
calculated to produce the desired result of ease and gracefulness than
any ever before presented to the public. Our rig, instead of bearing
on the jaw-bones whenever the horse presses his weight upon the bit,
producing a calloused jaw and indifference to the bit, contracts the side
muscles of the cheek on the molar teeth, with a pain the horse cannot
endure; he lifts his head, the bit falls on the side rein, and the mouth
is at once relieved. Practice has shown that horses bitted with this rig
soon acquire the habit of gently and gracefully raising the head with
that occasional toss, or upward and downward motion, and playing with
the bit, which is the perfection of beauty in a carriage horse, while
standing in the harness.
It is not possible for a horse with our rig to become a “lugger.” This
bit never bears upon the jaw-bone with more than a light pressure, and
when he attempts to rest his head upon the bit, the pressure on the teeth
causes him to desist and elevate his head. He soon dreads to rest upon
the bit, and of his own free will, without the force of the rein, carries
it up with freedom and ease.
_EDUCATING THE COLT TO RIDE_
[Illustration: EDUCATING THE COLT TO RIDE.]
First put on the Bonaparte bridle, make a double half-hitch, bringing
it over the head, back of his ears, and, carrying it down to the mouth,
place it under the upper lip, taking the end of the cord in your right
hand, placing it on the horse’s rump; then place your left hand in the
mane; now spring partly on and off, as seen in the plate on preceding
page. Do this several times; if he moves, punish him in the mouth, by
means of the cord; if he does not move, when you get off caress him;
then go to the opposite side, repeating the same several times, after
which you may safely mount your horse, but be particular not to remain
on his back too long at a time, as the strength of the animal is not yet
sufficiently developed to bear a protracted strain. Like the young of all
animals, the colt has a great deal of energy and spirit, but lacks the
stamina to endure long-continued exertion, nor can it be imposed on them
without certain injury.
Men do not act wisely by practicing the old system of riding colts, viz.,
by mounting on the back with reins and whip in hand, and, so soon as the
colt jumps about or rears, applying the whip or heels; for the reason
that the animal _does not know_ what you require of him, but believes you
design some injury, and therefore resists your efforts to ride him. No
wonder that he repeatedly throws his rider and treats him as an intruder.
He cannot be less terrified than a man would be if a wild animal were to
mount on his back. In order to secure success in educating his colt to
ride let the reader adopt the foregoing instructions, and he will not
have cause for regret, but will find that he has gained more than the
single point of riding, as he has taught his colt that he does not intend
to harm him, and that his duty is to yield a cheerful obedience to his
owner’s commands.
_INSTRUCTIONS TO RIDE THE COLT._
[Illustration: INSTRUCTIONS TO RIDE THE COLT.]
Take a small cord, ten to twelve feet long, divide it in the center; then
place the center back of the ears, cross it in the mouth, then bring
both ends along the neck to the withers, and tie a knot, thus forming a
powerful bridle, sufficient to ride the most vicious animal.
Sacred history contains the declaration that there is “the bridle for
the horse, the whip for the ass, and the rod for the fool’s back,” and,
while writing my book, I have often thought of the first portion of that
quotation. The power of the bridle in controlling the horse is really
wonderful, and the new forms of powerful bridles given in this work
enable the most timid rider to secure the mastery of the most powerful
animal. The one described above is excellent, and can never fail to give
satisfaction when it is used as directed.
There is no exercise so invigorating and scarcely any so delightful as
the manly one of riding the horse, yet three-quarters of the pleasure
of equestrianism depends on the early training of the horse for this
delightful exercise. The rider who feels that he has beneath him an
animal obedient to his slightest wish, and which responds to a touch of
the heel or the lightest pressure of the bit, moving to the lifting or
the falling of the bridle, such a rider feels almost as though the horse
on which he sits forms a portion of himself, and courses onward with a
delightful sense of power and freedom. Nearly all of this excellence in
a riding-horse depends on the way in which he has been educated while
young. Faults then acquired may be corrected, it is true, in later years,
yet it is far more desirable that they should never have been formed,
but, in place thereof, the qualities secured which form the excellence of
a horse.
I throw out these suggestions at this point, for I am now dealing with
the early education of the colt; later in the book I shall have to speak
more of faults to be corrected, and it is my wish to impress on my reader
the great importance of the kind of education which the colt receives at
his hands.
_TO HALTER-BREAK A COLT, AND HITCH IN THE STABLE._
[Illustration: TO HALTER-BREAK AND HITCH A COLT IN THE STALL.]
Place the center of a sixteen-foot cord under the horse’s tail, and bring
it over and cross it on the back; then tie it firmly in front of the
breast (as seen by reference to illustration on preceding page); carry
the halter-strap through the manger, and bring it back under the mouth;
then tie the end of the strap to the cord in front of the breast. The
colt is now tied by the head and tail. While he yields quietly to the
confinement, he is comfortable and easy, but the moment he begins to
resist he punishes himself; this he soon learns, and in a little time
ceases the efforts which he finds to be productive of pain. He will
always remember the lesson, and give no further trouble.
It may seem a trifling thing to have gained the result described above;
yet, as the earth is made up of grains of sand, so the thorough education
of the horse is the result of attention to a multitude of small affairs,
each one seeming to be of little importance in itself, but which, in
their total, make the difference between a gentle and an unruly animal.
Too much care and attention cannot be bestowed on the colt while you
are giving him lesson after lesson, as he is susceptible of impressions
that will take weeks to overcome, provided you should through neglect
or carelessness omit to practice the instructions laid down. Do not
suppose that any of the directions given in this book are unimportant.
They are, one and all, the result of long experience in the management
and education of the horse, and each one, in its place and relation to
the general system, is as necessary, though perhaps not as important,
as any other. To be certain of reaching the best results of the system,
the reader must not pass over any of our directions as unimportant
or unnecessary, but accept each as a part of the system which it has
required years of time and thought to bring to its present state of
perfection.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK AT YOU WHEN ENTERING THE STALL._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK AT YOU WHEN ENTERING THE
STALL.]
Place on the horse the Bonaparte bridle; then drive a staple at the side
of the stall, near the manger, three or four feet from the floor; then
attach another staple at the entrance of the stall, the same distance
from the floor; now pass the cord through both staples and tie it. When
you enter the stall, pull sharply on the rope; at the same time use the
words “go over.” The head of the horse will be drawn towards you, and his
heels to the opposite side. Thus you avoid all danger, and will very soon
educate your horse to abandon this bad habit.
Vicious and annoying habits in horses often owe their origin to bad
management by their owner or groom. Allow me to instance a few examples:
A man walks into the stable and approaches his horse in the stall, and,
if he should move about quickly, the person springs back from him,
evidently showing his fear, which is at once noticed by the horse, and
taken advantage of; so that, after a repetition of this two or three
times, the animal fancies he is master, and uses his heels to help the
intruder out of the stall. Another custom prevails: that of striking a
horse on the rump or hinder parts, with a whip or stick in order to make
him stand over, and the effect is to irritate and cause him to kick.
Now, in order to insure success, walk up to your animal manfully and
determinately, observing never to show fear, and by this means you will
never teach your horse to kick at you.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE THAT KICKS OR PAWS IN THE STALL._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE THAT KICKS OR PAWS IN THE STALL.]
First make the Bonaparte bridle, as before directed; carry the cord
through a surcingle, attached around the body, back to a ring in front
of the hind-leg, to which are attached two straps, one above and one
below the gambol joint of the leg he has the habit of kicking with; thus,
when he kicks, he is punished in the act, and soon gives up the habit.
_Pawing_—Continue the cord forward to a ring attached to two small straps
above and below the knee-joint, as seen on engraving, observing, as above
directed, to attach the appliance to the leg he paws with, reversing the
straps when required, which will give a horse the knowledge that when he
paws he punishes himself, and the reader will see, by this treatment, the
habit speedily broken up.
The habit of kicking in the stall is one that is not only disagreeable
to the owner of the horse addicted to it, but is often destructive and
costly, as a horse viciously inclined to that habit will sometimes even
splinter the boards of the stall, and with so simple and effective a
method of correcting the bad habit it should never be tolerated for a
single day, and the possessor of this book would be inexcusable should he
suffer it to continue in an animal owned by him.
The habit of pawing in the stall, though not so vicious in its nature
as that of kicking, is yet sufficiently troublesome and unpleasant to
deserve a speedy correction, and the owner of a horse addicted to even
the last-named fault will be more than compensated for the slight trouble
caused in its removal.
It may seem needless to repeat what has before been said, in substance,
that the seemingly small faults of a horse are the ones which most
frequently lessen his value and impair his usefulness, and that the
removal of any one, however trifling, adds a money value to the horse
more than sufficient to compensate for the time and trouble expended.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO GET CAST IN THE STALL._
[Illustration: TO PREVENT A HORSE GETTING CAST IN THE STALL.]
Drive a staple in the ceiling over the manger at the side of the stall,
then another in the ceiling in the center of the stall over the horse’s
head; pass a small cord through the staple at the side of the stall; tie
a horseshoe, or the weight of a horseshoe, so that the cord will not draw
through the staple; then put the cord through the staple in the center of
the stall, bring it down within two and a half feet of the floor, and cut
it off, attaching a snap to the end; place a ring in the halter at the
top of the head, in the center, as seen in engraving. Now, when his head
raises up, the weight comes down; when his mouth is on the floor he can
lie down with ease, but he cannot get the top of his head to the floor;
and, if he cannot get the top of his head to the floor, he cannot roll;
and, if he cannot roll, he cannot get cast. This remedy is as simple as
it is certain, and is always perfectly safe.
The habit of rolling in the stable is one often attended with fatal
results, in addition to the anxiety experienced by the owner of the
horse. Various means are resorted to in order to prevent the animal
getting cast, and most of them are wide of the mark; and, in order to
acquaint the reader with the variety of ways practiced, so that he may
contrast the difference between others and mine, I have thought proper to
write more explicitly on the subject.
A favorite idea with many is to tie the halter so short that the
animal cannot get his mouth near the floor; this renders the horse
uncomfortable, as he cannot lie down when he desires. Another is,
hitching the halter-stale at the ceiling directly over the head of the
animal, and allowing cord enough that he may get his mouth on the floor;
this, too, is attended with bad results, for when he raises his head up
there is sufficient slack in the rope so as to permit his getting his
foot over the rope and become so entangled as to render his position
dangerous.
_TO EDUCATE A COLT TO LEAD BEHIND A WAGON._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A COLT TO LEAD BEHIND A WAGON.]
First put on the colt a common halter without a leader, then place a
small cord about eighteen feet long, divided in the center, under the
tail, cross it on the back, then bring the ends through between the
under-jaw of the horse and the nose-piece of the halter, and tie it to
the hind end of the wagon. This idea will be satisfactory, and your colt
will soon be educated to lead without trouble to his owner. The expedient
is a very simple one, yet will invariably prove successful, because the
colt will find his own comfort to be promoted by doing as you wish;
and this is one of the principles which underlie my whole system of
training—to make the horse desire to do that which his owner wishes.
Under this head I am satisfied that I cannot be too particular in giving
instructions, as persons often grow merry when witnessing the results
produced from ideas that are so different from their old and accustomed
ones, practiced for leading colts. After you have hitched your colt in
the manner described, do not start off immediately, but let him remain as
quiet as possible for a few minutes, then start the wagon slowly, and,
if your colt attempts to rear or plunge about, stop your vehicle, get
out and walk up quietly to your colt and caress him, and when you start
him again, if possible, walk along by his side for a short time, then
stop him again, and again caress. His attention will not be attracted
by objects on the road, but very soon he will understand that his chief
business is to walk on quietly away from the punishment inflicted from
the cord under his tail.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE THAT IS BAD TO CATCH._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE THAT IS BAD TO CATCH.]
Horses acquire this habit mainly from improperly turning them out; and,
to illustrate, I will give the reader an example. First, the man or
boy takes his horse to the bars or fence of the field, and lets only a
portion of either down; he now takes off the bridle or halter, and, in
order to make the horse jump over, hits him on the rump and shouts at
him; thus the animal is made to fear the approach of man when loose; so
that, with this kind of training, it soon becomes difficult to catch, and
requires education in order to counteract this bad habit.
Directions: Put on the Bonaparte bridle, and tie a knot at the mouth, so
as to prevent it from slipping down to his teeth, when he might sever
the cord; then carry it up to his mane over the shoulder; tie the mane
together with a string; then pass the cord through the loop thus made
with the mane, and carry the cord through a loop made in the tail by
same means, and let your cord lay out behind from ten to fifty feet,
as required. Now, when you want your horse, go carefully up behind him
and take a firm hold of the cord, and say “Come here,” at the same time
pulling with all your might. By giving him three or four lessons of this
kind, you may safely take off the cord and go into the field, standing
about the same distance as when you last pulled or the cord, and repeat
the words “come here;” he will quickly obey your voice, and give you no
more trouble in catching him.
When it is remembered how much time is often lost in catching a horse
in the field, it will be seen that, in money value, this simple point
of horse education will more than repay the cost of this book to the
owner of a horse that has heretofore been bad to catch; and the saving
of temper as well as time will make the improvement in his habits doubly
valuable. Both the man and the horse are made better by it.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO REAR UNDER THE SADDLE OR BEFORE A CARRIAGE._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO REAR UNDER THE SADDLE OR BEFORE
A CARRIAGE.]
Attach a small cord tightly around the swell of the body, tied with a
loop-knot, and carry it back into the carriage. By doing this you prevent
your horse from rearing, inasmuch as he is unable to expand his body,
and, without doing so, it is impossible for him to rear. Simple as is
this method, the reader, if he should have occasion to practice it, will
find the idea of great value, as it will never fail to prove effectual in
removing this, to say the least, unpleasant and often dangerous habit.
It is possible that the habit might be broken up in other ways, but
there are none so harmless and easy of application as is the one I have
described.
My readers will, I doubt not, receive with kindly feelings not only the
instructions on the important points of educating their horses to break
off bad habits, but will profit by the ideas and examples given of the
various means adopted by horse-handlers to create these habits. In the
present instance, it is rarely, if ever, known that horses acquire the
habit of rearing themselves, but are prompted so to do by the means used,
viz., starting and stopping suddenly; pulling sharply on the reins, and
then striking the animal with the whip, either of which is a sure and
certain means of producing this result—that of causing the horse to rear
up whenever you desire to move off.
The inconvenience and unpleasantness of such a habit are too plain to
need more than a mention, besides its often occasioning great alarm to
a timid driver; and the simple yet practical means I have given for
breaking up the habit, will be found successful whenever it is tried, as
it always should be where the habit exists.
_TO EDUCATE AND PREVENT A HORSE FROM CRIBBING._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE AND PREVENT A HORSE FROM CRIBBING.]
Build a manger on the floor or from the floor up. In many cases this will
prevent a horse from cribbing by getting his mouth below his chest.
Another method, _sure to be effective_, is to place a piece of sheep-skin
of long wool, eight inches wide and about three feet long, or long
enough to reach from one side of the stall to the other, and on the skin
sprinkle cayenne pepper; take soft soap and rub it on any part of the
stall where the horse will be likely to crib. If the above instructions
are strictly adhered to, and the horse is fed regularly, three times a
day, there will be little danger of his ever becoming a cribber. The
slight trouble which this remedy involves will be repaid a hundred-fold
by the satisfaction felt in the prevention or cure of a most disagreeable
habit, and one which, like every other fault, lessens the value of a
horse. In using the cayenne pepper, a small quantity will be sufficient.
There are more bad results accruing from cribbing than many are aware of.
From cribbing the horse may become a crib-sucker, which often results in
colic, or, as it is sometimes termed, belly-ache. When this occurs of
course it becomes a dangerous habit, and no one should think it too much
trouble to adopt the instructions given under this head. Do not think
you can eradicate this habit by nailing tin or iron over the manger; you
cannot remove it thus; your horse may desist for the time being, but when
put into a stall that is not thus arranged, he will relapse into his old
habit; but by adopting the remedy I have provided he will be thoroughly
taught not to attempt to bite or gnaw the manger.
There is a wide difference between preventing a horse from doing what he
still wishes to do, and taking from him the disposition to do wrong; the
latter alone can properly be called education, and is the only way in
which a bad habit can be permanently removed. On this principle I base my
whole system; it is education, by appealing to the intelligence of the
horse.
_TO EDUCATE AND BREAK A HALTER-PULLER._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE AND BREAK A HALTER-PULLER.]
Place on the horse a common halter, without tie-strap; then take a small
cord, about 16 to 18 feet long; divide it on the center, place it under
the tail and cross it on the back; bring the ends each side of the neck,
then place the ends through the halter under the mouth; tie round a post
or tree. Then tie a strap from the mouth to the post or tree one foot
shorter than the rope, after making it taut from the tail; then cut the
strap half off, after which, frighten your horse by rolling a barrel
in front of him; now he will fly back, breaking the strap, and he will
be caught under the tail, which is a severe punishment that will, by
repeating it two or three times, educate him not to pull at the halter
again.
The practical nature of the idea embraced in the foregoing directions
will be seen at a glance, for the following reason: the horse has from
time to time been guilty of pulling on his halter and breaking it, much
to the displeasure of the owner, but probably much to the gratification
of the horse, who, perhaps, has come to take a sort of pleasure in the
act; now he is made to repeat the same thing, unconscious of the result
that will follow, when immediately on carrying out his old habit he
receives a severe punishment inflicted by the very act. The horse is,
no doubt, surprised, but he quickly learns to connect the act and the
suffering in his mind, and so soon as he does that the habit is cured
forever. This I claim as a great excellence in my system, that its
results are all permanent; the cure is not for a day only, but for all
time; the very disposition to do wrong is wiped out of the animal’s
brain.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK WHEN THE LINE GETS UNDER HIS TAIL._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK WHEN THE LINE GETS UNDER
THE TAIL.]
Horses become kickers from various causes, and one most effectual in
producing the habit, is that when a horse gets the rein under his tail,
his driver, getting provoked, pulls strongly on the rein in order to
liberate it, and by this means burns the skin beneath the tail, when the
horse becomes excited and commences to kick. The driver then usually
begins to whip, and oftentimes the horse continues to kick, until he
breaks everything within reach of his heels, and runs away. Now the owner
has a confirmed kicker, and frequently knows not what to do to correct
the fault he has himself established. The instructions below, if properly
applied, will effect a cure.
When your horse is down, as seen in the engraving, place a strap under
his tail and commence moving it up and down; should he kick, or show
signs of resistance, at once punish him; if not, caress him, and in a
short time his tail will become limber and he will be taught to not be
afraid, though, in driving, the rein should get under his tail. Also,
after you allow him to rise to his feet, use the same means as just
directed when he was lying down.
In my book I have endeavored to grapple with almost every bad habit that
the horse is addicted to, and would here advise all persons who handle
them to be extremely careful that if their animals acquire unpleasant
habits, they are not mostly to be blamed themselves. Horses differ
materially in their ability to learn, and many are less susceptible of
impressions than others, therefore, it behooves the educator to first
make himself acquainted with the disposition of his horse, and treat him
accordingly, as the same line of management will not serve for all, but
an observance of one important direction, that of _always_ using the
utmost kindness, will, in most cases, prevent and remove all habits but
those of long standing.
_ANOTHER METHOD OF EDUCATING A HORSE NOT TO KICK._
[Illustration: ANOTHER METHOD OF EDUCATING A KICKING HORSE.]
I design to make this chapter as plain as possible, so that no man need
fail to break up this worst of habits, and in order so to do, I will
commence at the beginning. With the previously-described rig, lay the
horse down, and commence to handle him. Take a stick or a piece of board
and ply it on his hinder parts, then thrust it between his legs. Should
he kick, punish in the mouth with Camanche bridle, but if he offers no
resistance, caress. When you have secured submission allow your horse to
rise to his feet, then put on him a head-stall and lines and commence
driving him on the walk; every three or four rods pull sharply on the
reins and at the same instant say “Whoa,” walk up and caress; start him
off again, and repeat the “Whoa,” say ten times, by that time you have
so educated him to the word that he will scarcely forget it for years.
Take your stick and ply it on his hind parts again; if he resists, jerk
suddenly on the reins and say “Whoa.” Ply the stick until all fear is
removed. You can now safely hitch your animal to a cart, as seen in
engraving, using no breeching. Drive him a short time, simultaneously
pull on the reins and say “Whoa,” at the same time allowing the cart to
come against his heels. Push the cart sharply against him, saying “Whoa,”
each time, speaking with considerable force, that he may understand you
design to conquer. Don’t forget to caress when the horse obeys. Should he
kick the cart and try to rid himself of it, pull with your might quickly
on the reins and repeat the word “whoa” again; so soon as he shall desist
take him from the cart and lay him down again as soon as possible, and,
if need be, summon one of your neighbors to assist you, to prevent being
foiled, for be assured, if you allow him to conquer once you have lost
much and really accomplished nothing. Give the animal another _strong_
lesson while down, afterwards repeat it when on his feet, when by this
time you will have taken the conceit completely out of him. In all your
attempts to handle a vicious horse be resolute and determined and you
will soon give him to understand that you are master, and that his duty
is to yield a cheerful obedience to your command.
I would enjoin upon the reader to practice the same method when educating
colts, but not so severely, because by so doing you may make them
stubborn; great patience must be exercised while handling colts, as the
faults of one misplaced lesson will be visible. Therefore one cannot be
too careful, particularly if the animal is nervous and excitable.
_TO CURE CORNS._
Cut the horn well down, but not to the quick, fit the shoe so that it
will not press upon the part, then saturate well with pine sap or gum,
which is found exuding from pine trees when cut. Fill the part in nicely
with tow, and put on the shoe, which must be so fitted as not to oblige
the part to support, but very slightly, if any, the weight of the horse.
Horses with corns must be oftener and more carefully shod than those free
from them.
_TO HARDEN A TENDER-MOUTHED HORSE._
Place the bits in the animal’s mouth as low as possible, not to have them
drop out, and drive him from two to three weeks with the bits in this
way, and when they are buckled up in proper place he is hard-mouthed.
_TO EDUCATE THE HORSE BAD TO GROOM._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE THE HORSE BAD TO GROOM.]
After making the Bonaparte bridle, put it on the horse, standing at his
side with the end of the cord in your hand, with the other hand use the
curry-comb or brush and commence to groom him. If he should resist your
efforts by attempting to kick or bite you, reprove him by pulling quickly
on the cord, at the same time using the words “stand still.” Afterwards
if he remains quiet, caress him; if the punishment should not prove
effectual make the double half-hitch under the upper lip, as seen in
engraving.
_HUGGING THE POLE._
This is a great annoyance to the other horse, and he will probably learn
to do the same thing, not from imitation, but from leaning inwards, so as
to enable him to stand against the other horse, leaning upon him. This
habit may be broken up by securing a piece of sole leather to the pole
upon the side where the animal leans, having a number of tacks driven
through it in such a manner as to protrude from the leather towards the
horse.
_LUGGERS ON THE BIT._
Buckle a pair of straps, about twelve inches long, with a ring at one
end, and a buckle at the other, to the check-piece, and let the straps
pass through the rings on either side of the bit; buckle the lines to the
rings on these straps, instead of the rings on the bit; this forms a gag
similar to the French twitch-gag, and is a powerful means of controlling
the mouth of a hard-pulling horse.
_BITS USED IN EDUCATING HORSES ADDICTED TO BAD HABITS._
[Illustration: BITS USED IN EDUCATING HORSES ADDICTED TO BAD HABITS.]
NO. 1. TO PREVENT A HORSE GETTING HIS TONGUE OVER THE BIT.—Take a piece
of leather, say three inches long, an inch and a half wide, and drill two
holes in a straight bit; now rivet this leather on the top of the bit,
after which sprinkle on the upper side some pulverized rosin, and take a
hot iron and pass over it so as to form a coating. Allow your horse to
wear this bit say six or eight days when driving, and he will by that
time be sufficiently taught to abandon the habit.
NO. 2. LOLLING THE TONGUE.—Take an ordinary straight bit of five-eighths
of an inch in diameter and drill two holes, each one three-quarters of an
inch from the center; then get a piece of very small chain, attach iron
bullets, about the size of ordinary leaden bullets used in guns, suspend
them not more than one and a half inches from the bit. Now use the bit,
every time you drive your horse, for ten days.
NO. 3. CURE A HORSE OF SUCKING WIND.—A horse that has acquired the habit
of sucking wind is truly to be detested, as it is oftentimes attended
with fatal results, and when once thoroughly settled, great difficulty
has been experienced in removing the habit. The method I have introduced
of treating this habit has proved successful in most cases.
Take a piece of small gas-pipe, say from five-eighths to three-quarters
of an inch in diameter, the ordinary length of a bit, heat it and circle
it a little, then drill on the upper side equal distances apart from each
end, as seen in engraving; also drill three holes on the under side,
making each hole between an eighth and a quarter of an inch in diameter,
and attach a ring near each end and allow your horse to wear this when
driving, say for at least from ten to twenty days or until the habit is
removed.
NO. 4. TO CURE A SIDE-REINER, ONE THAT PULLS HEAVILY ON ONE REIN.—Take
a plain, jointed bit, remove one-half of the part used in the mouth and
supply a small chain from the side ring to the center joint, now on the
side that the animal pulls place the chain; he is not only attracted by
the strange sensation in the mouth, but when pulled on the chain side
receives such severe and unexpected punishment that he will quickly give
up his habit.
NO. 5. DEAD-MOUTH OR JAW BIT.—This bit may be used on horses that pull
very much on the reins, and a lady may with safety drive a horse, as she
can control him quite easily.
The attachment to this bit is made as follows: Take two pieces of leather
about three inches in diameter, make a hole in the center of each to
admit of the bit, cut the leather so as to put pieces on after, sew up
slit, attach two billets on under side with buckle, then buckle on under
jaw. This bit may be used without a head-stall.
_TO EDUCATE HORSES NOT TO BE AFRAID OF OBJECTS WHEN DRIVING._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE HORSES NOT TO BE AFRAID OF OBJECTS WHEN
DRIVING.]
It is impossible to overestimate the value of the subjoined instructions
respecting nervous and shying horses, therefore on this topic I wish to
be particularly clear and explicit. Let the reader understand that horses
take fright at objects because they fancy those objects will harm them,
and if you can by any means appeal to the horse’s brain, and satisfy him
that he is not going to be hurt, you have accomplished your object, and
in order to do so, you must have control of your horse. I do not mean
by this that you are to adopt the too frequent course pursued by many,
viz., subduing with the whip, or other harsh means, which will, without
almost an exception, increase the fear instead of removing the habit;
again, when a horse shies, the driver commences to jerk on the rein
nearest to the object, and at once applies the whip, fully determined to
master his horse; both man and horse get excited, and the horse comes off
victorious, because he cannot control him by the means used, and the
result is that the next time the animal is frightened it bears a two-fold
character, the fear of the object, and the fear of the whip-punishment.
In order to properly educate your horses in this department, I would
specially direct the reader to observe and practice the following
directions: Select, first, the most prominent objects at which he becomes
frightened, then make the Bonaparte bridle of small cord, and place it
on your horse under the bridle, carrying the end of the cord into the
carriage, and when approaching an object at which he takes fright, get
out of your carriage, stand nearly in front of him, give a quick downward
pull, and say, “Come here!” At first do not punish him too severely; but
if he will not obey, increase the punishment, and so soon as he complies,
caress him. Bring him quite near the object, and, if possible, let him
smell of it, as by adopting this method he will quickly understand that
the object will not hurt him. Now turn him around, and drive him past the
object two or three times, and you have accomplished your end.
_FIRST LESSON TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO FEAR AN UMBRELLA._
[Illustration: FIRST LESSON TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO FEAR AN UMBRELLA.]
Place on the animal the throwing rig and proceed to lay him down, when,
should he jump around and show resistance, do not get anxious to throw
him quickly, but let him caper about, he will soon give up. After he is
down present the umbrella to him folded up, allow him to smell of it,
then rub it gently across his nose and head, now open it partly, again
let him smell of it, shut it and open it several times until he becomes
perfectly reconciled to the appearance, open or shut; work slowly and
carefully so as not to excite him more than possible to avoid.
In another part of my book I have illustrated the education of the animal
to the umbrella when on his feet, and will not go further on this point
than to use the old familiar word, _caress_.
On no account should the operator, when practicing any idea in my system,
forget that success greatly depends upon caressing when the animal obeys.
_HORSE BAD TO BRIDLE._
Horses become unwilling to be bridled from various causes, sometimes
from sores on the head or ears, sometimes from hurriedly and improperly
removing the bridle, and sometimes from sheer ugliness of disposition,
prompted by a desire to be master. The treatment in these cases should be
varied. In the latter case named it will be necessary to lay the animal
down, and while thus under control, handle his head and ears, after which
put your bridle on and off several times, exercising patience and being
careful to avoid anything like roughness. Should he resist, punish him
in the mouth, using your best judgment to avoid severity, and so soon
as he submits caress. As to the former, where a dislike to be bridled
arises from abuses, kindness must govern the conduct of the educator. By
using my Bonaparte bridle you will be able to control and counteract all
predisposition to resist your efforts in a very short time. Should there
be sores about the animal’s head, you had better restore to soundness
before you attempt to educate to comply with your wishes.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO FEAR AN UMBRELLA._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO FEAR AN UMBRELLA.]
On page 261 may be found the first lesson to educate a horse that fears
an umbrella. I now proceed to explain the idea illustrated by the
foregoing cut.
Place on the animal the Bonaparte half-hitch bridle—found on page 306.
First present to him the umbrella closed; allow him to smell of it, then
rub it gently across his nose and body, observing not to move quickly.
Should he resist your efforts, jerk on the bridle and say “Whoa!” Make
another attempt, and should he remain quiet, caress him. Now partly open
it, placing it over his head, observing to avoid touching his head or
ears with the umbrella—while doing so, caress; and you will be satisfied
punishment in the mouth and caressing will accomplish all that you may
desire.
_TREATMENT OF WOUNDS._
Wounds are caused by accidents of various kinds, when the skin is much
torn from the flesh. If you are at hand while the wound is quite fresh,
take a square-pointed needle, and a waxed thread, and sew it up. Be sure
to put the needle in straight, one side over against the other, draw the
skin tight, tie a knot, and cut off the thread; then take another stitch
about an inch off, till it is all nicely drawn together. It is quite
wrong to sew up a wound as you would a piece of cloth; the thread should
be cut after each stitch. When you do not see the wound till the place is
growing dead, and the skin is drawing up, then take off the loose skin;
for if you permit it to remain, it will leave a blemish.
_ENGLISH STABLE LINIMENT._
Oil of spikes, aqua ammonia, and oil of turpentine, of each 2 oz.; sweet
oil and oil of amber, of each ½ oz.; oil of origanum, 1 oz. Mix.
_TO EDUCATE A SINGLE-FOOTED HORSE TO TROT SQUARE._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A SINGLE-FOOTED HORSE TO TROT SQUARE.]
Upon the hind leg of the horse that hitches or single-foots, place two
hame-straps, one above and one below the gambol-joint, attaching a ring
on front, by which means the straps are confined; then place a small
strap on the opposite front leg just below the knee-joint, now buckle on
a strap from fore-leg to hind-leg, passing it up under the surcingle (as
seen in engraving). Now proceed to drive your horse, and you will at once
discover that he cannot single-foot, but must trot. By paying particular
attention to the instructions given, the pleasing result will follow
and your horse will be taught to abandon the habit. The reader must be
careful not to trot his horse fast up hill nor allow him to draw too much
weight while trotting.
_RING-BONE REMEDY._
Pulverized cantharides, oils of spike, origanum, amber, cedar, British,
and Barbadoes tar, of each 2 oz.; oil of wormwood, 1 oz.; spirits of
turpentine, 4 oz.; lard, 3 lbs. Melt the lard slowly, and add the other
ingredients, stirring well till cool; clip off the hair, and apply by
rubbing in and heating. In about three days, or when done running, wash
off with suds and apply again. In recent cases, two or three applications
will cure; old cases require more time.
_AN EXCELLENT LINIMENT FOR SPAVIN, SPLINT CURBS, ETC._
Oils of spike, origanum, cedar, British, and spirits of turpentine, of
each 1 oz.; pulverized Spanish flies, ½ oz. Apply once in six or nine
days.
_TO EDUCATE A PACING HORSE TO TROT._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A PACING HORSE TO TROT.]
Take four hame-straps, attach two on each hind-leg, one above and one
below the gambol-joint, confining the straps on the front of the leg by
means of a small ring. Then place two hame-straps on the front legs just
below the knee-joint; buckle a strap from each fore-leg, carrying them up
under the surcingle, and attach them to the rings in front of hind-legs,
crossing strap from off fore-leg to nigh hind-leg, and from nigh fore-leg
to off hind-leg; now commence to drive your horse, walking him very slow,
as the new action of the legs may cause him to stumble; but after a few
minutes you may increase his speed, and you will be delighted to see your
horse trotting at a rate that will astonish you.
_POLL-EVIL AND FISTULA._
Common potash, ¼ oz.; extract of belladonna, 12 drams; gum Arabic, ¼ oz.
Dissolve the gum in as little water as possible; then, having pulverized
the potash, unless it is moist, mix the gum water with it, and it will
soon dissolve; add the belladonna; mix, and it is ready to use.
The best method for getting this into the pipes, is by means of a small
syringe, after having cleansed the sore well with suds. Repeat once in
two days, until the callous pipes, and hard, fibrous base around the
poll-evil or fistula are completely destroyed.
_NERVE AND BONE LINIMENT._
Take beef’s gall, 1 quart; alcohol, 1 pint; volatile liniment, 12 oz.;
spirits of turpentine, 1 lb.; oil of origanum, 4 oz.; aqua ammonia, ½
pint; oil of amber, 3 oz.; tincture of cantharides, 6 oz. Mix.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE TO TROT._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE TO TROT FAST.]
The appliance required to form the trotting rig is arranged as follows:
Take four hame-straps, attach two on each hind-leg, one above and one
below the gambol-joint, confining the straps on the front part of the
leg, by means of a small ring. Then take a standing martingale and attach
a small pulley on the lower end of the martingale; then take a small,
strong cord, tying one end in the ring on one hind-leg, passing the other
end through the pulley, bringing it back to the other hind-leg and tie
it in the ring; adjust the rope in accordance with the stride of your
horse, observing to drive him very slow for a time until he shall become
accustomed to the rig.
This idea with alterations as hereinafter set forth may be successfully
applied to horses while being used by the husbandman in ploughing,
that are addicted to the habit of kicking. I have already given the
reader a number of ideas on this point that, if used in accordance with
instructions, will not fail to give satisfaction.
Put on the horse the trotting-rig, as seen in engraving, with the
exception of the standing martingale attached from the pulley to the
bit-ring of the bridle; then through the eye of the pulley insert a small
cord, say twelve feet long, carry both ends up between the fore-legs,
pass one end through the bit-ring on the off-side up over the head, and
down on the nigh-side of the head to the bit-ring, and then tie it.
Now take the other end of the cord and carry it up on the nigh-side
through the bit-ring and pass it over the head down to the bit-ring on
the off-side and there tie it. By thus manipulating your cord you will
perceive that you have a system of severely punishing the horse when he
shall kick.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK WHILE IN SHAFTS._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK WHILE IN SHAFTS.]
Horses are quite often educated to kick in harness as well as out and
almost numberless accidents have been caused by this vicious and bad
habit. Men are found reckless enough to tantalize their horse with a
whip and sometimes punch him with a stick, regardless of consequences.
The result, in most cases, is that the animal becomes a kicker, and the
habit when once formed is not easily eradicated by resorting to the
old stereotyped method of placing a strap over the horse’s rump and
buckling to the shafts on each side. This treatment may in time effect
the purpose, but it will require months to do so. Laying _all others_
aside, I with confidence say to the reader, if he will but practice the
subjoined idea he will find it not only practical but effectual, because
the punishment is so severe that a few lessons will convince the horse
that it will be greatly to his advantage to abandon the habit.
Take a cord twenty feet long, divide it in the center, place it back
of the ears, bring it down and cross it in the mouth, then bring it up
between the eyes, placing a ring or loop there; now bring it back through
a ring attached to the head-stall between the ears, then bring both ends
of your cord under the saddle of the harness and along the back, to a
ring slipped over the crupper against the hip-strap; bring the cords
through the ring down to the shaft on each side of the horse, observing
to leave just slack enough so that your horse may not be too much
confined. The cord used may be quite small, so that it is strong.
Now when your horse makes an attempt to kick he will find a severe
punishment immediately meted out to him, and thus, finding his attempt
fruitless as well as painful, he will be made to understand that
while obedience is rewarded, punishment quickly follows each act of
disobedience. This simple yet effective expedient makes the horse punish
himself for his own misdeeds, and by making the act of kicking the cause
of his suffering disinclines him to attempt it, for neither horse nor man
will voluntarily provoke certain pain.
_DIURETIC DROPS._
These drops are reliable in cases of stoppage of water, foul water, or
inflammation of the kidneys. Take sweet spirits of nitre, 4 oz.; balsam
copaiba, 2 oz.; oil of juniper, 2 oz.; spirits of turpentine, 2 oz.; gum
camphor, pulv., 1 oz. Mix all together, and shake well; bottle; and it is
fit for use, for man or beast, under all circumstances where a diuretic
is required.
Dose for horse, 1 oz. in half a pint of milk, once in six hours.
Dose for man, 1 teaspoonful, in a tablespoonful of milk, once in six
hours.
Be sure to shake the mixture up well before pouring out for use.
_TO EDUCATE A LAZY HORSE, AND INFUSE LIFE INTO HIM._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A LAZY HORSE AND INFUSE LIFE INTO HIM.]
I have already given many ideas referring to balky horses, and as the
old, tried remark is verily true, that “in the midst of council there is
safety,” so with a multitude of ideas there is certain success. I will
add one more to the catalogue.
Something that especially attracts the attention of a horse accustomed
to balk often causes him to forget for the moment his offensive habit
and start off, much to the surprise of his driver. By adopting the idea
illustrated in the engraving and the explanation connected therewith, the
reader will have no difficulty, in ordinary cases, with this peculiar
_tormentor_, in accomplishing his purpose.
By many this may be considered a kind of jockey trick; but the reader
will find the information valuable if he has a lazy horse or one that
does not drive up well on the bit, as by following the directions given
below he will be prepared to show as much style as any man in his county.
_Directions._—Take a small chain, about three feet long, and attach to
it a strap or limber stick about the same length; with this in hand walk
into the stable and commence plying on him a few smart blows, with this
educator, above the gambol-joint, repeating it once a day for three or
four days; when you hit him of course the chain rattles and makes, to
him, a peculiar noise. Now, after you harness him up, put the chain in
your carriage, then take your place behind him and commence driving, and
when you want to show style, just kick the chain about a little with your
boot and you will be surprised at the spirit and zeal manifested by your
horse.
_AN EASY METHOD OF STARTING A BALKY HORSE WHO STOPS ON THE ROAD._
[Illustration: AN EASY METHOD OF STARTING A BALKY HORSE.]
Among the various bad habits which horses acquire there are none which
more severely try the patience of man than does the habit of balking.
Frequently a horse is quiet, kind, and a good roadster, but has this
habit of occasionally stopping in the road. At such times the almost
universal practice is to whip the horse, and sometimes most brutally, or
the more sickening custom of procuring a bundle of straw or some shavings
and setting them on fire under the body of the horse. Such kinds of
treatment I utterly discard, and the reader will find, in another part
of my book, that I give several methods which will prove effectual in
eradicating this habit, only meting out sufficient punishment to secure
obedience.
Below I give an excellent method of starting a balky horse, and one which
will prove effectual, though it will not educate the horse to abandon
the habit. When your horse balks get out of your carriage, walk up to
him and commence kicking him with the toe of your boot under the fetlock
joint, first one then the other, using the word “shoo!” loud and quick
every time you kick. Then take your seat in the carriage and use the word
as before directed, when your horse will start at once. This process
diverts his attention and causes him to move on.
_TO EDUCATE A BALKY HORSE TO DRAW IN DOUBLE HARNESS._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A BALKY HORSE TO DRAW.]
Persons have resorted to many things in order to make a balky horse draw,
and, after laboring for months, have seen all their efforts fail and are
often disappointed by finding their animal worse instead of better. Let
me assure the reader that however other methods may have failed, if he
will but follow the subjoined instructions he will certainly accomplish
the end desired.
_Instructions._—Take a small strong rope, about a quarter of an inch in
diameter and sixteen feet long, double the rope and place it under the
balky horse’s tail; carry the ends up through a ring attached to the
crupper or hip-straps, then pass them through the terret-ring on the
saddle of the harness, and bring the ends to the true horse’s hame-ring;
then tie firmly, exercising judgment about the slack to be given to the
cord; then commence to draw slowly and your balky horse will soon learn
that he has got to move with his mate.
_OINTMENT FOR ALL BRUISES, SCRATCHES, HEEL GREASE, SADDLE GALLS, ETC._
Take 3 oz. white lead, 3 oz. lard, 1 oz. burnt alum, and 5 grains
calomel. If the sore is of long standing, use 10 grains of calomel.
_HOOF LINIMENT, FOR CONTRACTED HOOF._
Venice turpentine, ½ pint; aqua ammonia, 2 oz.; salts of nitre, 1 oz.;
benzine, 1 oz.; alcohol, 3 oz. Apply to edge of the hair and to the hoof,
twice a day for the first three days; once a day for the next three days;
after that, once in two, three, or four days, as the case may require.
_REMEDY FOR BOTTS._
Take oil of turpentine, 8 oz.; alcohol, 1 quart. Mix and bottle for
use. Dose, 4 to 5 oz. in the horse’s feed, once a day for 8 days, will
effectually remove every vestige of botts.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK WHILE BEING SHOD._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK WHILE BEING SHOD.]
The reader has heretofore been instructed how to lay the horse down and
thus get him under his control; but as horses possess a variety of bad
habits, it becomes necessary that I should treat each one separately, and
carefully explain, so that none can misapprehend.
Many horses rigidly resist the efforts of the blacksmith when undertaking
to shoe his hind-feet, but the following ideas will enable you to
thoroughly educate him to stand quiet.
Place a strap or cord between the hoof and fetlock joint; then stand in
front of the horse and commence to pull the foot forward; if he shows
resistance punish him in the mouth; continue to pull and punish until he
will allow you to thus handle the leg, and, so soon as he remains quiet,
step up and caress him; then stand behind him and pull his leg backwards
several times until you have removed all stubbornness or fear; when you
have accomplished this let him get up, after which repeat the same thing,
not forgetting to caress immediately when he submits to your treatment.
_TO EDUCATE A HORSE, WHILE STANDING, THAT IS BAD TO SHOE._
[Illustration: TO EDUCATE A HORSE WHILE STANDING THAT IS BAD TO SHOE.]
The treatment for educating the horse after being laid down, which has
been given, is to show him that your power is superior to his; the method
now to be given will show him that you have the same power over him when
standing as when he is down.
Place on him the Bonaparte bridle, as shown in the engraving, and take a
half-hitch, placing it back of the ears and down under the upper lip, as
shown in the engraving. Place a man at the side of his head to punish him
with this bridle when he does wrong, remembering, as soon as the animal
does right, to caress him.
Take a single rein, or a rope, about fifteen feet long, placing it on
the hind-foot below the fetlock joint with loops; then stand behind the
horse and lift his foot; if he shows resistance or kicks, punish him in
the mouth; continue doing this till he will allow you to handle his feet.
If one lesson will not answer give him two, and, if necessary, give him
three, or four, as he has got to submit to this treatment.
_TO PREVENT HORSES BEING TEASED BY FLIES._
Take one-half pound of walnut or butternut leaves, and pour upon them
three quarts of cold water; let it infuse one night, and pour the whole
next morning into a kettle, and let it boil for a quarter of an hour.
When cold it is fit for use.
No more is required than to moisten a sponge, and before the horse goes
out of the stable, let those parts most likely to be irritated be well
smeared over with the liquor, between and upon the ears, neck, flank,
etc.
_DOUBLE-HITCH BONAPARTE BRIDLE._
[Illustration: DOUBLE HITCH BONAPARTE BRIDLE.]
This bridle may be used with great success, for many purposes in
educating horses possessed of vicious or bad habits, and in order that
the reader may not make a mistake I will explain it.