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THE p&*« 
 
 \ \ 
 
 FARMERS', 1IVERRES' AND TEAMSTERS' GUIDE, 
 
 ror. 
 
 HANDLING RIDING AND DRIVING 
 
 Wild and Vicious Horses, 
 
 WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR BREAKING FROM BAD HABITS ACQUIRED, 
 
 SUCH AS RUNNING AWAY, KICKING, BALKING, HALTER 
 
 PULLING, JUMPING FENCES, THROWING 
 
 RIDER, ETC., WITH 
 
 HINTS ON SHOEING. All THE SECRET OF TEACHING THE HORSE TRICKS. 
 
 WITH VALUABLE RECEIPTS FOR CURING 
 
 VARIOUS DISEASES OF THE HOUSE. 
 
 BY M. H. v DAILY. 
 ^/° INDIANAPOLIS: 
 
 DOWNEY & BROUSE, PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS. 
 
 1867. 
 

 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year of onr Lord 1867, by 
 
 M. H. DAILY, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 District of Indiana. 
 
 Any one printing or copying from this book without the permission of 
 the author, will be liable to prosecution. 
 
TRAINING HORSES. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
 
 Success in the control and management of the horse 
 must depend upon the amount of foresight and intelli- 
 gence exercised in the conforming to the demands of 
 his nature, which experience tells us is governed by fixed 
 laws, and impressing him fully with a sense of your 
 supremacy and power. 
 
 The horse is so constituted by nature that he will not 
 offer resistance to any demand which he fully compre- 
 hends, provided that demand is made in a way consistent 
 with the laws of his nature. 
 
 The horse, though possessed of some faculties superior 
 to man's, such as acuteness of the senses, which he pos- 
 sesses to a considerable degree more than man, never- 
 theless is deficient in reasoning powers. He has no 
 knowledge, like man, of right and wrong, and, conse- 
 quently, he does not know when an imposition is prac- 
 ticed upon him, however unreasonable it may be. Thus 
 man is superior to the horse, on account, or by means, of 
 his intellectual resources, by which he can devise plans 
 to overcome the strength of the horse, or even employ it 
 against itself. If the horse but knew of his superior 
 strength he would be useless to man as a servant. There- 
 fore it should be your aim, in training your horse, to take 
 advantage of the ignorance in which he is (happily for 
 us) left to impress him as forcibly as possible with a 
 sense of your supremacy and power. The horse will 
 acquire bad habits so far as he discovers man's inability 
 to enforce submission ; and as he has no consciousness of 
 
his strength beyond his experience, if he learns to resist, 
 and finds that he succeeds in resisting your will, he will 
 continue to do so as long as you do not check him by 
 some convincing proof of the uselessness of rebellion. It 
 is only by the resources of mind which we possess that 
 we can hope to effectually keep him in everlasting igno- 
 rance of his strength, and also so powerfully impress him 
 with a sense of man's supremacy and power of enforcing 
 submission, as to cause him to yield a ready and willing 
 obedience to his commands. 
 
 The great secret of training and subduing horses lies in 
 this mental superiority which we possess. Give the horse 
 mind in proportion to his strength, and what would or 
 could all our efforts to subdue him amount to. He would 
 demand of us the green fields for an inheritance, over 
 which he would roam at leisure and deny the right of 
 servitude to all. Consequently it is not only necessary 
 to conform to the laws of the horse's nature, but also to 
 take advantage of his ignorance, by the resources of mind 
 at our control, in all cases of resistance and rebellion, so 
 as to make that appear to him utterly impossible. This 
 we can easily do, from the fact that the horse, reasoning 
 only from experience, and finding himself baffled in every 
 attempt at rebellion, he finally gives it up as being alto- 
 gether out of the question. 
 
 We can also, by complying with the laws of his nature 
 by which he examines all things new to him, take any 
 object, however frightful, over, around, or on him, which 
 does not inflict pain, without causing him to tear. It is 
 universally acknowledged that there can be no effect 
 without a cause, and if fear exists from the effect of im- 
 agination, and not from the infliction of real pain, it can 
 be removed by commencing with the cause ; and, in order 
 to remove it, or to satisfy the horse of its innocence, we 
 must comply with those laws of his nature by which he 
 examines an object and satisfies himself with regard to 
 its innocence or harm. 
 
 But there is one precaution which I can not refrain 
 from adding here. If you would be a really successful 
 
horseman, you must never seem to forget to show, by 
 your conduct, that you are a man, and that your real 
 superiority over the animal consists in the prudent exer- 
 cise of your reasoning powers. Brute force is not your 
 forte, and the instant you give way to passion your reason 
 must submit to the control of blind instinct, and you thus 
 at once abdicate your intellectual superiority over the 
 animal. Be careful never to lose courage or confidence 
 in your ability because you do not bring about good re- 
 sults easily and quickly. To accomplish anything of im- 
 portance generally requires a large amount of patience 
 and perseverance. There would be no credit whatever 
 attached to mastering and managing horses, if not diffi- 
 cult and apparently dangerous. No duty requires more 
 firmness of purpose in the control of the passions, or 
 more fidelity to the principles of kindness and truth, than 
 that of horsemanship. Strive to prove by your actions, 
 in the performance of duty, that to be a good horseman 
 requires higher qualifications of fitness than that of 
 the huckstering dishonesty and depravity so generally 
 evinced in the conduct of those claiming the distinction. 
 As I can not explain, by means of an introduction of 
 this form, what is required in order to gain the confidence 
 and attachment of your horse preparatory to training, 
 (which is, of course, always necessary before you com- 
 mence training him,) I will try to explain the require- 
 ments in the following way: 
 
 FAMILIARIZING THE HORSE TO OBJECTS OF 
 
 FEAR. 
 
 As we are taught there is no effect without a cause, 
 and as the horse becomes fearless and confident so far as 
 he understands there is no cause for fear, we should en- 
 deavor to remove the cause for fear as much as possible, 
 by complying with those laws of his nature by which he 
 examines an object to determine upon their innocence or 
 harm, and the sight of an object will not do. He must, 
 before he is entirely satisfied with an object, smell of it 
 and breathe upon it, as this is all that will satisfy him ; 
 
6 
 
 and this is altogether necessary to be done at an early 
 age, as early impressions are more lasting than those in 
 after life. A log, or stump, or pile of stone along the 
 roadside, is imagined by the horse to be some wild animal 
 couched down there to spring upon him as he passes 
 close by, and he should be taken up to the object stead- 
 ily and cantiously, without allowing him to turn round in 
 another direction, until he smells of it and touches it 
 with his nose, and is perfectly satisfied that it will not 
 injure him; by continuing in this way with young horses, 
 they will soon learn that any object, no difference how 
 frightful it may appear to them, is harmless. If you start 
 him toward it, he will go to it and examine it in his own 
 way, whether it will injure him or not. The child fright- 
 ens at the first appearance of a false face, but after hand- 
 ling it in his hand he becomes perfectly unconcerned 
 about it. The principle is the same with the horse as 
 with the child ; hence the necessity of familiarizing the 
 horse to objects of fear. 
 
 NECESSITY OF KINDNESS AND HONESTY. 
 
 The first step to be taken in order to gain the confi- 
 dence and attachment of your horse, is to manifest to- 
 wards him a kind disposition in your management of 
 him. The horse takes man exactly for what lie proves 
 himself to be by his actions. If man, because he reas- 
 ons, doubts and fears, the horse, guided only by instinct, 
 must doubt and fear, just as he is taught by our actions 
 towards him. If those actions abound with kindness, 
 and are characterized by truth, there must be perfect 
 confidence and corresponding trust, learning as he does, 
 to associate with man's presience a feeling of protec- 
 tion and security. He can have no fear or doubt, be- 
 cause never taught to doubt by deception. Compare, for 
 instance, the child and the parents. The child lias con- 
 fidence in his parents in proportion to the honesty of the 
 parents in enforcing and practicing principles of truth in 
 his early training. But if he once finds that they neglect 
 to fulfill their promises, all trust in them is at once shak- 
 
en, and perhaps forever lost. If you are attentive, and 
 fulfill your promises to the child, he will expect from 
 you exactly what you promise. Thus proving to him that 
 you never promise in vain, he will place implicit confi- 
 dence in you, because he has never been deceived by 
 any non-performance of yours. Among men the princi- 
 ple is the same. That man who is always found truth- 
 ful, and who performs just as lie promises to do, becomes 
 a standard of public confidence and trust ; but he who 
 pays no regard to truth and the principles of honor, be- 
 comes an object of suspicion to all knowing him. As 
 the confidence of the child in his parents is the reflex of 
 their love and truth ; and the confidence of the public 
 the reflex of him of undoubted honesty, so we are com- 
 pelled to believe the horse becomes in the character of 
 his habits what he is made, in exact proportion to the 
 teaching and example to which he has been made subject. 
 
 TRAINING SHOULD BE THOROUGH. NECESSITY 
 OF REPETITION. 
 
 The horse's confidence and rebellion being generally 
 the result of long experience in successful resistance, his 
 subjection must be made convincing by repeated proofs 
 of his being overmatched, and he must also be taught by 
 the same means that resistance is useless. For since his 
 willfulness and rebellion are based upon the limited reas- 
 oning of his experience, he must be thoroughly con- 
 vinced by that same experience, that unconditional sub- 
 mission is the only alternative you offer, and this you 
 cannot prove to the limited understanding of the horse 
 without repeating your lessons until he grants you that 
 submission which you require. But his submission 
 should be encouraged and rewarded by kindness ; for in- 
 stance, by feeding him from the hand with little presents 
 of such things as he likes, or by caressing and rubbing 
 him at the least indication of submission. That master is 
 supreme in his control, and submission to his commands 
 becomes a pleasure, who has the power to enforce his 
 will, but who exercises that power with the sweetening 
 
8 
 
 encouragements of love. While force is necessary, and 
 you have the means of making your horse almost a play- 
 thing in your hands, let the silken cord of love be the 
 cement that fixes and secures his submission to your will. 
 A good natured, intelligent man, it is admitted, can teach 
 a horse almost anything, and it is a well known proverb 
 that kindness will lead an elephant by the hair; so the 
 horse should be treated with kindness and consideration. 
 His spirit should be curbed and directed, but not subdued. 
 Show your horse exactly what you want of him, and en- 
 deavor to use that patience and reason in teaching and 
 controlling him you would at least believe necessary for 
 yourself, in order that you might understand, if placed in 
 like circumstances. Ignorant of the language and inten- 
 tions of a teacher, who even preserved his patience and 
 refrained from abuse, what progress would you make as a 
 pupil, gifted as you are with all your intelligence ? Make 
 your horse a friend by kindness and good treatment. Be 
 a kind master, and make your horse a willing servant, not 
 a slave. 
 
 THE WILD COLT. 
 
 As ihe training of the horse must be based upon the 
 observance of those principles of his nature, requiring 
 the exercise of his reason in everything forced upon his 
 attention, and of conveying to his understanding most 
 clearly what is required of him, it is advisable to com- 
 mence our lessons on the management of horses, by ex- 
 plaining how to proceed with the wild colt. 
 
 First prepare your barn, or such place as you design 
 for your training room ; remove everything out of your 
 way, such as chickens, dogs, cats or hogs ; endeavor to be 
 entirely alone in the room with your horse ; be positive 
 about the matter, and do not allow any person in with 
 you under any circumstances whatever; the next object 
 is to get your colt in his place, which you must do as 
 quietly and gently as possible. You can accomplish this 
 best by leading in and hitching in sight of the colt, a 
 broke horse, as it is likely to follow in more readily ; if 
 
9 
 
 he does not, don't be in a hurry or out of patience, but 
 be gentle, walk slowly around, and give him less room 
 till he gets in ; if he should run by you, do not run to try 
 to head him ; let 'him go, and when he stops go gently 
 around him until you succeed in getting him in ; when 
 in, take the old horse out as soon as possible. 
 
 There are two ways of haltering, either of which will 
 answer. We will give both ways, and the reader may 
 adopt the way best suited to the case. The first is, famil- 
 iarizing yourself to the colt until he will suffer you to 
 approach and handle him, when the halter may be easily 
 put on. The other method is one by which you can put 
 on the halter before you have succeeded in gentling him 
 much. In common cases the first- is the most practicable. 
 But if the colt is extremely wild and nervous, the latter 
 is to be preferred, on account of its being a much quick- 
 er method, and also not so exciting. 
 
 FIRST METHOD, WHEN THE COLT IS NOT VEEY 
 
 WILD. 
 
 As soon as he appears quiet, and reconciled to the re- 
 straint of the enclosure, go slowly and cautiously towards 
 him, making no demonstration whatever, but talking 
 gently or singing, as you please. He does not under- 
 stand your language, and the purpose of your singing or 
 talking is that you may the sooner reconcile him to your 
 presence and attract his attention. If he begins to walk 
 from you, stop, but continue singing or talking, and ap- 
 pear as careless as you can about his presence, until he 
 becomes quiet again. Then walk back to where you 
 started, and leisurely repeat going towards him as before, 
 and so repeat as circumstances may require, until you 
 are so close as to touch his withers, or permit him to 
 smell of your hand should he seem so disposed. Remem- 
 ber, you must be patient and gentle in all your actions. 
 Now touch him on the withers gently, and gradually win 
 his confidence, so that you can handle and rub his neck, 
 and finally the head. Do not try to hold him, or impose 
 the least restraint ; That would cause him to become ex- 
 
10 
 
 cited, and afraid of you. Fondle the colt in this way un- 
 til he becomes reconciled to your presence and will suf- 
 fer your scratching and handling gently. Now step back 
 and take up your halter quietly, which should be of 
 leather; rope halters are very objectionable, for young 
 horses in particular. The rope halter is hard, and hurts 
 his head when he pulls ; being hurt, the colt will instinct- 
 ively try to free his head from the halter, and the harder 
 he pulls the more it will hurt, because the tighter and 
 harder it will pinch, which will frighten him the more, and 
 he will try to free himself at all hazards, until he pulls 
 himself down, or possibly breaks the halter. This is the 
 way to teach him to become a halter-puller. Take your 
 halter in your left hand, and approach the colt very 
 slowly ; never be too hasty, or get out of patience ; give 
 him time to examine and smell every part of it in his 
 own way. While he is smelling the halter, caress and 
 rub him, and it will further your efforts greatly to give 
 him a little corn, apple or anything you may have conven- 
 ient. If you cannot get your halter on easily, unbuckle 
 the top part, and then take hold of the long strap which 
 goes over his head, with your left hand, and carry it 
 under his neck, while you reach the right hand over his 
 neck and grasp the end of this long strap ; now lower the 
 halter just enough to get his nose into the nose-piece y 
 and then raise it up to its proper place and fasten your 
 buckle. This plan of haltering will do very well if the 
 colt is not extremely wild ; but if your colt is very wild 
 and nervous, the following plan is much the best. 
 
 SECOND METHOD. 
 
 First provide yourself with a piece of an edging about 
 four feet long, (a broomstick or anything of the kind will 
 answer) cut a notch in one end with your pocket-knife, 
 and about seven inches from this end raise a few chips 
 from the opposite end of the stick, or you can drive a 
 nail in, the head bent a little toward the end having no 
 notch ; next you want a common slipping noose rope 
 halter, (a rope halter is preferred in this case on account 
 
11 
 
 of its convenience) now get a common halter strap, with 
 a loop on the end which has the buckle ; this put into 
 your pocket convenient to your right hand for future use. 
 Now approach the colt slowly and carefully, as before 
 described, remembering that visitors must be excluded. 
 If you are alone you can work faster and better than it is 
 possible with company. When you succeed in approach- 
 ing within four or five feet of the withers, retreat slowly 
 as before, and take up your stick, previously prepared, 
 holding the notched end from you, and swinging it very 
 gently a little to the right and left in a horizontal posi- 
 position. This is a new object of fear to the colt, and 
 will be regarded with a good deal of suspicion ; however, 
 a little patience will soon enable you to get so near the 
 colt that you can swing it gently over the back a*nd with- 
 ers ; then gradually lower it, moving it gently as before, 
 until the hair of the mane is slightly touched ; as this is 
 borne, let it drop a little lower until it rests upon the 
 mane; now commence scratching the mane with the 
 stick gently, but firmly ; this will please the colt and 
 cause him to stand quietly ; while scratching with your 
 stick in this way slide your hand slowly and cautiously 
 along its surface until you get it upon the mane, when 
 you scratch with the hand in place of with the stick. All 
 this is proving to the colt that you will not hurt him, and 
 hence he submits quietly. Now step back quietly to 
 where your halter is, take the part that goes over the 
 head in your right hand ; now put your foot upon that 
 part that slips through the loop immediately back of the 
 jaw; then pull up upon it, which will cause the rope to 
 slide and draw through the loop, so as to make that por- 
 tion drop down below the nose-piece eighteen or twenty 
 inches ; now hang the head-piece, which you hold in your 
 right hand, on those notches on the end of your stick, 
 holding the end in your hand with your stick ; your halter 
 now hangs upon your stick so spread that you can put it 
 over the colt's ear without touching any part of the head ; 
 your halter arranged, holding it before you, swinging 
 upon the stick, you approach the colt in the same cau- 
 
12 
 
 tious manner as before, until you bring it gently to the 
 nose. This being a new object of fear to the colt he will 
 smell it cautiously ; while he is smelling you are gradu- 
 ally raising it over his head, so gently that he does not 
 feel or care about it, until you get it over and back of his 
 ears, when turn your stick half round and your halter 
 will drop from it upon the head; now bring the stick 
 towards you, lowering it until the end rests against the 
 loop of the nose-piece, when draw back the left hand, 
 which holds the end of the halter, while you press for- 
 ward a little with the right, which will draw up the slack, 
 and the halter is drawn close upon the head ; now put 
 your stick down carefully, take one step to the right and 
 you can put your hand upon the withers, which you will 
 scratch a» before, as doing so pleases him. Now, while 
 fondling and talking in this way, get your little strap out 
 of your pocket, taking the loop end in your hand and 
 putting the other end in your mouth ; now pass the loop 
 end quietly over the back, until within ten or twelve 
 inches of the floor; then stoop very gently, fondling the 
 sholder and near side carefully, and, as the colt will bear, 
 extending it under the body until the strap is felt, which 
 take in the hand and bring to the near side gently, and 
 buckle it very loosely around the arm, in fact buckle it 
 so loose that it will slide down the leg easily ; now raise 
 your foot and bring it down upon the strap, which will 
 slide gently down below the fetlock and draw up tight; 
 now take a firm hold of the part over the back with your 
 right, while with your left hand you hold the halter about 
 two feet or more from the head. Now pull gently with 
 the left hand, which will cause the colt to step a little to 
 one side ; the moment he steps, pull with the right hand, 
 and this will throw him upon three legs. This may 
 frighten the colt and cause him to run backwards. If 
 there is danger, give him the freedom of the foot in- 
 stantly, and he will stop ; but if there is not danger, hold 
 quietly until he ceases struggling with the foot. When 
 he submits the foot quietly, pass the left hand between 
 the fore legs, take the strap between your fingers, and let 
 
13 
 
 go your hold with the right hand and bring the strap 
 around the arm and foot two or three times, as it will 
 bear in length, and draw the end tightly between the 
 strap and leg. By putting him on three legs he can offer 
 but very little resistance when pulled by the head side- 
 ways, and, as he does not reason, will come round as 
 readily with the legs free as he does on three. Now step 
 back on a line with the hips, holding the halter in both 
 hands firmly, and say: '''Come here, sir." The colt of 
 course does not obey, because he does not yet know what 
 you mean, so you pull upon the halter and he is obliged 
 to swing round to you. Now step to the right side and 
 repeat the action, bringing him round by the halter at 
 each time, until when he hears the words, " come here, 
 sir," he will obey you readily. As soon as the colt sub- 
 mits to this step, remove the strap off the leg, and gently 
 rub over the part where the strap had been ; now step 
 sideways and back as before, and say, " Come, here, sir." 
 If he does not come readily, take a short hold of the 
 halter with the left hand, while with the right grasp the 
 tail firmly, and whirl him around till he acts dizzy — then 
 whirl him the other way. This whirling shows him that 
 you can handle him on four legs as well as on three. 
 Now ask him to come to you ; if he moves a little, as if 
 to obey, caress him, and so continue until he will follow 
 you readily. I may treat a little more on this subject in 
 some of the following pages. 
 
 HOW TO HANDLE THE FEET. 
 
 After submitting sufficiently to lead well, caress and 
 rub him on the withers as at first, but I will here men- 
 tion a far better plan for taming the horse, than that 
 which is asually adopted, of scratching on the withers. 
 If you can possibly get before your horse without fright- 
 ening him, do so, and then rub him gently with both 
 hands over the eyes, rubbing him in the direction the 
 hair runs ; the effect at once produced is really wonder- 
 ful ; the once nervous and timid horse, rearing and plung- 
 ing at every touch, becomes as mild and apparently as 
 
14 
 
 harmless as an infant. After rubbing him in this way 
 for a short time he will allow you to rub him on any part 
 of the body, and if you make a motion as if you were 
 about to leave, he will cast such a pleading* and innocent 
 gaze upon you, that he almost appears to say, " I am sorry 
 you are going ; " or about the same expression there is on 
 the face of a dumb child at the departure of a beloved 
 parent. When you have thus tamed him rub him, as 
 soon as he will bear it, down the shoulder and leg. Then 
 lift lightly on the foot; if it is submitted, rub it quickly 
 and smoothly a few seconds, then put it down and take it 
 up again, and so continue until you can handle the foot 
 as you please. Your great aim in training the colt 
 should be, to make him understand that you are not 
 going to hurt him, and to do this you must be gentle. 
 Now rub him again on the face and then on the withers, 
 and run your hands back over the sides and hips softly 
 and quickly, handling every part thoroughly as you work 
 along towards the leg, and, as the colt will bear, work 
 the hands along around the leg until you reach the foot. 
 If there is no resistance, take it gently between the 
 hands, and lift up on it a little — just a very little. 
 If there is no resistance, after letting the foot down rub 
 and gentle a little more, and then repeat, each time lift- 
 ing it up a little higher, until you can take it up and 
 handle it just as you please. Should the horse, however, 
 resist and jerk his foot away from you, you must resort to 
 the use of means to convince him that resistance is use- 
 less. It is but very few horses that cannot be managed 
 in this way successfully, or by whirling as I before men- 
 tioned, every time the foot is resisted ; a few turns will 
 usually make the colt stand and submit quietly to be 
 handled. If, however, you find that he is determined to 
 resist, you must resort to more thorough means of con- 
 trol. Take your light strap, which you used at first to 
 take up the foot, in your right hand ; take up the near 
 fore foot, which hold in the left hand, while with the 
 right you pass the end of the strap around the hind leg 
 below the fetlock. Now buckle the loop around the 
 
15 
 
 strap, and draw tight upon the foot ; then take the halter 
 in the left hand firmly, while you have the little strap in 
 the right, about thirty inches from the foot. Full upon 
 this strap, which will cause the foot to be drawn for- 
 ward ; this the colt will resist by kicking, but as the strap 
 does not restrain the foot at the same time that it holds 
 it firmly, he soon finds that resistance is useless ; when 
 he gives the foot without resistance, sho:- L en your hold 
 upon the strap, which brings the hand near the leg; now 
 swing it gently by pulling the strap lightly towards you 
 and letting it back again, and so repeat until you suc- 
 ceed in holding the foot in your hands, moving it 
 gently in the same way ; then let the foot down, rub it 
 gently, take it up again, and so continue until you can 
 handle it as you please. 
 
 But if your horse is so extremely wild that this will 
 not do, and resists your handling the feet by kicking and 
 running backwards, and to such an extent as to make it 
 dangerous for you to handle him in the way aforesaid, 
 simply take your war bridle and a small strap about two 
 feet in length, with a ring in the end that has not the 
 buckle, or you can use your common strap by merely 
 buckling it around the leg below the fetlock, and tie the 
 end of the rope that belongs to your war bridle to this 
 strap. Now take hold of the strap and raise the foot ; 
 this the horse will resist by kicking or attempting to run 
 back, when ho will punish himself most severely by jerk- 
 ing the rope you have attached to your war bridle ; by 
 training in this way for a short time, the wildest and most 
 stubborn colt can be broken from kicking, while you are 
 handling the feet, 
 
 HOW TO EIDE A COLT. 
 
 The method most practicable to use is to stand by the 
 shoulder of the colt, holding the halter in the left hand, 
 which place upon the withers, and the right over the 
 back, gently patting the off side a little ; now make the 
 slightest indication of jumping upon the back ; if the 
 colt stands this then jump a little higher, and so continue 
 
16 
 
 as the colt will bear, rubbing and patting with the right 
 hand after each spring, until you can throw yourself upon 
 his back lightly. If the colt stands this, pat the off side 
 gently, all the time talking soothingly, as, "My little 
 boy," or "My little lady." Eemember you have not 
 straddled the colt yet, but only succeeded in throwing 
 yourself on his back, that is upon your breast. If he 
 suffers this quietly, move the right leg towards the hip a 
 little, being slow and cautious as before, until you can 
 finally get the leg over the back, and in the same cau- 
 tious way and gentle manner, get into an upright posi- 
 tion. Get on and off a few times, and the colt will suffer 
 being jumped off and on without the slightest resistance. 
 It usually takes about thirty minutes to get a green colt 
 so docile as to suffer being handled in any reasonable 
 manner. Should the colt resist, whirl him a few times at 
 each resistance and he will soon submit. Bear in mind, 
 however, that there is a great difference in the temper 
 and intelligence of horses, some being quick to under- 
 stand, others very stupid ; some yielding an almost un- 
 resisting submission, and others extremely perverse. 
 You, perhaps, may find your colt stubborn and sulky 
 when you undertake to make him follow. When such is 
 the case, and the colt shows a reckless disregard of your 
 control, be sure your temper does not get the better of 
 you. There is no use whatever, in getting angry at your 
 colt because he sulks ; your only course is by gentle 
 means to try and get him out of the fit. So be patient, 
 rub and caress him, give him a little corn, apple, or any- 
 thing you may happen to have convenient. Remember 
 you must not force your colt while he is excited ; for he 
 is then in no condition to understand what you require, 
 or to be submissive. Stop and repeat, and you will gain 
 your point without difficulty. Require but little of your 
 horse, at a time, and hold to that point until you gain it 
 thoroughly before you undertake to do more. 
 
 If your horse is very wild and you think he will be apt 
 to kick and try to throw you off when you start him, the 
 best plan to prevent him from doing so and also break 
 
17 
 
 him of the habit, is as follows : Take a common riding 
 bridle, and in addition to the regular check-rein, have 
 another fixed on the same as it is on the bridle belonging 
 to a buggy harness ; put this on the colt, and also take 
 your surcingle and buckle it on, having the ring fixed on 
 the top in the same manner as the ring for the check-rein 
 is fixed on the saddle part of a buggy harness. Now fix 
 one of the reins, the one you do not intend to use when 
 riding him, in this ring the same as you put the check- 
 rein into the ring on the top pail of the harness when 
 you hitch your horse to a buggy or wagon. Now, to this 
 rein, about midway between the neck and shoulders, 
 buckle a small strap and bring it over the neck and fas- 
 ten it on the other side, drawing it tight enough to make 
 the horse held his head in a natural position. Now get 
 on your colt in the same careful manner as described be- 
 fore, and when you start him he cannot throw you off, 
 because he cannot get his head down, and that is gener- 
 ally the way a horse attempts to throw a man. But if 
 your horse is extremely perverse, and perseveres in at- 
 tempting to run away with you, or throw you off, you 
 must resort to a more thorough means of control. Keep 
 on the same rigging as you now have, and in addition to 
 this, sew a buckle on the part of the surcingle that runs 
 beneath the belly; through this buckle run a broad strap, 
 or band, about six feet and a half long, with what I will 
 call a square ring, or the same as the ring on a buckle, 
 on which the tongue of the buckle rests, on each end : 
 in each of these rings have two small straps, one of which 
 you buckle to the leg of the horse a little above the 
 hoof, and the other below the hoof ; you of course do the 
 same with both legs. Now, when you make your horse 
 start, he can trot or walk, but he cannot rear, nor kick, 
 nor start to run, for the moment he does he pulls his hind 
 legs from under him. With this rigging on your horse 
 you can travel quite safely even in a buggy, which makes 
 it a splendid thing for breaking horses of running away. 
 It is well to remember that slow moving, stubborn colts 
 make good willing horses, and that the main difficulty in 
 % 
 
18 
 
 the management of such is in getting them started. So 
 be gentle, patient and keep your temper, which only 
 will insure success. 
 
 HOW TO START THE COLT. 
 
 When you want your colt to start, do not touch him on 
 the side with your heel, or do anything to frighten him 
 or make him jump ; but speak to him kindly, and if he 
 will not start, pull him a little to the left until he starts, 
 and then let him walk off slowly with the reins loose. It 
 is, of course, supposed that before this you have walked 
 him around the stable, and tampered with him as before 
 directed, until you can turn him about in every direction, 
 and stop him when you please. If your horse is very 
 wild you will, of course, fix him as described under the 
 heading, "How to ride the coiy with which powerful 
 means of control, and also convincing proof to him of 
 your power to enforce submission, you can ride him any- 
 where you choose without even being in the least danger 
 of being thrown. And after you have ridden him in this 
 way for a few times, he will never again attempt to kick 
 or make any effort to throw you while you are on his 
 back. But remember, while you have this rigging on, 
 always be sure to ride him to every object which you 
 think would in the least way excite his suspicion or 
 arouse his fear. Allow him to examine it carefully, and 
 convince him fully that there is no danger to be appre- 
 hended from it. While this way, ride him to every place 
 where you think he would afterwards be inclined to kick 
 or run off, and by convincing him in this way of their 
 harmless nature, forever break him of a habit so trouble- 
 some and dangerous. 
 
 When you first ride him with the materials above 
 alluded to ofi^ take a little the shortest hold on the left 
 rein, so that if anything frightens him you can prevent 
 him jumping by pulling his head around to you. This 
 way of pulling a horse's head around against his side will 
 prevent any horse from jumping ahead, rearing up, or 
 
19 
 
 miming away. If he is stubborn and will not go, you 
 can make him move by pulling his head around to one 
 side, when whipping would have no effect, and turning him 
 around a few times will make him dizzy, and then, by 
 letting him have his head straight, and giving him a 
 little touch with the whip, he will go along without any 
 trouble. 
 
 Never use martingales on a colt when you first ride 
 him. Every movement of the hand should go right to 
 the bit in the direction in which it is applied to the reins, 
 without changing the direction of the force applied by 
 the martingale. You can guide the colt a great deal bet- 
 ter without them, and learn him the use of the bit in 
 much less time. Besides, martingales would prevent you 
 from pulling his head around if he should try to jump. 
 
 After your colt has been rode until he is gentle and 
 well accustomed to the bit, you may find it is an advan- 
 tage, if he carries his head too high, or his nose too far 
 out, to put martingales on him. 
 
 When you first take him out of the stable-, be very 
 gentle with him, as he will feel a little more inclined to 
 jump or run, and be a little easier frightened than he 
 was while in the stable. But after handling him so much 
 in the stable, he will be pretty well broken, and you will 
 be able to manage him without trouble or danger. 
 
 HOW TO SADDLE THE COLT. 
 
 Any man who has this theory, and practices it, can put 
 a saddle on the wildest colt that ever grew, without any 
 help, and without in any way frightening him. The first 
 operation is to tie each stirrup strap into a loose knot, so 
 as to make them short, and prevent the stirrup from fly- 
 ing about and hitting him. Next double up the skirts, 
 and take the saddle under your right arm, so as not to 
 frighten him with it as you approach. When you get to 
 him rub him gently a few times with your hand, and then 
 raise the saddle slowly until he can see it, and smell and 
 feel it with his nose. You can now let the skirts loose, 
 
20 
 
 and rub the saddle very gently against the horse's neck, 
 the way the hair lays, letting him hear the rattle of the 
 skirts at the same time that he feels them against him ; 
 each time getting a little farther back, until you can 
 finally slip it over his shoulders on to his back. Now 
 shake it a little with your hand, (and remember you are 
 diong all this to show your horse you are not going to 
 hurt him,) and in live minutes you can rattle it about 
 over his back as much as you wish, and pull it off and 
 throw it on again without his noticing it. 
 
 As soon as you have accustomed him to the saddle, 
 fasten the girth ; but be careful how r you do this. It very 
 often frightens a colt when he feels the girth binding Mni, 
 and making the saddle lit tight on his back. You should 
 bring up the girth very gently, and not draw it too tight 
 at first, but just enough to hold thesaddle on. Move him 
 a little, and then girth it as tight as you choose, and he 
 will not mind it. 
 
 You should see that the pad of your saddle is all right 
 before you put it on, and that there is nothing about it 
 that will hurt him or feel unpleasant to his back. It 
 should not have any loose straps on the back part of it 
 that would flap about and scare him. After you have 
 saddled him in this way, take a switch in your right hand 
 to tap him up with, and walk about in the stable a few 
 times with your right arm over the saddle, taking hold of 
 the reins on each side of the neck with your right and 
 left hands. Thus march him about in the stable until you 
 learn him the use of the bridle, and can turn him about 
 in any direction, and stop him by a gentle pull of the rein. 
 Always caress him, and loose the reins a little every time 
 you stop him. 
 
 Kemember you should always be alone-, and have your 
 colt in some tight stable or shed the first time you ride 
 him ; the loft should be high enough so that you could sit 
 on his back without endangering your head. You can 
 learn your horse more in two hours in a stable of this 
 kind, than you could in a fortnight by the common way 
 of breaking colts out in an open j>lace. If you pursue 
 
21 
 
 this course of treatment, you need not run any risk, or 
 have any trouble in riding the worst kind of a horse. 
 You take him step by step, until you originate a mntual 
 confidence and trust between yourself and your horse. 
 First ride him in the way before mentioned under the 
 heading, " How to ride the colt," and then ride him and 
 start him with the saddle. You, of course, have to use 
 the same precaution, and go through a somewhat similar 
 process, which you can be your own judge about-, as you 
 did when you first mounted him. 
 
 WAR BRIDLE 
 
 The most powerful and effective implement in the man- 
 agement of the horse is what, for convenience sake, more 
 than for anything else, is called the "War Bridle." It is 
 simply a cord about the size of a common bed-cord, or 
 clothes-line. It should be cotton, and made of fine yarn, 
 or of what is known as fine-threaded cotton cord, about 
 three-eighths of an inch in diameter. It was used before 
 the rise in the price of cotton, quite extensively for clothes 
 line . If you cannot get this quality of cord, procure a good 
 stout hemp one of about the same strength, or, in fact, 
 anything of the kind strong enough ; have it about fifteen 
 feet in length. Tie one end into a hard knot, just as you 
 would to prevent its raveling; now tie another knot 
 about ten inches, or a little more, from the one on the 
 end, but before you draw it tight, put the knot on the end 
 through. You have now a loop that will not slip, made 
 on the same principle that a rope is tied around the neck 
 of a horse to hitch with, so as not to tighten upon the 
 neck by pulling upon it. This loop should be just large 
 enough to slip over the under jaw of the horse you wish to 
 train, put this loop over the under jaw, then while standing 
 on the near side, take the cord in the left hand and bring 
 it over the neck by passing the left hand under the neck 
 to the opposite side, towards the mane, now carry the 
 right hand over the neck, and take the cord from the left 
 and pass it around back to the loop, and put through 
 
22 
 
 from the top side, until the part over the ueck is drawn 
 down like a check rein ; now take hold of the reim or 
 small rope, and you will find you have in it a means of 
 enforcing power, that makes the strongest horse almost a 
 plaything in your hands. 
 
 The only objection to the use of the "War Bridle" in 
 the training of the innocent colt is, that the ignorant are 
 inconsiderate in using it. Instead of using it with the 
 utmost mildness, a little resistance on the part of the colt 
 is made an excuse to use it in the most severe manner, 
 until the colt either submits unconditionally, or becomes 
 so desperate with pain as to become entirely reckless and 
 regardless of the utmost efforts you can make to subdue 
 him. Under such circumstances he will spread his legs, 
 and throw his head forward, as stupid and stubborn as a 
 calf, and when he does move, it is with the stupid indif- 
 ference to control of that stupid animal. The "War 
 Bridle " is a valuable means of managing and training 
 colts in skillful hands. It should be used with great 
 adroitness, never so harshly as to excite extreme pain, 
 and yet with a touch that causes a fear of resistance. 
 Like the whip, it should be made an instrument more to 
 be feared than felt; consequently the delicacy of the 
 mouth must be preserved, if possible, under this means 
 of subjection. When you do use it severely, let it be 
 quick and sharp, but not too often, and the moment you 
 find your horse resisting with Too much will, you will al- 
 ways find it to be to your advantage to stop and put your 
 horse away a short time until he becomes cool. The 
 great secret in training is not training too long, and re- 
 peating. You will find that the colt, entirely reckless 
 when you put him away, will, on repeating, submit to you 
 readily. 
 
 TO MAKE A COLT FOLLOW UNDER THE WHIP. 
 
 After he comes round to you readily, by pulling a little 
 on the halter, as spoken of in some of the preceeding 
 pages, take your whip in your right hand, pull upon the 
 
23 
 
 halter a little, saying, " Come here, sir !" and at the same 
 time tap lightly with the whip on the hips ; he will come 
 to you, mainly because you have taught him to yield to a 
 slight pull upon the head, and come to you at this signal, 
 and because he wishes to get away from the touch of the 
 whip behind. As soon as he comes to you caress, and 
 feed him from your hand with something he likes ; repeat 
 this, each time pulling less upon the halter, until he will 
 come to you as readily at the crack of the whip, as he 
 did at first to the pull of the halter. You may have at 
 first to keep tapping him with the whip. After you have 
 gotten him so that he will come to you by tapping with 
 the whip, commence snapping it behind him and not hit- 
 ting him ; if he comes caress and encourage as before, and 
 so repeat, at each time increasing your distance from him, 
 until he will follow you, or come to you quickly by crack- 
 ing the whip 
 
 This plan is practicable to almost any one, and will 
 bring about the desired result in a short time, so well as 
 to make your horse follow you about the streets without 
 halter or bridle. But if your colt is extremely wild and 
 this method will not succeed as you wish, another plan, 
 and a very effectual one, can be resorted to. Put on your 
 a War Bridle" after you subdue your horse well, by tam- 
 pering with him on his three legs with the strap over the 
 back, as mentioned before. As soon as he submits readily 
 to this step, instead of fastening up the leg, as by the 
 method just gone through, viz: that of tampering your 
 colt well on three legs, take off your strap. Now take 
 hold of the rein of your war bridle, and step to one side, 
 and then backwards, and say, "Come here, sir," pulling a 
 very little upon the bridle, just enough to bring his head 
 toward you a little. Now step up to him and pat him on 
 the neck, and say, " You are fine fellow," or something 
 similar. Then try again in the same way, and so repeat 
 until he will come to you quite freely. You may increase 
 your force upon the bridle, in proportion to his submit 
 sion, but not if he show stubborness. You may then step 
 to the other side, and repeat the lesson, until he will 
 
24 
 
 come to you either way cheerfully. Now if you wish 
 him to follow you, continue your training in this way, 
 gradually pulling a little more on line with his body, un- 
 til he will follow as well ahead as he does sideways. 
 
 If you wish to use the "War Bridle" in handling the feet, 
 or if you find it necessary on account of the extreme 
 wildness of your colt, your plan will be as follows : Han- 
 dle the feet in the same prudent manner as before de- 
 scribed ; but when there is resistance you cimply reprove 
 for it by pulling down a little on the mouth, with the bri- 
 dle, which will have a magic effect. If the colt refuses 
 to have the feet handled, put the small strap on the hind 
 foot, and by pulling on this strap, bring the foot up, then 
 the moment he kicks, bring down on the mouth sharply 
 with the bridle. In a short time he will submit, when by 
 good, careful handling, the colt will submit to your con- 
 trol unconditionally. 
 
 The same rule applies to the use of this under all cir- 
 cumstances. It is a means of reproof, and certainly has a 
 powerful effect upon a horse . 
 
 TO TEACH THE COLT TO BACK. 
 
 Put on the "War Bridle," stand directly in front of your 
 horse, having hold of the cord about twenty inches from 
 the head with your left hand, resting the right on the 
 cord or bridle, about four or five inches from the head. 
 Now say, " Back, sir." Your horse of course does not 
 know what you want, and does not obey. Immediately 
 after saying "back" press down and back, with your 
 right hand, sharply upon the cord, which will set the 
 head back with a jerk. Do not expect your colt will go 
 back without resisting. Repeat this for about four or fcve 
 minutes, being careful not to get excited. It is very sel- 
 dom that the colt will go back with one lesson, possibly 
 he may in the second; but he will be mire to do so in the 
 third lesson. 
 
 The more intelligent and spirited the colt, the sooner 
 he will submit, and the more readily will be his obedi- 
 
25 
 
 ence. The duller and slower your subject, the more pa- 
 tient and persevering must be your efforts. You must 
 now commence to bit your colt. 
 
 BITTING THE COLT. 
 
 Some people seem to form and harbor strange ideas 
 about bitting. It would seem as if the style and position 
 of the head depended entirely upon the attention given 
 to bitting. It is well to remember, that the object of 
 bitting is to teach the horse to obey the reins, and at the 
 same time, habituating the horse to give the head and 
 neck, as high an elevation as the form and temper of the 
 animal will bear. But while it is admitted that careful 
 attention to bitting will improve the style and bearing 
 of the horse, it should not be forgotten that the position 
 in which a horse holds his head in harness, will depend 
 almost entirely upon his form and temper. No art can 
 give the horse with a low, perpendicular shoulder, and 
 short neck, a fine style of carrying his head and neck, 
 even if he possess good spirit and courage. The practice 
 of straining the head and neck into an unnatural posi- 
 tion, and keeping it so for hours, as is practiced gene- 
 rally in bitting, is often a cause of injury. When the 
 head is strained into an unnatural position, and kept 
 there any length of time, the colt will learn to relieve 
 the pain and weariness he feels, by resting the entire 
 weight of the head upon the bit, which teaches him to 
 lug upon the bit, and also causes the mouth to become 
 insensible to pressure. 
 
 The following is an improved method of bitting, by 
 which the horse is taught exactly what you require of 
 him, and it does not injure the mouth in the least, and by 
 which you can bit a horse well in about one hour, by 
 limiting your lessons to five minutes each, and repeating 
 until the head is rendered readily and freely to the pres- 
 sure of the bit. It seldom requires more than eight les- 
 sons of five or six minutes each. 
 
26 
 HOW TO MAKE A BITTING BRIDLE. 
 
 Take your war bridle, previously used, and fix a loop 
 upon the other end, just like the one already used, to put 
 around the jaw, but big enough to go over the head and 
 fit on the neck rather tight where the collar is worn. 
 Now bring your cord forward and put through the mouth 
 from the off side, and bring back on the near side, and 
 put through the loop that you have around the neck. 
 Now pull upon this cord and the head will be drawn 
 back to the breast. You are now prepared to bit. Just 
 pull upon the cord a little, which will draw the head 
 back slightly ; after holding for a short time, render 
 loose, then draw a little tighter ; and so repeat for four 
 or five minutes. Then stop bitting, and repeat at some 
 future time. 
 
 The great secret, not only of bitting, but of training 
 your horse in any manner, is in not confusing or exciting 
 him to resistance by training too long at a time. As 
 soon as your colt submits readily to the bit, you can 
 check the head to suit. To make the check-rein rather 
 tight will cause the horse's head to be carried high, while 
 the delicacy given the mouth will prevent the nose from 
 being thrown forward. Give this a fair chance, and I will 
 warrant you success. 
 
 Teach your colt to be perfectly submissive to your 
 handling him in any way — to lead well, back freely to the 
 word, &c, and then you can proceed to training him to 
 drive in harness. 
 
 METHOD OF TRAINING TO DRIVE IN HARNESS. 
 
 A naturally intelligent and tractable colt, is taken from 
 the field and harnessed up without any regard to conse- 
 quences. If he starts off quietly, he is said to be mild 
 and gentle. But if he resists, and will not go when re- 
 quired to, he is whipped, lacked and abused. The colt 
 not being trained, does not know what he is whipped for 
 and in consequence becomes stubborn and mad. If he 
 
27 
 
 goes, it is with a reckless, rearing plunge, or he settles 
 back and refuses to move. Such a horse is generally in- 
 telligent and learns good or bad habits readily, and is 
 either very good and obedient, if well managed, or will- 
 ful and stubborn if not. 
 
 The great secret of subduing a horse is to handle him 
 in such a manner as to impress him most powerfully 
 with your supremacy, without causing pain or excite- 
 ment. This is accomplished the easiest by mailing the 
 lessons short, and repeating after the horse has had time 
 to reflect. If possible, do not continue his training while 
 he is excited, and you will be surprised to find how soon 
 he will yield submission. 
 
 Put on your harness carefully, which should be made 
 to fit well. You should take care to have it safe and 
 strong in every respect. Never be tempted to drive your 
 colt in an old rotten harness, or to hitch to an old rotten, 
 rattling wagon, as such are liable to break at any time. 
 Many of the accidents causing horses to form bad habits 
 are nothing more than the result of such imprudence. 
 Make every step safe and sm*e, and you will without fail 
 bring about a good result. When you put on the harness 
 allow him to stand in his stall until he becomes accus- 
 tomed to the presence and pressure of the different parts, 
 and will allow you to rattle them about without his car- 
 ing for them. Now lead him around for a short time, and 
 as soon as he appears quiet, check him up quite loosely 
 and drive him around the yard. When he becomes fa- 
 miliar with the harness, check and reins, and will stop 
 and start at the word, and drive around to the right and 
 left, you can drive him around the streets with safety ; 
 though in making this step you had better make use of 
 the following kind of a bit for the first two or three les- 
 sons at least : 
 
 BIT FOR DRIVING WILD COLT— FIRST LESSONS. 
 
 Description : A bar of iron eight inches in length with 
 a ring in each end ; but before the rings on the ends of 
 
the bar are put on, you should put two small rings on the 
 bar about two inches in diameter. The rings at each end 
 should be about two and one-half inches in diameter, 
 large enough to prevent the rings on the bar from slip- 
 ping off. The bar should be square, about three-eighths 
 of an inch each way. The two small rings, about two 
 inches in diameter, should just be placed over the bar, so 
 that they will move back and forwards. They can not 
 slip off for the large rings on each end. The head piece, 
 or strap that passes over the head, is to be fixed to these 
 small rings, while your rein passes through the large 
 rings, just as it does in any bridle bit. 
 
 By means of this bit, and with good sound reins, you 
 can make a plaything of the strongest and wildest colt 
 that may ever come in your way. 
 
 You should then drive to sulky. A sulky is to be pre- 
 ferred at first. Let your colt see and examine every part 
 of the sulky, until he cares nothing about it ; then draw 
 it up behind him, rattling and running it back and forth 
 a few times, when attach to the harness. 
 
 Now if your colt is extremely wild, and you think there 
 may be danger of his kicking, despite all you can do with 
 the bit, in addition to the bit you can fix a strap to the 
 shaft on the off side ; pass this strap over the rump 
 through a loop on the saddle part of the harness, near 
 where the hip-straps that hold up the breeching are fixed. 
 Now bring it over and fix it to the shaft on the near side. 
 It is impossible for your colt to kick when you have him 
 so fixed, because in order to do so he must raise the sulky 
 and you in it by the shafts, which he cannot do ; and at 
 the same time that he attempts to kick you can discon- 
 cert him by sawing his mouth with the bit. This bit, al- 
 though so powerful an agent for controlling a horse, does 
 not injure the delicacy of the mouth in the least. 
 
 There is also another means employed for disconcert- 
 ing a horse in harness- called a " Foot Strap." 
 
29 
 THE FOOT STRAP 
 
 Is a common tope or strap about the size of yonr war 
 bridle. Your war bridle will answer by untying one of 
 the loops — that is, one of the loops you had made when 
 making a bitting bridle. Fasten the untied end carefully 
 to the forward foot below the fetlock ; pass the other end 
 over the belly-band of the harness, and carry it back on 
 the left side to the sulky, over the holdback strap of the 
 breeching, and hold it as a third rein in your hand. If 
 the horse attempts to run away, simply pulling upon this 
 strap throws him upon three legs, and lie has to stop. If 
 he attempts to run back, pulling upon the strap in the 
 same manner will also stop him. 
 
 This last is a very good method for training horses in 
 harness, and also for breaking up the confidence of balky 
 horses. It is best, though, for- teaching a horse to stop at 
 the word of command. But I think in hitching up a 
 horse for the first time, the first-mentioned plan is the 
 more safe, because with the foot-strap you might miss 
 your calculation as to the horse kicking, and thus draw 
 up the foot too soon and allow him to balance himself 
 and kick before you could prevent it, which would be the 
 worst thing that could be done for a young colt; because 
 once let him beat you, and let him kick, and he will al- 
 ways watch for an opportunity to do the same thing 
 again. And to use it properly, it requires a person well 
 skilled in the use of the reins, which some of the readers 
 of this book may not yet be. 
 
 As safety and certainty should be your motto, I would 
 advise anj r one to use the bit and strap, as spoken of in 
 the first-mentioned plan, during the first two or three 
 drives with your colt, and then if you think it safe you 
 can try the other, to show your colt that you can man- 
 age him as well the one way as the other. You have 
 both plans before you, — use whichever one you think 
 best. 
 
30 
 OBJECTS OF FEAR 
 
 While driving, be careful about using the whip too 
 freely. If a stone, or a stump, or any thing of the kind, 
 should be regarded by your colt~with suspicion, do not 
 whip and drive hiin past it. Let him stand a short time 
 and examine the object until he seems careless about it, 
 then push a little closer as he will bear, and so repeat, at 
 the same time talking to him encounigingly, until you 
 can drive him by or up to the object. Be very sure to 
 make your colt comprehend fully that such objects are 
 harmless, by seizing every opportunity that may occur 
 that will permit you to do so, and he will very soon be- 
 come so fearless and confident as to be regardless of such 
 things. But if you whip him for becoming frightened at 
 such things, he will associate the punishment with the 
 object of his fright, and be more frightened the next time 
 he sees it. The horse being unable to reason otherwise 
 than from experience, you should convince him that any 
 object of which he may be afraid is harmless, by allow- 
 ing him to examine it carefully. For instance, if the 
 sight or smell of a robe a few feet distant should frighten 
 your horse, put on the war bridle and take him alone in 
 your training yard or barn. Lead him gently to the 
 robe ; let him smell it if he will. Then take it in your 
 hand and hold it gently to his nose ; then rub it against 
 his neck, side, and over his back, and so repeat for a short 
 time ; and after familiarizing him with it in this way, he 
 will become so regardless of it that you can throw it over 
 his back or tie it to his tail without causing him the least 
 fear. 
 
 The same principle is to be observed in familiarizing a 
 colt to a drum. Let him touch it with his nose, then rub 
 it against his neck and sides, and place it upon his back. 
 Now tap it gently with the finger, gradually increasing 
 in force as he will bear ; in a short time you can play 
 upon it quite smartly, even while resting on his back, 
 and he will care nothing about it. 
 
 It is also the same with the umbrella. Let him touch 
 
31 
 
 it with his nose first while closed ; then rub it against 
 his head and neck, and over his body ; then commence 
 again at the nose, opening the umbrella a little, and so 
 repeat, until you can hold it fully spread over his head, 
 and over and about him in any manner, and in a short 
 time he will care nothing about it. 
 
 Teach your horse that a newspaper, though it is white 
 and rustles, is harmless, by rubbing him with it, throwing 
 it upon him like a blanket, dragging it about upon the 
 ground by a string, and riding him about with it in your 
 hand. 
 
 To accustom your horse to the cars, lead him to the de- 
 pot and have him see them at rest, and examine them 
 carefully, even, if possible, to the smelling and touching 
 with the nose. Then allow him to see them moving as 
 you have an opportunity. When you undertake to fa- 
 miliarize a horse or a colt to anything which frightens 
 him, be sure you repeat the lesson until he cares nothing 
 about the object. If you do not, the experiment will be 
 of little advantage to your horse, and it may, in fact, ren- 
 der him worse. 
 
 DRIVING. 
 
 When your horse drives well before a sulky, then yon 
 may hitch him to a light wagon, or by the side of a broke 
 horse, and if you are breaking him for the farm, or for 
 hauling heavy loads, you can gradually increase his load 
 until he draws to the extent of his ability without com- 
 prehending that he has the power to do otherwise. 
 After your horse is broke to the harness, you can either 
 allow him to carry his head according to the dictates of 
 nature, or by the proper use of the check-rein, bring his 
 head and neck into such a position of style as will best 
 suit his form and temper, or your fancy may dictate. 
 
 While learning your horse to drive w T ell, never be in a 
 hurry to see how fast he can trot. Let your require- 
 ments be as few as possible at first, and gradually in- 
 crease upon them as his strength and ability become de- 
 
veloped. You should always be careful to keep each 
 pace clear and distinct from the other. If he is walking, 
 keep him in the walk, and do not allow him to trot, and 
 the same in trotting. See that he keeps steadily at his 
 gait, and do not allow him to slack into a walk. When 
 you wish to push him to his extreme speed, let it only be 
 for a few minutes at a time, gradually requiring more of 
 him as he becomes practiced and more capable of endur- 
 ing it. And if he has done well allow him to walk a 
 short time and encourage him with a kind word. Never 
 try his mettle, that is, never force him to the stretch of 
 his greatest efforts, until he becomes tired and overdone. 
 While driving keep your reins snug, and when you push 
 your horse to the top of his speed, hold him well in your 
 hand, that he may learn to bear well upon the bit, as it 
 is by means of the rein mostly, that your horse is kept 
 steadily in his gait. But be careful while learning him 
 to bear well upon the bit, that you do not allow him to 
 pull too hard, and thus form a habit of pulling on the bit, 
 for it tends to make him difficult to manage and tiresome 
 to drive. 
 
 While driving never use the whip more than you can 
 possibly help. The too free use of the whip causes the 
 horse to start suddenly, or plunge ahead any time he no- 
 tices an unusual movement of it. Always strive to en- 
 courage, rather than drive your horse, and never whip 
 only where reproof is fully merited. 
 
 It is needless for me to say anything more about driv- 
 ing, as ingenuity and practice alone can make a skillful 
 driver. But if you use the whip at every accident that 
 may occur, the horse, reasoning only from experience, 
 regards every little mishap that may happen as a precur- 
 sor of abuse with the whip, which learns him to form 
 the habit of rearing and plunging and attempting to run 
 away when anything unusual happens. Thus it is that so 
 many accidents happen, causing so much injury and dam- 
 age when anything unusual occurs, when but a little 
 forethought and prudence could have prevented it 
 
33 
 TO PREVENT RUNNING AWAY. 
 
 Put on the foot strap, and when he attempts to run, 
 take up his foot. Then make him run again, and trip him 
 every time he will not instantly stop at the word whoa. If 
 your horse is extremely willful he may run on three legs. 
 If you suspect him of that, fix another strap on the other 
 foot. Then make him run, and if he will not stop for 
 your taking up one foot, take up both, which, in a short 
 time will destroy his confidence, and then one strap will 
 do as well. Make your lesson thorough, so that your 
 horse will stop every time you say whoa. 
 
 The above method is the best for teaching a colt to 
 stop at the word, that I know of. 
 
 But if your horse is habituated to running away, and 
 not safe to drive, the following method is so safe that 
 even women or children can drive the worst horse of this 
 description, without any danger. 
 
 Second Method. — Take a common surcingle with a 
 ring fixed on the part that goes under the belly. Through 
 this ring run a broad strap or band, about six feet and 
 a-half long, so that it will move back and forth easily. 
 To each end of this strap attach a square ring, and to 
 each of these square rings, attach two small straps with 
 buckles on. Buckle one of these straps above the hoof 
 and the other below the hoof, on each leg. Your horse 
 with this on can travel quite easily. But the moment he 
 kicks or attempts to run away he jerks his hind feet from 
 under him, and thus disconcerts himself in the very act. 
 A few lessons with this will entirely break your horse of 
 this disagreeable and dangerous habit. But be careful 
 never to try your horse without it, until you have him 
 thoroughly trained. Make every step you take in his 
 training, sure. 
 
 TO TRAIN A HORSE TO STAND WHILE YOU 
 ARE GETTING INTO THE CARRIAGE. 
 
 Put on your harness, using the square bit mentioned, 
 and explained, under the heading " To train a horse to 
 3 
 
34 
 
 drive in harness." Take your horse out into the yard 
 and take a firm hold of your reins. Your horse, of course, 
 if he has formed the habit, will be for starting off imme- 
 diately, when reprove him sharply by means of the bit. 
 But before you reprove him with the bit, command him 
 to stand, and if he does not stop immediately, reprove 
 him sharply with the bit, and so repeat until your horse 
 will stop readily at the word stand. Now, with the reins 
 in your hand, walk to one side as far as possible, and the 
 moment your horse makes a move to start, command him 
 to stand and reprove him if you are not readily obeyed, and 
 so keep walking back and forth, reproving him if he will 
 not stand at the word, until he will obey you readily. Then 
 walk round in front of him and carass him, and rub him 
 a little over the eyes, the way the hair lies. Now go 
 back behind Mm and make your circle round in front of 
 him the other way, and caress him as before, and so re- 
 peat until he will stand perfectly quiet. Then hitch him 
 to your carriage, and after you have gone through the 
 same process with him hitched in the carriage as before, 
 walk up to it, (all the time talking to him encourag- 
 ingly or singing carelessly,) and shake it gently, if he 
 starts command him to stand, and reprove him as before 
 if he does not obey. And so repeat, walking back and 
 forth and shaking the carriage, until you finally get him 
 so that you can step into it without his starting. Then 
 drive him a piece and stop him by saying whoa, in this 
 case, and if he stops readily, and stands until you get out 
 and in, caress him, and encourage him, and show him 
 that obedience is all you require, and you are a friend. 
 But be very careful never to use the whip immediately 
 after starting. Always move your horse slowly for some 
 distance after hitching, as the use of the whip to start him, 
 is the very thing that learns him to rear and plunge, and 
 start, while you are getting in, in order that he may avoid 
 being tapped with the whip. But this bad habit is prin- 
 cipally brought on by the mismanagement of careless, 
 or ignorant drivers, in being hasty and harsh to a horse 
 naturally ambitious, but sensitive and impulsive. 
 
35 
 BALKY HORSES. 
 
 This habit is one of the most aggravating and perplex- 
 ing to endure, and although the causes have been treated 
 of by several able writers on horsemanship, they have all 
 failed to ascribe as the cause, anything more than the 
 cruel treatment and carelessness of thoughtless and igno- 
 rant drivers ; and as a cure, nothing more than the stere- 
 otyped remedy of patience and kindness. 
 
 The balky horse is generally high spirited, quick to 
 comprehend, free in temperament, and sensitive to causes 
 of excitement. Good treatment and patience would have 
 prevented him from forming the habit in the first place ; 
 and in this it is well to remember the words of the adage, 
 " that an ounce of preventive is worth a pound of cure." 
 
 The balky horse is simply willful, and in breaking up 
 the habit your main object should be to convince the 
 horse, clearly, of your power to enforce submission, with- 
 out resort to abuse or harshness. 
 
 When your horse balks in harness, it is not because he 
 is unwilling to perform his duty, but from becoming con- 
 fused or excited on account of mismanagement. He is 
 willing and anxious to go, but too high spirited to make 
 the steady push against the collar, required to move the 
 load. Because, under such circumstances, he will not 
 pull, he receives the curses, abuse and lash of the driver, 
 which not only makes the horse angry, but discourages 
 him, and he consequently refuses to go. If the horse be 
 comes confused and refuses to move ahead, do not get 
 vexed and make use of the whip the first thing ; for in 
 such a case the use of the whip will strengthen the tend- 
 ency to resistance into open rebellion, which is just what 
 you do not want. Generally a little patience and a few 
 encouraging words would cause the horse to move on. 
 But if you find him determined to resist, examine the 
 harness carefully. Perhaps the collar is too large, and 
 hurts the shoulders; or it may be that the load is too 
 heavy, or the roads worse than you expected, and you 
 have forced your horse to pull until he has become com- 
 
36 
 
 pletely exhausted, and he may simply require time to 
 breathe before renewing the struggle. Always consider 
 circumstances. Get to your horse's head— talk to him 
 gently, and rub him a little the way the hair lies. If he 
 still resists, it is a still greater reason why you should 
 control your temper. After rubbing the head and neck, 
 (for a horse of this kind, like a stubborn boy, must be 
 flattered and coaxed,) all he requires is a little time, and 
 then the fit will exhaust itself, and you will leave no bad 
 impression. Now move the horse's head gently, first to 
 the left and then to the right, to convince him that he 
 can move the load. After moving once or twice in this 
 way, he will generally start and move on. Let him, when 
 he starts, turn a little to the right or to the left, as he can 
 thereby move the load much easier than if he were to 
 move straight ahead. If your team refuses to go, use the 
 same prudence, for you will find that the more hurried 
 you are the slower will be your j)rogress. Get to their 
 heads, moving them easily and gently against their col- 
 lars to the right and left, evenly, and giving them time to 
 become collected and cool, so that they will move steady 
 and together. 
 
 Be considerate and kind, for the horse is sensitive and 
 stubborn. If, however, your horse refuses ordinary treat- 
 ment, (which should always be tried first, even if it does 
 require considerable of time and patience,) and you wish 
 to move him, take a fine twine and tie around the leg, 
 between the knee and ankle, tightly. This will cause 
 him to raise his foot with pain, which will soon cause him 
 to step for relief, and move on. Take off the cord as soon 
 as you can safely stop the horse to do so. But if you do 
 not happen to have a piece of twine, lift one of the fore- 
 feet, and then throw him gently over against the collar; 
 shove him gently over to the opposite side. This will 
 cause him to step in order that he may set down the foot 
 to prevent himself from falling, when he will be sure to 
 move on. I have tried this myself, and I know that it 
 works well. 
 
 But the methods above mentioned, remember, are to 
 
37 
 
 move the horse when he balks with you when you are 
 driving him ; that is, to make him go for the present. 
 
 But there is not any radical way of making this class 
 of horses work safely, only by thorough training, which 
 will soon break up the habit and make your subject gen- 
 tle and submissive. 
 
 To thoroughly train the balky horse so as to break him 
 entirely of the habit, use the following practical method: 
 First convince your horse of your power to enforce sub- 
 mission, and also break up his confidence in himself. 
 This you can accomplish best by managing him as fol- 
 lows : Tie the hair ol his tail into a hard knot ; then take 
 the halter-strap in your left hand, holding the tail in the 
 right ; pass the halter-strap through the hair above the 
 knot, and draw up as short as the horse will bear without 
 running around, tying quickly. This will bring the horse 
 in the form of a half-circle, his head fast to his tail with 
 the halter-strap. Your object is to break up his confi- 
 dence in himself most thoroughly, and this is the most 
 harmless, yet most powerful of all known means of dis- 
 concerting a horse, on so practical a basis. No horse can 
 bear up long against the depressing effect of whirling in 
 connection with the proper use of the war bridle. The 
 nearer the head is tied to the tail the better, for the 
 quicker and shorter the horse will turn, and the better 
 will be the effect. Should he not run around very freely, 
 tap him behind with the whip, which will cause him to 
 move sharply. Simply keep him moving until he falls 
 down by becoming dizzy, which he will do in about one 
 minute and a half. After he has lain a short time, untie 
 the halter, when he will get up, rather shaken in confi- 
 dence ; but this lesson will not suffice if he is a bad case. 
 Tie the head to the tail in the opposite direction, and put 
 him through until he falls or is unable to move. By this 
 time a plucky horse may become warm from the exertion 
 of his struggles, and if so he is not in a condition to be 
 handled much more to advantage. However, if ho is not 
 too warm or excited, put on the war bridle and give him 
 a few sharp turns to show him you can handle him as 
 
38 
 
 easily by the head as you can by whirling. When he 
 follows and submits in this way freely, put hirn in his 
 stall, caressing him and talking to him gently, so as to 
 let him know obedience is all you require, and you are a 
 friend. The great secret of subduing a horse is to handle 
 him in such a manner as to impress him most powerfully 
 with your supremacy, without causing pain or excite- 
 ment. This you can accomplish best by making your 
 lessons short,- and repeating after the horse has had time 
 to reflect. If possible do not continue his training while 
 he is excited, and you will be surprised to find how soon 
 he will yield submission. 
 
 Now put your horse in harness and attach to the wagon, 
 training him a little with the war bridle when he refuses 
 to obey ; but in making this step be prudent. Your horse 
 has learned by experience to resist successfully in har- 
 ness, and now that he finds himself on his own ground, he 
 will make a gallant and determined stand. Admire his 
 courage and pluck, but remember this is the ground you 
 are really laboring to win. 
 
 Let your requirements be made with great delicacy, a 
 little at a time, or just so much as you have power to en- 
 force by the use of the war bridle, which will bring such 
 a horse to a sense of submission in a short time. Let 
 every step be thorough, and repeat until the horse yields 
 an unconditional submission to your commands. 
 
 After your horse moves well and safely, gradually teach 
 him to haul steadily, first by loading lightly, and increas- 
 ing as the horse will bear, until the habit becomes fixed, 
 and he will work cheerfully. 
 
 I have never heard of a horse that could not be made 
 to work by a few lessons of such treatment as the above. 
 But again, remember never to use the whip if you can 
 possibly avoid it. Govern your horse by kindness, and 
 you will always have ready and willing obedience. 
 
KICKING IN HARNESS. 
 
 Kicking may well be considered by all a bad habit, be- 
 cause of the danger arising from handling such horses. 
 This habit, as well as mostly all the other bad habits 
 formed by horses, is the result of carelessness and bad 
 management. Proper attention is not given to the fitting 
 of the harness ; the straps of the harness hang loosely 
 about the flanks, and the colt not being acquainted with 
 the nature of these, it becomes frightened, which causes 
 him to kick. Sometimes an old rotten harness is used, 
 which breaks at some unlucky moment. The harness 
 breaking, or the straps dangling about the flanks, fright- 
 ens the horse, and he kicks instinctively as a means of 
 self-defense. The feet come in contact with the whiffle- 
 trees, and increases the fear of the horse ; he becomes 
 alarmed and reckless, springs ahead, kicks, and endeavors 
 in every possible way to free himself from the torment or 
 object of his alarm, until he tears himself loose or is 
 stopped. After being worried out with fright, exertion, 
 and learning fear in this way, and learning that he can 
 resist under the influence of such fear, he becomes 
 alarmed at the least indication of its repetition. 
 
 The only method of breaking up this tendency to be- 
 came frightened at every object which may cause the 
 least alarm, is to habituate the horse to such objects of 
 fear. When convinced that there is no harm to be ap- 
 prehended from them, he will give up the habit. You 
 can do this in the same way as it is done under the head- 
 ing, "Familiarize Horses to Objects of Fear," treated of 
 in some of the preceding pages. 
 
 Your main remedy in the management of the harness 
 kicker is the foot-strap, and as the horse moves off gently 
 say " Whoa," and immediately after pull upon the strap 
 which throws him upon three legs, and so repeat until he 
 will stop instantly when "Whoa" is called. Then after 
 you have trained him in this way, tempt him to kick, and 
 at the next instant take up his foot, and so continue until 
 he gives up the habit Generally it does not require 
 
40 
 
 much training, especially if your horse is a young one, to 
 break up this habit. Treat him with extreme gentleness, 
 and repeat the lesson until you are sure that he will not 
 resist. If, however, your horse has become old in the 
 habit, and you cannot harness him safely, treat him as 
 follows : 
 
 Take a strap or rope about twelve feet long ; step be- 
 fore the horse and tie one end of it in a loop around the 
 neck where the collar rests. Now pass the other end 
 down between the fore legs, around the near hind leg, 
 below the fetlock, and bring forward between the legs 
 and through this loop around the neck. Now step in 
 front of the horse and take a firm hold of this strap or 
 rope, and pull back quietly upon it, which will bring the 
 foot forward. If the horse is bad, pull the foot as far for- 
 ward as you can, which will give you the more advan- 
 tage. The horse will resent this, and strive to free him- 
 self by kicking. Hold the head steadily with the left 
 hand, and with the right hold this strap firmly. Stand 
 right up to the horse's shoulder and whirl him about you, 
 which you can easily do while he is struggling to free 
 himself. As soon as he yields the foot in this way, han- 
 dle it gently, then let up upon it a little, and so continue 
 as he will bear until you can handle the foot without re- 
 sistance, though it may be back to its natural position. 
 It may be necessary to repeat this lesson once or twice, 
 and be very careful to handle the feet with the greatest 
 gentleness. If your rope is rough, instead of tying it into 
 a loop around the neck, put on a common collar and at- 
 tach your strap or rope to it ; but if your strap is smooth 
 and soft there is but little danger of this. 
 
 This is also a very good method for training horses bad 
 to shoe, and should be paid particular attention to on 
 that account. If your horse is bad for kicking, everything 
 about your harness and rigging must be strong, so as to 
 prevent the possibility of breaking. 
 
 After you have handled your horse thoroughly accord- 
 ing to the above method, so that, he will submit uncondi- 
 
41 
 
 tionally, then put him in harness and train him with the 
 foot-strap, as in the first- mentioned plan. 
 
 A bad horse of this character will fight with a great 
 deal of courage and perseverance at first, and your suc- 
 cess will depend almost entirely upon the thoroughness 
 of your control in heading every effort of his resistance. 
 
 The following are about the best methods known of 
 breaking up the disagreeable and dangerous habit of 
 kicking in harness, or of training horses extremely bad 
 to shoe : 
 
 First : If your horse is extremely bad to handle about 
 the feet, and to kick, put on a common rope or strap hal- 
 ter, with a hitching rope or strap about twice as long as the 
 animal's body. Have around the body a common rope 
 or surcingle ; then pass this rope or strap between the 
 fore legs over the surcingle, back around the hind feet be- 
 low the fetlocks, and forward over the surcingle between 
 the legs, and tie short into the halter beneath the jaws. 
 Now make the horse kick, and you will find that he re- 
 proves himself severely by the attachment to the head, 
 and in a short time he will submit unconditionally, either 
 to be handled about the feet in any manner, as to be 
 shod, &c, or he will stand perfectly quiet while you are 
 handling him in the putting on of the harness. 
 
 Horses-extremely bad to kick when handled about the 
 feet, or to be shod, yield readily to this mode of treat- 
 ment. But remember, that after a horse submits on ac- 
 count of the severity of the reproof he inflicts upon him- 
 self by this attachment to the head, he must be handled 
 and caressed in the most gentle manner. High-spirited 
 horses, in particular, must be handled with dexterity to 
 break them of such habits. 
 
 The next method is for driving in harness, and it will 
 eventually control the horse and prove successful if only 
 persevered in : 
 
 Attach to a common headstall a strap about six feet 
 long, overwhich put a two-inch ring; then tie the end of 
 this strap back into the halter. Now pass this double 
 strap down between the fore legs, so that the ring will 
 
42 
 
 extend just back of the belly-band; then buckle around 
 each hind foot below the fetlocks, short straps with rings 
 attached. To these rings attach a rope which is passed 
 through the ring upon the halter, just long enough to en- 
 able the horse to stand naturally. In this condition the 
 horse has sufficient freedom to enable him to walk and 
 trot ; but the moment he attempts to kick he reproves 
 himself as before, by the attachment to the head. This 
 should be kept on till the horse gives up the habit effect- 
 ually. The most desperate kickers yield with certainty 
 to this mode of treatment, Or the following method is a 
 very good one . 
 
 Get a good curb bit that has shafts six or eight inches 
 in length, with a good curb chain under the jaw. Har- 
 ness the horse as usual, then attach an extra rein to the 
 lower part of the bit, and carry it back through the ter- 
 rets down to the shafts of the wagon or buggy, opposite 
 the hooks. Have a ring fastened to each shaft, and run 
 these reins through the rings, passing them up over the 
 hip and through a little loop which should be made about 
 where the hip straps are joined to the back band. Then 
 draw them to the position the horse carries his head, but 
 not so tight as to interfere with his traveling, and tie 
 them together. Then if he attempts to kick, the action 
 draws up the head, and not only disconcerts but punishes 
 him severely. 
 
 Or you can use the common bit, and use two reins as 
 before, which pass up the bridle and through rings at- 
 tached above the blinders. Then run back through the 
 terrets and through a ring or loop about the place the 
 back strap is attached to the hip strap ; then tie down to 
 the shafts on each side. The moment the horse attempts 
 to kick, the head is jerked up, which makes it impossible 
 for him to do it. 
 
 These are good means for the purpose of driving safely. 
 But in this, as in all other bad habits, do not allow your 
 horse to resist you successfully after you commence 
 training, but in every instance compel his submission un- 
 til he yields unconditionally. 
 
43 
 
 If you do not have this means at hand, but wish to 
 have a safeguard against kicking while you are driving, 
 you can put on, in addition to your harness, the rigging 
 explained in the second method for preventing a horse 
 from running away. With this rigging on he cannot 
 kick, no matter how excited he may become, which 
 makes it perfectly safe for children to drive when this 
 rigging is on. 
 
 KICKING IN STALL. 
 
 This habit is easily broken up. First, put on the sad- 
 dle part of a carriage harness, and buckle it on tightly. 
 Then take a short strap, with a ring attached, and buckle 
 it around the forward foot by the fetlock. To this short 
 strap attach another strap, which bring up and pass 
 through the terret; then return to the foot and run 
 through the ring in the short strap. Then pass it over 
 the belly-band and tie it to the hind leg below the fet- 
 lock. With this attachment on each side, the moment 
 the horse kicks he pulls his fore feet from under him, and 
 trips himself upon his knees, which he will be very care- 
 ful not to do but a few times. Let the horse stand in the 
 stall in this way until he entirely gives up the habit. Or 
 you can prevent a horse from kicking in the stall, simply 
 by fastening a plank across the stall, about an inch or 
 two above the hips, which will make it impossible for him 
 to kick, because ho cannot raise the hind parts. 
 
 I1ALTEE PULLING. 
 
 The bad halter puller will pull back as soon as he finds 
 the least restraint upon his head. This habit is very 
 easily broken up. Put on your war bridle, and train your 
 horse about until he will come to you readily, when you 
 pull sideways upon him a little. Simply repeat this, at 
 each repetition coming more and more on a line with his 
 body, until he will yield as readily, to being pulled for- 
 wards as sideways. Then tie a strap or piece of rope 
 
44 
 
 around the body, where the harness saddle rests. 
 Now lead your horse to his manger, or to a post, run the 
 halter strap through the ring or hole, whichever it may 
 be, and then pass it back between the forelegs, over the 
 strap or cord tied around the body, and tie it to the hind 
 leg below the fetlock. If your halter-strap is not long 
 enough, splice a piece to it. Your horse, so fastened, 
 step forward to his head and make him pull. Inured to 
 the habit, he will of course go back with a rush, but the 
 moment he attempts to go back, the halter strap pulls 
 directly upon the hind leg, which not only disconcerts, 
 but makes it impossible for him to pull. The bad halter- 
 puller, seldom pulls but three times in succession. 
 
 Your success in breaking up this habit, as in all others, 
 will, you remember, be in proportion to your prudence 
 and judgment, in managing your subject. Your aim, if 
 you wish success, must be, to break up his confidence in 
 himself so thoroughly, that he becomes fully convinced 
 that there is no use pulling, and becomes afraid of renew- 
 ing the effort. Now this you cannot do unless you hitch 
 your horse in the manner above described, every time he 
 can be made to pull, and as he reasons from experience, 
 and finds himself helpless in the effort to pull, he be- 
 comes fully convinced that there is no use in trying it ; 
 but it is only repetition that convinces him. If he pulls 
 in harness, be sure to hitch him in this way when he is in 
 harness. Be thorough, make every step sure, do not let 
 him pull even once successfully, while you are training 
 him. If you do he will redouble his resistance, and per- 
 severe with extraordinary will. Work sure, by not hitch- 
 ing as usual, until the horse gives up the habit entirely. 
 
 If you wish to bring about a good result, you must 
 keep your subject in perpetual ignorance of his ability to 
 resist, after you commence his subjection. Having the 
 halter break a few times, or hitching to see whether he 
 will settle back upon the halter, after a lesson or two, is 
 the very way to strengthen your subject in the habit, and 
 also increase his confidence in himself. If you are so 
 imprudent as to risk such consequences in this way, you 
 
45 
 
 have only yourself to blame for the result. Three or four 
 good, thorough lessons, will usually break up the habit 
 of halter pulling. Do not be afraid of frightening the 
 halter-puller to pull. The more you can make him pull 
 upon himself at first, the better, for the quicker he will 
 give up. 
 
 SHOEING. 
 
 Diseases are sometimes produced in the feet of horses, 
 from which they are never again free during their lives. 
 It is therefore very important that a valuable horse 
 should not be placed in the hands of every blockhead 
 who pleases to call himself a horse-shoer, but entrusted 
 only to persons of known skill. For a horse to be well 
 shod, the hoof should be pared with a buttress (instead 
 of submitting him to the cruel and injurious practice of 
 burning the hoof with a red hot shoe until it fits.) 
 Smooth and level, to a reasonable size ; the frog should 
 be nicely trimmed, in shape a little convex, rather lower 
 than the foot ; the shoes should be made of good and 
 tough iron, and precisely the shape of the hoof after be 
 ing trimmed, not so wide between the heels as to show 
 on the outside, or so narrow as to cramp the foot, and 
 thus produce narrow heels, (which is a very troublesome 
 disease). 
 
 The nails should be made of old horse-shoes, or some 
 other tough iron, with small heads, and drove regular, 
 smooth, and even ; not high enough to reach the quick, 
 yet with hold sufficient to confine the shoes three or four 
 months. The points of the nails should be formed into 
 neat and small clinches, and should be well driven up. 
 
 The shoe should also be beveled on the side which lays 
 against the hoof, it should begin to incline about the 
 middle of the side and should be beveled a little more 
 than half the thickness of the shoe. This is to prevent 
 the shoe from pressing the inner part of the foot when 
 the outside edge is worn off. In the common way of 
 making shoes, vis : level all around on the inside, as soon 
 
46 
 
 as the part on which the weight of the horse is borne, 
 (which is always the outside of the shoe.) is worn off, it 
 causes the shoe to press against the frog, or soft part of 
 the foot, which causes in a short time a great deal of pain; 
 but by having the shoe beveled this is easily prevented, 
 because the inside of the shoe cannot press against the 
 foot even when the outside is worn down. Some taste 
 may be displayed in the rasping and shaping of the hoof, 
 after the shoe is confined. When it is left more sharp 
 than Hat around the toe, it adds much to its beauty and 
 neat appearance. 
 
 When a horse is well shod, if water be poured upon the 
 bottom of Ms foot, it will not pass between the hoof and 
 the shoe. Shoes for draught horses that seldom have oc- 
 casion to go out of a walk, should be heavy, strong, and 
 with high heels, and pointed at the toe with steel. 
 
 Horse shoeing is what every worker of iron, who has 
 acquired the name of blacksmith, pretends to be skilled 
 in ; but there are very few who possess sufficient knowl- 
 edge on this subject to make it safe to place under their 
 care a horse of much value for the purpose of being 
 shod. To perform this operation correctly, and without 
 present or future injury, requires not only good skill and 
 judgment, but also thorough acquaintance with the an* 
 atomy of a horses foot, which is a knowledge bnt few of 
 our blacksmiths possess, and is the cause of so many- 
 horses being rendered useless. Almost all the diseases 
 in the feet, are more or less, the result of bad shoeing, by 
 wounding muscles, veins, nerves, or other arteries in this 
 way. 
 
 This short treatise on shoeing is sufficient for any prac- 
 tical purpose. Such long treatises, and so many re- 
 marks as are generally made by able writers on this sub- 
 ject, only tend to confusion, and store the mind of the 
 reader with a great deal of matter too complicated to be 
 always, under existing circumstances, put into practice. 
 
47 
 
 HOW TO CURE CORNS. 
 
 Cut the corns well down, but not to the quick ; fit the 
 shoe so that it does not press upon the part. Then 
 saturate well with pine sap or gum, which is found exud- 
 ing from pine trees when cut. Fill the part nicely with 
 tow, and then put on the shoe, remembering that the 
 shoe must be so fitted as not to oblige the part to sup- 
 port 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. 
 
 Corns generally appear in the angle of the hoof, near 
 the heel, and are generally caused by the shoe being worn 
 too long, causing the shell of the hoof to grow over the 
 shoe, which throws the weight upon the sole, or perhaps 
 the angles between the bar and the crust are not kept 
 property dressed out, for any accumulation of horn be- 
 tween the bar and crust, winch would prevent the free 
 elasticity of the sole at the heel, must augment the risk 
 of producing corns, by the liability ther? is of causing 
 the sensitive lamime beneath the edges of the coffin 
 bone to become bruised, owing to the undue pressure it 
 may be subjected to, for want of elasticity in the horny 
 part of the sole. When the sensitive laminee is thus 
 bruised, the horny substance of which the sole is com- 
 posed is secreted in less quantity, the blood from the 
 ruptured vessels mingles with the imperfectly secreted 
 horny matter, and as this process is going on, it soon 
 makes its appearance on the outside in the form of corns. 
 
 TRICKS. 
 
 As some of the readers of this book may wish to know 
 how to teach their horse tricks, and as learning a horse a 
 few tricks helps considerably towards keeping up an in- 
 terest in him; and as it also serves to make him appear 
 intelligent, fearless and affectionate, I will explain how it 
 can be done. In learning your horse to do tricks, it is 
 best to give him one or two lessons of half or three-quar- 
 ters of an hour in length, daily. 
 
48 
 
 To Teach your Horse to Make a Bow. — Take a pin 
 in your right hand between the thumb and forefinger, 
 and stand before but a little to the left of your horse ; 
 then prick him on the breast very lightly, about the same 
 as if it were a fly biting, which to relieve he will bring 
 down his head, which you will of course accept as Yes, 
 and for which you should reward him, by caressing him 
 and rubbing him, and feeding him from the hand with 
 such presents as he likes. This repeat, and so continue 
 until he will bring down his head the moment he per- 
 ceives the least motion of your hand toward his breast. 
 Or if you wish, you can substitute some signal, which he 
 will understand readily. 
 
 To Teach him to say No. — Stand by your horse near 
 the shoulder, holding a pin in your hand as before, with 
 which prick him lightly on the withers ; and to drive 
 away this, what he imagines to be some torment, he will 
 shake his head, which you will accept as No. You must 
 then caress him as before, and so repeat, until he will 
 shake his head at the least indication of your touching 
 him with a pin. 
 
 You can train your horse so nicely in this way as to 
 cause him to shake his head or bow, by merely turning 
 the hand a little, or moving it slightly toward him. 
 
 To Teach your Horse to Kiss you. — Learn him first to 
 take an apple out of your hand, which almost any horse 
 will do at once; then gradually raise your hand nearer 
 your mouth at each repetition, until lie has to take it 
 from your mouth. All the time holding the apple in 
 your hand. Tell him to kiss you. He will soon learn to 
 reach his nose up to your mouth, first, to get the apple, 
 but finall}- because commanded to do so. Simply repeat 
 until your horse understands the trick thoroughly. 
 
 To Teach your Horse to Shake Hands. — Tie a short 
 strap or a piece of cord to his forward foot below the fet- 
 lock. Stand right before your horse, holding the end of 
 this strap or cord in your hand, then say, " Shake hands, 
 Sir/' and immediately after you command him to do so, 
 pull upon the strap, winch will bring his foot forward. 
 
49 
 
 and which you are to accept as shaking hands, at the 
 same time thanking him for it by caressing and feeding ; 
 and so repeat, until, when you make the demand, he will 
 bring up the foot in anticipation of having it pulled up. 
 This is a very easy trick to teach a horse. 
 
 To Gome at the Crack of the Whip^ or Word of Com- 
 mand. — Put on your bridle, and stand off a few feet from 
 his head, holding the bridle, with some sheaf oats in your 
 left hand and your whip in your right. Crack the whip 
 a little and say, 4t Oome here, Sir." He of course does not 
 know what you mean, but you show him at once by pull- 
 ing a little on the bridle and offering him the oats ; when 
 he will move toward you. When he does this you must 
 caress and rub him, and give him some of the oats ; then 
 repeat in the same way, treating him as before, and so 
 continue until he will come to you readily when you 
 crack the whip, or say "Come here, Sir," which he will 
 soon learn to do ; first, to obtain the oats, but finally be- 
 cause commanded to do so. Each time he comes to you 
 treat him kindly, and remember, above all things, to give 
 him his little reward of something he likes — apple, oats 
 or corn, or something of the kind. 
 
 You can now take off the halter and turn him loose,, 
 and repeat the operation again, only without the bridle, 
 until he fully comprehends that the way to avoid the 
 whip is by coming to you, which, together with the en- 
 couragement of rewarding, will soon obtain for you his 
 fullest confidence, and he will come to you and follow 
 you like a dog, when you require him to. 
 
 Be very cautious about using the whip or harsh lan- 
 guage, always bearing in mind that perfect, cheerful obe- 
 dience is your object, and that can be secured only by 
 great patience and gentleness. 
 
 To Teach your Horse to Lie Down.— Everything that 
 you wish to learn the horse must be commenced in some 
 way to give him an idea of what you want him to do, and 
 then be repeated until he learns it perfectly. 
 
 To make a horse lie down, bend his left fore leg and slip 
 a loop over it, so that he cannot get it down ; then put a 
 4 
 
50 
 
 surcingle around his body, and fasten one end of a long 
 strap around the other fore leg, just above tho hoof. 
 Place the other end under the surcingle so as to keep the 
 strap in the right hand. Stand on the left side of the 
 horse, grasp the bridle in your left hand, pull steadily on 
 the strap with your right ; bear against his shoulder un- 
 til you cause him to move. As soon as he lifts his weight 
 your pulling will raise the other foot, and he will have to 
 come on his knees. Now caress and rub him, to show 
 him that you are not going to hurt him. Keep the strap 
 tight in your hand, so that he cannot straighten his leg 
 if he raises up. Hold him in his position and turn his 
 head toward you ; bear against his side with your shoul- 
 der, not hard, but with a steady, equal pressure, and in 
 about ten minutes he will lie down. As soon as he lies 
 down lie will be comptetely conquered, and you can han- 
 dle him as you please. But remember when you have 
 him in this position to treat him with the greatest kind- 
 ness and gentleness. Now take off 'the straps and 
 straighten out his legs ; rub him lightly about the face 
 and neck with your liand the way the hair lays ; handle 
 all his legs, and after he lias lain ten or twenty minutes 
 let him get up again. After resting him a short time, 
 make him lie down as before. Kepeat the operation 
 three or four times, which will be sufficient for one les- 
 son. Give him two lessons per day, and when you have 
 given him four lessons he will lie down by your taking 
 hold of only one foot. As soon as he is well broken to 
 lie down in this way, tap him on the opposite leg with a 
 stick whon you take hold of his foot, and in a few days he 
 will lie down from the mere motion of the stick. 
 
 In teaching a horse to lie down, be gentle, caress, and 
 reward him ; and your horse, comprehending what you 
 require, and finding himself paid for complying with your 
 wishes, will soon be as anxious to get down for the re- 
 ward as you are to have him do so. 
 
 To Sit Up. — When your horse will lie down readily, 
 you can then teach him to sit up like a dog easily. If a 
 young colt and not very strong, cause him to lie down. 
 
51 
 
 having on him a common bridle with the reins over the 
 neck; then step behind him and place the right foot firmly 
 on his tail, having the reins in your hands; then say, "Get 
 up, Sir." The horse, rising from a recumbent position, 
 first turns on his belly, then throws out his forward feet 
 and raises himself on them, and then springs forward and 
 raises on his hind feet. Now, standing upon his tail 
 firmly, and pulling back upon the reins, when he at- 
 tempts to spring forward and up will prevent his doing 
 so, and you will hold him in an upright position. Hold 
 him firmly a few seconds, talking to him kindly, before 
 permitting him to rise on his feet. Repeat a few times, 
 when, instead of springing up, he will sit on his haunches 
 a short time, which you are to accept as conforming to 
 your wishes. Always say " Sit up, Sir," every time, and 
 hold him in the position as long as he will bear, by fond- 
 ling, and feeding him with something he likes, and your 
 horse will soon learn to sit up for you as long as you 
 wish. 
 
 But if your horse is heavy and strong, it will be neces- 
 sary to resort to other means to hold him down at first. 
 This you do by putting on his neck a common collar, and 
 causing him to lie down. Then fasten a piece of rope, or 
 a rein, to each hind foot, and bring forward through the 
 collar and draw up close, which will bring the hind feet 
 well forward ; then step behind as before, and when he 
 attempts to rise on his hind feet he finds it impossible to 
 do so, because you hold them firmly with these straps. 
 Repeat two or three times, when it will not be necessary 
 to resort to such force. 
 
 By a little patience a horse may be easily trained to 
 approach, make a bow, shake hands, follow like a dog, 
 lie down, sit up, &c, which serves to make him appear 
 both polite and intelligent. 
 
 How to Make a Horse Stand without Holding. — After 
 you have him well broken to follow you, stand him in 
 the center of the stable. Begin at his head to caress 
 him, gradually working backward. If he moves, give 
 him a cut with the whip and put him back in the same 
 
52 
 
 spot from which he started. If he stands, caress him as 
 beforehand continue gentling him in this way until you 
 can get around him without making him move. Keep 
 walking around him, increasing your pace, and now only 
 touch him occasionally. Enlarge your circle as you walk 
 around, and if he then moves give him another cut with 
 the whip and put him back to his place. If he stands, go 
 to him and caress him, and then walk around him again. 
 Do not keep him in one position too long at a time, but 
 make him come to you occasionally, and follow you 
 around in the stable ; then stand him in another place 
 and proceed as before. You should not train your horse 
 more than half an hour at a time 
 
 HOW TO PREVENT HORSES FEOM JUMPING. 
 
 Merely put on the same rigging as is explained in the 
 second method for breaking a horse of running away, 
 and turn him loose in the pasture. It is impossible for 
 him to jump with this on, and he will never try it but a 
 few times, when he will soon give up the habit. 
 
 Anotlier MetJhocL — Have a good firm strap halter made 
 that will fit the horse nicely, with a wide strap stitched 
 to each side, so as to come over the eyes. Cut holes in 
 this strap over each eye ; over these eye holes put fine 
 wire cloth, supported, nicely by wires, so that it cannot 
 possibly touch the eyes. Before a horse tries to jump a 
 fence, he will put his head over to calculate upon the 
 highth and distance he is about to jump ; but by looking 
 through this wire cloth, everything is so magnified in 
 appearance, that he is disconcerted in his efforts to do 
 so, and is afraid to jump. 
 
 TO TRAIN A COW FROM KICKING. 
 
 Put on her a rope halter the same as you would on a 
 horse. To the part you hitch by, attach a pretty long 
 rope, which tie around the foot with which she kicks. 
 When this is on and she attempts to kick she disconcerts 
 
53 
 
 herself by jerking her head, and thus, as it were, kicking 
 herself. Be sure and have the rope strong and tie her 
 head down pretty tight. This never fails to bring about 
 the desired result. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 Horses bad to shoe should be treated in the same man- 
 ner as I liave taken in the " Second Method " for break- 
 ing horses from kicking in harness. 
 
 It seems as though this habit of resistance to being 
 shod, or allowing the feet to be handled, like all other 
 bad habits to which horses are subject, is the result of 
 hasty and imprudent harshness. It would seem, from the 
 reckless disregard of consequences so generally evinced 
 in handling young horses, as if man doubted his own wis- 
 dom, and would not take counsel of the teachings of 
 prudence. If the feet had been handled gently at first, 
 and blacksmiths had not vented so much of their vexa- 
 tion in the way of pounding with the hammer, for every 
 little movement of resistance while they are shoeing, 
 this habit would have never been formed. The natural 
 tractableness of the horse, causes him to yield a ready 
 obedience to such demands as he understands. Of course, 
 if the feet are jerked up roughly, and without any effort 
 to reconcile him to being handled, the colt will strive to 
 free himself from what he imagines will result to him an 
 injury. You should never hang with all your strength 
 to the foot, when the colt attempts to jerk it violently 
 away from you. Strength is not your forte, and your 
 struggles only convince the horse of your weakness. 
 The key to success is gentleness and delicacy of hand- 
 ling, together in some cases with the means of control 
 that I have given. 
 
 Men are too apt to depend upon main strength and 
 stupid harshness for success in the management of horses. 
 Tyranny and abuse inspire rebellion and vengeance in 
 the minds of the oppressed, and so the horse, smarting 
 under the harshness and abuse of a tyrannical master, is 
 
54 
 
 inspired to a reckless resistance, and thus becomes set in 
 vicious habits, such as running away, kicMng in harness, 
 balking, &c. 
 
 Be firm, persevering, and prudent, in the exercise of 
 your power, when it is necessary to impress your subject 
 with a sense of mastery, but be gentle, attentive, and 
 affectionate, when he is obedient and submissive. Strive 
 to teach your horse exactly what you want of him, and 
 do not confuse him by attaching a different meaning to 
 the same word. It is quite common to say whoa when it 
 is only intended to go slower, or to let the horse know of 
 your presence when he is standing. Now, with so many 
 meanings, should danger arise, or you wish your horse to 
 stop instantly, you cannot make him do so, because he 
 does not understand exactly what you want, when you 
 make use of such a waj r of conveying to him your wishes. 
 Have a distinct word for every command, and make him 
 understand that every command must be obeyed. Speak 
 in a natural tone of voice to your horse, under all circum- 
 stances. Nothing confuses a horse more than screaming 
 at him to make him hear. 
 
 Have your horse understand by examination and expe- 
 rience that things apt to frighten, are harmless, and be 
 sure not to whip for being frightened. If your horse is 
 frightened at anything approaching, let him stand until 
 it passes, but hold the reins snug and firmly, or he may 
 swing around and capsize you. Always under such cir- 
 cumstances talk encouragingly to your horse. The 
 slower you move your horse at such times, the more 
 power you have over him. There is but little danger of 
 a horse kicking after being stopped, or while moving 
 slowly, unless fully confirmed in the habit. A horse, 
 when he is frightened, becomes reckless, consequently 
 never raise an umbrella suddenly or unexpectedly be- 
 hind a horse afraid of such things. First raise it at the 
 head and gradually carry it back, and even then, if it 
 is the first time, you had better have on the foot strap. 
 Fear is something a horseman should never exhibit in his 
 voice or countenance, as the horse is a close observer, 
 
55 
 
 and soon learns to take advantage of such indications, 
 to become regardless of control, if not aggressive. 
 
 Now our mode of training, laid before you, may require 
 some trifling expense, and a great deal of patience, reso- 
 lution, and perseverance, but when you consider the loss 
 of life and property which is often occasioned by vicious 
 horses, is it not worthy the sacrifice of all these, in order 
 to have yourself, your family, and your property free from 
 danger, that is, the danger occasioned by, and attendant 
 upon, driving wild and vicious horses. 
 
 The plain common sense system which we have laid 
 down, is simple, sure, and safe, and bound to bring about 
 a good result. And if you do not avail yourselves of this 
 opportunity, you yourselves must bear the responsibility 
 of any accident which may occur from your neglect and 
 want of regard for your family. 
 
 Let your lessons be thorough, but not very long. Be 
 gentle and patient with the colt, but make the willful, 
 stubborn horse, feel the full extent of your power, until 
 he submits unconditionally ; though if he should become 
 much heated and excited, it is prudent to stop, and re- 
 peat the lesson at some future time, but repeat until 
 there is thorough and unconditional submission. Let 
 your treatment be characterized by gentleness after- 
 wards. 
 
RECIPES 
 
 FOB THE CUBE OP 
 
 DISEASES COMMON TO HORSES. 
 
 CUKE FOR GLANDERS. 
 
 Take of burnt Buck's horn, a tablespoonful every three 
 days, for nine days. If there is no relief in that time, 
 continue the powder until there is relief. 
 
 SADDLE OR COLLAR LINIMENT. 
 
 One ounce of spirits of turpentine ; half an ounce of 
 oil of spike ; half an ounce of the essence of wormwood ; 
 half an ounce of castile soap ; half an ounce of gum cam- 
 phor, half ounce of sulphuric ether, half pint alcohol, and 
 wash freely. 
 
 LINIMENT TO SET THE STIFLE JOINT ON A 
 HORSE. 
 
 One ounce of oil of spike, half an ounce of origanum, 
 half an ounce of the oil amber. Shake it well, and rub 
 the joints twice a day until cured, which will be in two 
 or three days. 
 
 EYE WATER. 
 
 Take of Bolusmuna, one ounce, white vitrol, one ounce, 
 alum, half an ounce, with one pint of clear rain water. 
 Shake it well before using. If too strong, weaken it with 
 rain water. 
 
58 
 
 LINIMENT FOR WIND-GALLS, STRAINS, AND 
 GROWTH OF LUMPS ON MAN OR HORSE. 
 
 One ounce oil of spike, half an ounce of origanum, 
 half ounce amber aquafortis, and salamoniac one drachm, 
 spirits of salts one drachm, oil of sassafras half ounce, of 
 hartshorn half an ounce. Bathe once or twice a day. 
 
 CONDITION POWDER. 
 
 This powder will cure more diseases than any other 
 medicine known. It cures distemper, fersey, hide-bound, 
 colds, and all lingering diseases which may arise from 
 impurity of the blood or lungs. Take one pound com- 
 frey root, half pound of antimony, half pound of sulphur, 
 three ounces of saltpetre, half pound laurel berries, half 
 pound juniper berries, half pound angentice seed, half 
 pound rosin, three ounces alum, half pound copperas, 
 half pound masterwort, half pound gun powder. Mix 
 all to a powder, and give, in most cases, one tablespooful, 
 in mash feed, once a day, till cured. Keep the horse dry, 
 and keep him from cold water six hours after using it. 
 
 FOR CUTS OR WOUNDS ON HORSE OR MAN. 
 
 Take fish- worms mashed up with old bacon oil, and tie 
 on the wound, which is the surest and safest cure,. 
 
 OIL FOR COLLARS. 
 
 This oil will cure bruises, sores, swellings, strains or 
 galls. Take fish- worms and put them in a crock or other 
 vessel, twenty-four hours, till they become clean, then 
 put them in a bottle and throw plenty of salt upon them, 
 place them near a stove and they will turn to oil. Rub 
 the parts affected freely. I have cured knee- sprung 
 horses with this frequently. 
 
 SORE AND SCUMMED EYES ON HORSES. 
 
 Take fresh butter, or rabbits fat, honey, and the white 
 of three eggs, well stirred up, with salt and black pep- 
 
per ground to a fine powder. Mix well, and apply to the 
 eye with a feather ; also rub above the eye (in the hol- 
 low), with the salve. Wash freely with cold spring 
 water. 
 
 FOR A BRUISED EYE. 
 
 Take clear honey and use as above directed. Bathe 
 freely with cold spring water at least three times per 
 day. I have cured many bloodshot eyes with this simple 
 remedy, 
 
 POLL EYIL OR FISTULA. 
 
 Take of Spanish flies one ounce, gum euphoribum, 
 three drachms, tartar emetic one ounce, rosin three 
 ounces. Mix and pulverize, and then mix them with a 
 half pound of lard. Anoint every three days for three 
 weeks. Grease the parts affected with lard every four 
 days. Wash with soap and water before using the salve 
 in Poll Evil. If open, pulverize black bottle glass. Put 
 as much in each ear as will lay on a dime. The above is 
 recommended in outside callous, such as spavin, ring- 
 bone, curbs, wind-galls, etc., etc. 
 
 FOR THE FERSEY. 
 
 Take one quart of sassafras root bark, one quart bur- 
 dock root, spice wood broke fine, one pint rattle weed 
 root. Boil in one gallon and a half of water scald 
 bran ; when cool, give it to the horse once a day, for 
 three or four days, then bleed him in the neck, and give 
 him the horse powder as directed. In extreme cases I 
 also rowel in the breast and hind legs, to extract the cor- 
 ruption and remove the swelling. This is also an effi- 
 cient remedy for blood diseases, etc, etc 
 
 TO MAKE THE HAIR GROW ON MAN OR BEAST. 
 
 Take milk of sulphur one half drachm, sugar of lead 
 one half drachm, rose water one half gill. Mix, and 
 bathe well twice a day for ten days. 
 
60 
 
 CURE FOR THE HEAVES. 
 
 Give thirty grains of tartar emetic every week, until 
 cured. 
 
 CURE FOR FOUNDER. 
 
 Let one and a half gallons of blood from the neck vein, 
 take a large kettle full of hot water, as hot as you can 
 bear your hand in, and wrap the horse's fore legs to the 
 body, and pour in the water slowly for two hours or 
 more, and then rub dry his legs, then give one quart lin- 
 seed oil. The horse will be ready for light service next 
 day. 
 
 RECEIPT FOR LUNG FEVER. 
 
 When you find your horse has the Lung Fever, bleed 
 him heavily in the mouth, but be sure and not get above 
 the third bar of the mouth, or you may have difficulty in 
 stopping the blood. When done bleeding give him the 
 following : Have prepared one teacup full of soda, one 
 quart of good apple vinegar, put one-third of the soda in 
 a bottle with a long neck, suitable to drench with, and 
 then pour in vinegar until it begins to boil over, and then 
 give quickly, until all are given. Give a similar dose 
 twice a day if your horse is very bad ; if not very bad., 
 once a day until he is better. In addition to this, feed 
 him with soft mash that will keep him loose in his bow- 
 els, and all the green food he will possibly eat. If it can 
 be had, feed him Burdock leaves, a thing that a horse 
 will not eat when he is well, but is glad to get when af- 
 flicted with this disease. This I have tried in several 
 cases, and it has always proved successful. 
 
 Another. — Take one and a-half drachms tartar emetic, 
 one drachm tincture digitalis, three drachms spirits nitre, 
 for one dose, to be given twice a day, with good treat- 
 ment, and green or soft feed, with the bowels kept well 
 open. 
 
61 
 
 CURE FOR THE BOTS. 
 
 First bleed in the mouth, then take of fresh milk one 
 and a half pints, one pint of molasses ; mix and drench 
 the horse. Move him half an hour at a traveling gate 
 then give him some quick physic to remove them. Still 
 keep moving your horse, and your physic will operate 
 quickly. 
 
 CURE FOR COLIC. 
 
 Take one gill of turpentine, one gill of opium dissolved 
 in whisky, one quart of water, milk warm ; drench the 
 horse and move him about slowly. If there is no relief 
 in fifteen minutes, take a piece of chalk about the size 
 of an egg, powder it and put it into a pint of cider vine- 
 gar, which should be blood warm, give that and move 
 him as before. 
 
 Another. — Take one ounce laudanum, one ounce of 
 ether, one ounce tincture assafoetida, two ounces tincture 
 peppermint, half pint of whisky. Put all in a quart bot- 
 tle, shake it well and drench the horse. 
 
 FOR DISTEMPER. 
 
 Take mustard seed, ground fine, tar and rye chop, 
 equal parts, make pills about the size of a hen's egg ; 
 give him six pills every six hours until they physic him, 
 then give him one tablespoonful of the condition powder 
 hereinbefore spoken of, once a day until cured. Keep him 
 from cold water for six hours after using the powder. 
 
 RHEUMATIC LINIMENT. 
 
 Take croton oil aqua-ammonia, f. f. f ; oil of cajupet, 
 oil of origanum, in equal parts ; rub well. It is good for 
 spinal diseases and weak back. 
 
 CUTS AND WOUNDS OF ALL KINDS. 
 
 One pint of alcohol, half ounce of gum of myrrh, half 
 ounce aloes. Wash once a day. 
 
62 
 
 SPRAINS AND SWELLINGS. 
 
 Take one ounce and a half hartshorn, one ounce cam- 
 phor, two ounces spirits turpentine, four ounces sweet 
 oil. eight ounces alcohol. Anoint twice a day. 
 
 CURE FOR BOTS, 
 
 Mix one pint of molasses, or of honey, with one quart 
 of sweet milk. Give as a drench. Move your horse at a 
 traveling gait one hour ; have prepared one ounce pul- 
 verized alum dissolved in one pint of water. Use as be- 
 fore. Move another hour as before, then give a drench 
 of tea made of elder bark, scraped downward, a bunch 
 six inches long, what you can hold in your hand, and 
 move as before one hour, and your horse will be ready 
 for use next day. 
 
 TEMPERANCE BEVERAGE. 
 
 One quart of water, three pounds of sugar, one tea- 
 spoonful of lemon oil, one tablespoonful of flour, with 
 the white of four eggs, well beaten up. Mix the above 
 well together, then divide the syrup and add four ounces 
 of carbonic soda in one half, and three ounces of tar- 
 taric acid in the other half, then bottle for use. 
 
 
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