«'^i ■ ;\ I V 1 T^FJK ^JS^X-i * AND mmkmm HORSES I' 1/ -/.,:;M:!. „vVi-<.Ss? ■■-■:■»' ^v -^'W ^•^^!«s:- ^1^- ■ >''c'^ -<^ V -.^ v<^ ^S^\ ^ v^X ^-^ ^ ;;:^^^, '/r •>: c c <:< ucsrc;.^. :-=-^^?; tdk^^^^^fx. ^^^^tfH^c" ^^^.^^ -^x^jC^- ^ r? O i Si^ . ' c:e .-r^cC <^f »*- — , ( CS^ ^ ^. ;J^':^ t-'^.^ i^M ^ m '^'%' ■^: M A G N E R ' S ART or Earning * and * Edueating * Harses. :]^::Z!fI5fIEIH:3iz±^ L/, THE ART OF TAMING AND EDUCATING The Horse: > iritO(l or iliill ccM?. mako servicoiihlo liorsos. T onno<^ivo is duo tn the grace of Ood more tliaii to man s iV!i;eiicy, — tliiit fme grMcc. I mean, spread abroad through and existing in .ill His creatm-es, which operates in regenerating continually, mnking the good better, preventing those whose circumstances forbid their becoming good from })ecoming absolutely bad. The author of this book is known to me as one of the "fifted ones of the earth, because he is gifted to discern the natujv of animals, and educate them for man's service. The possession of this gift suggested his mission, and well has he followed it, and by it been educated himself to a degree rarely, if ever, attained by man before. T doubt if there be on the globe his equal in knowledge as to the best method of training horses. Through this volume he seeks to give the public the benefit of his experience. I bespeak for it the careful perusal of the curious, and of those especially whose judgment and heart alike prompt them to seek for and promulgate knowledge, which, being popularised, would make the people more humane and horses more serviceable AV. TI. 11. M. k'-T^-^ 4W OF COPYRIGHTS Tlic exflu^ivo benefits of copyrigM^ exfp.nd to iwenty-eiglit years, ihfn renetvahle for fourteen years-: if llw antlior is dead, to flie /icirn, hy rc-rcc.ordinfi. din/ adverfishi(/ the re-record for fmrr ireehs ill 1 1 try neivsipaper in iln- United States. The forfeiture of all tin- hooks, and a penalty of fifty cents on each sheet [sixteen pages) . (\ The laws are found in Vol. //". if the United States Statutes, pages .'riC-'fSB. %^TJiis Work is protected hy three separate Copyrights, cover- ing, first, its Title ; second, its Literary Composition ; and third, its Engraving s.'^^^ There are also three patents covering imp>ortant methods of subjection and treatment given in this book. First, a simjjle means of subjection by which ayiy horse, however vicious, balky, or unman- ageable, can be put in harness, subdued, and driven gently without danger of accident. Second, a method by ivhich headstroyig, lung- ing, runaway horses can be controlled directly, and .so subdued by the piressure of the reins upon the nerve centers, that he ivill soon submit to the ordinary restraint of the bit. Third, a method of preventing and curing contraction and quarter-crack — an absolute cure for quarter-crack, ivith freedom to drive on any road as desired, without causing the hoof to split back as it grotvs — guarayUeed a means of perfect cure. Fourth, [patent jjending) a method by which most pidling, lugging, horses on the bit ivill drive safely and easily to a pdeasant and easy restraint of the reins. ^M' Purchasers of this work from the author or his agents will be given a special certificate entitling them to the use :f cither or all these patents (for jjersonal use only), without e.ttra charge; all others using them ivill be subject to legal p)roceedings.'^^ (ix) .. .=-.e^ GENERAL SUM^RY OF TI^IS WORK. Title Pages, Preface, Law of Copyright, and Gen- eral Summary, 8 pages. Contents, 12 *' The Work Proper and Index, 1082 Supplement 36 (1089) Total, 1128 pages. "^■^^^^Q TR^ W^i ^i^p^' -H^CONTENTS.** PAGE. INTRODUCTION 20 CHAPTER I. METHODS OF SUBJECTION. . 30 Principles of Taming and Teaching Horses 20 First Method of Subjection 30 Second Method of Subjection • 38 Third Method of Subjection 48 Control by Whipping 60 The War Bridle— First Form 61 Double Draw Hitch Form 63 Second Form 63 W. or Breaking Bit 70 Four-Ring or Upper Jaw Bit 73 Half -Moon Bit 75 Spoon Bit 76 Patent Bridle. 76 Foot Strap 79 Breaking Rig 83 CHAPTER n. COLT TRAINING 91 Haltering a Wild Colt 92 Taming or Making the Colt Gentle 94 Teaching to Follow — How to Make the Colt Follow Instantly 96 Training to Follow with the Whip Two Ways 96 Training to Follow with Halter and War Bridle 96 Driving to Harness 103 Bitting 107 Hitching to Wagon 110 Sullen, Lunging Colts 113 Colts that Throw themselves over Backwards •■ 114 Driving Double H^ Hitching the Colt by the Halter 116 (xi) xii CONTENTS. (JHAPTEE ITT. EXCESSIVE FEAR.— ITS EFFECTS 118 Fear of Rattle of Wagon 125 Jumping out of Shafts 126 Fear of Top Wagon 126 Objects Exciting Fear while Riding or Driving 127 Fear of a Robe 129 Fear of an Umbrella or Pai-asol 130 Fear of Sound of a Gun 131 Fear of Hogs and Dogs 132 Fear of Railroad Cars 132 Insanity . . 135 Illustrative Cases. — Case 1. — Press Horse, Gowanla, N. Y. 136 Case 2.— Brookville.Horse, Pa 136 Case 3. — Gates Horse, Garrettsville, 140 Case 4. — Dr. Keegan's Horse, Cleveland, 141 Case 5. — Greencastle Horse, Pa 142 Case 6.— Collins Horse, Toledo, (). 144 Case 7. — Rochester Horse, N. Y 145 Case 8. — Wild Pete, Petroleum Centre, Pa. 147 CHAPTER IV. KICKING 153 Runaway Kickers 170 Confirmed Kickers 171 Sulky Kickers 173 Switching Kickers 179 Kicking Straps 179 Foot Straps 183 Over-draw Check 183 Hip Strap 186 Four-ring Bit 187 Kicking when Struck with Ihe Whip in Driving 188 Kickers in Stall 190 Kicking wliile Harnessing 193 Kicking and Biting while Grooming . 196 Bad to Bridle 196 Illustrative Cases. — Case 1. — Putney Horse, Yl 197 Case 2. — Malone Horse, Cleveland, O. 198 Case 3. — Watson Horse, Memphis, Tenu. 201 Case 4. — Hettrick Horse, New York City 303 Case 5. — Hankey Mare, Gettysburg, Pa 206 Case 6. — Goodman Horse, Mississippi . 207 Case 7. — Me Vay Horse, Mansfield, O. 212 Case 8. — General Kiiox Stnllinii, Tiancaster, N. H 215 COjS^TENTS.- xiii Case 9.— Wild Ravenna Colt, O 218 Case 10.— Lima Stallion 220 CHAPTER V. BAD TO SHOE 222 Palliative Treatment 222 Confirmed in the Habit 229 Regular Subjective Treatment 237 Leaning Over 239 CHAPTER VI. BALKING 240 Palliative Treatment 243 A Maine Man's Method .' 246 Regular Treatment 248 Restless Balkers 250 Balking Double 252 Best Treatment 253 Overloading 255 Illustrative Cases. — Case I^o. 1 257 Case No. 2 257 Case No. 3 257 Case No. 4 258 CHAPTER VII. RUNNING AWAY. . : 261 Case No. 1. — Dover Plains Horse 267 Case No. 2— West Falls, N. Y. 267 Half-moon Bit 268 Spoon Bit 269 Four-ring Bit 271 Patent Bridle 27^ Liigginu', (ir PulliiiL;' ii|Hiii ( >ii(' itciii 273 Will not Back 274 Will not Wait or Stand when getting into or out of Wagon. 276 CHAPTER VIII. HALTER PULLING , 279 Running Back in Ihc Sl;dl avIhh Unhilclicd 289 Making a Horse Sf.Miid withoiii Hitcliini;- 290 How to JIilc]i to a, Smoolli 'I'rcc or I^nsl so llml llic ,Stra[) will ihiI Slip 291 xiv CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. STALLIONS 292 Treatment for Headstrong Stallions 296 Treatment for very Vicious Stallions 299 Godolphin Arabian 308 CHAPTER X. MISCELLANEOUS HABITS .^ 316 To Catch a Horse 316 Cribbing 319 Wind-sncking 323 Putting the Tongue out of the Mouth 323 Pawing in Stall 325 Kicking in Stall 326 Getting Cast in Stall 326 Jumping over Fences 327 Tender Bitted 328 Kicking Cows 328 To Lead a Cow Easily 330 To Force a Horse on a Trot 330 CHAPTER XI. TEACHING TRICKS 334 Teaching to Follow with Whip 334 Teaching to Nod his Head, or Say "Yes " 334 Teaching to Shake his Head, or Say " No " 334 Teaching to Tell his Age : 334 Teaching to Kick Up 335 Teaching to Kiss 337. Teaching to Lie Down and Sit Up 337 Teaching to Sit Up 339 Teaching to Throw Boys 340 Teaching to Walk upon his Hind Feet 345 Teaching to Walk upon the Knees Teaching to Chase a Man out of Ring 346 Teaching to Drive without Reins 347 CHAPTER XII. HORSE-BACK RIDING 350 How to Sit upon a Horse 351 Secure and Insecure Positions 352 Mounting 355 Holding the Reins 357 CONTENTS. XV Ladies Learning to Ride 358 The Value of Horseback Riding for Cure of Dyspepsia, etc. 360 CHAPTER XIII. SUBJECTION 365 Historical Facts 865 Dick Christian 365 Bull 365 Jumper 366 The Irish Whisperer 366 Offutt 368 O. H. P. Fancher 368 John S- Rarey. — How he Attained liis Success, etc. 368 The Effects of Treatment 384 Review of System 397 Medicines or Drugs 403 Control by the Eye or Will 408 Illustrative Cases. — Case 1. — Mt. Vernou Horse 412 Case 2. — Gallopsville Horse 414 Case 3.— Buffalo Omnibus Co.'s Horse 415 Case 4. — Oxford Horse 418 Case 5. — Hermon Horse 420 Case 6.— Wilkins Horse. 421 Case 7. — Hilliuau Horse, Jet 435 Case 8. — Norwalk Horse 434 dase 9. — Allegan Man-Eater 435 Case 10.— Roberts Horse 440 Case 11. — Mustang Pony 448 CHAPTER XIV. DENTON OFFUTT, Rarey's Instructor, 449 Extracts from Offutt's Book. — Taming with Medicines 456 Great Secret for Taming 456 CHAPTER XV. FA3IILIAR TALK WITH THE READER 457 CHAPTER XVI. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ' 473 Almost a Failure 479 Meeting Difficulties 481 Experiments 483 Driving without Reins 485 First Publication 487 Visit to Maine 488 Exciting Curiosity 491 Success in Maine 493 Special Experiments 495 Difficulties 497 Opposition 499 Success in Cleveland 501 Success in Michigan 503 Publications Revised 507 In New York 509 Test Ex])eriments 523 Keeping Engagements 533 CHAPTER XVII. BREEDING 537 Selection of Stallion 539 Care of the Mare 540 CHAPTER XVIII. STABLING 543 Serious Objections 545 Ventilation 547 Proper Style of Rack, etc 549 CHAPTER XIX. FEEDING AND WATERING 550 Cooking the Food 554 Watering 557 CHAPTER XX. now T( ) TEr.L THE AGE 559 Diseases '27 9 Triiniiiiiig 7 N'iiiiiiiL,'' I lif Slioc (!(il (')iniliing I^omh tl\c N.iil C;(;5 Shoeing llie niml Feel fifili Contraction 0G8 COXTEXTS xvii The Spreaders ^*^^ Curliug under of Heel 685 Quarter Crack ^^1 Corns • • ♦^^^ AVeak Heels ™'_| Clicking, or Overreaching '^0' Stumbling l^^ Shoeing Sore or Tender Feet W8 Shoeing laundered Horses "^^l Extracts from— Gamgee on Coleman, Youatl. Miles, Flemming's Comments, Osmer, SoUesev. Lafosse. Freeman,. 31. Char- lier ' '^2-725 CHAPTER XXU. CIRCULATION ^^'^ General Plan of Circulation '^^^ Ventilation : .... 743 CHAPTER XXIII. DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT T46 74fi Inflammation •, Antiphlogistics • ■ '^^^ Osteosarcoma ' '* Enchondrona ' _ Diseases of the Bones 'Jy^ Anchylosis of Bone '^^ Caries of Bone • f"^ Necrosis of Bone '^J* Exostosis, or Bony Enlargement 7o4 Splint, or Splent ''5* CHAPTER XXIV. DISEASES OF THE JOINTS "^56 Spavin ^^^ Ring-bone ' *^ Side Bone, or False Ring-bone 772 Curb ■ ■ '^l^ Bog Spavin, or Thorough-pins ''"''4 Capped Hock '^^^ Wind-Galls • "" CHAPTER XXV. NAVICULAR-JOINT LAMENESS 778-798 XT . 799 Neurotomy Condition of the Feet in Chronic Lameness 803 1* xviii CONTENTS. Hypertrophy 803 Atrophy 803 Corns 805, 813 Laminitis, or Founder 828 Chronic Founder 838 Peditis, or Inflammation of the Os Pedis CHAPTER XXVI. ^ CATARRH 841 Laryngitis, or Sore Throat 843 Strangles, or Horse Distemper 845 Glanders and Farcy 848, 854 CHAPTER XXVI I. CHRONIC COUGH ; 854 Heaves, or Broken A¥iud 856 Roaring 859 Brouchocele 861 Nasal Gleet 862 Influenza — Epizootic Catarrhal Fever 864 Pink Eye 866 CHAPTER xxvnr. DISEASES OF THE CHEST 868 Congestion of the Lungs ^ 873 Pneumonia — Inflammation of the Lungs 875 Pleurisy 878, 882 Hydrothorax, or Water on the Chest 883 Typhoid Pneumonia 884 Bronchitis 885 CHAPTER XXIX. COLIC 886 Tympanites, or Flatulent Colic 894 Inflammation of the Bowels 898 Superpurgation, Diarrhea, etc 903 Constipation 905 Worms 906 Bots ■ 913 Inflammation of the Kidneys 915 Profuse Staling, (Diuresis) 916 Retention of Urine 918 Bloody Urine ... , 918 CONTENTS. xix CHAPTER XXX. DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 918 Inflammation of the Brain— Phrenitis 919 921 Megrims, or Vertigo Sun Stroke ^^;J T*ir*\lvsis Azoturia— Partial Paralysis— Spinal Meningitis 923 Rabies, or Madness ■ • Tetanus, or Lockjaw * ^_ Stringhalt "''^ Thumps, or Spasmodic Action of the Diaphragm J^o Lymphangitis— Weed— Monday Morning Leg 937 The Peritoneum " „.,.,. 938 Peritonitis The Stomach ^^' , ,. ,. 939 Indigestion Acidity of the Stomach • • ■ 940 Acute Indigestion • CHAPTER XXXI. THE FOOT— INJURIES OF, AND CAUSE OF LAMENESS 941 Pricking in Shoeing, Stepping on Glass, etc 941 Foot Lameness Seedy Toe Gravelling • Bruise of the Sole Treads or Calks Overreach Quittor Thrush Canker 945 946 947 947 948 951 951 954 955 CHAPTER XXXII. 956 [[][[,.[... 957 ' " 962 _[ 963 .'■ ""'^ 964 964 ' " ' ' 664 ][][[[. 966 „. -, ■ 968 Hip Lameness SPRAINS, BRUISES, ETC Sprain of the Back Tendons . . . Breaking Down Sprain of the Fetlock Sprain of the Perforans Tendon Joint Lameness Shoulder Lameness Sweeney Knuckling Over Broken Knees, or Open Joint Fractures 971 974 XX • CONTEXTS. Dislocation of the Patella, or Stifled 976 Stifle-joint Lameness 977 CHAPTER XXXIII. ( ITS AND WOUNDS 977 Injuries of the Tongue 983 Sore Mouth 984 Fistula of the Withers and Poll Evil 935, 987 CHAPTER XXXIV. DISEASES OF THE EYE 990-998 Simple Ophthalmia, or Inflammation of the Eye 991 Specific or Periodic Ophthalmia 994 Amaurosis, or Glass Eye 997 Cataract 998 Dropsy of the Belly— Ascites 999 Anasarca, or Swelled Legs 1000 Inflammation of the Veins — Phlebitis 1001 Thrombus 1002 Lampas 1003 CHAPTER XXXV. DISEASES AND INJURIES OF THE SKIN 1003 Surfeit 1003 Urticaria, Nettle Rash, Hives, etc 1004 Mange : 1005 Hen Lice 1007 Ring-Worm 1007 Scratches, Mud Fever, and Cracked Heels 1008 Grease 1012 Tumor on the Shoulder 1014 Tumor on Point of the Elbow 1016 Sallenders 1017 Mallenders 1017 Saddle or Collar Galls 1017 CHAPTER XXXVI. TENOTOMY .' 1018 Division of the Tendons 1019 Castration • 1022 Injuries and Diseases of the Penis 1024 Foulness of the Sheath and Yard 1025 Parturition, or Foahng 1025 Abnormal Presentations • 1026 Blisters 1037 CONTENTS. xxi Counter Irritants 1038 Hot Fomentations 1032 Poultices 1034 The Pulse 1035 Giving Balls 1038 Physicking 1040 Bleeding, or Phlebotomy ^- 1043 Setons 1044 The Rowel 1044 Tracheotomy 1045 Embrocations 1047 Caustics 1049 CHAPTER XXXVII. MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES 1050-1061 Recipes from the Author's old book 1062-1072 Human Remedies 1073-1 081 General Index 1082-1088 SUPPLEMENT. Following page 448 is a chapter on Checking and Blinders, comprising 26 pages, with 40 illustrations. m^msS OF SUBJECTION. FiCr. 16. — Sketch of a noted vicious Horse. On the same principle, if a man could catch and hold a horse, or control him as he wished, so as to completely prevent his struggling and becoming excited and heated, until the muscles are entirely relaxed and he becomes submissive, and then win his confi- dence by kind treatment, scratching the mane, giv- ing apples, etc., it would be the most efficient kind of subjection. But as there is not power to do this, we must resort to such means or methods of management as will come as near it in princii3le as we can. In doing this, if the horse were given such freedom as to encourage his confi- dence to resist, or his Ijad nature were called out by ignorant, abusive treatment, in like man- ner he Avould, in the fury of his madness, resist with the greatest per- severance, regardless of even the most severe punishment. Then again, the resistance, whatever it may be, is only a symp- tom of the real cause to be overcome, which proceeds from a condition of the brain, or the impression made upon it. Fig. 17. — Expression of vicious, bad nature. GENERAJ. PEINCIPLES. 29 On this account, controlling physical resistance becomes but a temporary bridge across a gulf to enable building the real structure. So subjection is but a means for reaching the brain to remove the exciting cause of the resistance. If stimulated by fear, then to show there is no cause for fear ; if through real viciousness, then to remove the resentment by kind treatment ; when the horse's reason can be molded and instructed in any channel desired. The next difficulty is the different degrees of resist- V' O Fig. 18.— Vicious. Fui. 19. — Treacherous. ance to be met with in different horses. A dozen horses may break the halter or kick. One may be broken of the habit quite easily, another may resist ten times as long, while the third may even require hours of treatment, the differ- ence being in the pecularity of character and temperament. The better to aid in explaining these conditions, I present a large number of representative heads, with some refer- ences to aid in determining the treatment to be employed, and which should be studied carefully. An important con- dition also is to guard against possible accidents, because this would defeat the very end for Avhich the treatment is intended. For more particular reference, see part follow- ing ""Medicine" in chapter on "Subjection." 30 :methods of subjection. I give three direct methods of subjection, followed by several indirect methods. The first is based upon the principle of disabling and throwing. So far as we disable any part of the horse's body, wc produce to that degree a sense of helplessness in him. So when we disable the whole body, or overmatch the i)ower of the horse wholly, we create in him a powerful impression of our mastery and a corresponding sense of his own helplessness. The method given of throwing a horse, called the First Method of Subjection, Is the simplest and most eifective form based upon this Fia. 30. — Leatlier Throwing Rig, principle, and is the outgrowth of a great deal of practical experimenting. There are two rigs here given ; one of leather, and one of rope. The Leather Rig works well, is not difficult to fit, but is troublesome to make, and expensive, costing from eight to fifteen dollars. The Rope Rig works equally well, and can be made of any old rope in a few minutes, at a merely nominal cost. For the first, or Leather Rig, the sur- FIEST METHOD OF SUBJECTION. 31 cingle should be made of two thicknesses of good harness leather, about three inches wide, and about eight or ten inches longer than the circumference of the body. The buckle should have two tongues, and be made of good wrought iron. When this rig is on and drawn tightly from the part over the back bone, a double strap, the length of the back, with a strong crupper, should be attached. Four or five inches on the off side, should bo fastened at the front edge of this surcingle a strong two-inch ring. On the opposite edge should be attached another strap extend- ing to a ring upon the back strap at the hip. A little pad should be fixed to the part coming across the back, to pre- vent bruising or chafing it. Fig. 21. Simple Rope Rig. To make the Rope Rig, procure a three-fourths-inch rope, eighteen or twenty feet in length. One that has been used enough to render it pliable is best. Make a simple loop about three inches long at one end, and double the rope about four feet from the loop. Pass over this doubled part a three-inch ring made of three-eighths rod. Measure the distance from the tail to where the saddle of the har- ness comes, to which bring the ring and make a sim- ple knot of both ropes around it, regulating it to the 32 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. length of the back as it is tightened. Next, put the double part under the tail, twist two or three times, and bring the part with the ring to its place about eight inches to the right of the back, with the loop Fig. 23.— Foot lied up. PlQ- 23.— Foot Strap. toward the near side. While holding it in position, reach under the body, catch the opposite end of the rope, bring Fig. 24.— The Rig as arranged for throwing. it through the loop, and draw down to the size of the body. Make a simple knot in the rope, which forms a button and keeps it from slipping out. It is also necessary to protect the back and tail by winding the part of the FIEST METHOD. 33 rope coming under the tail, and putting two or three thicknesses of cloth or blanket between it and the back. Next, put on a strong strap halter with the nose part coming well down, and draw it up rather close back of the jaw ; then take a piece of strong cord, from five-sixteenths to three-eighths of an inch in diameter and about twenty feet in length, tie a hard knot in each end, mid fisten one end Fig. 2.5.— Turning a stubborn Horse around before throwing. around the rope or surcingle just above the ring. Pass the other end, from above, down over the strap of the hal- ter back of the jaw, thence back and down through the ring referred to, until the slack is taken u}t. Now tie up the near forefoot. The best way to do this is to pass an ordinary hame strap around the foot, thence to the belly- band, and buckle short. Though this method, when properly used, enables throw- 34 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. ing a horse on even A^eiy hard ground without bruising the knees or other parts, still it is very important, and adds greatly to the ease of throwing to have good soft ground. The best is that which is free from stone, Avith thick, soft sod, as an orchard or meadow, a ploughed field, or a place liberally covered with straw or manure. Presuming that such a place has been selected, stand almost in front of the " ^-?^^^- Fig. 26. — Usual position of a Horse that resists strongly before being tlirown. horse at the right, have a firm hold of the cord about seven or eight feet from the shoulder, and pull gently, but firmly. This will draw the head back to the side, and the body being thereby thrown out of balance, the horse is forced to fall over with a rolling motion on his side. If during the first trial he resists, let him have his own way a little while, and when in a good position, pull quickly, and he can be easily forced off his balance and made to fall over. If a strong- FIRST METHOD. 35 willed, headstrong fellow, disposed to resist hard, perhaps lunging forward, etc., as some horses are liable to do, take a firm hold of the cord and run around in a circle until he is made to follow, hopping steadily (as shown by cut 25), then stop, pull quickly, and he will be easily thrown over upon his side. (See cuts 27 and 29.) As soon as the cord is slacked he will jump up, but by repeating as before he will again be thrown. Simply repeat the throwing as long Fig. 27. — As the Horse will usually fall. as the horse will get up. If he does not attempt to rise after being once thrown, stand behind him, keeping firm hold of the cord, and strike the belly with the hand or touch him with the whip, to incite him to jump up ; and on the instant of his doing so, pull quickly upon the cord, which will again roll him back helplessly upon his side. If the horse is sensitive upon the belly, quarters, or the feet, while down and forced to yield, first touch the parts with a pole until he will submit to it, then with the 36 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. hand until there is no incentive to resistance shown by the muscles becoming relaxed ; after which he should be al- FiG. 28. — Type of sullen character upon which this method will fail. lowed to get up, and the handling or touching repeated until submitted to on his feet. Sometimes it is necessary to reverse the treatment, and throw the horse on the op- FiG. 39. — Position of the Horse when clown. posite side, before he will be entirely sulnnissive ; but af- ter being thrown to the extent of making him lie down submissively, it will do no good to repeat the treatment, FIEST METHOD. 37 If the impression produced is not sufficient to break up the horse's confidence and prevent a repetition of the habit, whatever it is, the treatment is a failure in his case. For example, if the horse is a kicker, and persists in kicking after the full extent of the treatment, it should be aban- doned ; but if the habit is given up after several times throwing, and he submits unconditionally, it is the right treatment for him, and all, in a general way, that is needed. Fig. 30. — Rolling the Horse back wHen struggling to rise. On the other hand, if the horse drops or lies down submis- sively, refusing to get up when touched or handled, it will fail. It should not be used upon nervous, irritable, un- broken colts, especially those showing a wild, sulky, or mustang nature, as they are liable, as "soon as the leg is tied up, to lunge, or when pulled upon to throw themselves recklessly or sullenly down. For the subjection of such cases, and all colts, balkers, and horses bad to shoe, har- ness, clean, or ride, it is not so good as the Second Method. It is most valuable when used in connection with the other methods. In some cases of nervous character, if the horse 38 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. can be safely thrown once, rolling him back, as shown above, until there is submission, will have a good effect. Fig. 31. — The Horse subdued. Second Method of Subjection. If one were to turn around rapidly a few times, he would become dizzy. Were he to suddenly reverse the motion, the effect would be so intensified as to cause fall- ing. The effect is the same upon the horse, and gives al- most unlimited poAver in the control of wild, nervous, vi- cious, kicking, runaway horses. I once had such a horse brought to me to experiment upon before a class. He was a nervous, kicking, runaway horse of the worst character. When hitched to a buggy, he became frightened, kicked, and ran away, tearing the buggy to pieces. He was so desperately afraid of a wagon that he could not be put in shafts or even brought near SECOND METHOD. 39 them. After working upon him for two hours, aided by members of the class, and resorting to every device in my power for his control, I completely failed. I was nettled, yet bound to succeed, but "How?" was the question. At this juncture I happened to think that turning around quickly several times in succession caused extreme dizzi- ness and helplessness. The question followed, " If I could make the horse turn Fig. 32. — Method of tying halter to the tail. around rapidly, why could I not neutralize and overcome his resistance in this way?" I remembered having once seen a dog in play catch his tail in his mouth and run around, and it occurred to me that by tying the horse's head to his tail he would possibly turn himself around. I did so, as shown in cut 32, and to my surprise and satis- faction he went around rapidly, and in a short time fell over, dazed and helpless. Soon recovering, he jumped up, turned rapidly as before, and again fell over. In course 40 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. of a few moments he fell over three times. (See cut 34) As before explained, he was extremely nervous and afraid Fig. 33. — Powerful effect of the treatment shown by tlie Horse staggering to the point of falling Mhen»quickly untied. of being touched ; so as he went around, I brought the pole against his quarters until he was submissive to it. Fig. 34. — Position in which the Horse fulls confused and helpless when turned too quickly. SECOND METHOD 41 The experiment proved u. most wonderful success, us it en- abled me to do in about ten minutes what was utterly im- possible for me to do before in two hours, and with the aid* of several men. I had, in fact, by the' mere circum- stance of failure made one of the most important discover- ies that had yet been made in the art of taming horses. This method is wonderfully effective in the subjection of colts and vicious horses, especially those of a certain Fig. 35.— Method of holding the strap while going around with a doubtful case. class of temperament, and in breaking single balkers. When combined with the other treatment, it makes easy and simple the control of horses it w^ould be both difficult and dangerous to subdue without. For example, a wild, dangerous colt, mustang, or vicious mule, which it would be perilous to try to confine with straps or other rigging, wdth the aid of a simple halter, can be brought under con- trol in a few minutes. Or if in any case this is not suffi- cient to compel entire submission, it will always give suffi- 42 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. cient advantage to subject safely to the other methods of treatment. I will name this the Second Method of Sub.jection. The conditions to be observed in its application are as follows : First : Select a soddy place in a field or yard free from stones, stumps, or sharp fence corners. The place should not be too soft, such as a deeply ploughed field, barn-yard manure, or deep straw. Heavy sod with considerable grass is the best. Second : If there are sharp shoes on the feet, Fig. 36. — The sullen colt as he will usually stand refusing to turn when tied. they should be removed before subjecting to this treatment; to neglect this ^vould endanger calking or cutting the feet badly. Third : A strap halter should always be used. After catching the tail, take the strap of the halter between the teeth to enable the use of both hands, and tie the hair of the tail into a knot. Divide the hair above the knot, pass the strap through, and tie into a half-hitch knot. The strap should be drawn just short enough to compel the horse to turn fast enough to divert his attention (something as in cut 32) and make him helpless, but not so short as to SECOND METHOD. 43 cause him to fall. The more nervous and excitable the subject, the longer the strap must be left at first ; and the colder-blooded, the shorter must it be drawn. If at all doubtful as to the length, when the strap is run through the tail hold it in the hand and go around with him a few times (as in cut 35) so that the necessary length can be exactly ascertained, then quickly tie into a half-hitch knot and let go. If tied the right length, the horse will keep Fig. 37. — A vicious colt as he •will usually strike when the pole is brought near liis nose while turning. moving in a circle as described ; but if tied too short, or forced up to the point of falling, the moment he staggers pull quickly upon the end of the strap which will pull it loose, and tie again the required length. Sulky or cold-blooded colts, if tied very short at first, are liable to throw the head against the nose-piece of the halter, and if pushed are likely to rear up and fall over backward. This can be easily prevented by holding the 44 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. strap as before up near the tail with one hand and the part near the head with the other, and going around with him a few times until he is dizzy ; then tie quickly and let go. Motion toward the head while passing, and so continue un- til he moves steadily. Now take a pole or rake handle about eight or ten feet long, and bring it gently against the legs or parts of the horse most sensitive, until there is complete submission to Fig. 38. — A vicious Horse as he will usually kick when touched with pole while turning. it. This he will usually resent by kicking violently. Sim- ])\y continue until all inclination to resist is overcome, so that after being untied the muscles are so relaxed that the feet can be taken up and handled without his showing the least resistance. Sometimes a young horse or colt will start all right, but when tested will not go sufficiently fast to enable his control. Under such circumstances, while mov- ing touch sharply with a whip across the nose, and repeat until he is forced up to the point desired to compel submis- SECOND METHOD. 45 sion. The point is to bring the brain to a certain point of inactivity and hold it there until he is helpless and sub- missive. I soon learned by experience that by turning one way only, the impression upon the brain after a certain point diminished with the continuance of the turning ; and that to maintain the effect it was necessary to turn the horse much faster, and even then, after a time, it would become Fig. 39. — The first indication of submission — sulimitting to be poled. inert. To remedy this, I reversed the action by tying in the opposite direction, which not only greatly increased the effect but enabled me to repeat the treatment with suc- cess to any extent. In many bad cases the horse should be turned one way up to the verge of falling, then quickly reversed, at the same time poling as before explained. It is necessary under such circumstances to watch carefully so as to be able at the instant there is any indication of falling, to prevent it by pulling the strap loose. The more 46 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. frequent and quickly the reversing and turning, the better the effect. In some cases it must be repeated rapidly three, four, five, and even six times before it will be suc- cessful. To do this successfully requires care and quick- ness, and the horse should not be given freedom to run against anything. After the horse has submitted, he should be thoroughly poled all over, the feet handled, etc., until there is entire indifference to it, then untied, and the same Fig. 40,— Taking up the colt's foot while tied — one of the tests in determining his submission. handling repeated. If the treatment has been properly carried out, there should be no difficulty at this point in the handling, poling, mounting, etc. This method of subjection is the simplest, the most hu- mane and effective, all things considered, that has yet been discovered. It not only diverts the horse's brain from act- ing, but matches his strength so perfectly against itself, that lie can be made entirely helpless without producing any pain or injury. It will effect the entire subjection SECOND METHOD. ^^ and docility of the average of the worst of wild, unbroken colts m from five to fifteen minutes, so that they can be ridden, have the feet handled, or allow anything to come against the quarters. (See cut 41). It gives, in connection with the War Bridle, the true key for breaking single balk- ers. It IS smgularly well adapted for supplementing the other methods, and effecting the control of extremely vLous horses that have partially or wholly resisted the other meth- ods. It is also the safest and best method of treatment for Fig. 41. -^Method of testing after beiug imtied. the subjugation of extreme cases bad to ride, bridle, have the head handled ; also those which have the habit of striking. It will not work well upon kicking, switching mares and colts of a slow, cold-blooded, sulky nature. There may also occasionally be found horses of quick, nervous, but de-' cidedly determined character, that will at first seem to re- sist it, or faU down too quickly. The Third Method should be used for a short time upon such, to tone down their im= petuousness, after which they will usually submit to this method without difficulty. Though compelled almost daily to subject all kinds of 48 METHODS OF SUBJECTION horses to this treatment in small barns and other unsuita- ble places, and surrounded by a crowd of men, by being careful I never had a serious accident occur. Of course, in a field or open yard the danger would be immeasurably diminished. Still I think it my duty to advise the greatest Fig. 43. — One of the tests frequently given by the writer in proving tuc eftect of the treatment upon a notably vicious case, when makjiag experiments before his class. care to prevent accident. By going slowly at first, and fol- lowing up cautiously, there can seldom be an accident. Third Method of Subjection. It is well known that by hitting a horse at a certain point back of the ear, it is easy to knock him down; also if a horse were to throw himself over backward and hit this part on a hub or stone, he would be liable to be killed. At the front part of the atlas bone, or the first of the cervical vertebra, where it articulates into the occipital bone, or back part of the head, about an inch of the spinal THIRD METHOD. 49 cord is not covered with bone. If a knife or other sharp instrument were driven down at this point sufficiently to penetrate it, it would cause instant death. Bv bringing gentle but firm pressure upon this part, we have one of the most safe and reliable methods of subjection knov^jn. It is, however, like the other methods, especially fitted to a certain class of dis- position and habit, not in- frequently making it easy to subdue horses upon which the other methods have failed ; such as nerv- ous-tempered, courageous, strong-willed horses that will not bear excitement or any freedom that would heat the blood. It is a method of treatment that must be used with great care and judgment. It is easy, of course, to put on press- ure, but the point is to use it on cases for which it is suited, and adapt it to conditions. Not enough pressure, or applying it carelessly, would cause failure, while too much pressure, or if continued too long, would not only be abuse, but dangerous to life. I found by experience that by puUing sharply upon a horse with the "Second Form of War Bridle," which brings the force of the pull upon this point, would often so unnerve and break up his confidence that, though pre- viously he could not be touched around the feet or body, he would now submit to it unconditionally. Also putting Fig. 43 — Method of applying the cord to put on pressure. 50 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. the center of a cord under the bridle so as to rest upon this point, and bringing both ends through the rings of the bit and carrying back for reins, would usu- ally make the horse drive in a short time to a slack rein. I was not, how- ever, led to make any special effort to study out the key of this principle of subjection until in a chance way I heard Fig. 44.— Holding cord when through the mouth. ^^ ^ man who in breaking colts brought a cord moderately tight two or three times around the head. This, with the remembrance of the effects before referred to, led me to experiment carefully with a cord in this way, but found it gave but little more power of control than a common war bridle, and I aban- doned its use. At the time, I carried canvas, visiting only, large centers, which gave me all the opportunity I wished for using the First and Second Methods, and I rarely found a horse that would not submit to these methods. One day, however, a vicious, kicking mare was brought in that re- sisted my regular treatment ; for, once warming up in har- ness, she would kick in spite of all that could be done. I was led instinctively to try the effect of extreme pressure, and, without stopping to reason upon the matter, kept on winding the cord until I used nearly one hundred feet of hard, Avell-stretched cord. I let her stand about fifteen min- utes, when upon trial 1 found her perfectly submissive. I THIED METHOD. 51 told the man I did not know what the after effect would be, and if it injured her in any way to report to me. Two weeks later he informed me that she was broken of the habit, and all right. Although this mare had resisted the other methods, she was of the ex- act temperament to submit easily to this treatment. This success induced me to try the effect of severe pressure upon other cases, for the purpose of learning how much i)ressure should be used, and the limit to which it could be safely carried. I found this to be governed in a great measure by the character of the horse. Ordinary cases could bear a pressure of three cords, or a little over sixty feet, and would submit in from five to fifteen minutes, while some extreme cases of courage and pluck could bear the pressure of a hundred feet or *'ig- 45. — cord -,-, n -, . when on. more equally well, and in some very excep- tional cases even a much longer time. In one case of a wonderfully tough, plucky mare, as an experiment the pressure was left on nearly an hour, when she fell down helplessly, but upon removing the cord she quickly recov- ered, and so far as I could judge, without sustaining injury. I learned to use on an average from seventy to eighty-five feet, drawn more or less tightly, and leaving it on a longer or shorter time, according to the resistance shown. I did not give this method to classes, but held it as a reserve until after my experiments in New- York in 1872. The simplest and best way of applying it is as follows : Take a small, firmly wound, smooth hemp cord about five- sixteenths of an inch in diameter and from twenty to 52 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. twenty-four feet long. (Finding it difficult to get cord of the proper size, strength, and smoothness, I have been com- pelled to have it manufac- tured for me especially for the purpose, and can supply orders by mail at a reason- able price.) Tie a hard knot at one end, and a loose tie or knot about eighteen or twenty inches from this end. Bring around the neck and slip the end knot through the loose Fig. 46.-Touchmg the Horse's quarters tie aS for first form of War with pole while the cord is on. Bridle. Stand a little in front and left of the head, bring the cord through the mouth and pass it over the head where the halter rests, pulling down gently ; thence through the mouth again and hold firmly with the left hand, while with the right it is again passed over the head» and pulled down as before. (See cuts 43, 44.) So repeat to the end of the cord, winding not very tightly. Always use care to bring it over the tongue so jis not to tangle or bruise it. Now take another cord and tie to the first one, so that when pulled down the knot will come on either side of the head, not at the top, or in the mouth. Draw this cord as tightly Fig. 47. -Manner in which some horses kick when touched with pole. THIED METHOD. 53 as thought necessary for the cjise, and continue to wind until three or four cords are used, according to the degree of resistance to be con- trolled. Unless in a small place where there is not sufficient room to run around, attach a strap or cord to two or three of those around the head and hold by it, or tie to a hitch- ing-post. The principle involved is that the greater the Fig. 48.— Manner m which a vicious Horse , ,, „ .„ T will kick when touched with pole. strength oi will and power of resistance on the part of the horse, the more cord must be used, the tighter it must be drawn, and the longer it must be left on. In no case, if put on very tightly, should it be left on longer than thirty minutes, while the average time for ordinary cases should not be more than from six to fifteen minutes. It should not be put on carelessly or indifferently, nor should attention be drawn from it one moment until it is again removed. Success will now greatly depend upon the advantage taken while using this treatment, as it will practically do no good to put on pressure and do nothing more. For ex- FiG. 49. — Submitting to the pole after being subdued. 54 METHODS OF SUliJECTlON. ample : If a kiokcr in Iminess, while the pressure is on take a small pole or rakestale and biing against the legs and quarters, as shown in cuts 4G, 47, 48, 49. This will usu- ally be violently resisted by kicking. If after reasonable effort there is not submission to it, it may be advisable to increase the pressure by winding a little tighter or adding more cord. The central point of observation now should be the Fig. 50. — Manner in which some extremely vicious horses will resist b_y jumping when subjected to pressure. horse's eye. So long as there is fire in the eye and the ears are thrown back, no matter whether the horse kicks or not, it is an evidence that he is fighting hard and the pressure must be kept on. On the contrary, when there is a general ceasing of resistance, the eye softened in its ex- pression as if going to sleep, the breathing accelerated, panting-like, and especially if there is rapid sweating, it is sure evidence of unconditional submission. To keep on pressure any longer would not only be entirely unneces- sary, but abusive. These indications are unfailing, and THIRD METHOD. 65 the cord luiist. at once be removed. Commence unwind! no- repeating the poling from time to time, until the cord is wholly removed from the head. Then turn the hist cord into first form of "War Bridle," with the control of which any resistance can be restrained. Repeat the poHng as be- fore on both sides, and against the quarters, to test his do- cility, as shown by cut 49. It is invariably a good sign of submission, when the pressure is removed, to have the horse take a long breath Fig. 51. — As some desperately vicious hoises will throw themselves wlien subjected to prtSbure. and also to sweat freely. The treatment must now be car- ried out for driving as directed in chapter on " Kicking." If bad to shoe, while the pressure is on, attach a rope or strap to the foot and pull back and forward, as in cut 55, until submissive to it, and' the toe rests upon the ground. The cords should then be immediately taken off the head, and the last one turned into the first form of War Bridle, to be used if necessary. All good subjects for this treatment will resist hard at first, and make a determined fight, but when they do give up, will be found entirely sub- 56 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. dued ; while those that do not resist when touched while the pressure is on, are, as a rule, not good subjects for it. This method of subjection rcA^eals the horse's character exactly, whatever it is. If one of great courage and spirit, he will usually resist at first with great fury while under the treatment, but finally submit unconditionally. But if of a sullen, treacherous nature, while the pressure is on he will often stand sullenly, doing nothing. In such cases the Fig. 52. — The Horse as he stands when subdued. Second Method must be depended upon, in connection with the other treatment. The success with which some kickers can be subdued and broken of the habit by this method, is remarkable. It is especially adapted to the subjection of courageous, de- termined, sensitive horses, that will not bear excitement or heating of the blood. It also works well upon biting, striking, vicious stallions, especially when used in connec- tion with the other methods. It works extremely well upon mules, seldom requiring more than ten minutes to subdue even those of a very vicious character. THIRD METHOD. 57 Fig. 53. Cases upon which it will not work well, S OF SUBJECTION. Third Method), makes it a direct and powerful means of subjection ; so that if there is courage to pull for any length of time, the horse finds himself so overmatched that he will soon cease the resistance, and drive with an easy or slack rein, when the extra bit, if used, can be removed. A rub- ber connecting the ends of the bit to the rings on the pul- ley reins makes the action of the bit upon the mouth the Fig. 77. — The Patent Bridle for headstrong, luughij^-, runuway horses. Patented Oct. 30, 1880. same as any ordinary bit. But if at any time lliere should be much resistance, the rubbers stretch sufficiently to give play to the reins upon the pulleys, which will compel sub- mission, — a Aciy important point in the management of plucky, treacherous horses. In breaking a horse to lead, simply reverse the reins through the puUcys so as to pull ahead. By catching both reins and pulling sideways and ahead, it will give such pur- FOOT STEAP. 79 chase that the horse can be lifted right or left, or ahead, with as much or more power than by the War Bridle. For halter-pulling pass the reins or cord attached to the rings through the ring or hole in the manger, and form the end into a noose around the body of the horse back of the shoulders. The instant lie begins to pull, the punishment becomes so severe uj^on his head that he will soon be afraid to pull. This is the only practicable means for breaking bridle-pullers. It is equally eftective for breaking double balkers. For such, the cord is tied to the end of the pole (as explained under the head of "Balking"), when, if he does not go, the gentle horse jerks him out of his tracks. Foot Strap. The Foot Strap, properly considered, is but a palliative means of control. It is, how^ever, so simple and practical that I will give it a place here. It is merely to be used in an emergency as an aux- iliary to the other methods. Tying up one foot (referred to in " Subjection") greatly dis- ables a horse from resisting. During my early experi- menting I frequently resorted to this means in the manage- ment of colts. Once having a, horse I could not safely con- trol while driving, it occurred to me to attach a strap to the foot and carry it back to the wagon, by w-hich means I could at any moment, while driving, hold the foot help- less. Upon trial the effect upon the horse was beyond my expectation. The sudden pulling of the foot from under Fig. 78.— Foot Strap. 80 METHODS OF SUBJECTIOIT. him had a much more powerful effect in disconcerting and discouraging the resistance than coukl possibly be done by tying up the foot. A horse can travel but a short distance upon three legs, and if a bad kicker, he is liable to balance on the opposite leg and kick as bad as before ; whereas, suddenly holding the foot helpless not only prevents this, but freedom can be given him to move again when desired. When there is danger of an unbroken colt's resisting control and running away, a strap may bo attached to both fore feet, which will of course give power to entirely dis- able him. Buckle a soft strap around the foot, to which attach a cord or driving-rein, and carry back under the belly-band to the wagon. The belly-band should be strong, and not buckled very tightly, so as to allow entire freedom for the cord or strap to play. With the aid of this alone, when properly used, almost any colt can be easily broken to harness without difficulty. (See cut 78.) Breaking Big. When a colt or horse is dangerous or reckless in his re- sistance, it is very convenient to control him by means that will require but Little if any practical skill, and for this pur- pose T have in\'ented the Breaking Big, which will be found a valuable acr^uisition to the other methods here given. To break a kicking, runaway horse or colt, all that is necessary is to carefully harness him in the rig so that he will not break loose, and let him go as he pleases. The more ho struggles to free himself, or tries to kick and run, the quicker he will be broken, while the trainer can sit quietly behind, touching and poling the horse where sensi- tive, until he is entirely gentle and submissive. The rig should be constructed as follows : First set nn upright post BEEAKING lilCi. g^ firmly in the ground. Next have two shaft arms about twenty feet in length so fitted that one end of each will turn upon the post. At the outer end of both of these shaft arms should be fitted a spindle and a wheel from a lumber or farm wagon. Separate the ends of the arms at a distance of eleven or twelve feet, or so that the horse can travel between them without touching either. Next place Fig. 79— Simple Form of Breaking Rig. Patented July G.TsSO. two bars across from one shaft arm to the other, tlie inner one about three feet and eight inches from the hub of the wheel, the outer one about two feet from the inside one at the horse's shoulders, and three feet at the quarters, so that an average-sized horse can travel easily between them. Have Jioles or mortises made through the shaft arms, and the ends of the bars fitted to them. The inner one should be fastened permanently, but the outer one so fitted that it can be taken out and reversed to allow driving the othei- way. It would be well to have tlie holes or mortises du- plicated so that ihe bars cnii bo ndjustcd in fit the size of the horse, 6 82 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. (Jj •-5 S O) OS Ph a ■•i o CO ADAPTATION TO WANTS. 83 If the wheels are not high enough to support the frame arms, put an extra piece of scantling on the upper side, and make the mortises or holes high enough to bring the bars where the shafts would come in driving. The simplest way of fastening the horse in the rig is, after he is har- nessed in place, to pass a strap under the body from one bar to the other, another over the body and shoulders, and a third over the hips. No matter how vicious- or headstrong a runaway horse may be, the faster and more determinedly he runs in this rig, the sooner he will from necessity become gentle. lie has not the liberty to rear up, throw himself, or kick. If he undertakes to run, he is carried in a circle so rapidly that he becomes comi)letely drunk and dizzy, and would fall helpless if not confined and supported. If sensitive about having the head, neck, or hind parts touched, he can now be handled until he is entirely submissive to it. If he is afraid of an umbrella or robe, they can now be brought around him until he is submissive. If he is afraid of a car- riage-top, open and shut an umbrella before his face, over, and behind him, until he is fearless of it. If afraid of hav- ing the rein caught under the tail, and inclined to run un- der such circumstances, he can now, with entire ease and safety, be made to submit to it. Adaptation to Wants. It is evident to almost any one that all horses are not alike, and that they cannot all l)e managed in the same way ; that there are great differences in strength, intelli- gence, and disposition. Yet the majority of people seem to entirely overlook these conditions in applying treatment, 84 METHODS OF STT]',.TF/'TI0N. ADAPTATION TO WANTS. 85 or in putting them to such work ;is \ho.y arc by Die pecul- iarity of their nature best adapted. In the first place, we see there is a singular adaptation in all the domestic animals to the locations and sections of country in which we find them, and to the wants of the people in those parts. In the extreme North, where no other domestic animal could live, we find a dog of peculiar Fig. 82.— The stallion, Godolphin Arabian. iiature, adapted to the wants of the Esquimaux as a beast of burden, fisherman, hunter, &c., and able to subsist on the scantiest fare of fish. A little farther south, the Lap- landers have the reindeer, which not only thrives on the moss peculiar to that region, but supplies the people with subsistence in the way of milk, butter, and cheese. He travels with rapidity long distances, drawing a sledge over the frozen ground, easily guided and controlled by the Lap- lander as he sits behind. His skin makes the best of cloth- ing, while the flesh is indispensable for food. 80 METHODS OF SrB.IF.rTION. The Peruviiius have the Ihiinn. or alpaca, which, accus- tomed to climbing the mountain.s, carries heavy burdens over the Andes, and furnishes the people with milk for their children ;ind wool for their clothing, as well as flesh for food. The ])eoi)le of the desert have the camel, or drom- edarv, for crossing the arid, sandy plains. Not only will Fig. 83. — A good model of Draught Horse. he carry a heavy burden patiently, but carries Avithin his body a supply of water to last him a week. Now we see the same principle of adaptation to the va- rious wants of man shown to a wonderful degree in the horse, by the great modifications in size, strength, and en- durance. For drawing heavy loads we have the coarse- grained, heavy, square-shouldered, patient cart-horse. For quick, active exertion, the thoroughbred, or lithe, active race-horse, with oblique shoulders, deep chest, dense text- ADAPTATION TO WANTS. 87 ure of body, having the conformation of the greyhound, and capable of running with the swiftness of the wind. Some are docile,.intelligent, and quick to learn ; others are dull, wild, or A^icious, and more difficult to manage, often reminding of the characteristics of other animals. For ex- ample, a horse having small, round eyes, set well back on *FiG. Si. —A fiue model of the Frcncli Norman Horse. the sides of the head, hea^y eyelids, long from eyes to ears, narrow forehead, rounding nose, and small nostrils, will be found naturally obstinate, treacherous, and stupid, remind- ing of the hog or mule nature. Though sullen and deter- ♦Drawing from life of the Norman Stallion, " Vermouht," owned by E. Dillon & Co., Bloomington, 111., well known importers of Norman Stallions. 88 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. mined in his resistance at first, and reijuiring considerable time, he is not difficult to manage. On the contrary, if the eye be large, clear or dark in color, showing much white, and set well out on the head, long from eyes to ears, ears rather long and heavy, and set well apart, forehead mid- dling broad, and medium-sized nostrils, the character when excited will be vicious, and he will be liable to snort, strike, and kick, reminding of the cat, or feline nature. In this ' \%^ Fig. 85.— The Shetland Pony. class are to be found the greatest average of vicious horses. If a horse has large, brown eyes, set well out on the head, eyelids thin, short from eyes to ears, ears pointed and active, forehead broad, and nostrils large, he will be naturally docile and intelligent. If made vicious, no mat- ter how bad, he will submit readily to treatment. Again, if the horse is one of fine bones, thin skin, small chest, medium-sized stomach and bowels, not inclined to put on flesh, there will be great sensibility and action, but not corresponding endurance.' Any resistance usually re- sults from excitement and fear, requiring but little more ADAPTATION TO WANTS. 89 than careful, good iiiauagomeiit. But if on the other hand we find the horse to be heavy boned, with dense texture of body, deep chest and good digestion, there will be greater power of resistance, and more prolonged endurance. The greatest average of the most vicious horses I have ever handled were dull iron-grey, sorrel, or black, and occasion- ally a bay is equally bad. In determining character we cannot form correct judg- ment by studying parts only ; it must be determined chiefly by the correspondence of the different parts of the whole body. For example, a horse with long ears, and small, round eyes, may kick and run, but this is no certain indi- cation that every horse with long ears and small eyes is a kicking runaway. The whole body must be taken into consideration, though frequently a very reliable opinion can be formed by a close observation of the head, and es- pecially by the expression of the eye. The "Hillman" horse referred to was in every respect a model in appear- ance except the eyes, which were snake-like, and the form of the head between the ears, which was very low. He would look at a man pleasantly, and the very next minute spring at him with the quickness of a cat. Long-continued practice in the treatment of all kinds of horses enabled me finally to determine with great accu- racy the exact type of character from the color, kind of eyes, ears, etc., as there is always an intimate relation be- tween the peculiarity of disposition and the physical struct- ure. Indeed, this was necessary to my success, for unless I was able to determine clearly the character of the horse when brought forward for treatment, and know just how he would be liable to act under excitement, I would often be subjected to great embarrassment by having notoriously }>0 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. bad horses sprung upon me without warning. In fact, it was on account of being caught in this way a great many times that I was compelled to become observant, and when able to point out what a horse would do, and the treatment necessary for his subjection, and then prove it, it became a great point in my favor. To give some idea of these peculiarities, I include a great variety of heads. But it will be understood that it is impossible, with the greatest nicety of artistic skill, to illustrate the changing expression of even the eye. In the human eye, anger, fear, or affection is clearly marked. Now the horse shows the same peculiarity of changing ex- pression in his eye, and will require the same amount oi study to determine his intentions. The methods given in this chapter are proved to be the most powerful, comprehensive, and humane for the subjec- tion of horses that have ever yet been discovered. They give power to control the whole or any part of the body, so that with reasonable care it becomes a very easy and simple matter to perform astonishing feats of mastery over the most vicious horses. When his intelligence and better nature cannot be reached by kindness, force becomes nec- essary until a foundation is laid which will allow an appeal to the better nature by kindness. Under treatment by these methods the horse is taken at such a disadvantage at every point that there is but one alternative, — submission. It is science against strength, — man using his ingenuity to neutralize and master brute force. Now it is seen that the most valuable machine may be rendered useless by bad management ; that its usefulness and value depend upon the skill with which it is managed. So the advantages of these methods depend upon the man- ner in which they are applied. A more detailed explana- tion of these methods, with a history of the methods here- tofore practiced, etc., will be found in the chapter on " Sub- jection," which should be read in connection with this. CHAPTER II. COLT TRAINING. The successful teacher aims first to gain the confidence of his scholars, so that he can address their understanding clearly. But were he to transform himself into a danger- FiG. 86. — Simple way of haltering a dangerous colt. ous monster, whipping them while talking in an unknown language, indicating by his actions that he would kill or in- jure them, they would become so frightened and excited (91) 92 COLT TEAINING. tliat their first impulse would be, resistance, or ,a desperate struggle to get away. Now this is the impression made upon the wild, un- broken colt when hurt, frightened, or excited, in the effort to train and control him, and Avhich in a proportionate de- gree must increase the difficulty of his successful manage- ment.- It is important, on this account, that every step in Fig. 87.— Testing a doubtful colt before subjecting to treatment. the management of these cases be of a character to prevent and overcome fear, when the instruction and training can be carried forward tb the degree of the colt's ability to un- derstand, and there is perfect obedience. Haltering. To halter an unbroken colt, first turn him into a mod- erate-sized room or carriage-house, without stalls or any- HALTEKING. 93 thing which he can run against to hurt himself. It would alarm him too much to try to catch and hold him to put on the halter, and besides, there is danger of getting hurt. This difficulty can be easily overcome as follows : Get a hcj'ht pole ten feet long, and drive two nails in it about eight inches apart, the first about one inch from the end. Take a common rope halter, and form a running noose with the part which slips through it back about two feet. Hang Fig. 88.— About the length the halter should be tied. the part which goes over the head upon the nails at the end of the stick, so as to be easily adjusted upon the head. (See cut 86.) If the colt is not excited or frightened, as the halter is extended toward him he will reach out his nose to smell and examine it. While he is gratifying his curiosity in this way, bring the slack part under his jaw, the head part over and back of the ears, when by turning the stick half way round, the halter will drop upon the head. Now by pulling upon it, the slack will be taken up m^ the halter will be upon him securely. 94 COLT TKAINING. Making the Colt Gentle. To teach a vicious, headstrong colt to follow, subject him at once to Second Method. Tie the hair of the tail into a knot, and run the halter through above it, drawing short enough to turn the body in a half circle. If at all doubtful about the length, before tying go around with him once or twice (see cut 35), when the length can be regu- lated to the point desired and tied into a half-hitch knot. Fig. 89.— Pulling the foot back with cor J. Now bring the pole against the quarters until it is submit- ted to. If the halter is tied too long, especially if the colt is a little sullen, he will not move around fast enough to have the desired effect. Or if he is at all nervous and excitable, and tied very short, he will be likely to go around so rap- idly as to fall helplessly before the halter can be untied. To avoid possible accident this should bo carefully guarded against. When the colt will submit to being touched on one side or part with a pole, go to the opposite side, and repeat un- MAKING THE COLT GENTLE. 95 / til there is no resistance or fear shown. Some colts will resist very hard when touched, striking and kicking with great fury. This need not discourage; simply force up sharply to the point of helplessness, reversing quickly, and repeating until there is entire submission. It is rare that this treatment will not give success in ten or fifteen min- utes. But should the case be one of such extreme vicious- ness as not to submit, then the treatment must be the same Fig. 90.— Pulling the foot forward. as for other extremely vicious horses. After submitting, if warm and sweaty, keep handling him gently until cool. Next, handle the feet. At this stage there should be no difficulty in doing this. If, however, the colt should show an inclination to resist the foot being taken, and it is not desired to push the general subjection farther (for fre- quently a colt may be entirely gentle as to general hand- ling, and still resist the feet being taken, with much en- ergy), put on the War Bridle. After giving a few quick, energetic jerks right and left with it, let an assistant tie a 96 COLT TEAJNl^^G. rope or strap around the foot below the fetlock, and, while holding the cord rather tight on the mouth, pull the foot back until it is submitted freely to the restraint upon it ; then reverse and pull forward a few times. Finally take the foot in the hand and pound upon it. Teaching to Folloav. Usually after this treatment the colt will lead by the Fig. 91.- The colt as he stands after treatmeut. halter freely ; but if he does not, put on the War Bridle, First Form, which will soon enable making him do so. Sometimes it is desirable to use the Second Form. Colts of a cold-blooded nature, which are liable to become sullen when heated, will sometimes resist very hard ; but by per- severance they always work in, though in some extreme cases it may be best to wait until the excitement is over, and then repeat the lesson. As the War Bridle may not always be available, T will give the simplest method of doing it with a halter : — If a rope halter is on, tie the running noose back of the TEACHI^TI TO FOLLOW. 97 jaw into a knot to prevent it from pulling tightly upon the nose. Stand opposite the shoulder, take a firm hold of the hitching-part, and give a sharp, quick jerk, repeating at slow intervals until the colt will step around promptly; then repeat on the opposite side, gradually pulling more on a line with the body until he will go right, left, or ahead freely. The War Bridle, if available, is much more power- ful and effective, and to be preferred. The following method will also teach a sullen colt to follow instantly, though not so good to make follow by the Fig. 93. — Wrong way of teaching colt to lead by halter. halter, which is the real object to be attained : Take a piece of cord twenty-two to twenty-five feet in length, double, and place the center of it under the tail like a crupper ; bring both ends forward, crossing and twisting them once or twice over the back, and knot together in front of the breast. Now catch the halter strap in the left hand rather loosely, and, with the right hand, pull upon the cord with a sharp jerk ; this will so excite and frighten the colt that he will jump aliead, and after repeat- ing once or twice, will follow anywhere. Should the colt kick when the cord is pulled upon, it must not be repeated, ;is it would teach the habit of kicking. At once take it olf, and make a noose around the l)ody (as shown in cut), 7 9a COLT TEAINING. when it will be found tluit luilliiiii' ([uickly will so tighten the noose and hurt the back as to make the eolt jump ahead in surprise, and he will soon learn to follow promptly. This does not require any skill, and will be found to work very nicely. It will be found especially valuable in teach- ing young, sensitive colts to lead. I will give another method of teaching colts to be Fig. 93. — When pulled upon vei-y hard is liable to rear and throw himself over backward. gentle and follow Avithout the use of the halter, — a method I f>racticed with great success during my early experi- ence, — which, when well done, will be found very eifective. First, get the colt into a small room or carriage house. The smaller the inclosure the less inclined the colt will be to get away. Next, take a common five or six foot buggy whip, and, speaking kindly, approach him slowly, as he will bear. Tie will naturally get as far away into a corner as he can, but as sooxi as you see the least indication of TEACH IXC TO FOLLOW 99 fear, step back, showing an indit'terent manner. When his alarm subsides, apijroach as before, and so continue to do until the mane can be touched and patted a little. This submitted to, bring the whip from behind you, quietly over his back, until it extends over the shoulder, so that the lash can be brought against the opposite side of his head a little below the eye, and commence tapping with it Fig. 94.— Right way of pulling to teach the colt to lead. very lightly, gradually increasing the force of the stroke until the head is moved from it a little, when stop and caress; so continue until he steps around toward you a little to get away from the force of the' stroke. By re- peating the tapping, and striking a little harder, as he learns to fear the whip he will be forced around in a circle at will. This may be done when the halter is on. If the whip is too limber and the lash too springy and long, it 100 COLT TEAINING. will be difficult to do this properly, as it will be liable to be brought across the fjice in an irregular manner, fright- ening the colt and makhig him try to get away. Success will depend upon the whip being just right. The point made of forcing the colt around, step well up to the head and drop the end of the whip back over the hips, touching the part lightly with it, or barely enough to move him, then step forward, when he will come ahead. Fig. 95. — Simple method of making a sulleu colt follow instantly. Should he come ahead too far, he can be instantly stopped by bringing the lash to the first position and forcing him around again. Now repeat, not enough to frighten or hurt much, yet sufficient to force him around or ahead freely. It will help greatly to reward with apples, etc. It seldom requires more than five or ten minutes to teach a colt to follow in this way. (Tlie principle is the same in teaching steers or oxen to drive with the whip, with the difference that when it is desired to stop the steer, to prevent him from running ahead, it may be necessary to put on a foot- strap, as explained in the first chapter. The foot-strap TEACHING TO FOLLOW. 101 would also be good for the colt, though I prefer, when re- straint is necessary, to use the halter.) During my first visit to Maine, in 1863-4, 1 advertised, the better to attract attention, that I would take any colt that had never been haltered, and within twenty minutes make him perfectly gentle to lead, ride, and handle. Daily the wildest colts to be found were driven in from the coun- try to put me to the test. In my run through the entire State I did not fail in a single instance, with the control of Fig. 90. — The colt as be ■will usually follow after treatmeut. the whip alone, to lead such colts into the open street, witli- out halter or bridle. The feat was accomplished by train- ing as explained. Another method, which has been ^jracticed by some traveling horsemen, is to turn the colt into a small inclos- ure, and whip keenly witli a bow whip, around the legs and flanks. This will cause the colt in his fright and pain to run into a corner. As soon as he will turn his head around a little, the whipping is stopped and an effort made to reach his head slowly, the hand being held out toward him while doing so. Should the head be turned away, or resistance be shown, the whipping is repeated, and this continued un- 102 COLT TliAlNING. til he can be controlled. At each inclination to follow, he is caressed ; while for running away, or resistance, the whip is applied, until he soon learns to follow to avoid punish- ment. There are several objections to this method : First, the horse is greatly excited and frightened by the severity of the punishment, before he can know what it is for, which is entirely prevented by the other methods. Second, if Fig. 97. — Teaching a colt to follow with the whip. the horse is warm-blooded and plucky, there is danger of teaching the most aggravating kind of kicking, as the in- tense excitement and pain of the whipping impresses the nervous system so greatly as to weaken and injure it, mak- ing what is termed a habit of nervous, switching kicking — a habit very difficult to overcome. The writer has at dif- ferent times found fine colts that had been treated in this manner by traveling horsemen, and completely spoiled. The other methods are so much simpler, and more humane, that there is no need whatever of resorting to such needless cruelt^ . DElVmG TO HAENESS. 103 If the colt is not very bad after being haltered, catch the halter up near the head, and go aronnd with him on a sharp walk. At the same time bring the pole (one end of which being well back under the arm) against the quarters. The pulling around will sufficiently disconcert the horse to allow this without much resistance, and he will soon leam to submit, when repeat on the opposite side. It will be still better to put on the War Bridle, and after pulling Fig. 98. — Colt as he will follow after being ti-aincd with whip. around right and left, bring the pole against the quarters, legs, and flanks, as before explained. If the colt will sub- mit to this, it is all that is necessary to do, and just as ef- fective as if he were subjected to more powerful treatment. Driving to Harness. With the foundation laid of making the colt gentle to be touched, handled, and rode, the course I usually pursue to accustom the colt to drive in harness is about as follows : Put on the harness, which should be so fitted as to rest ]04 COLT TEAINING. easily upon the body, tie up the tugs and breeching straps, and bring the reins through the lugs or shaft bearers. This is very important, to prevent his turning around. Now get behind, holding the reins low on each side of the hips. If he does not start as desired, touch lightly with a Avhip, and drive around a little, gradually pulling so as to drive him in long circles, and ahead, or either way, freely. If the mouth is hard, and he pulls upon the bit rather stub- FiG. 99.— Bringing the pole against the quarters. bornly, the Breaking Bit, if available, had better be substi- tuted. This will give all the power desired. After the drive, while standing, let an assistant bring a pole against the quarters and flanks until submitted to, then back the horse sharply against a rail or pole so ar- ranged that it will come against the quarters w^here the breeching or crosspiece of shafts comes. (See cut 101.) The resistance to this poling may sometimes be so serious as to necessitate subjecting again to Second Method, but not often if the first lesson is made very thorough. It will not do under any circumstaiices to proceed farther, until DEIVING TO HARNESS. lOi there is unconditional submission to this requirement. Then drive around moderately, either stopping to pole, or have an assistant do it gently until it can be done without at- tracting his notice in the least. A good way is to tie the hair of the tail into a knot quite short, so that a pole passed through the hair above it when pressed against the quar- ters will strike where the breeching comes. It is very im- portant to have the colt made thoroughly fearless of beinj^ Fig. 100.- Colt when first driven in liaruess. touched about the quarters and flanks in tliis way while driving. The next step is to make the point of reining, stopping, and backing. After he has learned to go ahead and turn sideways, he can easily be taught to stop. To do this, say " Whoa ! " sharply, and immediately give a slight, raking pull upon the reins sufficiently hard to compel stopping, then instant]}^ slack. Usually, the colt will at first try to move ahead. Let him go a few steps, then repeat the com- mand, and, as before, pull sufficiently hard to stop him. So repeat until he learns to stop and stand quietly as long as desired. Next, stand behind and say, " Back !" and immediately 106 COLT TEAIJSriNC:^. give a sharp, raking jerk to pull him back a little, and re- peat until he will back as desired. Do not force him to back too freely, but just enough to give to a slight pressure of the bit. If there is much resistance to the driving bit, the Breaking Bit may be substituted, but this must not be used so severely as to bruise or make the mouth sore. If he becomes warm and decidedly stubborn at any point, the better way will be to put him away until cool, when, by repeating the lesson, he will soon work in. At this point Fig. 101. — Backing the colt against rail or pole. there is great danger of spoiling the mouth, because when the blood becomes greatly heated, the sensibility of the mouth is so blunted that he will bear having it bruised and even cut to pieces without noticing it. But when over the excitement, it will be so sensitive and sore that he is liable not only to yield to the pressure of the bit too freely, but acquire the habit of running back. Hence the advisability of putting him away until cool, and then repeating the les- son, when the mouth will be sufficiently sensitive to com- pel submitting freely. If he is given to running away, and resists the bit so hard that he cannot be held, first, over- BITTING. 107 come his fear of being touched around the quarters, etc., by the Second Method, then train the mouth with the Break- ing Bit until manageable. I ndA'ise this training of the mouth, because, when properly done, it enables controlling afterward with an ordinary snaffle bit. It is not advisable, in teaching to drive, to run one les- son into another, especially that of stopping and backing. Fig. 103.— Simple form of Bltting-rig. Backing should be taught very cautiously, so as not to teach the habit of going back toe freely — a bad habit. Bitting. My course in most cases has been to continue the driv- ing to poles or wagon. But as bitting may be necessary, especially for headstrong colts, I will include directions here : — Simply put on such an outline of harness as will enable 108 COLT TEAINING. 103. — Strained, unnatural position of the head when checked liigh. bringing pressure upon the mouth and holdhig it there. The ordiiiary arrangement is a surcingle with crupper at- tachment, to which the check-rein is connected. This is so common and well^understood that it is unnecessary to go into an explanation of de- tails. There are great ob- jections to the common method of bitting, and putting the rig upon an entirely green, wild colt, checking the head up high, and turning him loose in this condition. The colt in his struggles for free- dom is liable to get mad, rear up, fall backward, and possibly kill himself. At any rate, the undue confinement irritates and excites him to a needless degree. The proper course would be about as follows : First, put on a bridle with a snaffle bit, leaving it on until he becomes accustomed to it. Next, put on any simple harness rig, and check at first so as to bring but little restraint upon the head, leaA-ing it on thirty or forty minutes. Next day,, check a little shorter, and let him run in a yard in Ihe same manner. At each repetition, check shorter, until the head is brought as high as he will bear. Another excellent method is to fit a simple surcingle, having loops at different points on either side, and with crupper attachment. Put on an ordinary bridle with snaf- fle Ijit and gag-runners. Now take a piece of cord about the size used for War Bridle, and fasten its center, either bringing it over the water-hook, or held by a strap connect- ing with the saddle-part. Pass the ends forward through BITTING. 109 the gag-runners, down through the rings of the bit on each side, thence back through the loops on each side of the sur- cingle, an^i tie into the hip ring of the back-band sufficiently short to give the restraint required. The higher the cord is held on each side, the greater the tendency to pull the head up and back, while the lower, the greater the tendency to pull the nose in ; so the length and height on each side must be regulated to suit the case. While by this means there is re- straint upon the head up and backward, the sliding of the line or cord through the rings and gag-runners gives sufficient freedom for the head to be brought down, thereby easing the weariness of the restraint. Training the mouth implies teaching it to submit freely to flexible restraint. Now bitting is only a partial step to- wards accomplishing this, as it only holds the head to a fixed ppsition of restraint. Not infrequently, when the head is checked high and held there so long as to weary the muscles of the neck, the head is rested upon the bit for relief, and imperceptibly the habit of lugging is learned. Several other bad habits may also be learned by this indi- rect method of training the mouth ; the annoying habit of pulling on one rein, holding the head down when pulled upon, refusing to stand, back, or to rein freely, or refusing to rein but one way when excited or maddened. There has been practically no remedy for these diffi- culties, yet they are in most cases easily prevented or over- 110 COLT TBAi^^lNG. come by the simple method of trahiiiig the mouth with the Breaking Bit. If the colt does not rein freely, or pulls too heavily, put on the Breaking Bit, run the reins through the shaft lugs and drive around slowly. When the pull is too hard, give a little raking jerk, just enough to break the pull, then slack instantly, and so repeat. Do the same also for throw- ing the head down, and lugging, which will bring the head up and back. Simply repeat until the mouth submits freely to moderate restraint. Sometimes the horse will fight this (j^uite hard for a time, the same as a stubborn, headstrong horse will resist the jerking or pulling upon the War Bridle in teaching to lead ; but by repeating, he will soon learn to submit to it unconditionally. There must be persever- ance until the point is made of submitting to the slightest restraint. If necessary, the lesson should be repeated when driving to wagon. It is surprising how easily the mouth is made to submit to restraint by a little training with this bit. (See details of using Breaking Bit under that head in. first chapter.) Hitching to Wagon. With sufficient control of the mouth to hold the horse under any excitement, the next step is to drive to wagon. As it is sometimes a little risky to do this directly, driving to poles should be resorted to first. In fact, I regard this necessary, because it accustoms the colt to being touched around the quarters, backing against the crosspiece, etc., with entire safety. Hitch the colt into these polos with- out breeching, and drive around, turning right and left, and backing against the crosspiece occasionally to fix the im- pression of being touched by it. Before hitching to wagon, all fear of any rattle, or noise from behind, must be overcome. Next, hitch the horse in, HITCHING TO WAGON. Ill and before attaching the tugs, run the crosspiece against the quarters to overcome all fear of the shafts. Be very particular that the harness is fitted so as not to restrain the circulation, or bring any undue pressure upon any part of the body. In my practice I give the head entire free- dom, using nothing but the restraint of the reins, as it tends to confuse and annoy the colt to be needlessly hampered in any Avay. If desirable to guard against any possible impulse of resistance, attach a strap to the fore foot, by Fig. 105. — Testing the colt by driving in poles. which it can be taken up at any time. This will prevent kicking. I would also add here that it is always advisable, when the colt is standing in the shafts, before being at- tached, to shake and rattle the wagon ; then move him ahead and pull the wagon behind. Another point : The colt should always be hitched where the road is wide and level, or in a field, giving a chance to drive around and turn easily. At first let him go any way he will, giving him a moderately slack rein. If the previous work has been well done, the colt will be 3,s gentle, and indifferent to excitement as any old horse, 112 COLT TEAINING. But if not subdued and made thoroughly gentle and fear- less, as before explained, there is danger, in exceptionally bad cases, of his getting frightened and kicking, and thus a great point is lost. It is, in fact, almost fatal to success to let a horse by carelessness or accident resist at any point, as it makes him cunning and doubtful — a condition that sometimes requires very careful, thorough work to overcome. There should be no effort to make a drive until the colt is accustomed to turning, stopping, and starting, but not to backing ; let that come after the going ahead and stopping is thoroughly established, when repeat the lesson on back- ing a little. At first, the driving should be confined to a walk, then gradually let out to a moderate trot, being care- ful not to drive to the point of exhaustion. If the colt steps well, and it is desired to cultivate a fast trotting gait, there is more necessity for going slowly. First, let him out on a smooth, moderately descending road, holding up often, and speaking to him kindly. Gradually he can be let out faster and a little farther, but not to the point of breaking, nor so far at any time as to cause fatigue. If it is intended to hitch to top carriage, drive around first with an umbrella held over the head, bringing it over the back. Next, lead him around so that he can look into the top and smell of it, then lead him into the shafts and hitch. The custom of using blinders on horses, especially as usually put on, in a haphazard way of pressing against and covering up the eyes, is an abomination which should be dispensed wdth in driving. They are admissible only when the horse is lazy or cunning, watching the whip, etc. Any horse of intelligence and courage will always drive more reliably when able to see around and behind him. ' SULLEN COLTS. 113 Sometimes a colt, becoming heated and sullen, refuses to rem, or lunges sideways. If very bad, subject sharply to Second Method while the harness is on, following with the treatment by the War Bri- dle until perfectly sub- missive to it ; then do up the cord and commence driving again. If there is disinclination to rein, drop the reins, untie the cord, and jerk him in the opposite direction until he will come freely, when tie again loosely into the fer- ret, take up the reins, and go on with the lesson. It is very important, in les- sons of this character, that the head be not hampered in any way by extra rig- ging of any kind ; nothing should be upon it but an easily-fitting bridle. The harness in all cases should fit easily, so as not to ir- ritate by its pressure or restraint. The lesson is to be continued by driv- ing to poles, etc., as be- fore explained. It may also be necessary to use the Breaking Bit, but this must be used cautiously on colts, as it is easy to make the mouth too sensitive with it, which must be guarded against. 114 COLT TKAmiNG. Throwing over Backward. Sometimes colts acquire the habit of throwing them- selves down, or over backward. This is one of the few habits for which there has been no practical remedy, yet when subjected to proper treatment, it will not, as a general thing, be found difficult to overcome. Subject quickly to Second Method, and get him so confused and off his bal- FiG. 107. — Colts as usuiilly made to follow on a ruu by a few luiimtcs' treatment before the class. ance that he cannot concentrate his purpose to throw him- self. Let the lesson be made sharp, following quickly with War Bridle. Sometimes it may be necessary to use the Third Method ; then put in harness and drive around as first explained. If well done, it is rarely the colt will try to throw himself afterward ; should he do so, repeat more thoroughly with the Thkd Method, after w^hich, with the Second, and, while yet confused, drive him around, at first rapidly, then more slowly until found reliable. These cases have been very common in my practice. By way of illustration I will refer to two cases, one of the colts being sold wdien three years old for $150. In trying THEOWmCi OVBE BACK\YARD. 115 to break him, he acqmred the habit so badly of throwing himself down that it was impossible to drive him in harness. He resisted every effort to break him, consequently, Avhen six years old he was sold for $50. He was brought in without my being informed as to his true character, for the purpose of breaking me down. He yielded readily, how- ever, to the Second and Third Methods, driving anywhere as gentle as desired. The other, eight years old, had re- sisted every effort to be broken, and had the habit so badly that whenever the reins, or even the halter, were pulled upon a little while leading, he would throw himself down. A horse-breaker, who took the job of breaking him for $25, joined my class at Elyria, Ohio, and brought him in to be experimented upon. In a chance way, when taking him by the halter to look him over, I happened to pull a little to make him follow, when instantly he threw himself over backAvard. The man thought it a good joke, and laughed, saying, " He is a good one. If you can keep him on his feet while driving, you will break the worst horse that ever lived. I can't break him, and I don't know of any one who can, so I brought him in for you to try your hand upon." I put the harness on the horse carefully, all ready to drive, tied up the reins so I could take them down quickly, and subjected him sharply to the Second Method. When he became so dizzy as to be at the point of falling, I quickly pulled the halter-strap loose, grasped the reins, and gave him a cut or two with the whip across the hind legs, at the same- time yelling " Get up !" to frighten him ahead. He jumped before he knew what he was at, and after a few moments' pushing in this way he could be driven without showing any inclination to repeat the habit. The lesson, though requiring but a few minutes, proved effectual. Occasionally horses of this character may bother consider- ably. Such are usually of a cold-blooded, sullen nature, 116 COLT TEAINING. but it is only a matter of a little more care and extra work, to make them work in submissively. It is advisable in all these cases to test thoroughly for two or three days, before driving. Driving Double. We first drive the colt double because easier. If this is desirable, subject first to Second Method, making him gentle to be touched around the quarters and parts gener- ally, so that there will be no fear when touched by the tugs or whiffletree. Put on the off side first, because less liable to be excited there, then reverse to the near side. Hitching the Colt. In most cases when the colt is taught to follow freely as before explained, there will be but little inclination to try to pull loose when hitched by the halter, especially if the stall is wide, and the hitching part of the halter is left rather long. But as it is the best proof of skill to guard against successful resistance at any point, such precautions must be taken as will prevent it. It must be borne in mind that learning to stand when hitched, above any other con- dition of training, should be so thoroughly taught that there will be no inclination to pull, even when subjected to the greatest excitement or fear, as from dogs or hogs running in front, cats or hens jumping or flying around the manger, the blowing of newspapers, etc., near the head. The surest and best method for overcoming this fear is as fol- lows : — Take a large size War Bridle cord of the best quality about twenty-eight to thirty feet long, double it, and make a noose of the doubled end around the body a little back of where the saddle rests. Bring the other ends forward between the fore legs, through the ring or hole in the man- HITClimCx BY THE HALTER. 117 ger and tie to the ring of the halter back of the jaw. The length must be so regulated that the horse can step around as freely as if tied rather long by a common halter. If there is an inclination to go back when in any way excited, the noose draws so tightly around the body, and presses so keenly upon the back bone, that the colt is at once disa- bled, hurt, and frightened, so that the first impulse is to jump ahead. A few repetitions will convince him of his inability to pull loose, as well as create in him such a fear of pulling, that he cannot be induced to repeat it. Hitch Fig. 108,— Proper method of hitchiDg the colt at first. in this way in the stall a few times until there is no incli- nation to pull loose, after which he can be hitched with en- tire safety, directly by the head. By this mode of treatment, there is no danger of the colt straining or hurting himself, or pulling himself down— a very objectionable habit— or to pull loose when first hitched. It teaches him to submit unconditionally to the restraint of the halter upon the head under the greatest ex- citement. For extended details of hitching by the halter, and hal- ter pulling, see chapter under that head. CHAPTER III. EXCESSIVE FEAR.— ITS EFFECTS. It is quite wonderful to what a degree the nervous sys- tem can be shaken or deranged by a sudden fright or in- tense fear. So susceptible is the mind to this influence Fio. 109. — The colt excited by fear. that not infrequently very trifling causes in themselves make such an imj^ression upon children and sensitive per- sons as to produce convulsions and insanity that may in some cases end in death. Even large audiences are some- times so panic-stricken by the cry of fire, or some other (118) GENEEAL REMARKS. 119 cause uf danger, as to seem insensible to reason. Under such circumstances, many men and women become so de- mented that they are most likely to do just what they should not. For example, they will try to save things of no value, and leave valuable property to be destroyed, throw mirrors and other fragile articles from upper story windows, without realizing they must be broken ; be un- able to dress, or will get on garments the wrong way, etc. Now the horse is liable to be excited and deranged in the same manner. It is well understood how difficult it is to get horses out of a burning building ; and if by blind- folding, etc., they are taken out, when given freedom their confusion and excitement is so intense that they are apt to rush back into the fire. On the sudden approach of a train, or blowing of the whistle, a horse in crossing the track is liable to become so paralyzed that he cannot be forced across in time to prevent a collision. It is not uncommon to have a horse frightened to death in this way. To illustrate^ I will include an account of a few such cases that comprise the record of a few days only : "In Rochester, K Y., the other day, a horse was so frio;]itene(l at an engine letting oif steam that it trembled, and in a moment fell dead from fright/' "At White Plains, New York, a horse was so friglitcned hy a locomo- tive whistle that he dropped dead." "Two very remarkable cases of horses being frightened to death oc- curred in Fairmount Park, Phil., within the past few days. Last Thursday the horse of P. Wallace, of Seventeenth and Catharine streets, became un- manageable, through fright at a train of cars on Mifflin Lane. The occu- pants of the carriage alighted, and Mr. Wallace undertook to drive the horse off to quiet it, when it dropped dead." "During Monday the horse of Mr. Zeiss, Ridge avenue and Jefferson street, ran away by fright at a passing steamboat. Guard Ledlie caught the animal, when Mr. Zeiss said ho could then manage the horse, and started off. The horse went off all right for about 60 yards, when he again ran away and went 15 or 20 feet, when he dropped dead." Colts or unbroken horses are especially susceptible to fear. Almost every step in their management, as shown in Colt Training, hes in overcoming resistance excited by 120 FEAE.— ITS EFFECTS. Fig. 110. — Nervous, excitable character. fear. It is the principal cause of kicking and running away, as well as many other annoying or dangerous habits, which make the horse partially or Avholly worthless for use. A colt that once had the habit of feeding around and poaching in neighboring yards, was so gentle and indifferent to fear that he could scarcely be driven away. In order to frighten him off, an old tin pail was tied to his tail and a dog set on him. At first he cared nothing about it, but when he started to run, the pail rattled and thumped against his heels so severely that he became fright- ened, and kicked. The fjxster he ran, the more the pail rattled and thumped against his legs, and he ran until he was exhausted. As the result, his nervous system was so shaken and injured that afterward the stirring of the grass, or drawing of a stick on the ground behind him, would so excite him that he would scringe, switch, and kick. The effect is the same upon a colt or horse, which by some accident or imprudence has been excited to kick and run away while hitched to a wagon. The striking of the wagon against the legs in kicking, makes him think it is the wagon hitting and hurting him, and he tries in the most desperate manner to get away or free himself from it ; so the fear, kicking, and running are increased until freed from the wagon, disabled, or caught. Thus the wagon becomes the same in respect to frightening and exciting the horse and spoiling him, that the tin pail was in frightening the colt. The same effect, of exciting and frightening the GENEEAL EEMAEKS. 121 horse as by sudden or unexpected contact with objects or sounds, are produced in various ways. Now, as these dif- ficulties are entirely preventable by proper treatment, the importance of understanding and applying it can be appre- ciated. A horse's way of reasoning is limited to his experience in seeing, hearing, and feel- ing. When comdnced in this way that an object or sound will not hurt him, no matter how objectionable or repugnant it may have previously seemed in ap- pearance, it will be re- garded with entire indif- ference. It is remarkable Fig. hi.— Extreme of a wild, vicious also what a degree of in- "^*'''"''" sensibility to fear, or how much confidence can be inspired when proper treatment is apphed. For instance : Let a pole be brought suddenly or unexpectedly against the quar- ters of a wild colt, and he will instantly jump, snort, and kick, showing the greatest fear of it. If this be repeated for a few times, the fear, kicking, and effort to get away will be greatly increased. If, on the contrary, the pole were slowly and gently brought to the nose, so that he can smell of it, then passed over the mane and back, gently rubbing the parts, and gradually extending it over the hips and across the quarters lightly, increasing the force of the contact as he will bear, at the same time attracting his at- tention, and quieting his fear by stroking the head, talking to him, or giving apples, etc., a few repetitions, requiring in all, perhaps not more than ten or fifteen minutes, will make the colt entirely fearless and indifferent to being touched. 12.2 FEAR— ITS EFFECTS. T was once present when a team of four horses was har- nessed for the first time to a band wagon. With the first note, the horses were excited to such intense fear that it was only by the greatest effort they were kejit from run- ning away, though the band stopped playing instantly. I directed the men to get out and go back about fifteen rods. In the meantime, I took the most excitable horse by the bridle, stroked his nose, talked to him quietly, and directed the others to be treated in a like manner. They were greatly excited ; the one I held fairly shook with fear. After a few minutes, I directed the band to commence very lightly upon one or two in- struments at first, the others af- terward to gradually start in. This slight commencement was repeated several times before the horses would bear it without showing great excitement. I then directed them to play louder, and increase the tone gradually until up to the full force of all the instruments and drums. This point made, while playing they came forward very slowly, got in and commenced again in the lightest possible manner, grad- ually increasing the sound until they played again with full force. I now directed the band to keep quiet while the team wns driven a short distance, then, as before, com- mence lightly and slowly, gradually playing louder until the horses appeared indifferent to the sound. The result was that in less than twenty minutes the band paraded the streets, playing as they pleased, the horses entirely gentle, in fact, appearing to enjoy the music. Here we see such marked excitement and fear shown from hearing a sudden, Fig. 113. — Docile, intelligent character. GENERAL REMARKS. 12:^ unexpected sound, as to precipitate the most violent resist- ance, and the contrary of soon quieting down and becoming indifferent to it, by convincing the reason that it would not cause injury. Understanding these effects, we will now consider con- ditions. Suppose we wish to accustom a colt to the sight of a piece of paper or a white handkerchief. It is first brought to his nose so that he is able to feel of it, and see it plainly, then rubbed against the head and neck until it ceases to attract attention. If now the operator were to step behind or opposite the flanks, and throw it suddenly behind or under the belly, it would be very likely to excite as much fear and resistance as if ,f] he had not before seen or felt it. The difference of position makes it appear a new object of danger to be avoided. Familiarized with it at the head, it should be thrown down carelessly in front, then a little further back, occasionally rubbing it against the head and nose, and so repeating until it can be thrown anywhere around or under the body ; this must also be done on both sides of the body alike. A spirited horse that may have been driven for years to a wagon, gentle, would be just as likely to kick and run away should the breeching break and let the cross-piece or whiffletree come against the quarters, as if he had previ- ously known nothing about them. And so in relation to other objects or causes of resistance. This is particularly noticeable in breaking colts, as shown by the fact that mak- FiG. 113. — Sullen, treacberous character. 124 FEAR— ITS EFFECTS. ing one side or leg gentle will not make other parts so ; both sides must be treated alike. It is on account of these conditions not being understood (the details of which are given in Colt Training, Kicking, etc.) that so many acci- dents occur from the use of horses supposed to be gentle and safe. They are gentle so far as they have been broken or accustomed to certain objects or sounds, but when sub- jected to changes, the impulse of kicking, running away, Fig. 114. — Simple Treatment - bringiug the pole over the back and quarters until no fear of it is shown. etc., is as liable to occur as if they were entirely unbroken. Hence we say that the great majority of such accidents are the direct result of ignorance and bad treatment. In break- ing colts, as explained under that head, if the trainer is in no hurry, and does not wish to resort to coercive treatment, the confidence of the colt can be easily won by scratching the mane, giving apples, etc. After being haltered, com- mence rubbing along the back with a pole, extending it down the hips and legs, and giving an apple, etc. Where much fear is shown, bring the pole to the first point and EATTLE OF A WAGON. 125 work again back to that which is sensitive. In this way continue the rubbing or scratching about the hips, quarters, or flanks until no fear of it is shown. Or a short hokl can be taken of the halter, and, while stepping around, sharply pull the colt after ; then bring the pole smoothly, but lightly, against the quarters and hips until submissive to it. This slow and direct method of treatment is as good and lasting as when controlled by direct subjective treatment, which is necessary only when resistance is great. Fear of Rattle of Wagon. If the horse is afraid of the rattle of a wagon, restrain or overcome his resistance as may be necessary by one or more of the methods of subjection. Next, accustom the horse to being touched on the quarters, etc., with a pole. Put on the harness with Patent Bridle, or Breaking Bit, to insure holding him easily, bring him in front of the shafts, and have some one rattle the wagon until the horse is re- gardless of it. Now carefully put him between the shafts, and let the wheels and body of the wagon be shaken again ; then drop the shafts upon the ground and repeat. Should the horse at any time try to run ahead, pull him back sharply until he will stand quietly without resistance. Now hitch him up and drive moderately at first, making a noise by a stick running across the spokes, etc. Gradually let out to a trot and run, compelling him to stop occasion- ally at the command to " whoa." In the meantime, as there is submission, treat kindly. This will not usually be found a difficult habit to overcome. In making experi- ments before classes on this kind of cases, which were very common, it rarely required more than fifteen or twenty minutes to hitch up nnd drive such safely, even without breeching. 120 FEAJI.— ITS EFFECTS. Jumping out of the Shafts. To make a colt entirely sale and reliable in shafts, he should be thoroughly accustomed to objects striking against his quarters or legs. It is not sufficient that he is accus- tomed to being touched around the tail, or even flanks ; for though brought to submit to this, there will be no assur- ance of his being gentle should the shafts strike lower down on his quarters or legs. In my practice I always make it a point, even after the colt is proved gentle, while he is standing between the shafts to pull them against tlie legs both ways, letting them drop down sharply on the ground, etc., until he is entirel}^ indifferent to their noise or con- tact. When a horse is not properly trained to this, if the breeching is not unbuckled Avhen he is unhitched, there is danger of his becoming frightened from the breeching pulling the shafts sideways against the legs, and bringing its pressure upon another part. Under such circumstan- ces a horse, if at all sensitive, is apt to become very much frightened, kick, and jump around until loose, and is ever afterward, the moment unhitched, ready to jump out of the shafts. The habit, as a rule, is easy to overcome. Simply accustom the quartei^-i to be touched, and treat practically as before exj^lained. Top Carriage. A very little precaution in preventing excessive fear will save a great deal of trouble. In no respect is this more strongly illustrated than in the fear of a top carriage. Because a horse drives gently to an open carriage, it is ta- ken for granted he must know enough to drive to one with a top, and hence the trouble. The horse should first be driven around moderately, the driver carrying over his head OBJECTS EXCITING FEAE. 127 an open umbrella, which appears to the horse like the top of a carriage. It should be shaken around and over the horse's body gently until it does not attract his attention in the least. Now lead the horse to the carriage, and let him feel and smell of the top, and, while doing so, raise and lower it. Then lead him around the carriage, shaking and rattling the top at intervals. Next lead him into the shafts so as to bring the head over the dash. If sensitive, caress and talk to him, and reward as before. Turn the horse around in the shafts, lowering and raising the top until it can be brought up and thrown back without attracting his notice. While the top is up, put the shafts through the lugs so as to bring the horse into position, attach the har- ness, and start him on a walk or moderate trot, rej)eating the raising and lowering of the top until it is disregarded, when he can be driven rioht alono-. O a If an extreme case, it will be necessary to first compel submission by subjective treatment, and getting thorough •^jontrol of the mouth with the Breaking Bit or Patent Bri- dle. There must be no half-way work. Make every step sure, and go slowly until the horse can be put in shafts as before explained, and driven without showing fear. This work must in all cases be done out of doors. It may also be necessary to repeat the lesson once or twice, so far as leading around, feeling and smelling of the carriage, are concerned. It is only a matter of a little work and care in this way to make almost any horse entirely gentle and fearless. Objects Exciting Fear while Riding or Driving. In overcoming the horse's fear of objects while riding or driving, very much depends upon the treatment. If but partially broken, and sensitive, it will help very much to put him through a course of subjection. Sometimes, horses 128 FEAR— ITS EFFECTS. so exceedingly sensitive they can hardly be driven with any degree of safety, after being treated are entirely fear- less in driving. This is seen in the effect produced by the treatment upon the wild colt. The subjection of " Wild Pete," and other horses referred to at the conclusion of this chapter, are good illustrations of the remarkable effect of this treatment. If the horse drives gentle, but is afraid of some special object, such as a white stone, stump, sheep, etc., take all the precaution possible against his seeing such things sud- denly and unexpectedly. As soon as his alarm is excited, if at all violent, the best way is to stop him, speak encour- agingly, and hold him quiet until his alarm subsides, then let him go on, quieting him until the object is reached or passed by. Many horses comparatiA^ely safe are liable to be fright- ened by suddenly meeting a drove of sheep, load of hay, white cow, sprinkling wagon, etc. For safety, it is better for a few times to get out and take the horse by the head and hold or lead him in part. Particular care should be taken not to expose him to the sudden meeting of a brass band and drums. If he is a crazy headed fellow that seems all right until he sees something and then loses his senses, lunging into the fence, or turning around quickly, there is so much danger of being upset that unless there is certainty of making him thoroughly safe, he should be condemned for such use. If he will keep well up to the bit there should be no trouble in preventing his going sideways by either the Breaking Bit or Patent Bridle. The Bit gives power in but two ways, — sideways and ahead ; so if the horse will not go against it and runs back when suddenly frightened, or turns around quickly, there is practically but very little power to prevent it, except what can be done with the whip and speaking sharply. ^ FEAK OF PtOBE. 129 Hence the great clanger and imprudence of using such horses for single carriage driving. A Kobe. The sight of a buffalo robe will sometimes excite great fear in a horse. In ordinary cases the fear of it can be easily overcome as follows : While holding the horse by a halter, or War Bridle, which would be better, stand on the off side of the head, and bring the robe up to the right side, so that he can see and smell of it. If this is borne, with a quick jerk-Kke movement swing it over the head, covering it completely, and go around Avitli him, keeping on either side of the head until he will stop and stand quietly. The first movement determines the success or failure of the experiment. The point is to get it over the head so quickly that the horse cannot see the movement, when the terror of it will almost immediateh' subside. Then draw it backward and forAvard, finally pulling it off and throwing it on, and so repeat until it can be thrown over the body or around the horse in any manner. If there is failure by this method, which is something of a sleight, take the following course : First, get good con- trol with the War Bridle. Next, while holding the horse firmly with one hand, with the other bring the robe gently to his nose, letting him smell and feel of it, when, gradually, as he will bear, bring it up over the head, neck, and bod}' ; then stand off a little way, and throw it upon him, and re- peat until it can be thrown upon him at a distance of eight or ten feet without exciting fear. Both sides must be treated alike. No matter what is done, the treatment must always commence at the nose and head, and gradually work back, as before explained. To overcome all fear of the robe, it *may be necessary to repeal the lesson several times. If 130 FEAR..— ITS EFFECTS. the robe cannot be brought near tlie horse with safety by the control of the War Bridle, the resistance must be over- come by First or Second Methods of Subjection. The Breaking Rig, if available, Avould be still simpler and bet- ter. Occasionally there may be found cases in which the intensest fear may be shown, for Avhich the treatment should be made exceptionally careful and thorougli. Cases 5 and Fig. 115. — Lettiug colt feel and smell of an umbrella. 7, referred to at the close of this chapter, are good illus- trative subjects. When treated by Second Method, the horse may strike and kick so recklessly as the robe is brought near, it may be necessary to hang it upon the end of a pole to bring it near the head with safety. It will aid greatly to give the horse apples, etc., after submitting. Umbrella or Parasol. For an ordinary case of a horse being afraid of an um- brella or parasol, bring one while closed, gently to the nose, passing it back over the head and neck ; then open it a lit- FEAR OP GUJ^. J3J tie and repeat until it can be fully spread and brought over and around the body generally. Now go off some distance and again approach slowly, and hold it over the head If at any point, there is much fear evinced, close it and let the horse see and smell of it, when again repeat the ex- periment; so continue until the horse can be approached m any manner while swinging the umbrella over the head Fig. 116.— BringiDg umbrella over the head. without attracting notice. No matter how well the horse behaves, the umbrella should not at any time be forced upon him so quickly or unexpectedly as to excite him To do so would endanger undoing the good impression previ- ously made. The lesson should be repeated as for other objects. Sound of a Gun. If the horse is afraid of the sound of a gun, first, snap caps some distance from him, gradually going nearer and 132 FEAE.—ITS EFFECTS. repeating until it can be done over the body, neck, and head, occasionally patting and rubbing the head and neck with the hand ; then repeat, putting in small charges of powder and coming nearer, and so continue until a full charge can be fired over or near the horse, as desired. Hogs and Dogs. Sometimes a dog or hog by running under a colt will excite intense fear. If very bad, get good control by sub- jecting to First and Second Methods, and drive around in harness in a small yard where th re are hogs until they will not attract attention. Next, hitch to a wagon, and repeat the driving slowly. These cases usually require several repetitions of treatment. Railroad Cars. When a horse has been frightened by a locomotive or train of cars, it is sometimes a very difficult matter to over- come the fear, mainly on account of the inability to control the movement of the cars. The simplest and best course for all average cases will be about as f Hows : — Drive the horse around in harness, so far away from the engine as not to excite much fear, and gradually drive back and forth in long circles, and closer, st ping ccasion- ally to give a piece of apple, or something, talking and rub- bing the head and neck awhile. Sometimes it may be ad- visable to use the War Bridle ; but, as a general thing, it would be better to teach him confidence by driving around near the train. This should be repeated until he can be driven around, and quite close, without offering resistance. Now drive around to a wagon or sulky ; if to a wagon, get one that will allow turning short circles without upsetting. To work surely, it is necessary to work slowly. Of course it will be necessary to have absolute control over the mouth. BAILEOAD CABS. 1^3 In this way a horse can be driven with comparative safety near or about moving or stationary trains. Anything Hke complicated rigging for the control of such horses will be found comparatively worthless. If the horse cannot be driven with safety after the treatment given, the risk is too great; he had better be discarded for driving near the cars. It may be asked, how I have been able to make horses so fearless of the cars that they can be led up to an engine or driven near, with indifference. The course I have usu- ally pursued is as follows : First get the horse under good control by a course of subjection, usually by the First or Second Methods, or both; then make arrangements with the engineer to let off steam plentifully, and rush the horse, with the harness on, into it until completely covered, when he will soon cease to care anything about the noise, etc. If this cannot be done, drive him around, gradually going nearer the engine, until indifferent to it. Much depends, in the first place, upon getting the horse under good control ; second, in the management while in the neighborhood of the engine. A good way, sometimes, is to blindfold the horse and dri^^e near the train until quiet, then let him see out of one eye, gradually moving him around, and let him see out of both eyes. Very much can be done in this way. The horse should be hitched to a wagon and driven at every available opportunity about or near the cars. There is one point to which I would call particular at- tention : The horse may appear perfectly gentle after being treated, but when the position is changed, as when taken from a building into the street, or from the street into a building, or if allowed to stand for some time, he will, upon trial, seem to be as much afraid as ever, but upon repeti- tion of treatment it will require only a very few minutes to make him as fearless as before. 134 PEAR— ITS EFFECTS. Prenatal Causes. In this connection I would call attention to indirect causes of fear which should be guarded against. For example : A farmer who kept a small dairy had the cows driven to and from the pasture by a trained dog, which bit and frightened one of them severely. A neighbor had a very wild cow, which had been treated gently. Both cows having steer calves, the ow^ner of the wild cow bought the calf raised by the neighbor for the j^urpose of match- ing his own to make a yoke of steers. When he tried to train them, he found the one out of the gentle cow that had been frightened, exhibited such uncontrollable fear of dogs, and became so wild when he saw one or heard it bark, that he could do nothing with him, and so sold him for beef. The incident was related to me by the owner, who was a member of my class, upon my advancing the theory that great extremes of fear or viciousness were sometimes the effect of prenatal causes. Soon afterward, in the same neighborhood, a five-year- old colt was brought in to be experimented upon before a class. He was extremely wild and difficult to approach, and, as the owner stated, had never been touched or handled by any one. Upon remarking that there must haA^e been some good cause for this, and that usually such extreme fear and sensibility was the result of abuse to the mother, the owner said, " That is true," and then gave me the following ficts concerning him : " When the stallion was brought to serve the mare, he acted badly, and was disposed to resist the groom, for which he was taken behind the barn and severely whipped. In this condition, while A^ery much excited, he w^as put to the mare. When the colt came, he was so wild that no one could get near enough to touch him. INSANITY. 135 It being impossible, with safety, to go near enough to this colt to touch him, the halter was put on with pole, as explained in " Colt Training," when he was easily subjected to Second Method, by which he was made s gentle and manageable in about fifteen minutes that he was harnessed and driven to breaking-cart, without breeching, acting as well as any ordinary, quiet colt. A great many cases illustrating the effects of bad treatment at such times, have been repeatedly brought to mv notice. Insanity. It is not uncommon to find horses insanely afraid of some particular object, as blood, or the sound of the cars, etc., while perfectly indifi'erent to other objects or sounds. The causes we cannot always trace, though we can see the effects. In all ordinary cases, there is but little difficulty in overcoming such fear by proper treatment, but it is possible to find cases so extreme as to render it difficult, if not impossible, to make reasonably safe. I am satisfied, as before explained, that many of the extreme cases of this character which I have treated, have been the effect of prenatal causes. But the nervous system can be so impressed by direct causes of fear and injury as to destroy life or produce insanity, as shown by reference to several cases in the first part. This insanity in horses is shown by the intense re- pugnance to special objects and sounds. Horses that have once been frightened by something giving out, or running against the hind quarters, cutting or injuring them, per- haps severely, are afterward uncontrollably afraid of the noise of the wagon, or the shafts touching the parts. One of the worst horses I ever handled was a small bay, in Vermont, that was perfectly gentle, except being afraid of the shafts touching one quarter. This was caused by the ].% PFAE.— ITS EFFECTS. •shaft liaviuiJ' run into his ([nartor. OrdinaiT cases of this kind yield to treatment in a few moments. Some nerAous systems are susceptible to very intense impressions when once excited, and there will he corresponding difficulty in OA^ercoming them. Therefore success must he determined as much by the intensity of the habit, as by the treatment. The success of the treatment Avill depend upon the direct- ness wdth Avhich the brain can be influenced ; but success in getting up a reaction and changing the character as de- sired, must )»e equally the result of the amount of resist- ance, viciousness, or derangement of the nervous system. These are jjoints which should be studied, since frequently even a minor habit, or apparently trifling form of resist- ance, may cause a great deal of trouble to l»e overcome, because of the intensely susceptible as Avell as positive character of the case. I include here an account of a few representative cases, out of the many to Avhich reference could, if neces- sary, be made, mainly for the purpose of showing the re- markable change of cliaracter that may be produced in a horse when subjected to proper treatment. Case T. When at Buftalo, New York, an eight-year-old sorrel horse, owned by William Press, of Gowanda, w\is brought as a subject for experiment. This horse Avhen six years old was used to plow corn. The whiflletree coming accident- ally against his quarters, so frightened him that he kicked and ran away, tearing the cultivator to pieces. Every effort to work him afterward only intensified his fear. Four or five times in succession he kicked loose and ran away, becoming wholly unmanageable. Mr. Press was a leading horseman in the town. He had recently taken lessons in the art with a number of ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. 137 FiCr. 117. — Press Horse, after being subdued. others, and they eonchided to try tlieii- skill on the sorrel. Five of them as.senibled on the following Sunday, and worked half a day on the horse, using nearly thirty dollars' worth of rigging. The result was, that after doing all they could, ^vhen they tried to hitch and drive the horse, he kicked himself loose, and ran furiously OA' er a mile into the village, with his straps and rigging hanging to him. They concluded now the horse could not be broken, and that he was j^ractically worthless. My. Press brought the horse to Buffalo, and offered to sell him to me. I told him, if he Avould join my class, I would break the horse for him, as I wanted just such a one upon which to illustrate the effect of the treatment. " I do not care to join any horse-taming class," replied he. " I have been in a number of them, and can do as much with a horse as any man. I do not want any such instruc- tions, but will sell you the horse." " I do not want your horse," said I, " but if you will join the class and bring him in for me to experiment upon, I will guarantee not to injure him, and promise if I do not hitch him up and drive him perfectly gentle in twenty min- utes, to charge you nothing for instructions, and also to give you the best suit of clothes to be found in the city of Buf- falo." " I will come on these conditions," said he, " yet I know no living man can drive that horse." He and his friends laughed in anticipation of the sport they were to have in seeing me defeated. They knew, as 138 FEAE.— ITS EFFECTS. they supposed, all about horse-taming, and felt sure this subject would cause me humiliating failure. When he was brought in, Mr. Press got upon the top seat, out of harm's way. At the same time he told the people that ten men could not hold the horse in shafts, and that he felt it his duty to tell them that they must look out for themselves. I told the people there was no danger at all, that the case was in fact a very simple one to manage. I subjected him quickly to the First and Second Methods, which made him submit to have anything brought against his quarters ; this was the first point to be gained. I then obtained control of the mouth by the Breaking Bit, when I hitched him up and drove him, without breeching, perfectly gentle and manageable, all of which was done within fifteen minutes. Next morning, I gave him another short lesson out of doors, testing him hard, hitching and unhitching him in the open street with entire success. The feat was regarded as marvelous. Mr. P. and others who knew the case, said they would not have believed it possi- ble had they not seen it done. Though the horse appeared perfectly gentle, Mr. P. said he had no faith that he would stay broken, and that he would not ride behind him for any amount of money, and offered to sell him to me at my own price. I bought the horse, and two weeks afterward, sold him in the city where he was afterward used, and proved perfectly gentle. I will explain here an interesting fact in connection with this case, to show the necessity of treating a horse where in the habit of resisting, and where it is desired to work him : Knowing I could make a great stir in Gowanda by taking him back and exhibiting him there, and anticipat- ing that the horse, though under the most perfect control in the city, would be likely when in the country to show some of his old nature, I arranged to guard against such results ILLUSTEATIVE CASfiS. 139 as much as I could by driving there in the night, as doubt- ful horses always drive better in the night than in the day time. I started about 9 o'clock, and as I had anticipated, upon reaching the country, he acted so badly, showing such intense fear of almost everything he saw, that I could not drive him with any safety. I was, in fact, compelled to get out and lead him back to the settled part of the city, when he at once drove as well as ever. I had broken and driven him in the noisiest and most densely traveled part of the city. There he was perfectly gentle ; but upon tak- ing him where he had not been controlled, the instinct of his old fear and resistance became so strong, that to pro- ceed would be at the risk of having him kick and resist control. If subjected to treatment here, his management would have been as easy and simple as in the city. But as I did not care to do this, on account of the difficulty of getting privacy, and w^hich would also require doing the whole work over again, I concluded to give up the project of exhibiting him at Gowanda. My friends never knew the reason of my not showing him there as promised, and will learn it for the first time from this explanation. A very sensitive horse will always behave better in a noisy city than in the country. The rattle and noise on every side so confuses as to prevent him from concentrat- ing his purpose to resist, or from having his attention di- rected in any particular direction ; whereas in the country the whole attention is attracted to some special object or cause of notice, and excites correspondingly increased dis- turbance. This condition is specially referred to under various heads. Case II. This was an eight-year-old bay, owned in Brookville, Pa. He was of ordinary size, nervous temperament, good 140 li^EAR.— ITS EFFECTS. head, strong, dense texture of body, and naturally of good disposition, but had been spoiled by being frightened into running away several times, the last time jumping over the toll-gate and leaving the wagon there. He was afraid of a wagun and could not even be hitched to one. The people did not question my ability to so control him that I could drive him, but would not believe that I could break him so that others could drive him. There was a general impres- sion that I either acted upon the horse's brain in some mys- terious Avay to control him, or that I gave medicine to do so. Some went so far as to say they would not believe it though they should see it done. By great effort, however, I was able to make quite a large class on the condition that I subdue this horse and drive him perfectly gentle before them. I subjected the case to First and Second Methods, and getting good control of the mouth, not only drove him to wagon down hill without breeching, but at the same time, to prove his perfect safety, had him driven by a boy eight years old, in the same manner. This short lesson proved sufficient to completely reform him. Case III. This Avas a nine-year-old bay horse, owned by Mr. Gates, of Garretsville, Ohio. He would run away in double or single harness, and defied every effort to break him.' With great care he could be hitched up, but the moment a whip or the least thing excited him, he would kick and run away, regardless of all control. All sorts of rigging had been tried on him in vain. Although a very powerful, en- ergetic horse, I knew he would not prove a difficult case, and so stated, guaranteeing that I would hitch him up without breeching, drive him before a class, and make him submit to nnv excitement desired. ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. 141 Upon trial he yielded readily to First and Second Meth- ods ; after which, with the Breaking Bit, I obtained entire control of the mouth, though he resisted for some time with great courage and perseverance. His mouth had become so hard that with any driving bit in use, he could run away with even six or eight men holding on to the reins. In about thirty minutes from the time I commenced, I drove him, perfectly gentle, in shafts without breeching. I saw at once that I could make a great stir with him at Garrettsville, and so proposed going back there the third time. The owner consenting, I advertised that two weeks afterward I would drive the horse without breechino-, down hill through the main street of Garrettsville, while distant from him ten rods, and prove him one of the safest horses in the country. At the time appointed there was a large crowd assembled to witness the experiment, and I per- formed the feat without any reservation whatever, to the Avonder and surprise of all present, enabling me to make the largest class I had yet made there. It is proper to explain that though the horse had stood idle for two wrecks, upon trial I did not find it necessary to repeat the treatment, and did no more than to hitch him up under canvas, and rush him out into the street. The owner was still afraid he could not manage the horse safely, so he wished me to handle him once more. This I did in a field outside of the town, where I subjected him to the most exacting tests. Years afterward, he informed me that he sold the horse to a gentleman in Pittsburg, who used him for a family horse, proving him one of the gentlest and saf- est in the city. Case IV. This was a twelve-year-old sorrel horse, owned by Dr. Keegan, of Cleveland, Ohio. While hitched in the street, and covered with a blanket^ he was frightened by the wind 142 PEAK.— ITS EFFECTS. suddenly lifting and throwing the blanket under his body. It was afterward an object of such terror to him that he did not have a blanket over him again for seven years. lie would have killed any man venturing near him with one in his hand. When I exhibited one before him, at a distance of twenty feet, he plunged away in the most des- perate manner ; and after being almost completely disabled, he would squeal, strike, and kick at a blanket held at a dis- tance of ten or twelve feet, his eyes bloodshot with terror. The point was to appeal to the understanding without seri- ously shocking the nervous system. I subjected him to First and Second Methods, showing him a part of the blanket, first at a distance of about twelve or fifteen feet, gradually coming nearer as I felt safe in so doing. Even after a treatment that would have compelled the complete submission of any ordinary horse, he was so fierce and desperate that I could not approach near enough with the blanket to make him smell or touch it, without danger of being killed. I hung it upon a pole, and when able finally to bring it against his nose, he grabbed 't in his mouth four or five times with the ferocity of a buUdo^ but biting less and less each time, until he seemed to cai'c noth- ing about it, when he submitted to having it thrown over or around him, as desired, entirely regardless of it ; and the experiment was pronounced a remarkable success. Case V. This was a bay pony, nine years old, owned by a phy- sician at Greencastle, Pa. This horse was afraid of a buf- falo-robe. I had a large class of leading citizens, and at the close of the instructions the pony was brought in. Al- though distant from him more than thirty feet, upon ex- posing a part of the robe to his view, his terror became so great that in his effort to get away, he broke out of the ILLUSTKATIYE CASES. 143 barn. When brought back, I subjected him for thirty min- utes to the Second Method, without making any apparent progress in overcoming his fear. He continued making the most desperate resistance by striking and kicking at the robe whenever it was exposed to his view. The owner now objected to further treatment, claiming he could not be broken, which was seconded by the class. This was extremely annoying. The usual experiments and instruc- tions had been gone through with, the class entirely satis- fied, and at the time this horse was brought in, were en- gaged in paying their fees. As soon as they saw him re- sist, they stopped paying to await results of the experi- ment, which, as explained, was pronounced a failure, and a sufficient excuse for them not to pay me. It was not alone this class at stake, but a failure would be magnified to such an extent as to destroy confidence in my efforts in the surrounding towns. I asked, "What do you value your horse at?" He replied, "One hundred and fifty dollars." "Very well," said I, and put up the amount, which he understood he was at liberty to take if the experiment re- sulted in the least injury to the horse. I then said to the class: "I want no talk or criticism from you. I insist upon your keeping still and in your places until the result of the experiment is determined. You say I will fail. We will see about that. It will cost you nothing if I do." As I brought the robe near the horse, he was so des- perately afraid of it that he would squeal, kick, and fight with the greatest fury. But my blood was up, and there was nothing for it but at any hazard to see the end. It was a severe struggle ; but I Avas determined to push him now, regardless of consequences, to such a limit of help- lessness as would enable me to bring the robe close to his nose. When I did so, he grabbed and ground it between 144 FEAK.— ITS EFFECTS. his teeth, let go, grabbed and bit it again, and so repeated, five times in succession, when his Avhole nature seemed to suddenly change, and he submitted to it without the least resistance. I now rubbed it gently over his head and body, then untied him and repeated the rubbing, followed by throwing it upon him gentl}^ In a few moments I could stand and throw it upon him without his caring for it. All were now delighted with the result. Every man paid his fee cheerfully. The pony was led home by his owner, who carried a robe over his shoulder dangling be- fore the horse's head, while another was thrown over the horse's head and neck, he being as indifferent to it as if he had never been frightened by such an object. All present voted, "I was a good fellow." Case VI. This was a five-year-old colt of a cold-blooded, sullen nature, owned by Mr. J. C. Collins, proprietor of the trott- ing track in Toledo, Ohio. Though a thoroughly practical horseman, he could do nothing with this horse. The only way he could drive him was b>' hitching him between two heavier horses and tying him back to them by the head. This gentleman was persuaded to join the class, as he afterward stated to the writer, " with the expectation of being fooled." After witnessing the experiments on a num- ber of very bad horses, he came forward, saying, '' he had a horse that he would like to see me drive, and would bring him in next day ; that it was the only horse he ever had he was willing to take off' his hat to, and say he could not Ijreak ; that if I could break and drive him in the time claimed, he would be convinced I could break any horse in the world." I found the horse a strong, determined, impulsive fel- ILLUSTKATIV-K CASES. 14.5 low, very much afraid of anything being brought around or near him, especially of being touched around the quar- ters or flanks. Subjecting to First and Second Methods compelled his complete submission, Ilis resistance to the Breaking Bit was very determined ; but, in time, he sub- mitted to it unconditionally, requiring in all about forty minutes. The lesson was in part repeated next day and he was driven without breeching through the main street of the city. I append Mr. CoUins's acknowledgement published at the time : — "Great Feat — The Worst Runaway Horse in Toledo. " I certify that a five-year old bay horse owned by me was so vicious and unmanageable that he could not be driven single or double without running away. I tried to drive him with a strong, gentle horse, and he would run away in defiance of all I could do, carrying the other horse with him. The only way we could hold him or drive him in Iiarness was by hitching him be- tween two horses, and attaching a strap from his bit to the hame rings of the horses on either side. It was impossible to hold this horse in any other way. Professor Magner subjected him to treatment in my presence, and drove him in the street, yesterday, without breeching, to wagon, so perfectly gentle and manageable that the slightest command, or pull on the reins, would cause him to stop, allowing the wagon to strike his heels, etc. I have driven him myself since, single and double, and find him perfectly gentle and manage- able. I believe a knowledge of Prof. Magner '3 treatment of the greatest value to owners of horses, and should be learned by all who are wise to their own interests. His system will enable any man to make the most vicious horses gentle with a reasonable effort, and it is undoubtedly the best in the world. I would not take ^500 for what I learned from him. "J. P. COLLINS, "Proprietor of Track, Toledo, Ohio." Case YIT. This was a bay horse owned by a butcher in Rochester, N„ Y. A professional horse tamer \\ h > had boen quite suc- cessful in the West was engaged there in business. Hap- pening in the city, I visited him, and during my A'isit, the horse was led in to l)e experimented upon before the class. When shown a robe, he exhibited the r..ost intense fear of it. After a treatment of nearly two hours the horse was in reality worse than before, and the experiment was an 10 14G FEAE.— ITS EFFECTS. acknowledged failure. The man said, "I liaA^en't time to break so bad a horse in one lesson, but I will give him another to-moriow, when I will show you the effect of the treatment upon him. When the class had gone and he was left alone, he took the horse in haiid and worked with him until twelve o'clock that night. Upon my return next morning, al)out ten o'clock, I found an assistant driving around with a buffalo- robe fastened upon the horse's back. Every few mo- ments the hors would snort and kick at the parts of the robe hanging over his hips, and to all appearances as much afraid of it as the night before. As a final resort, they tried this method of familiarizing him with it. Knowing the fear of the robe could not ])e overcome by the treatment used, and not willing to see the man de- feated, I felt compelled, as an act of friendship, to help him out of the scrape. Not wishing to be identified in any way with the matter, I exacted a pledge of secrecy from the man driving him ; after which I subjected the horse quickly to Second Method, and in less than ten minutes he was made perfectly gentle. The robe was pulled under the body, between the hind legs, and thrown upon him from a distance of over ten feet without his showing the least fear of it. He performed equally well the same even- ing before the class, proving perfectly gentle. The result was regarded as a proof of the great success of the treat- ment. The treatment used upon him was a modified form of 7 irst Method. It was tried upon him persistently, as stated, for nearly two hours, and Avhile down, the robe put upon him; b it when allowed to get upon his feet, and the robe shown him, his resistance and fear of it were as great as before. Failing in this, the only resource left was the palliative treatment, which had no effect whatever upon ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. 147 him. Pushing sharply with Second Method, made him for the moment sufficiently helpless to permit the robe to be put upon him, and when in the position of resistance, (on his feet) when he seemed to realize its harmless character he submitted unconditionally, and thereafter became en- tirely indifferent to it. The importance of this treatment is shown by the fact that though the lesson was not re- peated, after standing almost an entire day, he proved en- tirely gentle. * Case VIII. This was a nine-year old bay pony, owned by Mr. Smawley, a liAery keeper in Petrol- eum Centre, Pa. This pony was so wild and reckless that he was in that region of country known by the name of Wild Pete. Ev- ery effort to break him had failed. It usually re- ^'^- h^-wm Pete. quired two men to hold him while being groomed. He could be ridden, but it was utterly impossible to do any- thing with him in harness. Once when a harness was put on him, he became so frightened and reckless that he jumped and got away, and when found, all the harness excepting the collar had been torn or shaken off. His insane fear was so great that he was really wicked in his resistance. When I visited the place in 1869, I was confronted with this horse. All said, " Let us see you drive Wild 148 FEAE.— ITS EFFECTS. Pete," regarding it as a good joke that they had a horse that could " beat the horse-tamer." Upon examination, I found him a small, closely-knit fellow, possessing great action and power of endurance. His forehead was broad, and the head in all respects well formed. To test him, I put on the War Bridle, tied up his near fore-foot, and while holding him, with the lash of a straight buggy whip barely touched his quarters. This frightened him so* intensely that he sprang over six feet Fig. 119. — Wild Pete ia the act of running away. into the air, kicked violently, pulled away from me, and although on three legs, repeated this jumping and kicking for over half a mile. I stated to the people that I could not break such a horse in a barn, but would form a class, and on the follow- ing day I would drive him before them without breeching, entirely gentle and fearless, and that the money for the in- structions might be deposited in the bank, to be delivered to me on fulfillment of this condition. As this was one of the most interesting and marked cases I had found in all my experience, and as it represents a large class of nerv- ous!, unmanageable colts, I will include the full details of the treatment used : — ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. 149 I first arranged with the owner to have him taken to the Titusville trotting park, eight miles distant, and there I subjected him carefully to Second Method, which was ex- actly adapted to his temperament. I touched his quarters very lightly at first, Avhich he resisted by kicking, snorting, and jumping in the most desperate manner. But I per- sisted in the effort, repeatedly reversing both ways until he was compelled to submit to it, but not sufficiently to hold gentle. Fig. 120. — Pole Rig referred to below. This so toned him down that I was then able to subject him without difficulty to First Method, which, as he resisted with great courage, was consequently very ef- fective in his case, but not by any means sufficient to make him submit to be harnessed or put in shafts. Con- sequently, I subjected him again to Second Method, and now succeeded in making him entirely gentle to submit to having a pole brought against his flanks, etc. The next step was to drive him, which I knew I could not safely do. To accomplish this, I improvised the pole rig for shafts. (See cut.) As soon as he found himself be- tween the poles and allowed to moA^e, he seemed for a few 150 KEAK.— ITS MI'M-\K(!'rs. inoinents to cxcit all the energy of despair in trying to get away. But expecting this, I was prepared to meet it and liold him, though liis resistance at this stage was \er\ de- termined. This simple rig, though a chance outgrowth of inciden- tal necessity, proved not only just the thing for the emer- gency, but a valuable acquisition for the management of colts and horses generally of this character. Turning right or left, the poles come against the legs ; in backing, the Fig. 121.— Wild Pete, as he appeared next day after being subdued. ends stick into the ground, bringing the cross-piece firmly against the quarters. There is no danger of their breaking, and by their use the (quarters can be accustomed to being touched or run against by the shafts in driving. Submit- ting to this he was practically broken, and at once harnessed before a wagon with breeching straps loose, and drove back to the American House, much of the way with the cross- piece striking his quarters, proving him perfectly gentle. That evening I drove him to Petroleum Centre, and the next day as promised, exhibited him in harness, proving him a model of docility. An incident peculiar to this case is here worth 3^ of men- ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. 151 tion : Upon Adsiting this place about three years afterward, Mr. Smalley informed me that the horse had been used as a family carriage horse and was one of the safest in that part of the country, but that it was impossible to shoe him with the halter on, while with the bridle on he was perfectly gentle to have his feet handled. While treating him, had I taken up his feet after the harness was removed, and ac- customed them to being handled and pounded upon for a few moments, he would have been just as gentle while be- ing shod with the halter on as with the bridle. As it w^as, he could associate submission only in the manner the treat- ment was used, and this carried it no fjirther than driving with the control of the bit, and hence the docility to allow the feet to be handled while it was on. CHAPTER IV KICKING. Kicking is in all cases the result of ignorance or bad man- agement. As explained in Colt Training and Fear, mak- ing one side of the body gentle and submissiA'^e to contact, will give no assurance in respect to the opposite side. Now "■*Kg\-RtllLt^. CMC Fig. 132.— The effect of bad treatment. when a colt or horse is broken as ordinarily done, and goes off all right when put in harness, it is taken for granted that he is as gentle and safe as can be expected ; but, if by carelessness or accident the rein is caught under the tail, or the cross-piece or whiftletree should come suddenly against the quarters, those parts being practically unbroken, or not accustomed to such contact, the horse is liable to be so excited and frightened as to kick ; and once started in this habit there is increased inclination to do so until con- firmed in it. Now all this could be prevented without the (152) GENEEAL KEMAI^KS. 153 least dilUciilty by fifteen or twenty minutes' treatment, which would make the horse entirely insensible to such causes of contact. It is a habit also that merges into so many other faults that destroy the value of the horse and render him unsafe for use, that I consider it advisable to make this chapter as full in the details ofmanagement as space will permit. There is no reason to suppose that a horse is naturally bad and unmanageable because he kicks. The point is to make him sufficiently gentle to safely bear, with- out kicking, the restraint and excitement necessary in har Fig. 123. — Treatmeut that only confirms the habit. ness. Or when the habit is once formed to so combat it that all tendency to repeat it is overcome. In the chapter on Colt Training I have given details of the treatment to be pursued for the management of excit- able colts, or those that kick. It also includes directions for overcoming fear of the wagon, and other causes of ex- citement, until proved gentle to control, and the treatment as given there for such cases should be studied in connec- tion with this. In the chapter on Teaching Tricks, which can also be re- ferred to, I have explained that the principle of breaking up and overcoming a habit is exacth^ the reverse of that of teaching a trick or habit. If, for example, in teaching a l.-)! KICKINCt. horse to kick iiji. lie were so Liriitle and learless tliat he could not by any ordinal y means be made to do so, it would be necessary to use such means as would excite and irritate liim to kick, when he could be easily confirmed in the habit. On the same principle, if the horse is a very determined kicker, then an ef- fort should be made to overcome the sensibility which is the cause of the kicking, until there is no inclination to repeat it. This can easily be done by either one, or by a combination, of the Methods of Subjection given. To illustrate: I had a pony that I washed to teach to throw boys. As a preliminary to teaching him this trick, it was necessary to make him kick up promptly at command. The simplest way of teaching this trick is to prick lightly on the rump with a pin, and when the hind parts are throwai up a little, caress, and repeat until simply touching the part causes the horse Fig. 124.— a little doubtful. diS:,m^' Fig. 125. Points of uood character. Fig. 126. to kick up. I^ut this pony was so gentle that sticking the pin into his rump would not excite the least motion toward kicking. The only alternative now was to make the parts sufficiently sensitive to start him in the trick. GE^EKAL HEMAKKS. 1; ).) Fig. 127. — Docile cliaructer. T drove a few tacks into a shingle, filed the ends sharp, and of equal length, and hacked them into the skin a. little to cause irritation. Next day on touching his rump with a pin, he kicked readily. A few repetitions made him so sensitive that even the lightest touch on the part with the finger, or even a motion to- ward the hip, would make him kick as high as I wished, which he would do ever afterward. This is teaching to kick. Now if a horse is violently excited h}" any cause, such as by catching the rein under the tail, the breeching l^reaking or being too long, so as to allow the cross-piece or shafts to come against the quarters, etc., it would excite kicking, and the habit is taught precisely as if by inten- tion. It is seen that af- ter starting the horse in kicking, at each repe- •titiuii of being touched or hurt he will kick the harder. So in learning l)y chance to kick in har- ness, the greater the ex- citement and fear pro- duced and the oftener its repetition, the more reckless and determined Now any cause that excites and irritates this kicking without being able to control or stop it, will only intensify and confirm it. Consequently, when Fig. 128. -Good eve. will* the habit become. loG KIOKIN(i. u horse by chance is made to kick, and in trying to break np the habit is excited and badly managed, each repetition of treatment, if unsuccessful in overcoming the habit, only aggravates and tends to confirm it. The key of success is in being able to combat the habit directly until all inclination to resist is overcome. But the method of doingthis must in a great measi^ be governed by the peculiar- ity of disposition, and the intensity with which the habit is fixed. If the nerv- ous system is so greatly deranged and weakened that kicking is in a great measure involuntary, and Will not bear abuse, ^j^-^ ^^^-^^-^^^ ^^ oVOrCOmO by subjective treatment, then such means must be used as will disable and restrain the kicking in harness until the inclin- ation is fully overcome. So far as the act of kicking is con- cerned, it is about the same in all cases ; but the energy of resistance and the persistence of the habit depend upon the sensibility, jjluck, and endurance of the horse, and the degree to which the nervous system has been shaken or broken down by fear or abuse. A very little lack of good judgment here may sometimes cause a great deal of trouble and needless cruelty, and make the horse's subjection far more difficult. I pay particular attention to this point, and do not make a move until sure of the proper course. I have learned by long experience to take no false step if avoidable, knowing what trouble may result therefrom- For instance : Is the horse a wild, reckless runaway, or simply one that, save the habit of kicking, is otherwise Fig. 129.— Sensitive. GEKEIiAL REMAliKS. 157 gentle ? Is he cold-blooded and persistent, throwing all his energy into kicking at all hazards ? If the first, is the habit the result of fear, and to what degree is the nervous system weakened, or is the case one of a really bad dispo- sition ? If the second class, what is the undercurrent of his nature ? Will he bear pushing while under excitement, or is he one that to warm him up is to excite only to more intense resistance ? If he is very sensitive, high strung, kicking mainly from fear, the treatment must be of a char- acter not to heat the blood, excite, or give much freedom, when all Fig. 130. — Ideal of sullen, treacherous nature. that will be necessary to do Avill be to accustom him to the noise or rattle of the wagon, or bearing contact until fear- less of it. If a headstrong, runaway kicker, especially one that kicks recklessly when touched, a simple course of sub- jection that will force his submission to restraint, will usu- ally be all that is necessary ; when by repeating the les- son in part once or twice the habit can be easily overcome. If a cold-blooded, sulky kicker, or one that kicks only in harness, the habit must be combated directly until un- der control. The cold but courageous, switching kicker, kicking by spells or when excited, will usually submit most readily to simple restraint. To excite or irritate cases of 158 KICKING. this character by general coercive methods, unless the after treatment is carried out with great care and judgment, will only do harm by irritating the nervous system to a degree that W'Ould only intensify the habit. A good idea of these differences in disposition and char- acter can be seen by the large variety of illustrations of heads in this and other chapters. For inexperienced persons, the Breaking Rig, if avail- able, would make the control of all ordinary cases simple and easy. But presuming it is not available, I will give Fig. 131. — Ideal expression of the determined, fighting kicker. my regular methods of management. As I have before ex- plained, the principle of breaking a horse of a habit is the reverse of teaching it, and I have also reminded in the chap- ters before referred to (Colt Training and Fear), that mak- ing one part of the bod}^ gentle does not give assurance of making other parts so. The same in breaking a horse to drive in harness, making him gentle out of harness or in a position in which he is not accustomed to w^ork, cannot be regarded as assurance of safety when hitched before a wagon. The subjection must be progressive until this end is attained. Now to break a horse of kicking, the first point is to GENEKAL REMAEKS. 159 make a reliable foundation by rendering him thoroughly gentle out of harness. In doing this, it will greatly facili- tate success to adapt the treatment to the case as nearly as possible. I have learned, as one of the hard lessons of my experience, that if I let the horse resist me after once forcing his submission, it will only make him worse than he was before. It gives him increased courage and con- fidence afterward to fight back, and thus makes his char- acter doubtful and treach- erous. This taught me when I had a bad case t<> make every stej) s u r c ; Fig. 132. — Points showing the expreasion of contirnied kickers. from each step gained, to make the next until I came to driving, whicli I made so thorough tliat I felt sure of mak- ing the horse reliable. Suppose we have a nervous, kicking colt or horse, of a naturally good disposition. Perhaps putting on the War Bridle and puUing him right and loft a few times, just enough to disconcert a little, will make him submit in a few minutes to have a pole brought against the quarters, hips, and flanks. Simply repeat until the horse will submit to be poled in any manner with the head free. If the horse is strong and shows much fear of being touched around the IGO KTCKlNfi. quarters, kicking hard, and trying to get away, this treat- ment Avill not be sufficient. It is necessary, therefore, to resort to means by which he can be controlled quickly and easily. The Second Method would be the simplest way of doing it, turning him right and left sharply, but not to the point of falling, at the same time bringing the pole against the quarters as he passes around, until he will sub'.nit' to it without fear while standing still. The point of his submitting unconditionally to be Fig. V-i3. — A good expression of the sullen kicker. touched all around the tail, quarters, and flanks, should at this stage be made very thorough. Then, when untied, re- peat this poling; or, if necessary, by the control of the War Bridle repeat the pohng until the horse will stand quietly while being poled in any manner with the head free. (See cut 41.) If the horse is of decided viciousness and great endurance, the treatment must be made more posi- tive. For such, this method may not be sufficient. When this is anticipated, follow with either or both the other methods; and, if necessary, repeat the Second Method. Tf I have a good place and the horse will bear the excite- ment, I usually follow with the First Method, throwing GENEKAL KEMAilKS. 161 rapidly eight or ten times, as fast as the horse will get up ; then stand behind him and excite him to get up, and roll him back until he will not try to get up. This is the limit of this treatment, and works well when the horse will get up with energy ; but is almost inert when there is not much resistance to it. All that is necessary when the horse gets up and is Fig. 134.— Snowing the impulsive, dangerous character of bad kickers when first brought for treatment. standing on three legs, is to bring the pole against the quar- ters. If there is submission to it, simply repeat until he will bear the poling in any manner with his head and legs free. But if there is still resistance, follow with the Third Method, and repeat. While pressure is on, bring the pole against the quarters industriously. Usually, at first, the horse will kick hard when touched ; but it is rarely there 102 KICKING. will not be submission in a few minutes. This point nuide, gradually remove the pressure, and while doing so, kec}) rubbing and bringing the pole against the quarters and flanks until there is unconditional submission. Sometimes young horses of this character are very bad. The greatest average of the w^orst horses I have ever found have been iron-gray, sorrel, or black, though I have occa- sionally found bays extremely bad. But the case must be very bad that will not yield readily to the Second and Fig. 135. — As some very bad kickers will act when touched. Third Methods. The First in many cases will be found equally effective. A great deal depends upon how the treatment is applied. A man may use either or all the methods, supposing he has done all that it is possible to do, and fail in subduing the horse, yet I may use the same treatment immediately afterward and succeed without dif- ficulty, the only difference being in the proper application of the treatment. (These conditions will be found explained in connection with the description of each method in the first chapter.) When done properly, it should seldom re- quire more than thirty or forty minutes to subdue even very bad cases. GENEEAL REMAEKS. 163 The point accomplished of making the horse gentle in one position to be handled and poled, it must be carried to driving in harness, which is the real point to be attained ; for however gentle the horse may be at this stage, he may still resist with great recklessness when driven to wagon. In many cases, if thoroughly subdued, he may be safely put to a wagon and driven ; but if at all doubtful this should Fig. 136. — As the desperate kicker sometimes resists when subjected to First Method. not be attempted, as in the event of kicking successfully a great point is lost. To break a horse reliably of kicking, means that there will be no inclination to kick in any posi- tion, no matter how irritated. Now put on the harness, tie up the tugs and breeching straps, and run the reins through the shaft-bearers. The point in driving is to disconcert and control the horse suffi- ciently by the power of the bit, so that he can be controlled and driven by the restraint of the reins. The most power- 1G4 KICKING. f'ul and simple means of controlling the mouth is by the Patent Bridle. If this is not available, the " W " or Breaking Bit should be used. The chief value of this bit depends upon the way it is used. The advantage of the Patent Bridle is that it gives great power without requiring any special practice. Get directly behind the horse ; if he is sensitive, it is better before starting to have an assistant bring a pole over the back and Fig. 137. — As the bad kicker will usually resist wheu touched while turning. against the quarters on both sides and flanks until he takes no notice of it. Now start the horse gently, and, having driven a few steps, bring the pole against the quarters lightly at first, then repeat, until it can be brought with considerable force against the legs and quarters without exciting fear. If the horse is very sensitive, give an ap- ple, stroke the head and nose, and speak kindly. No mat- ter how severe the previous treatment, when submissive, kindness will be very important in quieting the nervous system. In addition, it tells the horse by his way of rea- soning that the punishment is for kicking. Now drive right DETAILS OF TREATMENT. 165 and left, pulling the rein firmly against the outside quar- ter, and continue until the horse dri^^es fast or slow as re- quired. If disposed to resist when touched, and kicks, give a quick, sharp pull on the reins in order to pull the head up and back, which would disable and prevent carry- ing out his purpose. This is usually not difficult. But sometimes the horse will kick violently when this is done ; if he does, and there is good control of the mouth, set him Fig. 138.— As extremely bad kickers resist when touched while pressure is on. back hard against a rail or pole so arranged that it will strike the quarters on a level with the cross-piece of shafts, repeating until there is entire submission. (See Colt Train- ing.) The point of doing this is to bring the quarters al- most up to the pole, and then with a sharp, quick pull, force him back against it. Should the horse resist the bit and appear plucky, he will try to pull far enough away to kick against the rail, which must not be permitted. But if there is sufficient control of the mouth, he can be held against it helplessly, K;r; KICKING Avlien after a few inefl'ectual efforts lie will submit. Repeat this surging back against the rail until there is no resist- ance, then drive as before, being careful that all sensibility around the quarters is overcome before stopping. Sometimes it is advisable to put on the foot-strap, and, at the commencement of driving when there is an effort to touch the quarters, pull the foot from under, which disables the horse so that he cannot kick. In my practice I rarely Fio. 13P. — Test often given by the writer in proving the horse's docility after being subdued. use this means. Sometimes it works well in the manage- ment of green, impulsive colts, and it will be found a good auxiliary means of control, but seldom necessary in the management of kickers. If it is desired to be especially thorough and careful, hitch and drive to poles as described in Colt Training. Drive to the right and left, and back against the cross- piece. This will accustom the horse in moving to bear the pressure of the shafts against the quarters and flanks, — a very important point, — which cannot be done with regular sliafts. DETAILS OF TEEATMKNT. 167 No matter how well the horse driA'es to poles, it is no assurance that he will be reliable before a wagon. The in- creased noise and rattle of the wagon will be an additional cause of excitement to which he must be accustomed. Be- fore hitching, repeat the touching around the quarters and flanks with a pole. If he has been much frightened at the wagon, let him feel and smell of it, at the same time rattle it until he is accustomed to the noise, and encourage him by giving apples, etc. ; then put in shafts. Pull ihe wagon Fig. 140. — As the horse usually drives in harness after being subdued. forward at first lightly against tlie quarters, gradually re- peating until it can be brought against the parts quite hard. Now by starting him a little and pulling the wagon behind in this way, it can be ascertained what he w^ll bear. Attach him to the wagon without buckling the breech- ing-straps, get in, let him go slowly a few steps, then pull him back sharply, saying, " Whoa ! " which will bring the wagon as before against the quarters. Repeat, driving him faster and faster, until he can be put at a moderate trot, and then increase to a run. In this way he becomes thoroughly reconciled to the noise and excitement of a wagon, as well as to the contact with the shafts. Of course 1(58 KICKLVG. when it is desired to drive in the regular manner, the breeching-straps must be buckled. A A'ery important point, and one that should not be neg- lected, is, tlmt when the horse behaA^es well, he should be encouraged by giving apples, talking to kindly, etc. A great deal also depends upon the temperament of the man. Some men, w^hatever their experience with horses, seem to be almost poison to them. They think that all that is necessary is to jerk a horse around, or subject him to treat- FiG. 141. — A test to which the horse should be subjected before beiug subdued. ment as if but a mere machine ; then if the horse acts badly or resists, they attribute the entire trouble to the bad char- acter of the horse, instead of their own lack of skill and care. If at any point in driving the horse he should re- sist control and kick hard, he must be subjected again to the regular subjective course to the point of unconditional submission. It was a matter of almost daily occurrence while travel- ing, to have young horses of this character brought me to experiment upon before my classes. Among (hem I would DETAILS OF TEEATMENT. 169 Fig. 142. — One of the tests usually given by the writer l)efore the class, proving the horse's entire submission in harness. 170 KICKING. Fig. 143. — No life or action. frequently find mares and colts which showed such terror when brought near a wagon as to jump and kick so desper- ately that the combined strength of several m e n could not bring them near, or hold them in shafts. The owner would usually say: " I would like to see you hitch up and drive my horse, but you must take your own chances. If you let anything strike his heels I'll warrant he'll kick and run away." And, " They never had a horse before this one that they could not break." Now it was rare that I was unable to drive such horses by the treatment explained, in from fifteen to thirty minutes. Such suc- cess, in connection with the apparent ease with which it was done, would al- ways be a cause of the greatest surprise and satisfaction. Runaway Kickers. The treatment for runaway kickers is practically the same as for horses of the previous habits, the difference being simply in training the mouth, which must be made sufli- FiG. 144. — Sensibility and action. DETAILS OF TREATMENT. 171 ciently thorough to compel iiiicoiKlitional siihmissioii to the restraint of the bit. (For full details see "Running Away.") Confirmed Kickers. Confirmed kickers are usually exceptionally bad cases, and mjiy be classed under three heads, as follows : Nervous, Excitable Kickers, Sulky Kickers, and Switching Kickers. Some of the very worst horses of this kind I have ever broken, and which caused me the most trouble, were cases which, at first, did not seem very b a d , but grew worse as t h o y warmed up. Some will , , Fig. 145.. — Norman Horse. Naturally gentle. show the most w^onder- ful pluck, striving to kick in defiance of all that can be done, and require not only the most careful l)ut thorougli course of treatment to be broken. While others, though kicking with extreme viciousness, and showing a great deal of ex- citement, may become entirely gentle l)y a short lesson of subjective treatment. So that the act of kicking must not alone influence the treatment so much as the peculiarity of disposition. If the horse is large boned, with strong, dense texture of body, not inclined to put on flesh, gray or sorrel, eyes large, rather dark, showing much white, and with a sort of sullen expression, no matter what the character of the kick- ing, he will usually prove a hard fighter. Horses of this character usually will not bear any mistakes or fooling with, 172 KICKING. Fifi. 1-46.— Sullen, treacherous nature. They must be taken in hand with great care and thorough- ness. Sometimes a very nervous, excitable horse will not bear the Second Method, becoming warmed up too quickly. In such a case, the First and Third Meth- ods must be depended u p n . TLsnally the Third will be all that is rerjuired. If so, the pressure should be all that the h o r s e will bear, and when suc- cessful there will be entire submission, the eye softened in expres- sion, and the whole system, as it were, relaxed, the horse showing no fear of having the pole brought against the quarters. In a general way I would advise treatment about as f 1 1 o w s : If there is not en- tire docility after using the Third Method, use the First to the ex- tent the case will bear. Much de- pends upon how this is done, and how the horse submits. If he is rangy, quick, and active, it may be necessary to be particularly careful to avoid hard, stony ground. Select a ploughed field free from stones, or where the sod is very soft. Throw the horse Fi.(;. 147. — The best type of intelligent, courageous nature. DETAILS OF TKEATMENT. 173 Fig. 1-tS. — a noted vicious kicker. quickly, and as often as he will get up ; then reverse the rig and throw him on the opposite side, and repeat. Now see what the result will be by poling and handling around the quarters ; but few horses will resist it. If there is any incli- nation to kick after- ward, the next alter- native should be the Second Method. But I repeat : As much depends u p o n the way this is done as upon the method it- self. The point is to throw the horse off his balance with sufficient force, and often enough to bear being poled at pleasure around the quarters and flanks, — a task not at all difficult to perform. If the horse has a good mouth, the after treatment will be simple and easy. The most difficult horses of this character to break are those with mouths so tender that they will not go against the bit, or will submit to it too easily. Presuming there is a good stiff mouth, (for nearly all these cases are of this char- acter), put on the harness with Patent Bridle or Breaking Bit, and make the after treatment as before explained, be- ing careful to be thorough, taking no chances that can be avoided until able to drive to wagon perfectly docile. Sulky Kickers. It has been explained in the first chapter that horses represent the different characteristics of the domestic ani- mals. The most marked and annoying is the suHen or salky nature represented by the bear, hog, or bulldog. As kick- 174 KICKING. ers, they are \ery persistent anil difficult to break, if not managed just right. Yet when treated properly they are not at all difficult to break of the habit. One of their pe- culiarities is that when broken they act as indifferent, and gentle to control, as though they had never had the habit. When a horse is excitable and nervous, the treatment must be such as not to increase the ex- citement ; while in managing cool, sulky fighters, it must be quick and aggressive. Some- times the First Method will not Fig. 149.— a vicious horse before work at all ; it uiay, however, be subjection. . • i i -^ 4-1 t, v tried, and it the horse can be made lo get up with energy, make all the impression you can with it. Now follow quickly with Second Method. If you let the horse go his own way, touching him around the quarters, etc., he will only Avarm up into increased resist- ance. Motion with a pole toward the nose ; if this does not cause him t(^ move sufficiently (| u i c k , then touch him with the whip sharply, which, in addition to motioning to- ward the head, should push him as rnpidly as desired. Reverse quickly and force as before up to the 2:)oint of falling. Rejoeat in this w^ay a few times, keeping him as nearly help- less and confused as possible, in the meantime poling as before ex- plained. In extremely bad cases, if the treatment has not been carried far enough he will be likely to kick with great determination. If he does, grasp the pole with the end Fig. 150. — The same after treatment. DETAILS OF TREATMENT. 175 back under the arm, catch the hitching part of the halter np near the head, and Pun around with him, at the same time pressing the pole against the quarters, and hold until submitted to. When successful on one side, go to the op- posite side and repeat. Successful in this, pole him while standing, then untie and do the same. A remarkable fea- ture will now be that when he once gives up, he will be likely to act as indifferent to the poling as if he never cared anything about it. It will be advisable, however, to put on the War Bridle — the most powerful form — and pull him right and left a few times, which greatly intensifies the im- pression of power already made. The Third Method does not seem to work well on these cases because they will not resist under it ; it works well only on those cases which resist it hard for a short time, then give up unconditionally ; upon such it will be found very effective. While, as before explained, "throwing," or the First Method, does not produce impression sufficient to do much good unless the horse will try to resist it by getting up. The Breaking Rig would work well upon most of these cases. Among this class there is occasionally a horse that will seem to fight through all the treatment when warmed up, either sulking when forced, or fighting back. A point in the management of such cases, which I have practiced with great success, but which must be done with great care, is to carry the treatment so far that when cool he will be somewhat sore, when he will be found not much inclined to resist. Now the point of success is to give him a short, sharp les§on, that will compel submission before he becomes warmed up ; as his warming up would defeat the work by destroying sensibility and stimulating resistance. Usually turning around a few times will be all that is necessary to force submission. A horse that at first would be likely to 17G KICKING. * resist for hours, if pushed, will submit unconditionally in ten or fifteen minutes after becoming cool and over the ef- fects of the excitement. Then work up slowly and care- fully as before explained. For example : A small mustang pony, eight or nine years old, was brought me to experiment upon. The owner said he wished to show that he had a first-class kicker, and wanted a little fun out of him. At first, he did not seem to be very bad, but as he warmed up he kicked with the greatest fury ; and after two hours' effort, I was compelled to give him up, failing completely. The viLi. 151. -Expression of most ^^^^^j really kicked worse than when obstinate cases. ^ i • i 1 commenced. Upon returning to that place four years afterward, I was surprised to learn that this pony had been used as a pet by the little boys and girls of the family ; that he was driven and used everywhere to a phieton, and was one of the finest and safest driving ponies in that country. The owner told me that a day or two after his having been handled by me, they thought they would see what they could do with hiin, and to their surprise they found feim per- fectly gentle. They put him in harness, and he drove off without any trouble. lie be- haved so kindly that the children drove him, and he was highly valued for his docility. I found by experience that many cases when w.'irined Fig. 1.53.— Will resist hard. DETAILS OF TREAT.MEXT. 177 up would resist with such desperation that it would be very difficult and dangerous to force them to a point of submis- sion ; yet by putting them away until cool, and then re- peating the treatment, they would submit perfectly in a few minutes. Some of my greatest feats in breaking extremely bad kickers have been accomplished in this way. The ne- cessity for this repetition was fre- quently the cause of great em- barrassment. Perhaps an ex- tremely bad horse broughi iiic for experiment would become so warmed up, and resist with so much determination, as to make the continuance of the effort little less than abuse. My only alter- native would be to induce the ow^ner to bring the horse to the Yui. 15;J. — Most dilliciilt type of character to break. next place of appointment, by guaranteeing to control and drive him there entirely gentle. This would excite so much suspicion and doubt in the minds of the class that they would invariably follow to see what the result would be. It then became a necessity to suc- ceed, as to fail would l)e sufficient reason for demandina* a return of their money. But 1 seldom found much trouble in making my point, — usually a short, sharp lesson would be sufficient. Good eases illustrative of this principle are the Gal- lopsville Horse, Case No. 2. Subjection ; Collins Horse, No. 6, Fear, and the Gates Horse, No. 3, Fear. While the last named could not be driven out of doors prudently when first handled, vet, afterward, when cool, the effect of the treatment was so marked that by merely testing a few mom_ents two weeks afterward, lie proved so gentle as to be driven without breeching, and down hill, through the 13 178 KICKING. Fig. 154. — Ideal of bad character. main street of the village, controlled by word of command alone ^vliile eight or ten rods distant. The Hanky Horse, No. 5, Kicking, was perhaps the most marked case. This horse conld not have been driven the first time handled, yet by a short repetition of the lesson next day, he was driven without difficulty. A great many interesting cases of this character could be referred to if necessary. The important point is not to do too much, yet enough to make the impression necessary to be able to force unconditional submission. Another point : No matter how well a horse may work immediately after being subdued, it should not be accepted as a proof that he is broken. He should be tested carefully when cool and over the excitement. If there is the least indication to re- sistance, the lesson must be repeated until there is certainty of the horse being safe. It is certain that anything short of do- ing enough to make the horse safe, or to over- come the habit, will be likely to result in disastrous fail- ure ; for giving the horse liberty at any stage to fight back, practically destroys all that has been done, by teach- ing him to become cunning and treacherous. Hence the importance of making every step sure to the point of driv- ing, and establishing the impression so thoroughly that no Fig. 155. — Sullen nature. DETAILS OF TEEATMENT. 179 matter what the aggravation, there will be no inclination to repeat the habit. Switching Kickers. When a horse is greatly excited and irritated by fear or abuse, his nervous system is liable to become so sensi- tive that he will squeal and switch. This is more common to mares which are more impressible than horses ; conse- quently, when badly spoiled, they are more difficult to break. In this form it becomes involuntary resistance, or a species of insanity, and in extreme cases very difficult to overcome. The point is, if possible, to make a sufficiently strong, counteracting impression to overcome this. Very much will depend upon how much the nervous system has been shaken, and the peculiarity of disposition. Some of the worst kickers I have ever handled were colts which had been greatly frightened and abused in breaking. The course I pursue with such is about as follows : — If the case is one that will bear impressing sufficiently to overcome the kicking, I subject to regular treatment as advised for ordinary cases, directing my attention particu- larly to accustoming the quarters to being touched. Fail- ing in this, I use direct means of restraint, such as the kicking-s traps or over-draw checks. The kicking will now punish so severely that there will soon be fear to repeat it. The straps should be used in driving for some little time after the inclination to kick is overcome. Kicking-Straps. These straps should be cut at least two inches wide ; they should be mjide of two thicknesses of good harness leather, sewed together and fitted so they will come nicely around the leg between the fetlock and gambrel. There should be a strong wrought iron D stitched on the front 180 KICKING. sides. The insides should be lined with soft, thin leather, or buckskin, to prevent chafing the leg. If no Patent Bridle is available, use a strong, well-fitting halter, with the strap passing back between the legs over the belly- band ; or it may be attached to the belly-band by a piece of rubber. Next, take a strong hempen cord, not less than five-eighths of an inch in diameter, firmly wound, or a good piece of leather made round like a rein, run it through a Fig. 156. — Kicking-Straps as arranged for use. pulley or ring attached to the halter-strap a little back of the belly-band, and extend to the rings of the foot-straps. The point is to have the rig so regulated that the position of the horse will be perfectly natural in traveling; but should he run or kick, both legs coming back at once brings the whole force directly upon the nose. The straps should be kept on until the pain caused by the kicking makes the horse so much afraid to kick that he will not repeat it. Sometimes the straps are connected with the bit so that the horse will kick directly against the mouth. But this DETAILS OF TREATMENT. 181 is objectionable because when the kicking is severe against the mouth it will be cut and bruised, besides it is liable to break the jaw. Even when kicking against the nose, by the restraint of the halter, there is possible danger of in- juring the spinal cord at the juncture of the head with the spinal column. I never had an accident occur from such a cause, though I used the treat- ment a great deal in my early experi- menting. I have heard of one case in Maine of a horse breaking his jaw by kicking against the bit, and one in Ohio, killed by the severity of the shock upon the neck. It will be found that when the horse kicks against the mouth or nose, he will soon learn to throw the head down to give greater length between it and the legs, as this destroys the force of the blow. Fig. 157.— Tail Strap. With the use of the Patent Bridle the force of the kicking throws the head up, and at the same time punishes with such se- verity that there will not be much inclination to repeat it, and the habit will soon be overcome. Twenty years ago, a very bad mare defied my utmost efforts to stop her kicking, and as a matter of experiment I passed a rope from the bit, to the hind leg below the fetlock, and thence back to the opposite side of the bit, and held it in my hand while I excited her to kick. After a few repetitions she gave up unconditionally. By this means I succeeded in breaking her of the habit, but the rope chafed and tore the skin so badly upon the legs that I had much trouble in Fig. 158. — Tail Strap detached. 182 KICKING. curing them. To guard against this in other cases^ I put on straps to which I attached rings, and passing the rope through them as before, I irritated her to kick, repeating until there was submission. But as this could not be car- ried out in driving, the kicking-straps, with the connection made to the bit, were devised ; after which the pulley ar- rangement was added. These straps are best adapted to kickers with the nervous system so weakened that the habit is in a great measure involuntary. Foot- Straps. I found that by tying up the leg, the horse was not only prevented from kick- ing, but so disabled that he could not go ; while giving freedom to travel, and dis- abling only at the moment of danger, made a far more powerful means of restraint, and became a very effective means for the control of run- away colts. It is seen that if the leg is pulled from un- der just as there is intention to kick, it not only disables the same as if tied up, but serves to divert the horse from his purpose of kicking ; while at the same time he can be given freedom to move again when it is desirable. When there was danger of the horse lunging ahead I used a foot- strap upon both fore feet. If the horse attempted to lunge forward after one leg was taken up, I instantly followed by pulling the other from under. In the case of a doubt- ful horse, the foot-strap will be found a good reserve power. During my practice of late years, I seldom made use of Fig. 159.— Foot Strap. DETAILS OF TREATMENT. 183 such means, but depend mainly upon the regular course of subjection to force submission. Over-Draw Check. The over-draw check can be modified in various ways, according to the case. Sometimes a simple over-draw check is all that is necessary. If more power is desired, in ad- dition to the check, the restraint can be carried to the hips, thence to the shafts. (See cut 161.) So that in the act of kicking, as the quarters are elevated, the restraint will be Fig. 160. — Simple method of forcing the head up, and preventing kicking by the elevation of the hips. instantly brought upon the head, throwing it so high as to disable. This principle of control was learned by the writer under the following circumstances : In 1861, when in Hen- derson, Jefferson Co., N. Y., a half-witted fellow offered to instruct me how to drive any kicking, runaway horse. He said, " Bring the center of a slender rope of sufficient length to the top of the horse's head, and pass the ends down through the rings on each side of the bit, and thence back into the wagon as reins." I afterward used this means of control and found it would work well in some cases, though not in all. I gave the idea to a man named Hartman, in Lancaster, Pa., who modified it into what was afterward known as the " Hartman reins," which he patented. A 184 KICKING. great improve nient in this for kickers, is to pass the reins over the hips to the shafts as explained. Checking the head high Avill sometimes hold in restraint a strong-willed, treacherous horse, that is liable to lunge sideways, or pull heavily. It will usually work well when a horse is a little irritable, and simj^ly needs a litile restraint to keep him inside ilio ]»oint of resistance, the same as Fio. 161. — The horsic as disabled when there is an effort to kick. the tail-strap acts in preventing the horse from kicking by keeping the tail confined and helpless. The simplest and best way of checking the head high is to pass the check- rein through gag-runners, which sliould be attached to the head part of the bridle well up near the ears, and buckle into an extra bit, which is to be held up against the roof of the mouth by means of a strap passing over the nose. This form of chock inji- tlio head up and back will bo found A ery effective. A common method in use years ago for kickers was to DETAILS OP TREATMENT. 18' Fig. 163. — Simple method of controlling the head. put a triangular piece of iron, in form like a V, between the collar and bit. The central point resting upon the collar, and with both ends attached to the rings of the bit, it held the head up in position as desired. A strong- headed, doubtful h r s e will fre- quently drive with entire safety when the head is helplessly held up in this manner ; but the check be- fore referred to is the simplest and best means. Sometimes the h I) r s e will kick only when the rein is caught under the tail. If he is simply irritable, and hugs the rein, the easiest way to prevent it is to wind an ordinary crupper with cloth, or cover nicely with ohamios skin, or soft leather, until one half to two inches in diameter, as m a y be neces- sary. (See cut 165.) This be- ing larger than the rein belo\\' makes it impos- sible for the horse to hug the rein with sufh- cient strength ^ , Ti ., Fig. 163. — The .same as in use. to hold it. When the tail becomes very sensitive from the continued chafing of the parts, its action becomes involuntary. In such cases it must be confined to make the horse safe. This can be easily done by buckling a small strap around it under the hair about two-thirds down the dock, from 186 KICKING. which, on each side, extend a small strap to the hip-straps, and fasten short enough to prevent the tail from switching around and catching the reins. Hip-Strap. If the horse is irritable around the hips, but drives all right so long as restrained, or unable to bring the hind Fig. 164. — A simple method of keeping the head elevated to prevent kicking while driving. parts up, simply strapping him down will sometimes be all that is necessary to do in order to use him with safety. The best way to do this is as follows : Attach a loop to the harness between the hip and tail; through this pass a strong two-inch strap with ends attached firmly to the DETAILS OF TREATMENT. 187 shafts on each side. There should be pieces of leather or iron screwed to the under sides of the shafts to keep the ends in place. Two points must be kept in mind in order to be success- ful : 1st. The shafts must be so stiff that they will not bend much. 2nd. The strap over the hip should be so strong that it will not break, and just tight enough to be drawn straight when in place, but not so long as to give any freedom to raise the hips. Four-ring Bit. The four-ring bit by its power will sometimes throw the nose up, and occasionaliy make a doubtful, headstrong- horse drive all right ; but it is best adapted for the management of headstrong luggers. Sometimes a strong-headed puller that cannot be held by an ordinary bit will drive gentle with this. The ef- fectiveness of this bit is in the pressure of its center against the fig. i65.— crupper as wound roof of the mouth. As made here- '' ''''''''' ^^*^^*°^ '^^ ^■"'^• tofore, when pulled upon very hard, these rings would slide in so far as to prevent the desired purchase against the palate. To prevent this, I devised the slot, or obstruction. Sometimes the Patent Bridle will work quite well in the management of kickers. For the Breaking Rig, see illustration with description in first chapter. It may be asked, " Is there any medicine by which you can make a horse gentle ?" See "Medicine" in ''Subjec- tion." 188 KICKING. Kicking whp:n Struck with the Whip in Driving, Some horses are usually gentle until struck or touched with a whip on the back or flanks, which they will resist by kicking. Or v/hen not going fast enough, if hit sharply with a whip, the response is a kick. There is usually no fear of the wagon or of anything exhibited ; it is simply a sullen resistance, and unless treated properly is a A^ery ugly habit to overcome. For a simple, ordinary case of this kind, put on the War Bridle, and after giving a few sharp pulls with it, touch him over the back with a whip, at each repetition striking harder until he can be struck quite hard without resisting. Should he kick, punish sharply^with the cord, and repeat until there is no resistance. Now put on the harness with reins through the shaft-bearers, and drive around, touching gradually over hips and back. Should there be resistance, punish sharply with War Bridle, which should be left on under the bridle. Simply repeat until successful. This should be all that is necessary to do to break any young horse. But if the horse is very bad, it will be likely to fail. In such a case, subject to either method, as may be found advisable. If tlie First Method be tried, touch with the whip after throwing. If the Third, while pressure is on, touch or strike lightly in the same manner whenever sensitive, until there is no resistance. If Second Method is used, touch the part while the horse is going around. In either case the point must be made thoroughly. Now put on the harness ; if a Breaking Bit or Patent Bridle is avail- able, it should be used. If the horse will go ahead freely at command, the work will usually be sufficient. But if he sulks, refusing to go against the bit, the case will be serious. In such cases proceed about as follows : — "^ Get a good bow whip of the best quality, from six to DETAILS OF TEEATMENT. 189 seven feet long, say in a quick and sharp manner, " Get up ! " If he does not respond at once, catch both reins in the left hand, step a little to left, at the same time lift the reins out of the way of the whip, and give him one or two sharp cuts around the legs up near the belly. Then quickly jerk upon the near rein to disconcert and throw the head up. If the horse springs ahead surprised and disconcerted, a few repetitions will soon establish the idea of going ahead when commanded. Should he, however, kick in response, this must at once be abandoned ; as in bad cases these fel- lows will stand sullenly, and fight every time struck. Grasp the reins as before in the left hand, and step to the right and forward of the quarters. Instantly after the sharp '^ Get up ! " give one or two keen cuts with the whip across the tip of the nose. This will so surprise him as to cause him to jump quickly. After a few repetitions he will, at command, spring ahead without being touched, when the point is made. Now drive around right and left until he will start or stop as desired. When the horse works well, make friends with him by giving apples, etc., which tells him that punishment is for resistance, and reward for obedience. No matter how stubborn these cases may ap- pear at first, if treated sharply in this way they will in- variably work in well. When I first hitched up " Gilford," he seemed to have his own mind about going, and would not start ahead when commanded. I gave him a sharp touch of the whip, when he kicked and smashed the dash in. This was his trick, of which I knew nothing. I at once unhitched him, and treated as just explained, until he would start promptly, and he never kicked afterward. Sometimes in driving or trotting, a horse will go oil" aW right until struck with the whip or pushed a little, when he will sulk or kick. Such are usually horses showing a large 190 KICKING. undercurrent of the positive or sullen nature, and are very provoking when irritated. They seem difficult to manage because there is no way of forcing that will not react in trouble. During my early experience I used the foot-strap with much success in the management of this habit. At the instant of touching sharply with the whip, pull the foot from under, which not only disconcerts the horse, but prevents the kicking. Indeed, this alone will enable the perfect control of most of these cases. Kickers in Stall. In the first place, for the management of kickers in the stall, a great deal depends upon the size of thQ stall and adroitness of the man in approaching the horse. A very narrow stall makes it somewhat difficult, if not dangerous, to approach even many gentle horses. Such stalls are not only an abomination for the increased danger and incon- venience they cause in going around a horse, but for not affording sufficient freedom for the horse to lie down and step around. It is no reason for stalls being so constructed because somebody who should know better makes them so. If the stall is large, there will be better opportunity to keep out of reach, and, unless the horse is very vicious, there will be no difficulty in going around him with com- parative safety. Then, much depends upon the character of the man. A courageous, determined horse soon learns to become ag- gressive toward a naturally timid man who seems afraid to approach him. If a horse is very vicious in his stall, he is like any other dangerous brute upon which nothing short of a thorough course of subjective treatment will pro- duce any impression. But if irritable or cunning, a sharp lesson with the War Bridle until he w;ll follow promptly KICKERS IN STALL. 191 will nsimlly be sufficient ; after which it may be left on for a day or two. The treatment for all ordinary cases should be about as follows : First, put on the War Bridle, Second Form, which may, if the case is stubborn, be turned into the Double Drmv Hitch Form, and make him feel its power sufficiently to follow promptly. Lead him into the stall, and while holding tlie cord, step in and out repeatedly, making him, during the time, keep his hind parts turned in the opposite direction. This treatment may be accom- panied by giving apples, etc. If the case is important, and it is desired to be very thorough, after putting on the halter, put on the War Bridle, Si^ond Form, with the part going through the mouth running through the rings on either side of the halter to keep it in place, and the part over the head well back upon the neck. Now pass the cord back to the end of the stall and tie to a ring or post, leaving it sufficiently long to give the horse room to step around as usual when tied by the halter. When it is desired to go in, if he does not step around at command, untie the cord and give a sharp pull upon it, which will bring the head around, throwing the hind parts to the opposite side, when he can be approached with safety. This may be repeated when first put on for a few times, to teach the idea of stepping around when commanded. After a few repetitions he will soon learn, when approached and commanded, to step around. There is a great sleight in approaching vicious horses when in stalls, the disregard of which may sometimes cause a naturally gentle horse to kick if approached or touched unexpectedly. First, no matter how gentle a horse is, there should be no effort to go near or approach before attracting his attention by speaking to him. If at 192 KICKING. all doubtful, the course should be about as follows : When behind, a little to the near side, look directly at the horse's head and say sharply, " Get around ! " repeating until the eye is caught. A great deal depends upon the expression of confidence and authority shown. An intelligent, cour- ageous horse will discern instantly any lack of confidence or power, and become correspondingly aggressive. At first the horse may look back and try to measure your strength and be disposed to (question your advance. It will be a matter of will power now. Look at him with all the firmness you can, and repeat the " Get around ! " with the most thorough vim of expression. If a man of any iierve, but few horses will disobey. If he steps around, tie matter if the ears are put back and the eyes partly closed showing inclination to kick, there will seldom be much danger. The eye kept firmly upon that of the horse, will discover any movement almost before it is made ; so reach the end of the stall fronting the horse, with head slightly turned to hold the eye, and make a quick, gliding leap or long step toward the shoulder. After getting well forward of the hips there will be little danger ; watch- ing the opportunity in this way, and moving quickly, will permit getting beyond reach of danger before the horse can kick. This is really the only secret of getting around oj' into the stall of a doubtful horse without getting hurt. (See chapter on " Stallions.") By observing closely, the inten- tions of the horse will always be revealed by the expres- sion of the eye and his actions. Danger is shown by the ears being thrown back, eyes partly closed, lips drawn back, and mouth perhaps partly open. If the horse will not move when commanded, but holds his position firmly, especiall}' if one having a dark, lurking eye set well into the head, thick eyelids, and heavy ears, the character is A KICKING WHILE HAENESSING. 193 treacherous and needless risks should not be hazarded. What such a horse does he will do quickly without warn- ing. But if he seems to yield, no matter how bad he is, and there is quickness in getting into the stall, as explained, there will be but little danger. I have frequently been able to go into the stalls of horses that were very dangerous, and have never been kicked or hurt while doing so. Many times the horse would kick the stall, but by a sharp, ringing command suf- ficient to disconcert, and by jumping quickly, I could al- ways get to the shoulder or head without being touched. In many cases I have been compelled to take the chances from necessity ; but by observing these precautions, and calculating my chances carefully, I would be able to get by, though at the instant of doing so the horse would kick the stall behind me. When desiring to get out, pull the head around after, bringing the hind parts well around to the opposite side. The instant the halter is let go, step or spring beyond reach. While Harnessing. The habit of kicking while harnessing is always the re- sult of carelessness or bad treatment. Were the horse treated kindly and the harness put on gently until accus- tomed to it, there would be no trouble. Not being accus- tomed to the breeching or the crupper under the tail, a sensitive horse is liable to kick when feeling pressure upon those parts. I have frequently found horses gentle after the harness was on, yet they would kick violently when the attempt was made to put it on; while others would kick only after it was on. All that is necessary to do in such cases, is to put on the War Bridle, and, after giving a few sharp pulls with it, hold firmly in the left hand, and while keeping it taut upon the rnouth, with the right spread the '" ■• - ' 13 194 KICKING. "1 harness gently over the back and hips. The pressure of the cord upon the mouth will hold the attention of the horse sufficiently to allow putting the crupper under the tail and buckling. To break up the habit, it may be necessary to repeat this treatment two or three times, punishing sharply for any resistance, and encouraging by kind treatment for al- lowing it to be put on and off as desired. After gaining the attention by the War Bridle, it may be drawn down and tied as in cut 66, page 67, but not kept so more than Fig. 166. — As a bad case of this character will usually resist before treatment. thirty seconds to a minute ; after which the harness can be put on or off as desired. It is very important in these cases to associate kindness with the treatment by giving apples, etc. Resistance to having the collar put on, or the neck touched in consequence of having been made sore, is some- times a formidable diffi(;ulty, as the horse may show great viciousness, striking or kicking violently. If the treat- ment named is not sufficient, then more force must be KICKING WHILE HAENESSING. 195 used; but with care, the War Bridle will be found suf- ficient. In such cases, attention must be given to having the collar large enough to permit putting easily over the head. Or if an open collar, it should be unbuckled and put on quietly over the neck. In addition, particular at- tention should be given to curing the parts if sore. A great point also in the management of such cases is in win- ning the confidence of the horse to bear having the sensi- tive parts touched by scratching the mane and other parts, Fig. 167. — As the horse will stand quietly to be harnessed after treatment. and imperceptibly approaching the sensitive parts until it is borne ; then follow by caressing, giving apples, etc. There may be cases also where resistance to the har- ness upon the hips, or crupper- under the tail, will be very violent. In such cases a regular course of subjection may be necessary. One of the worst horses the writer ever handled was of this character, compelling to resort to the First, Second, and Third Methods, which were in part repeated to break him of the habit. 196 KICKING. Kicking and Biting While Grooming. The habit of kicking and biting while grooming, is in all cases the result of bad treatment. A sharp currycomb or card is usually raked recklessly over the legs and belly, regardless of cutting into the skin. The horse may snap, kick, and almost lie down upon the ground in the effort to avoid or relieve the pain ; but no more attention is given to this than to kick and pound as a means of compelling to stand quietly. Sharp currycombs, or any instrument that will hurt, should not be used upon such horses. Should the horse be over-sensitive, the result of former bad treat- ment, restrain a little with the War Bridle until he will submit to being cleaned as directed. In such cases, it is always advisable to commence at an insensible part, and work gradually to the part at wdiich the grooming is re- sisted. Bad to Bridle. ^ Most horses will submit readily to be bridled by giving a short lesson with the War Bridle, and tying down as ex- plained, when the bridle can be put on or off as desired. Care should be taken to have the bridle large and easy-fit- ting. As there is submission, give more freedom until there is no resistance. Should the horse show viciousness, and resist this treatment, then subject to Second Method, and while tied, handle the head and put on the bridle. When untied, restrain with the cord, being careful in such cases to work gently, rewarding liberally for obedience. Able once to take off or put on the bridle without force, repeat for some time, holding the attention by giving ap- ples, etc. Such a horse should be bridled with care for some time to outgrow the sensibility. THE PUTNEY HOESE, 197 Case 1. — Putney Horse. This was an eight-year old bay, of close, compact struct- ure, weighing about 950 pounds, and owned by J. B. Blanchard, of Putney, Vt. He was a runaway kicker of the worst stamp, having defied every effort to break him. In a passive condition he appeared to be a horse of ordinarily good character, with eyes rather dark, of medium size, and with a sullen expression. His ears were rather long, and set on well apart, quite long from eyes to ears, and with good, broad forehead, — all indicating endurance, courage, and pluck, of the most decided character. When brought forward to be. experimented upon, no intimation was given of his character. It was simply claimed that he was un- broken. Upon trial he developed the most desperate re- sistance. Not having a suitable place in which to handle him, the First Method, which was exactly adapted to his tempera- ment, could not be used. Resisting the Second Method, he was subjected to the Third, which was carried to its ut- most hniit before he yielded. Upon testing the mouth he developed the most deter- mined opposition. With the Breaking Bit he pulled ten men — five to each rein — on a w^alk across the barn, resisting; even to being pulled down upon his knees, but submitted in about forty minutes. The whole treatment required about an hour. Next day he was brought to Westmore- land, N. H., where I was advertised, and upon testing him he proved perfectly gentle. On the following day the owner drove him to a sleigh twenty miles to Keene, where the horse was well known, and also drove him in the streets while there without breeching, proving him perfectly gen- tle. The horsemen declared they knew such a horse could not be broken, but here was the undoubted proof of his do- ciHty. This incident enabled me to make a large class. 198 K ICKING.— ILLUSTKATl VR CASES. Case 2. — Malone Horse. This was probably one of the most notable kicking, run- away horses ever known in the State of Ohio, special reference to which is made in "Personal Experience." He was a fine, blooded trotter, eight years old, about 16 hands high, and weighed about 1050 pounds. In appearance he was quiet, and perfectly gentle to ride and handle. The greatest effort had been made for years to break this horse, but without success. At the time of my visit to the place, all hope of ever being able to subdue him had been abandoned. I subjected him to the First Method, which he at first vio- lently resisted, but after being thrown about a dozen times he submitted un- conditionally. It was not sufiicient, however, to produce the degree of submission desired, and he was next subjected to the Second Method, which he also resisted with great courage, requiring in all about twenty minutes. The foun- dation was now laid for the next step, — that of obtaining control of the mouth. This was, if anything, his strong point, having resisted all kinds of bits and rigging. When tested with the Breaking Bit, he plunged against it, fighting so hard that at one time he wxnt over the rope upon the seats. By careful management, however, he was in about twenty minutes brought under perfect control. Next morning I tested him hard in the ring, and found him Fig. 168.— The Malone Horse. THE ]\I ALONE HORSE. 199 manageable. I now took him outside tiie city to know definitely what he would bear in the street. Upon careful trial he proved entirely manageable, when I drove him back. I now trained him to stop, turn right and left, to the mo- tion of the whip, continuing the lesson about ten minutes, resting as long, then repeating until he would turn right and left as desired. I employed every spare moment in this way up to 12 o'clock, when I hitched him up without reins, letting shafts go against the quarters, etc., and drove to the square, where there was a large crowd, and proved 7Tvij_^ WIILEY.ENS. Fig. 169.— An incident of the Malone Horse. Result of an effort by a horse-breaker to drive hini. him perfectly gentle. For several days, each time, before hitching up, I tested him by running the shafts against his quarters, to remind him of his lesson ; otherwise he was treated with great care and kindness, being quieted down by petting, giving apples, etc. I explained to the class that, in the management of this and all other cases of like character, it would be necessary, after a spell of idleness, to remind of the lesson by a slight repetition of treatment. I sold the horse to a leading horseman, A. S. Robins, who had been a member of the class, and who had wit- nessed all the details of the treatment. I especially ex- plained to him the necessity for this case. Upon my leav- 200 KICKING.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. ing the city he desked me to take the horse with me for a few weeks, which I did. Finding his constitution had been seriously injured by the severity of the treatment to which he had been previously subjected in the effort to break him, and that the least use of him got him off his feed, to improve his condition I had him carefully fed, and kept quiet during the time in my care, over a month, intending, as a matter of safety, before allowing him to be taken away, to give him another short lesson ; but while I was absent the owner sent for him. After letting him rest a short Fig. 170. — The Malone Horse as driveD, next day after treatment, on the Square, without bridle, reins, or breeching. time, he hitched him to a buggy, took in a friend, and drove around the city all right. But when near home, on driv- ing sharply round a corner at the Kenard House, perceiv- ing the horse wiggle his tail as if to kick, he jumped out on one side, and his friend on the other. The horse, finding himself free, ran away, and tore the wagon to pieces. Some said he kicked ; others that he did not. Happening in the city the next day, and hearing that the famous Malone horse had run away, I called upon Mr. R. for an explana- tion. The moment he saw me he said : — THE WATSON HORSE. 201 " Do n't say a word. I am entirely to blame ; not the horse. I drove him all over the city, and never had a horse drive nicer. But somehow I got the idea he was go- ing to kick, and before I knew what I was about, I jumped out and let him go. He did n't try to kick." I said, " Let me take him, I will soon make him so he will drive with perfect safety." " No," he replied, " I am afraid of him, and shall never ride behind him again." I give these -details, mainly, to show how liable good horsemen, of even much intelligence, are to fail on account of not carrying out the instructions properly. Case 3. — Watson Horse. This was a kicking, runaway horse of the worst char- acter, owned by a coal-dealer named Watson, in Memphis, Tenn. He was a rather heavy-boned, light gray gelding, nine years old, and Aveighed about 1030 pounds. There were so many incidents of interest connected with this horse that I give some of the details : He was in appear- ance and color very much like the last one referred to, simply a little heavier boned and shorter legged, but a horse of wonderful pluck and endurance. He was ac- knowledged to be the worst runaway kicker in the State of Tennessee. Over a year before, a horse-drover from Kentucky, hearing of him, claimed he could drive him or any other living horse. Upon trial the horse ran away, clearing himself from the wagon, throwing the man out so violently as to cause an arm to be broken, and otherwise seriously injuring him. Afterward, a mule-drover from the eastern part of the State claimed to be able to drive him, betting largely upon the results. As before, the horse ran away, threw the man out, nearly killing him, and plunged into the Mississippi River, from which he was with diffi- ^202 KICKING.— illustrative: CASES. culty rescued. Upon my arrival there, this man was still confined in the city, helpless from the eiTects of the injury. It was considered a good joke to test me with this horse ; and to do anything there, I found it necessary to break him. I took him outside the city for treatment, and subjected him to First Method. Not proving sufhcient, I followed it quickly with Second, alternating with First, then again with the Second with great rapidity, when he submitted to being touched around the quarters without offering to kick. Upon trying his mouth I found it entirely unmanage- able ; but after about an hour's effort, succeeded in making him drive perfectly gentle. The same afternoon I drove him, without breeching, down the principal street of the city by word of command, while distant from him eight or ten rods, letting him go fast or slow, stopping and starting him as I desired. It was believed, however, that he must have been under the influence of medicine. To test this, he was shut up for a week, after which I was requested by Gen- erals Forest, Rucker, and other leading citizens, to drive him to a carriage. Upon arriving, I found the horse hitched ready to be driven, and the demand, " We want to see you get in and drive this horse now." This was decidedly risky, as it is rarely that sufficient impression can be made upon the brain by one lesson to mako a horse safe eight days afterward. To fail, as they predicted, would of course be equivalent to exposing me as a humbug. Pretending to be under the influence of liquor, I staggered toward the horse's head, and with the apparent effort of steadying my- self, with the right hand I grasped both reins back of the jaw, and gave a sudden pull down and back, at the same time saying sharply, " Whoa ! " The horse yielded per- ceptibly to this, which Avas sufficient to show me that the mouth was entirely manageable. I immediately got in, THE HETTRICK HORSE. 203 drove the horse about ten rods, turned him quickly around, and drove back down hill on a ftist trot. Upon reaching them I threw the lines out over his head and yelled, "' Wlioa ! " He stopped so quickly as to slide fully ten feet. All were convinced there was no humbug about that, and joined in voting me all right. Case 4. — Hettrick Horse. For a domestic horse, this was one of the most vicious, striking, kicking, runaway brutes the writer ever saw. He was a large sorrel, weighing about 1150 lbs., and was owned by a man name d Hettrick, who kept a hack-stable on Thirtieth-st., near Sixth Avenue. Mr. Hettrick first saw the horse hitched up in Twenty-fourth-st., to a big cart, with both wheels blocked. Two men were holding him by the head, and the third in the cart holding by the reins. The horse was sold for $275, on condition that he could be driven. Notwithstanding the precautions taken, at the first jump he ran away, tearing the cart to pieces. Mr. Het- trick left his card, stating that he would give $50 for the horse, and he was accordingly sent to him for that price. As he expressed himself to me that evening, he was will- ing to give $50 for a good subject with which to test me. The moment I saw the horse I knew I had an unusually dangerous fellow to deal with. I told the owner I did not consider it prudent to take such a horse before a class un- FiG. 171.— The Hettrick Horse after being subdued. 204 KICKING.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. THE HETTEICK HOESE. 201 til I knew what he would bear, as it might cause me con- siderable trouble to get to him, and besides expose the class to accident. As he could be led safely by keeping well out to the end of the halter, I had him taken over to my place, on the opposite side of the street, and tied to the center-pole. I found I could not go near him to touch any part of his body without getting struck or kicked. His re- sistance was so remarkable in this respect that I give an il- lustration of it. But once getting my hands upon him, which took me nearly an hour to do, I was so provoked Fig. 173 —The Hettrick Horse as driven in the street next day. that I did not stop until I had completely subdued him. I subjected him to Second Method, which he resisted, acting more like a wild, untlimable animal than a horse. At one time he jumped over the rope upon the seats, breaking down several of them, — just such an accident as I had an- ticipated. I next subjected him to First Method, then again to Second, which completely subdued him. The rest was easy ; he was simply tested with the Breaking Bit un- til compelled to submit to it. He was hitched up the next day, driven to Central Park, and proA^ed entirely gen- tle, in single or double harness. He had so much of the wild, mustang nature that, notwithstanding his entire do- cility in harness, it would have been a dangerous experi^ 20G KICKING.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. merit, even after being thus subdued, excepting when done very cautiously, to put the hand upon his nose, as it would cause him to snort and strike. This case was so interesting that I had an accurate drawing made of his head, which I had engraved with others, and which is given at the heading of this case. Notwithstanding it was an accurate drawing of the head after being subdued, and shows a very bad expression of character, it scarcely gives an idea of the striking expres- sion of viciousness before being subdued. Case 5. — Hankey Mare. This was a seven-year-old mare, owned by Mr. F. A. Hankey, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She was a bright bay, weighing about 1000 pounds, of remarkably strong, firm texture of body. She had a good intelligent head, showing the indications of great activity and pluck. The eyes were rather small, showing much white, eyelids rather heavy, quite long from eyes to ears, and ears long. She was raised by the owner, Mr. Hankey, who tried to break her when she was three years old, but, notwith- standing he resorted to every possible expedient, completely failed. She not only resisted the control of several men, but ran away, carrying with her a heavy four-horse wagon loaded with manure. The following letter to a cousin of his, Wm. Motter, of Emmetsburg, will explain itself: — ''Dear Sir: — " I was a member of Mr. Magner's class yesterday in Gettysburg. He had a class of over forty scholars. I took in my mare for him to handle, which I had been trying to break from the time she was three years old, and could do nothing with her. She was the womt runaway kicking mare I ever saw, and I had given up all hopes of ever being able to break her. After trying every way I could to break her and failing, I made up my mind I would fix her for once so she couldn't run away; so I filled my large, four- horse wagon with manure, and hitched her to it, with three other horses. Notwithstanding there were three men holding her in addition, she carried wagon, horses, and men, right away with her mouth, and tore everything to pieces. It took two hours yesterday to control her. To-day I took her to THE GOODMAN HOESE. 207 Fairfield, where she was hitched up, before the class, perfectly gentle, not minding the cross-piece running against her quarters, or showing the least inclination to kick. I write this to say to you, and all my friends, to join his class and learn his system. He is no humbug. The knowledge to be gained is that which farmers and horse-owners cannot afford to be without. "Yours Truly, F. A, Hankey." The facts of her running away with a four-horse wagon, I was positively assured to be in every particular true. Mr. Hankey joined the class on condition that the mare should be driven gentle. Being compelled to handle her in the midst of a large crowd in an ordinary sized carriage- house, with hard ground floor, the difhculty of her subjec- tion was greatly increased. She was subjected first to Third Method, which was carried to the fullest extreme for about fifteen minutes, then to the Second, after which again to the Third, when she submitted to have the quar- ters touched without kicking. Her resistance to the bit was extreme, and it required over an hour to make her yield at all to its restraint. Not considering it safe to drive her while warm, I told the owner if he would take her to Fairfield next day that, with a little additional treatment, she could be driven with en- tire satisfaction. He and a large number of the class fol- lowed me there, where, as promised, she was driven with entire success. As explained in chapter on " Kicking," though many of these extremely desperate cases cannot be driven while warm, because liable to fight back, which would be equivalent to failure, by putting away until cool and over the excitement, they can be driven with but little difficulty. If the horse cannot then be driven with entire safety, the safest and best way is to repeat the lesson, when the driving Avill be made easy. Case 6. — Goodman Horse. This case is included not only to show some of the dif- ficulties the writer encountered during his early experience, 208 KICKING.- ILLUSTKATIVE CASES. but to call attention to a type of character that will often be met. In Goodman, Mississippi, I had a large class. The only subject offered for experiment was an ordinary looking sor- rel, medium sized, and to all appearance, perfectly docile. This was all the more puzzling to me, as I noticed a gen- eral expression of interest to see the horse driven. To il- lustrate the First Method, the " throwing rig " was put on, when, with scarcely an effort of resistance, he dropped down upon his side without appearing to haA^e energy enough to get up. He was equally indifferent to the Sec- ond Method. No matter how confined or pushed, he could not be made to go around rapidly enough to cause the least dizziness ; also out of harness he was as indifferent as an ox while having a pole brought against his quarters or legs. While attempting to drive in harness, there was no resist- ance to being hitched up ; but the moment started, he com- menced such a volley of kicking as I never saw a horse do before. If confined too closely he would drop sullenly upon his belly, not attempting to resist until again upon his feet and an effort was made to move him, when he would repeat the kicking. I told the class I never saw such a kicker before, that the simplest way of satisfying them would be to give them their money back. Their answer was : — " No, sir ', you advertised to drive any horse. We have furnished you with one, and we want to see you drive him. If you can't do it, we will see that you stop traveling through the State swindling the people." This implied that if I could not do it my career would be short. It was not a matter of teaching the class any more, but of driving the horse. Aided by a number of the plass, who really did all they could to help me, I worked upon the horse from four o'clock in the afternoon till ten at THE GOODMAN HOESE. 209 night, without making the least apparent headway in his subjection. The horse was now put in the stable, when he went to eating as unconcernedly as though nothing had happened. Next morning I again took him in hand, put- ting him before a cart, and working him until dark with- out, so far :as I could see, making any progress whatever in his control. I went to bed thoroughly tired, but deter- mined to go through the matter at any hazard. Next morning, after breakfast, I went out to look at him. He stood eating, apparently as quiet and unconcerned as though he had not been touched. I stepped into his stall to study him a little closer, and found his mouth simply a little sore from the effects of the bit which had been used. In attempting to back him out of the stall he resisted. This so provoked me that I determined for once to have the best of him. I put the hitching part of the halter, which was of ordinary rope, through his mouth, and sent him back on a run to the middle of the floor. At this point he collected himself for a desperate fight, but my tem- per being up, I sent him back out of the barn into the mid- dle of the yard, against the reach of an old lumber wagon which happened to be there. Now commenced a most des- perate struggle, which lasted fully a minute, he making an effort to kick up, and I to hold him so closely against the reach that he could not do it. He finally gave up the contest, quivering all over. His whole nature seemed now to be changed. I knew I had him safe, and at once hitched him up without breeching, and drove him through the streets perfectly gentle. All expressed themselves per- fectly satisfied, saying, " You are a good fellow," etc. Cer- tainly I felt happy in being able to feel myself out of the scrape. At my request the owner took him to Carrolton, about thirty miles distant, where, to the surprise of the people who knew his former bad character, I drove him 210 KICKING.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. hitched to a wagon without breeching, starting and stop- ping him by word of command while ten rods distant. This was the means of making me a large class there. This horse was nine years old, half mustang and half thoroughbred. He was of medium size, strong and com- pact in form. His owner, who had the reputation of being one of the best horsemen in that part of the State, told me he never had a horse before that he could not break, but this one defied his utmost effort, — in fact, he never saw such a horse before. The Third Method would have enabled the easy man- agement of this case. The method of treatment should have been about as follows : When subjected to pressure he should have been put in shafts or poles and made to move, letting the cross-piece strike the quarters; as he submitted, the pressure should have been removed until he could be driven without restraint. If properly carried out, I am confident this course would, as proved in the management of a great many cases of like character, have enabled his easy control in fifteen to thirty or forty minutes. The Breaking Rig would also have enabled his easy management. I give the particulars of this case mainly to show through what effort much of my success was obtained, as well as to impress more clearly the course of treatment to be pursued. Much of my trouble really arose from ignorance, or in not knowing what to do. In this connection I think it advisable for future reference to make the following ex- planation : I have reminded in the treatment of this case chat the Second Method would not work, because the horse would not turn. I refer to it to show how little I knew about the true principle of carrying out this valuable method of treatment at that time, notwithstanding I invented it, and had practiced it for over ten years with great success. The treatment by this method should have beei; as follows ;— < THE GOODMAN HOESE. 211 First, tie just short enough to move him. If tied too shoi't there is danger of his rearing up, mustang style, and falling over backward, or of going round so quickly as to fall down before the nervous system can be sufficiently impressed to prevent his lunging or throwing himself. The aim should be to move the horse moderately at first, grad- ually forcing up quicker, but not to the point of falling. After tying, have ready a good bow whip, stand upon the outside, and give him a good sharp touch across the nose. After two or three times the horse will usually stop, and throw the head down and forward, pulling upon the halter with great severity. Now tie a little shorter, and force more quickly with the whip. If inclined to pull sullenly, force up quicker. The more sullen the temperament, the more necessity for compelling more activity with the whip. The greatest alertness and judgment are required to do this well. First, the instant the horse is about to fall, he should be quickly untied and tied in the opposite direction before he regains his balance, repeating in this way perhaps two or three times. All this should not ordinarily require more than five or eight minutes, though in some cases it may re- quire longer time. When properly done, the effect of this treatment is sometimes quite surprising. Next, put on the harness with the Breaking Bit, under which the War Bridle may be put for reserve. Drive the horse around, frighten- ing him to jump ahead, and disconcerting by an occasional sharp cut of the whip across the nose. The horse will not usually resist until put in harness, when he is apt to fight back quite hard. When this is attempted, fight it through, or rush him over it, which can be done by the War Bridle, the Double Draw Hitch Form is best. This enables lifting him right and left out of his tracks, as desired, which has a powerful influence in discouraging these sullen cases at this point. But with the Third Method, as explained, the 212 KICKING.— ILLUSTKATIYE CASES. management of these cases becomes still easier and sim- j^ler. Case 7. — McVay Horse. This case was very nearly like the last one referred to, with the exception of a large blending of the nervous tem- perament with that of the sullen or sulky nature, and, of course, was more intense in resistance. She had kicked from the time she was a colt, and had become so fixed in the habit that she would kick and squeal as soon as the door of her stable was opened. As this is a very remark- able case I will give its history : — The firm of Mc Vay & Allison bought of L. L. Dorsey, of Kentucky, the well-known breeder of " Gold Dust " trot- ting stock, three young mares and a staUion. One of these mares w^as a most desperate kicker, and considered a hope- less case. She was sold at an exceedingly low price to get rid of her. The buyers supposed they had an especially good bargain, not anticipating any trouble in breaking her. Upon getting the horses home, the most persistent effort was made to break this mare, employing for the pur- pose, at different times, the most successful horse-breakers to be found m that part of the State. Every effort only left her worse than before. At the time of my visit there she was seven years old, and regarded by her owners as worthless. In spite of the most liberal advertising in this town, I found it impossible to excite the least interest in my efforts ; and as a last resort offered to forfeit $500, if I could not subdue and drive without breeching, in forty minutes, any horse that could be produced. I was entirely ignorant of this mare, which, as can be seen, was an unusually difficult case, or I would not have ventured taking such a risk. The owners^ supposing they had a sure thin^ on this mar§ THE McVAY HOESE. 213 to break me down, told their superintendent to join the class, and take her in ; that they did not care if she was killed ; for as they could not break her they did not wish to breed from her, and she was, consequently, good for nothing. A few who were let into the secret came for- ward and bought tickets, feeling sure that they could get their money back, not having the most remote idea that the mare could be driven in the time specified. Upon see- ing her, I saw at once that she was one of the worst kick- ers I ever had brought me to experiment upon before a class ; and that to succeed at all, it must be by a well-di- rected and supreme effort, — a sort of rush that would break up her confidence before she warmed up. She was subjected to First Method, as a matter of trial, which she did not resist, and it was, in consequence, use- less in her case. The Third Method was next used, and carried to the utmost of what could be done with it, and followed quickly with the Second. The important point to which I wish to call attention in the management of this case is, that it was made effective only by forcing her rap- idly with a whip (as explained in the application of the treatment at the close of the last case), after which she was harnessed quickly, and rushed around the ring rapidly with- out kicking back once successfully. A little time was now taken in testing her, to which she submitted uncondition- ally, when the doors were thrown open, and she was driven up and down the street to the surprise of all who knew her. All was done within forty minutes. It was yet believed by the owners, and all who knew her, that she would be as bad as ever the next day. I cautioned the man who brought her in (who was claimed to be one of the best horsemen in the country) to test her very carefully, by partly repeating the treatment for several days ; and doing this I thought he would be able to hold her gentle. 214 KICKING.— ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. Next morning, after breakfast, this man called upon me at the hotel, and requested me to go into the street with him. After going a few rods, he pointed to a horse har- nessed to a buggy, and hitched to a post. " There she is," said he. And sure enough, there was the mare. I felt in- dignant that he should disregard my instructions. But he said he had tried her in every way that morning, that she could not be made to kick, so he concluded to hitch her up and drive her down (two miles), and that she had driven all right. About six weeks later, when at Newark, Ohio, Mr. McVay came to me, and stated that his mare was perfectly gentle, and the most promising and valuable mare in Rich- land County ; that he used her for family driving, and one day while driving her rapidly before a sleigh, in company with his children, the breeching broke, letting the sleigh run against her heels. He expected, of course, she would kick and run away, but, to his surprise, the instant he said, " Whoa ! " she stopped quietly, not showing the least fear, or offering to kick. He added that if I would come back to Mansfield I could get as large a class as I would want. I felt so indignant at the contemptible opposition and prejudice to which I had been subjected there, that I said I would not go back and teach a class there under any condition. It is proper to explain that the mare's not kicking that morning was very much a matter of chance. Had she kicked, the effect of the treatment the day before would have been entirely undone. This is referred to, to show the importance, at this stage, of being careful to make every step sure in the management of such cases, and leave no chance for failui*e. THE STEVENS HOESE. 211 Case 8. — General Knox Stallion. This was a four-year-old black stallion, owned by Mr. Stevens, of Lancaster, N. H., and is a case of so much in- terest that I will give the details. When at a small town in Vermont, forty miles from this point, a horse-breaker, who attended my lectures, wished to know whether I intended visiting Lancaster. Answering " Yes," he said, " You will get the worst horse there to handle you ever saw in your life. He will do everything mean a horse can do. The owner is a good horseman, but wishing to take no chances, he sent him here for me to break. I had him here six weeks, and succeeded in driv- ing him in harness, but could really do nothing at all with him. If he could do nothing else he would kick, lunge into the fence, or throw Fig. 174.— The Stevens Horse after being subdued. arrested I could have broken him, but did You will find himself down. I was twice for cruelty to him. not have the time, so I sent him home him there, and I tell you he is a bad one." When I went to Lancaster the owner of this colt was pointed out to me. I walked up and invited him to join the class. He replied that he had no confidence whatever in me ; that he had seen any number of horse-breakers, etc., and knew all he wanted to know about horse-taming. I said to him : — " I believe, sir, you have a horse you cannot manage, and I can put you in the way of breaking him." 216 KICKING.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. " You cannot break him," said he ; " I can break any horse you can." " You cannot break your colt," said I. '' No," he answered, " nor can any one else do it." '* Bring him here," said I. "If I have a correct im- pression of the case, I belioA^e I can drive him gentle in twenty or thirty minutes." Finally yielding, the colt was sent for, and led forward for my inspection. I stated at once, that I could drive him without breeching in fifteen minutes. " It is utterly impossible," said Mr. Stevens. " You don't know anything about him." I told him to come into the class, and if I did not hitch up and driA^e the colt in fifteen minutes and convince him there was no hunibug about my treatment, that I would not only give him his money back, but $25, in addition, also guaranteeing to give him $500, if I injured the horse in any Avay. He looked at me sharj^l}^, saying, " I do not know Avhat to think of it. Either you are one of the worst hum- bugs in the world, or else you know more about horses than any other living man ; I do not knoAV which." He finally concluded to join the class, with the understanding that if I failed in the least he should hold me strictly responsible for any damage done to the horse. On this condition I took his name and money. I saw at once where the trouble was. The colt was in- tensely sensitive, but intelligent, and any treatment which would excite him in the least Avould make him a most dif- ficult subject to manage. I knew also just the treatment he would bear. He Avas so nervous that when the bedding Avas being scraped up, or moved behind him, he Avould al- most jump into the manger from fear. He Avas subjected Avith care to the Third Method, using only ordinary press- THE STETENS HOI^SE. 2l7 ure, when he submitted readily to treatment, and, as prom- ised, was hitched up and driven gentle. The owner had to admit that he was astonished at the result. On the fol- lowing day the horse was taken to the next town, where I was advertised, hitched up and driven, without breeching, in the street. A week later Mr. Stevens informed me that the colt was just as gentle as when I left him, his character bei*Qg completely changed. The whole trouble in this case was bad management. I include the case mainly to show the importance of knowing what to do, and how to apply the treatment properly. The horse-breaker previously referred to had been a member of my class many years before, and supposed he knew all that could be learned about the management of such cases, and was, in fact, considered an extra good horse- breaker, yet, as seen, he was entirely incompetent to man- age this case. Any careful, patient man, wdio knew nothing about my methods of subjection, could, by taking time, have managed this case, without serious difficulty, by proceeding about as follows : First, fill the pockets with good apples ; next, take a pole something like a rakestale, and while holding the horse by the halter bring the end slowly over the back and hips, rubbing gently down the quarters and legs, back and forth. In the meantime give a little apple, and caress. This lesson repeated a few times would have made him en- tirely fearless of being touched and handled. Next, the gradual process of driving around in harness, and poles, as explained in Colt Training, would have made him entirely fearless of being touched around the quarters by shafts, etc., and would have taught him to be guided and controlled by the reins, and driven to a light sulky. In this way he could have been grown in slowly, within one-half to a day's time, and not have learned anything about resistance. 218 KICKING.— ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. Case 9. — Wild Ravenna Colt. In conclusion I will refer to a case which caused me a great deal of anxiety on account of the danger of bringing him under canvas, and treating before a class. I introduce it mainly as a good representative of a certain class of wild colts, and to show the wonderful change that can be pro- duced in a horse by i:)roper treatment. While at Ravenna, Ohio, during the County Fair, I had a canvas on the ground for my special use. A colt was led in from a distance of some five or s i x miles, between two men, who controlled him by a long rope attached to either side of the halter The colt was six years old, weighing from 1050 to 1100 pounds, of so wild and impulsive a character that nothing could be done in the way of break- ing him. He seemed quiet enough when not approached, touched, or in any way excited ; but would rush or jump impulsively around more like a wild steer or mule than a horse, the moment any one came in sight, or near, as though to lay hands upon him. When led on the ground, there was a wide scattering of the people for some dis- tance around him, as it was evident that should the least thing occur to get him started he would be liable to pre- cipitate himself into their midst, and perhaps kill some one. The question became, " Was it w^orth while, for what I could make, to take the chances of getting him un- FiG. 175.— The Ravenna Colt. THE EAVENNA COLT. 219 der canvas, and, with a crowd of people around, try to subdue him there?" I finally concluded that if the chances were great I must make them proportionately advanta- geous ; that the very danger and risk implied corresponding success. I accordingly announced that if a class of a cer- tain number could be raised I would guarantee to make the colt as gentle in twenty minutes as any horse, and should I fail would refund the money. The number being quickly made uj), I raised the canvas on one side, and by using great care got the colt under without much difficulty. But if he was nervous and afraid outside, he was very much more so inside. I however succeeded in getting near enough to attach a strap to his halter and tie to the tail. This done, the case was practically simple and safe ; for, notwithstanding he made a heroic struggle, I had him so completely in my power that he was helpless so far as doing harm. In a short time I was able to take off the ropes and force complete submission. This w\as done wholly by the " Second Method." In ten minutes I hitched and drove him around without breeching, now en- tirely quiet and submissive. I directed the owner to at once put him in the team and drive home, and he drove off without the least trouble. I knew there would be no difficulty in making the colt gentle, and stated so positively. The danger and real diffi- culty lay in taking him among the people, in a public place, for should he get excited he would be liable to tear through the canvas with such Avild fury that the most serious consequences might result. Could the case have been treated at home, all this would have been simple and easy. The greatest point of interest about the case was the ease and quickness with wdiich he was made com- pletely gentle, becoming as indifferent to excitepient or contact with the wagon as an ordinary cart horse ; and 220 KICKING.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. the simplicity of the treatment by which such a surprising change was accomplished made it seem easy for any ordi- nary man to do the same. The greatest average of cases offered for experiment were colts that had become vicious, runaway kickers by bad management, and young stallions that had become so headstrong and impulsive that they could not be con- trolled. Such were the best subjects upon which to illus- trate treatment, rarely requiring more than half to three- quarters of an hour to make them gentle. The treatment for the first-named cases has been so carefully explained under different heads that it need not be referred to far- ther here. But so little reference has been made to this class of stallions that I will, in conclusion, refer to two rep- resentative cases. Case 10. — Lima Stallion. When at Lima, Indiana, a gentleman informed me that he had a finely-bred stallion, seven years old, that continu- ally got the better of him, and he did not know what to do with him. The horse was intelligent and of beautiful form, but for want of exercise and proper treatment had become so headstrong and impulsive that the owner could do nothing Avith him. " Now," said he, " I do not consider myself a fool with horses. I have handled them all my life and can drive any common horse as well as the aver- age of men ; but I cannot see how it is possible by any reasonable treatment to control such a horse as mine in the short time of twenty or thirty minutes, so that he can be led by the halter, driven to harness, and near other horses and mares without kicking or running away. It is contrary to all reason. I would be afraid to undertake to lead him out, for I know I could not hold him. Why, he has never been harnessed or put in shafts in his life. I THE LIMA STALLION. 221 can see how it might be possible to accomplish this in a day or two, but to do so much in so short a time is what I cannot understand." I give these remarks because they are simply the ex- pression of what I almost daily heard from those interested in special cases. It seemed difficult to them because they did not understand how it could be done. The case was simply subjected to Second Method, to which it yielded readily. He was then taught to follow with the War Bridle, after which he was easily driven as promised. CHAPTER Y. BAD TO SHOE. Like most other habits to which horses are subject, that of resisting to have the feet taken up and submitted to re- straint for shoeing, is caused by carelessness, or ignorant, bad treatment. By the use of a Httle patience and tact, it is rarely that even very sensitive colts cannot be made to Fig. 1~6. — As a vicious liorse will sometimes act while being shod. submit the feet to be handled and pounded upon as de- sired ; and once done, unless there is some special cause for disturbance, it can always be done. It is true there is occasionally a young horse that is naturally so wild and vicious as to resist all ordmary good management in the effort to take up and handle the feet ; but with our present methods of treatment, even these cases submit readily to control in a short time, so that the management of even the worst of these cases is not at all really difficult. PALLIATIVE TREATMENT. 223 If a colt of ordinaiy good character, give a short lesson with the First Form of War Bridle, when the feet can be taken up without difi&culty. The efficiency of this simple method of control, in making colts submit to be rode, led, or handled, is very remarkable ; and in no respect is it greater than in allowing the feet to be taken up and handled. Pull right and left sharply a few times with the War Bridle, or sufficiently to make the colt come around without being pulled upon ; then step back, holding the cord rather tight, pass the right hand lightly down the hip and leg to the fet- lock, and lift the foot gently ; at the same time, with the Fig. 177. — As the horse will stand after treatment. left hand, press hard against the hip, so as to throw ,the weight of the body upon the opposite leg, which will enable taking up the foot more easily. If sensitive, lift it but a few inches at first, and then let it rest again upon the ground ; then again slide the hand lightly down the limb, and lift a little higher than before, repeating until in a po- sition to rest upon the knees with the gambrel under the arm. With the right hand hammer the foot lightly, put it down and take it up a few times, then stop and caress. This point made, bring the foot gently forward, in po- sition as if to clinch down the nails. Should the colt at any time jerk or pull the foot away, let go and give a few 224 BAD TO SHOE. sharp j)ulls with the cord, and go on as before until the foot can be taken up and hammered upon as desired. The op- posite foot must be treated in the same way ; then take the fore feet. Rest the left hand upon the shoulder, pass the right lightly down the limb to the fetlock, nnd at the instant of lifting the foot, as before explained, with the other hand press upon the shoulder to throw the weight upon the opposite leg, which will relax the near one, and make it easy to be taken up. Take up and let down a few times, tapping it lightly, and repeat until it can be pounded upon quite hard ; then bring forward upon the knees, and proceed the same as before. The foot should not be held at any time so long, or grasped so awkwardly, as to produce fatigue, or frighten so that it would excite inclination to pull away. By being careful at first, but lit- tle difficulty will be experienced in making any ordinary colt submit the feet to be taken up and hammered upon as desired. Should the colt be so wild or vicious as to resist the War Bridle, subject to Second Method until so dizzy and helpless that he stops turning. While the head is still tied around, as before, rest one hand upon the hip, pass the other quickly from the gam- brel down to the fetlock, and lift the foot forward. If sub- mitted to, but little more need be done ; but if resisted, send around again until helpless, when the effort should be repeated. If submitted to, untie the halter and repeat the handling. Sometimes, after the head is given freedom and the dizziness passes off, the horse may, unexpectedly, kick violently. To avoid being struck, stand well forward, and far enough out from the hip to be out of range of the foot, and, as before, while balancing the body by resting the left hand upon the hip, with the right cautiously, but firmly, lift the foot forward. Should the horse kick, the hand will gimply be carried back with the foot without doing harm, PALLIATIVE TEEATMENT. 225 When the foot is freely submitted, step forward to the usual position, so as to come well under the hip, bringing the foot upon the knees. If in this position he kicks, the foot will be simply thrown out and back from the knees, so that there will be no danger of accident. If the case is still unmanageable or doubtful, put on the Double Draw Hitch Form of War Bridle. While an assistant is holding the cord (see cut 178), buckle a rein, or tie a cord around the foot below the fetlock. Get directly behind, out of Fig 178.— FuUiug the foot back while controllea with the War Bridle. reach, and pull the foot back. This will usually be re- sponded to by a sharp kick, or the foot pulled forward with energy. If so, let the War Bridle be jerked upon once or twice, as punishment. Repeat the pulling at short inter- vals until the foot will finally be given back freely, and when given freedom, it will be rested upon the toe with the mus- cles relaxed. Now step forward to a point a little back of the shoulder, with one hand take a short hold of the strap, at the same time resting the other upon the horse's back, and pull the foot forward repeatedly. Usually this will be submitted to ; if so, catch the foot and bring it forward and 15 220 BAD TO SHOE. back, to test its flexibility or submission to control. If, however, it is resisted, or the control is still doubtful, pass the strajD over the neck, back between the fore legs, and up under the part over the back. Pull short enough to bring the leg well forward under the body, and tie into a half-hitch. This will bring the weight and pulling of the leg directly across the back and neck in a way that disables greatly. Next, touch or lightly slap the leg until it is submitted Fig. 179.— The colt as he will stand after treatment. to freely, when more freedom should be given by giving loose a little. When freely given to the hand, untie, carry the leg back and forward to test it, when take in both hands and pound upon it, as before explained. After the foot is submitted unconditionally, keep on handling for some time, giving apples, etc. The opposite foot must, prac- tically, be treated in the same manner, and more or less, according to the degree of resistance. The blacksmith shop is no place in which to handle colts. The fire and hammering add to the general excite- ment, and greatly increase the difficulty of making the 4 PALLIATIVE THEATiMENT. 227 Fig. 180. — Simplest method of making a nervous horse stand to be shod. horse submit the feet. In .addition, it is not the bhxck- smith's duty to expose himself to be injured or hurt, or to lose time in trying to shoe a wild, unbroken colt. Such colts should always be han- dled at home until proved gentle, which, by following out the instructions given, will not be found a difficult task. I have often found horses that, in consequence of fear or abuse in a black- smith's shop, could not be shod there. I will refer here to but one of many cases in point. During my early experi- ence, while at a town in Southern Pennsylvania a horse was broudit forward for treatment that could not be shod, his particular cause of resistance being fear of the black- smith's leather apron. When first taken to the shop for the purpose of being shod, the hammer- ing and flying sparks greatly excited him, and as the smith came forward to take up his foot, the ap- pearance of his leather apron became an object of intense fear. In a short time he became so violent that he would not allow any man with one on to approach him. The owner and smith concluded they had a sure thing '^/'^■■4/ Fig. 181. — Blindfolding a nervous horse to be shod. 228 EAD TO SHOE. ill this case with which to beat me, and came twelve miles for the purpose, leading the horse. They said they would both join the class provided I would make the horse suffi- ciently gentle to allow a man with a leather apron on to go near enough to handle him. At the same time they told their friends secretly that I could do nothing with the horse, and that they came there for the express purpose of show- ing me up as a humbug. All felt so sure that the horse would beat me that a large number joined the class to see Fig. 182. — As the cord may be adjusted for control of simple cases. the fun, expecting of course they would get their money back. I subjected the horse quickly to the Second Method and War Bridle, not requiring in all more than six or eight minutes, when he could be handled without the least diffi- culty, being perfectly regardless of the apron. I ordered the horse taken to the shop, and accustomed to the sparks and hammering ; to be treated kindly, giving apples, etc. ; also to be shod a few times outside the shop to make sure of his docility. PA LLI ATI VE TREATMENT. 220 Fit.. i'So. — Simple method of using the cord for the control of horses bad to shoe, harness, etc. To show the simplicity of what may appear difficult, it is worthy of mention that at the same place, a party of three men — a father and two sons — were employed over three hours in trying to lead a six-year-old colt, pulling, pushing, and backing him by main force, to the place of exhibition, a distance of not over one-fourth of a mile. The conditions were that I must make him fol- low me freely across the barn floor. A few sharp pulls with the War Bridle were sufficient to make the horse run after me, not re- quiring in all more than two minutes, proving so conclusively the ignorance and bad management of the parties that they were laughed at and ridiculed by the entire class. (See cut 106 ; also Case 4, in " Subjection.") Confirmed in the Habit. As the main object in the management of most cases is to make them submit to be shod with the least trouble, I will fi r s t give the simplest treatment for doing so. Indeed, this simple treat- ment, with a little care, will often be sufficient for the con- trol of even very bad cases. Fig. 184. — Method of putting on the cord when the horse proves very stubborn. 230 BAD TO SHOE. If the horse is very sensitive and excitable, but natur- ally gentle if given his own way (they are usually rangy, good-tempered animals until excited or irritated, when they become exceedingly obsti- nate in their resistance, perhaps simply i)ulling the foot away at an unguarded or critical moment, kicking or throwing the poor smith across the shop), a great deal, of course, depends upon the good management of the shoer, but as much on the aid of the owner. Fig. ISu. SliowiDg the manner of letting Try the followiug COUrSC : up on the cord as the horse submits. ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^.^j^ .^ -^^ ^^^g._ tion, and ready, his left hand resting on the horse's hip, let the owner, or some good, quiet man, catch the horse's ear with one hand, squeezing or twisting it a little, wdth the other stroke the nose, or grasp the muzzle, and hold firmly but gently, at the same time talking to the horse kindly. If there is resistance to this, try blind- folding. Tie a blanket, or something convenient, over the eyes, at the same time rubbing the nose, etc. With care on the part of the shoer, cases that have proved very difficult to shoe will submit at once to be shod as desired. If these expedients fail, put on the cord, the First, or Double Draw Fig. 186.— Four-ring Bit. Method of pulling down on the cord. PALIJATIVE TEEATMENT. 231 Hitch Form, and make the horse feel its jDower by giving a few sharp pulls right and left. Then step back to the hips, pull the head around a little, keeping the cord taut, and take up the foot, punishing instantly for any resistance. Or, stand to the head, and keep the cord drawn rather tight to hold the attention of the horse while an assistant takes up the foot. If the horse is very stubborn, bring the second turn of the cord over the upper jaw, under the lip. This part being very sensitive, a slight pressure hurts so severely as to disconcert the horse sufficiently to make him submit. Or the cord. Second Form, can be put on, with the loop brought over the upper jaw, and pulled suffi- ciently taut to force submission. In either case, gradually let up as the horse submits. In no case should the cord be held tight more than half a minute at a time. The four-ring bit properly used will sometimes work extremely well in making a horse submit to be shod. The bit is put into the mouth with an ordinary head-piece, and the strap closely adjusted across the nose. Now tie the end of the cord to the near ring, pass it around and tie to the opposite one back of the jaw ; then pass over the neck, well back, and down behind the jaw, as for Second Form of War Bridle. Now by pulling down upon the cord the joint of the bit will be forced up against the roof of the mouth, which hurts so severely that the horse is at once disconcerted, or disabled sufficiently to permit the foot to be taken up. The amount of pressure, or force of the pull- ing, must be regulated according to the resistance. If there is submission in a short time, the lightest pressure will be sufficient to make the horse stand quietly to be shod. There is this to be said about this method of treatment, as well as that of the War Bridle : if it works at all, it seems to work so well as to leave nothing to be desired. But if it fails, the failure will be equally marked. It is, 232 BAD TO SHOE. however, but just to add that though in many cases fail- ing, the power of the War Bridle or four-ring bit, when properly used, is sometimes wonderful, the horse at once submitting unconditionally. Tying the head to the tail so as to keep the head bent around pretty well, will sometimes make a horse submit to be shod, but not often. (See cut 42.) This means, with that of putting the cord under the upper lip, which I copy below, has been of late so extensively published as an infal- lible means of making the most vicious horses stand to be shod, ridden, etc., that I think it necessary to give some explanation of them here : — " Mastering Vicious Horses. "Recently an exhibition was given at the corner of Ninth and Howard Streets of a new and very simple method of taming vicious horses, which is claimed to be superior to any in use. The first trial was with a kicking and bucking mare, which, her owner says, has allowed no rider on her back for five years. She became tame and gentle in as many minutes, and allowed hei'self to be ridden about without a sign of her fi^rmer wildness. The means by which this result was accomplished consisted of a piece of light rope, which was passed around the front jaw of the mare, just above the upper teeth, crossed in her mouth, and then secured back of her neck. It is claimed that no horse will kick or jump when thus secured, and that a bucking horse, after receiving this treatment a few times will abandon his vicious ways for- ever. A very simple method was also shown by which a kicking horse can be shod. It consisted in connecting the animal's head and tail by means of a rope fastened to the tail and then to the bit, and drawn tightly enough to incline the horse's head to one side. It is claimed that it is absolutely im- possible for a horse to kick on the side of the rope. At the same exhibition a horse which for many years had to be bound on the ground to be shod, suf- fered the blacksmith to operate on him without attempting to kick, while secured in the manner described. " This is from the same piece as the Maine man's method of breaking a balking horse. (See " Balking.") As I brought both these methods of treatment into use, and have had al- most unlimited experience with them, I am able to deter- mine their value with more accuracy than it is possible for inexperienced persons to do. While they will secure the control of many, even quite bad cases, as explained, they cannot by any means be depended upon for the control of PALLIATIVE TEKATMENT. 233 really difficult cases. They \\eve used by me almost daily under circumstances like the following : — After subjecting a horse to the Second Method, while still tied, the effort would be made to take up the foot ; but it was rarely, unless thoroughly subdued, that the foot would be submitted. The same is true of the cord or War Bridle. It was often a matter of considerable importance, to be able to control some cases quickly, and I would, as an experiment, try the most simple and direct methods of management. I have experimented in this way thou- sands of times before, after regular subjective treatment with the War Bridle, and cannot regard it as more than pal- liative, since it would, in a great many cases, prove entirely inefficient. Even with the Double Draw Hitch, its most powerful and effective form, which, until recently, we kept a secret, and used only as a reserve, we could not de- pend upon it. Fifteen years ago the War Bridle was my principal resource for controlling colts and bucking horses to ride. But it is entirely inferior to the Second Method for the control of bad cases. Simply tying the head to the tail, and sending around until dizzy, then mounting from the outside, so as not to get entangled by the strap, the horse will be found so helpless that he cannot buck ; should he attempt it he would simply be carried around the more rapidly until submissive. The matter of breaking bucking colts and horses was a common, and, sometimes, a very formidable difficulty to meet. One of the worst cases I ever came across was a ten- year-old mule in Central Mississippi. It was proved ab- solutely impossible, even by the restraint of any kind of rigging, to mount or keep upon this brute's back. In fact, the case was so bad, and the people felt so sure that I could not ride her, that they made up a large class for me, know- ing they would get their money back if I failed to do so. 234 BAD TO SHOE. I simply subjected her to the Second Method sharply, and in less than fifteen minutes rode her as I pleased. This would have been impossible by the palliative means re- ferred to. She was a good representative of the mustang nature. This is the only method of treatment by which a strong, determined bucker can be safely and easily mastered. It was quite frequently the case that we would have for our main subject a horse that was particularly bad in shoeing. As a test of success, it would be often required that the horse be shod in a blacksmith shop. Now after be- ing subjected to regular treatment there would usually be but little trouble in taking up and hammering upon the feet as much as desired at the place of treatment ; while we would sometimes have all we could do, even by the most severe use of the War Bridle, to handle such in the shop. I will refer here to one case in point out of many hundreds that could be mentioned : — When at Taunton, Mass., the only subject for treatment was a very bad horse to shoe. The case submitted readily to the Third Method. The class insisted, as a condition of being satisfied, that the horse should be shod next day at the blacksmith shop. I had a very large class at this place, and a failure m doing this would have given them sufficient reason to demand a return of their money. There was no opportunity for me to handle the horse in private, as the class took particular care that I should not have access to him in the meantime. Notwithstanding the Double Draw Hitch was used upon him to the utmost of what could be done with it, we barely succeeded in making him submit to be shod there. Before leaving New York, (referred to in "Personal Ex- perience") Mr. Wilkins, the owner of the horse subdued as a special test, called upon me and requested me to assist him in having the horse shod, stating that he had become en- PALLIATIVE TEEATMENT. 235 tirely unmanageable in this respect. The special point of this horse's peculiarity was in his obstinacy of resistance. When he once found he could resist his foot's being taken up, he would afterward fight at every attempt to take it up, kicking back, and striking the ground with all the force of a sledge hammer. I depended upon the Second and Third Methods for the subjection of this case, which required a little more than half an hour to effect his entire submission. I told the owner, who was a good horseman, that he ought to be able to make him stand to be shod by the aid of the War Bridle, as the horse, after being treated by me, had remained per- fectly gentle up to this time. Said he, "I tried it, and failed ; I would like to see you do it." Upon trial, though I used the cord to the utmost limit of its power, I was barely able to make him stand to be shod, — a point not at all difficult by the regular subject- ive treatment. It was, in fact, a very common occurrence for me to find old scholars, and others who had indirectly learned, and become practiced in, the use of some special method of control long practiced and taught by me, claim- ing to be able to control any living horse by it, whether balky, a kicker, or bad to shoe, etc. Shoers who had used the War Bridle with success were the most common. In proof of their ability to do this, ref_ erence would be made to some special case which they had easily shod that had before proved unmanageable. This success would inspire such confidence in the method that they would honestly think themselves able to control any horse, however bad he might be. I will refer to an incident in point : When in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1869, where I had been detained for some time on business, a well known veterinary surgeon, Dr. Wm. Somerville^ 27 Erie street, informed me that there was a 230 BAI) TO SHOE. young horsc-shocr near there who chiimed to have a secret by which he could make any horse, no matter how vicious, stand gently to be shod. I stated that it could not be done ; that the man had undoubtedly learned some simple method of control which gave him power to shoe many quite bad cases ; but that really bad eases could not be controlled by any such treatment. It was arranged that I should be ad- vised when the man had a bad case to shoe. Upon being notified, I called, and stated to the man that if he had any point which I did not understand, by which he could make a horse stand to be shod better and easier than I was able to do, I would give him $100 for the secret. His control was obtained by the four-ring bit, which was nothing new to me. I told him that his over-confidence would cause him trouble when he chanced to get a really bad case to shoe, and was not surprised when soon afterward informed by the Dr. that in trying to shoe a bad horse the man got kicked across the shop, and was seriously hurt. It was con- sidered a good joke upon the man, as the result was just as I 2:)redicted. A great many other palliative means might be men- tioned ; such as tying a rope or rein to the foot and passing it back through a ring attached to the tail, so that the foot can be pulled back and held up. But should the horse resist very hard, there is danger by this method of the horse's being seriously strained or injured. Another method is to buckle a strap around the foot be- low the fetlock, and around the leg above the gambrel, which keeps it flexed. This is also objectionable because of the severe struggle to resist restraint, and the danger of falling. SUBJECTIVE TEEATMENT. 237 Regular Subjective Treatment. In breaking up the habit, very much depends upon the disposition of the horse, and the treatment pursued. In most .cases the following will be found easy and effectual: Subject to the Third Method, using more or less pressure, according to the case. While the cord is on, attach a strap or rein to the hind foot, and pull back as previously explained. At first there will usually be great resistance, the horse kicking with great spitefulness, or pulling the foot forward energetically. But however much he may resist at first, it is no indication of failure. Simply keep pulling the foot back at short intervals until there is no re- sistance. When given freedom, it will be rested upon the toe, then pull forward and back as before explained. In some cases it may be necessary to tie forward by bringing the strap over the neck, back between the legs, and making fast to hold the foot firmly until all resistance is overcome. Treat the opposite foot in the same manner. All this should not require more than ten or twenty minutes. Should the horse warm up and resist it deter- minedly, increase the pressure and repeat. In some very rare cases I have been compelled to use the pressure of a hundred feet of cord before succeeding. It is well to state that some of these cases were among the most desperately vicious horses to be found. It was not unusual for the writer to find horses that it was iuipossible to shoe except by tying down or fastening in a frame. If in traveling- there were any such cases anywhere within the radius of his visit, they were almost sure to be brought forward with the hope of beating ; but it was rarely .they would not sub- mit unconditionally in from twenty to thirty minutes by the treatment given. To give an idea of the power of this treatment when 238 BAD TO SHOE. properly applied, I will refer to its effects upon a few special cases. At Bellows Falls, Vt., a paper-maker owned a fine horse, which, though otherwise very gentle, was extremely hard to shoe. A traveling horseman of much experience and a great deal of pretension, visited the place and made a small class. The owner, wishing to have his horse broken, brought him in to be experimented upon. Ac- cording to the gentleman's statement to me, this man »r7 Fig. 187. — Pulling the foot back to test the horse's submission. worked with the horse about half a day, injuring him very severely, — in the owner's language, " almost killed him." The result of it all was that the horse beat the man completely, and was more reckless and determined in his opjDOsition than before. I requested the gentleman to let me see the horse. Upon examination, I found him to be finely bred, naturally gentle, but if excited or badly man- aged he would be extremely difficult to control. I told the owner we Avould have no difficulty at all with the horse, and succeeded in rendering him perfectly gentle in about fifteen minutes. SUBJECTIVE TREATMENT. 239 The day following, at the next point we found an eight-year old mare, considered impossible to shoe. The temperament being suitable, we subjected her to Second Method and War Bridle, which made her entirely submis- sive in about ten minutes. The next day, at Putney, Vt., the kicking, runaway horse referred to as Case No. 1, in chapter on "Kicking," Illustrative Cases, was presented. Reference is made to these consecutive cases to show the frequency with which exceptionally vicious horses were Fig. 188. — As the foot will be rested upon the ground after submitting. brought for experiment and the success in their subjection. In the management of many cases, either or both the First and Second Methods may be used with advantage in connection with the Third Method, but it should always be done at home where there is time and priA^acy to apply and carry out the treatment properly. Leaning Over. There are occasionally horses that will allow the foot to be taken up, but wiU lie down or lean over upon the 240 BAD TO SHOE. blacksmith while it is held. Usually a sharp lesson with the War Bridle, repeating it for each recurrence of ly- ing over, until he learns to stand without leaning, will be sufficient. If this is resisted, subject to Second Method. While the head is tied around, take up the foot and test until he will stand squarely. If there is any inclination to lean over after the head is given freedom, punish with the cord, which should be sufficient. Sometimes it is ad- visable to stand at the head ready to punish, while an as- sistant takes up and holds the foot as if to shoe. Though a horse may for some time be sullen and persistent in lean- ing over, it is not usually a difficult habit to overcome. Once compelled to stand, it is seldom necessary to repeat the lesson. It should have been stated in the proper place that there must be no effort to push against the quarters ; but the moment there is an effort to lean over, the foot should be instantly dropped, and the punishment with the War Bri- dle made somewhat severe, which is to be repeated until there is submission, or subject to Second Method, as ex- plained, which should in all cases result in breaking up the habit. CHAPTER VI. BALKING. If a naturally gentle horse be hitched to a tree or other immovable object and commanded to pull, he would at first pull all he could ; the second time he would not pull with quite so much confidence as at first ; while the third or Fig. 189. — As the horse will sometimes stand, regardless of the most severe whipping. fourth time he would pull but little, or perhaps not at all. To whip and urge him now to pull would only start him in the habit of balking. Or, if a horse is overloaded or so exhausted he cannot pull the load, and in this condition is whipped and urged to go, he will balk. Or, if he starts too quickly, and is pulled back violently and whipped till 16 (341) 242 BALKING. confused and excited, tlie habit of balking is begun. Hence we see that this habit is purely acquired, the same as kicking and other habits, for which there can hardly be a reasonable excuse. Balkincr horses are of two kinds : Double balkers and single balkers. Balkers in single harness are divided into two classes : First, horses that sulkily refuse to go at all ; second, those that will not jjull unless given their own way. The mule and ox, and horses having similarly pa- tient, cold-blooded natures, have little inclination to this habit, while nervous, warm-blooded, fine-grained horses are easily taught the habit. In teaching a colt to drive without balking, let him go slowly at first and as he pleases. There should be suffi- cient room so as not to require short turns ; as pulling short around before learning to rein is liable to confuse and irritate him to balk. If there appears any inclination to stop, or if he refuses to go, the driver should sit quietly in the wagon, fix the harness, or do anything to take up time until the horse gets over his fret. If he does not feel sure of his going, let him get out and move the colt a little to the right or left, speak to him kindly, and it is rarely that he will not ftiove off without knowing that he has balked. If he has an irritable disposition, and appears uuAvilling to stand, particular care should be taken to teach him thor- oughly the lesson of stopping and starting, as described under the head of Colt Training. If the habit is only par- tially learned, and especially if the colt is of a warm- blooded nature, it is by all means advisable to win him out of the habit by kind treatment, if possible. I will illus- trate by referring to a peculiar case in my early expe- rience : — When in Myersburg, Pa., referred to in " Personal Ex- perience," I often traded horses, and not unfrequently got BALKING SINGLE. 243 very bad ones. Among them was a small pony mare, nine years old, — a confirmed balker. This I did not know until after I had traded for her. I harnessed her carefully in shafts, but she stood stubbornly. Upon touching her with a whip, she threw herself down. I saw at once that she was one of the very worst of balkers, and that in the effort to break her she had been subjected to a great deal of whipping and abuse. I unhitched her, got lier up, tied up the harness and reins, went into an orchard close by and filletl my pockets with apples. I then led her to a back road not much used, and standing near her head with a switch in my hand, touched her lightly over the hips, say- ing, " Get up ! " This caused her to start. After going a few steps, I called, "Whoa ! " at the same time pulled upon the reins, when she stopped, for which I gave her a piece of apple, and stroked her nose and head. This I repeated until she would start and stop at command. This point gained, I next untied the reins, and while standing at the shoulder and holding the reins slack in my hands, I repeated the command for starting, touching her for a few times lightly over the hips. At each repetition I stood a little farther back until able to get directly be- hind her, and make her go or stop at command. I then took her to the top of the hill and hitched her up. This was the critical point of the experiment, and I did not pro- pose to take any chances of failure. I commenced again at her head, rewarding as before, until I was able to get on the step, and finally into the wagon ; at each repetition being careful to reward her, even getting out of the wagon to do so. It was soon quite amusing to see how eagerly she would reach round her head in anticipation of her re- ward. Now I required her to go a little farther at each time of starting until able to drive fifteen or twenty rods ; then I took her out of harness, and put her in the stable. 244 BALKING. The next day I hitched her up auain, and commenced cautiously as before, spending only a few minutes, but re- quiring her to go farther and faster until on a sharp trot or run. I repeated this lesson again next day until she could be driven as desired. The point of success was that I made the lessons short, and was careful not to do more at a time than she would bear. I could even make her stop in a mud-hole and stand as long as I wished her to, and then at command she would pull out gently. Those who knew the mare were quite surprised to see me drive her, and regarded it a great feat. In reality it was no feat at all, but merely the result of a little patient management, which it is not difficult for any one to prac- tice. This mode of treat- ment is especially adajjted to nervous horses that will not bear pushing. There is nothing that so tries a man's temper and pa- tience as a sullen balker. One may resolve to be patieiit, but after reasonable efforts with kind treatment, and fail- ing, he determines to see what a whip will do. Some men in anger will strike a horse over the ears, twist and pull his tongue severely, and yet not be able to make the ani- mal flinch. A balking horse of spirit, thoroughly maddened by such treatment, may resist the most severe punishment. Horses have been known, when excited in this way, to sullenly stand even the burning of straw under them. The skin on the legs and body is so thick, and has so little sensibility, th^t when the blood is thoroughly warmed up. Fig. I'.H). — Slow, pati(;nt nature — not disposed to balk. PALLIATIVE TEEATMENT. 245 the severest whipping or pounding can be scarcely felt, and it becomes only a means of intensifying the habit. The usual method of whipping, kicking the belly, hitting back of the head with a club, etc., while often liable to kill or seriously injure the horse, has no beneficial effect. Sometimes very simple treatment will start a balky horse ; as, kicking the leg lightly below the knee until he lifts his foot ; passing a string over one of his ears, and ty- ing it down; letting the horse inhale a little ammonia or red pepper. These are very common tricks, and will some- times disconcert a horse sufficiently to cause him to start. The following has been considered a great secret in the treatment of balkers, and will in some cases work with considerable success : Take the oslets or warts growing in- side a horse's leg, dry and grate them fine and keep in a tightly-corked bottle, as they lose their strength quickly and evaporate on being exposed to the air. About three- quarters of an hour before the horse is to be driven, blow a thimbleful from a quill into his nostrils. This has a soothing effect, and will cause the horse to go off all right. An old mail who had been a successful horse-breaker, told me that he had used it forty years, arid never failed to make a horse go as he desired with it ; that he seldom repeated it more than two or three times. When a horse takes a dislike to other horses and kicks at them, the os- lets from a vigorous horse, or from the one objected to, used as above, will in most cases overcome such aversion. (See Medicine in " Subjection,") Sometimes stepping before a horse and moving him to the right or left a little, and stroking his nose, or pulling his ears gently, etc., will cause him to start. Grasping both nostrils with the hand to prevent his breathing until he struggles for freedom, and turning him a little sideways at the instant of letting go, will frequently start quite a. 24G BALKING. bad horse. Tying the tail to the cross-piece will fre- quently start him, as a horse will always pull by the tail. Blindfolding is one of the simplest and best methods of starting a stubborn balker. After being blindfolded, he should be allowed to stand a few minutes, then move him right and left a few times, say, encouragingly. Get up, and the horse Avill usually pull steadily against the collar and move off all right. Tying up the fore leg, and compelling him to stand on three legs till tired, will usually be a very effectual means of starting a balker, and frequently after a few repetitions it will break up the habit. This method works best on nervous, impulsive horses. A Maine Man's Method. " When a horse balks, take him out of the shafts, tie the bridle rein into the tail short enough to bring his body into a half circle, and make him go around four or five times. This will make him dizzy ; then put him in shafts and he will go off all right. If one lesson will' not break him, repeating it will be sure to do so." This is not so ; it is nothing more than merely pallia- tive, which will, it is true, frequently enable starting a balk- ing horse, but is not by any means adequate for breaking up the habit. It will be seen farther on that it is part of my > regular treatment for this habit. I invented it and taught it in that State nearly twenty years ago ;' and the idea of managing balky horses in this way was given by me as a simple method of starting the horse, not of breaking up the habit. A mare in the habit of balking, although occasionally driving well for weeks at a time, one day got into one of her balking tantrums. Her owner, becoming angiy, de- termined to kill her. Taking a gun from the hands of a sportsman who happened to be standing near, he fired the PALLIATIVE TEEATMENT. 247 charge of shot into the body. It did not kill her, and on recovering, she was put to work as usual. It was found afterward that whenever she balked, simply pointing a stick at her was sufficient to make her start at once. A horse employed in drawing limestone to a kiln from a quarry close by, w^s in the habit of balking. One day he refused to pull, and, in defiance of the strength of several men who caught and held the wheels to prevent the accident, backed over the precipice, falling about thirty feet. The cart was broken to pieces, but the horse escaped with slight injury. He was put to work as usual, but was never known to balk there afterward. About ten years ago a member of my class gave me the following particulars of a case : He had a mare that would sometimes work well for a week, and then, perhaps, at a critical time would stand stubbornly, resisting all effort to move her. One day while drawing in oats she balked. After working with her a long while, he resolved that she should 0:0 or starve. He drove a stake down in the ground, and tied her to it ; then putting a sheaf of oats a few rods distant he went off. This was at ten o'clock in the morning. About five o'clock, he returned and tried to start her, but she would not go. He tied her again to the post, and let her stand until morning. Then he unhitched her, took the reins and tried to start her, but she would not pull. During the afternoon, he tried her again, when she went. Upon reaching the sheaf of oats, he let her eat it. He now drove her home, unharnessed and fed her, then put her to work. She worked all right for a few days, and then balked again. This time he let her stand forty-eight hours, then fed her, when upon trial, she went all right, and he kept her at work. She never balked afterward. Another man of much tact with horses informed me 248 BALKING. that he always succeeded with balkers by the following treatment : When n horse balked, he unhitched and put liim in the stall, and stationed a man behind him with a whip. Every minute or two the man tapped the horse on the quarters with the whip, just enough to annoy him. This was kept up for twenty-four hours, the regular feed and water being given. If he refused to go upon being tried, he was put back, and the same treatment kept up to prevent his going to sleep, until he would go as desired. It was rarely, after one or two lessons of this treatment, that a horse would not work in all right. Innumerable in- stances of breaking very bad horses in this way have been brought to my notice by horsemen who have been members of my classes. It does no good, practically, to subject a horse to treat- ment in a barn, or where not accustomed to balk. It should be carried out as nearly as possible where in the habit of resisting. Any means that will disconcert a horse when he balks is a step in the right direction. But if we have in addition power to move him as we wish, we have the key of compelling the entire submission of balkers that have defied the greatest efforts to break or drive them. This we can obtain by the Second Method, and other treatment here given. Regular Treatment. The course I usually pursue, and which I advise, is about as follows : Put into the wagon, ready for use, a good strap halter, a War Bridle, a light bow whip that will not break, and some good apples. Hitch up the horse as if to make a journey, and let him go as he pleases until a level, isolated piece of road is reached. Now if he does not balk, provoke him to do so. Get out quietly, unhitch him, tie up the reins and tugs, put on the halter, over the EEGULAE TREATMENT. 249 bridle, and subject him to Second Method both ways until off his balance. If hitched up now, he will be likely to go off all right, but will be apt to balk at some future time. As the object should be to effectually break up the habit, it is necessary to make the lesson very thorough. This treatment makes a f)owerful impression upon him in two ways : First, to convince him that there is poAver to make him move any way desired, which is the point to be established, as he does not know the difference between going sideways and straight ahead. Second, it disconcerts him in the most powerful manner, and thus prevents or overcomes the inclination to resistance. But it is also nec- essary to create sufficient reserve power to force him to move should he again refuse to go. To do this, put on the War Bridle (First, or Double Draw Hitch Form), and lift him right and left. When he follows promptly, change to Second Form. Now pull upon him sideways and ahead. As he yields, gradually pull more on a line with the body until he will come ahead promptly. Next, tie up the cord loosely in the terret, take down the reins, run them through the shaft-lugs, and get directly behind. Say, " Get up ! " pulling one rein a little, and, if necessary, touch the quarters sharply with the whip. Af- ter going a short distance, call, " Whoa ! " If he does not stop, force him to do so by a sharp jerk of the reins. Re- peat this until he will stop and start at command, then re- ward by giving some apple. Repeat the driving, stopping, and starting, until he works in all right and is over the ex- citement of the treatment, then hitch to a wagon, when will come the real test. Stand near, and in a low, gentle tone, say, '' Get up ! " and repeat the starting, stopping and re- warding, as before, until he will go as desired. If a very bad case, it is necessary to make the impression as thorough and complete as possible, and it would be best to put him 250 BALKING. away until the next day, when he should be tried, and, so far as found necessary, the treatment repeated until under good control. Although the horse may go a few times as commanded, yet, after hitching to a wagon, he may balk again. If so, take down the cord, stand in front of him — a little to the right or left — and give a sharp jerk, repeating until he wall go at command. Should this be resisted, which is not at all improbable, repeat the previous course of treatment, which, in some cases, may be supplemented by the other methods of treatment. It is advisable to test the horse hard before putting to regular work. A great point after the coercive treatment, is to win his confidence by giving apples, etc. Restless Balkers. If, when a young horse is hitched to a wagon, he is al- low^ed to start as he pleases a few times, he is liable to ac- quire the habit of becoming impatient, so that as soon as hitched up, if not allowed to go his own way, he may get mad and balk. Or if whipped to start quickly, and then pulled back upon, or if made to stand too long w^hile getting into or out of a wagon, he Avill acquire the habit of balking. A short lesson in teaching to start and stop, as directed in " Colt Training," would prevent this. As it is a very com- mon as well as annoying form of balking, I will include the details of a simple treatment, which can be easily f)racticed by any one : — First, teach the horse to stand with the harness on, as explained to stand with the Breaking Bit ; then tie up the reins, give a good sharp lesson with the War Bridle, and put him in shafts. If he balks, overcome it with the War Bridle. If of a quick, nervous disposition, this treatment should be sufficient ; but if of a decidedly resolute, plucky EESTLESS BALKEES. 251 character, regular coercive treatment by Second Method, etc., may be necessary. But as there is usually little in- clination among owners to resort to coercive treatment, for the benefit of such I include the details of simple, winning treatment : — Before putting the horse into shafts, adjust the harness. Get directly behind, with an ordinary carriage whip touch the hips lightly, and say, sharply, " Get up ! " After going a short distance, call, " Whoa ! " and pull lightly upon the reins to make him stop. When there is prompt obedience, give a little apple, etc. Continue driving and stopping un- til a good foundation is made for the next step. Next, turn the carriage to face a barn or high fence, and quietly hitch the horse in ; then go to his head, caress, talk to him, and give some apple. Be in no hurry, but hold his atten- tion in this w^ay several minutes. When you want him to move, walk ahead a little and say, " Get up ! " or " Come!" After going a few steps, stop and repeat the reward- ing. There will be less inclination to rush ahead when a barn or high fence is in front, and you are standing directly be. fore him. In addition to this, his attention is attracted by the apples. In this way repeat until the obstruction is reached, when it will be easy to turn or back short around. Gradually get back opposite his head and shoulders, with each repetition going farther back till the wheel is reached, when mount the step and get into the wagon. Repeat this until the horse is obedient to wait for the driver to get in, stopping and starting as desired. Now drive farther, and take some one in with you as if to make a journey. First, drive where the horse is least likely to resist, but finally in front of the house, or other place, where there has been most trouble. The hitching and unhitching should be re- peated, and his attention held as before with apples, etc., 252 BALKING. in the meantime talking, walking around, and rattling the wagon. A little care should be used, especially after idle spells, to hold the attention ])y giving apples, etc., or have some one stand at his head and talk to him, but not to take up the reins until able to start. If in a barn, keep the door shut until ready to start. Balking Double. When a horse throws himself in the breeching sullenly, with his head over the other horse's neck, as if to say, " Make me go if you can ! " it will try a man's patience very much, and unless he knows how to overcome the difficulty, he will be likely to retaliate by kicking, pounding, etc., which is likely to do more harm than good. Many horses are led into this habit by badly fitting collars, that either choke or make the shoulders so sore that it becomes painful to push steadily or firndy. When hitched to a load, care should be used to prevent pulling so hard and long at a time as to get out of breath. Neither should a stop be made in a soft place, or where a steady, heavy pull to start will be required. The team should be kept fresh, and encouraged by stopping often and giving the horses a chance to recover breath. In pulling up hill or very steep places, a good rest should be given be- fore starting. If one or both horses become confused, and balk, let them stand until they recover fully. Then stand in front, take both by the head, and move them to the right or left. It is sometimes advisable to turn them both ways. When you get them to move together, say gently and en- courngingly, " Come, boys ! " or any word to Avhich they are accustomed. Much depends upon the skill of the driver in bringing them up against the collar with assurance, and in helping them to break the force of the dead pull in start- ing, by moving partly sideways. If the wheels are sunk BALKING DOUBLE. 253 254 BALKING. in the mud, and the power and willingness of the horses to pull out is doubtful, a part of the load should be thrown off; better do this than run the risk of spoiling the team. Horses compelled to pull hard should not be checked up. Let the head have full freedom. Sometimes a horse is so stubborn that he will not go, even when not required to pull any load. Always be governed by circumstances, such as the horse's disj^osition and the difficulty to be en- countered. If of a sensitive, nervous disposition, try either of the following tricks, which in many cases will work very nicely : First, tie a strap or cord to the end of the tail, bring it forward between the legs and attach it to the hame ring of the gentle horse, or to the end of the pole. Tie it so short that unless the horse will come forward promptly to his place, he will be pulled upon sharply. Or double a piece of cord (that used for War Bridle is best), pass the tail through the center, and twist the ends of the cord three or four times and tie to the hame ring of the gentle horse, or to the end of the pole. Or, again, a noose may be formed of a small chain or rope around the body back of the shoulders, and tied to the end of the wagon tongue. Now when the gentle horse is made to start, the pull be- comes so severe that it startles and disconcerts the balky horse from his purpose, and compels him to go ahead. After adjusting either of these rigs, start the gentle harse quickly so as to make a sharp pull upon the balker, which will surprise and force him to jump ahead. After a few repetitions, he will jump ahead to avoid being hurt. If the cord under the tail causes the horse to kick, it should not be used. Best Treatment. First, put on (under the ordinary bridle) the Second Form of War Bridle, bring it under the head-piece, and, as BEST TEEATMENT. 255 in the case of balkers in single harness, pull sideways and ahead, slowly repeating until the horse comes freely with- out restraint. This lesson should be made very thorough. To prevent chafing or cutting the hands, gloves should be worn, or the cord may be wound around a piece of broom handle or other stick with which to pull upon. This done, get a. .stiff pole or sapling about three or four inches in diameter, and about ten feet in length, or so long that it will extend about thirty inches beyond the horse's nose. Bore a hole about two inches from each end, and fasten the large end of the pole to the inside end of the gentle horse's singletree. When the horses are hitched up, pass the War Bridle through the hole at the other end of the pole, and draw it short enough so that when the horse is up in his place there will be little, if any, restraint upon him, and make fast. Next, pass a cord under the pole from one hame ring to the other, making both ends fast, and leaving it just long enough so that when both horses are in their natural positions, there will be no slack. Then pass another cord around the pole and tie both ends into the gentle horse's hame ring, regulating the length so it will hold the pole , over the wagon tongue in position. Or have a ring made about one-half to three-fourths of an inch larger than the pole. Attach a cord or strap to connect this ring with the hame rings on each side. This holds the pole in position over the wagon-tongue, and is a better way than the first, but more troublesome to make. If there are stay chains on the doubletree, they should be removed, so as to give it free play. Get into the wagon (there should be no load) and start the gentle horse quickly. The balker of course refuses to go. The instant the gentle horse starts ahead, if the adjustment is properly arranged, his whole power is brought directly upon the balky horse's head, compelling him to start. Finding he must go, it will 25 G BALKING. usually be but a yery few minutes' work to make him so afraid of being pulled upon and hurt, that he will be the first to start at the command. This accomplished, put on a little loading, gradually increasing it until he learns to use his strength reliably. To fix the impression thoroughly, it may be necessary to keep the pole on a few days. The Patent Bridle will be found to work, very nicely in the management of these cases. The reins are simply re- versed, so as to pull ahead instead of back, and tied to the end of the pole. Overloading. There is a general inclination among teamsters to over- load. This is very common in large cities. While engaged in making illustrations for this work in New York City, I daily passed through Fulton and other streets, and fre- quently took a side street to avoid witnessing the abuse to which horses were subjected in consequence of being overloaded. It was no unusual thing to see a team whipped severely while pulling to their utmost power, and finally compelled to stop for want of strength to go farther. The team never should be compelled to draw more than it is able to pull easily over the worst parts of the road. This should be the rule. The strain, and pulling in this way, will sometimes injure a horse more in a few minutes than working reasonably hard all day. When a horse is unaccustomed to work before a wagon or plow, is unsteady and easily irritated, especially in plow- ing, it is advisable to let him go around a few times before putting the plow into the ground. A little patience at the beginning, in this way, will frequently enable working a horse in gentle that would otherwise be easily spoiled. The following advice is so good, and so much in point, that I include it here : — OVEELOADING. 257 "Advice to Teamsters. " The 'Friends of the Horse ' in Boston have issued a circular in re- gard to the treatment of that animal, which is indorsed by many of the most prominent veterinary surgeons of New York and Boston. The following hints should be heeded by drivers everywhere : — ' ' First, a man should see that good care is taken of his horse in the stable by being well fed with wholesome food, of cracked corn and oats, with plenty of good hay. Potatoes or carrots may be given once or twice a week to good advantage. See that he is kept clean, warm, and comfortable, with plenty of bedding. A piece of rock salt should always be left in the manger. "Second, he should see that his harness is kept soft and clean, particu- larly the inside of the collar, which ought always to be smooth, as the per- spiration, Avhen dry, causes ii-ritation, and is liable to produce galls on the shoulder. The collar should fit closely, with space enough at the bottom to admit a man's hand. If too large, it has the bad efl'ect of drawing the shoul- ders together. On no consideration should a team, or any work-horse, be compelled to wear a martingale, as it draws the head down, and prevents him from getting into an easy and natural position. The check rein may be used, but only tight enough to keep the head in a natural position, and it should never be wound around the hames. See that the hames are buckled tight enough at the top to bring the draught irons near the center of the collar. If too low, it not only interferes with the action of the shoulder, but gives the collar an uneven bearing. Caution should be taken that the girth is not buckled too tight, particularly on string teams, for when the traces are straightening it has the tendency to draw the girth against the belly and dis- tress the horse. "Third, see that the horse is well shod with a good stilf shoe, always calked at toe and heel on the hind feet, as it is there where all the propell- ing power comes from when heavily loaded. Keep the feet good and strong by not allowing them to be cut away too much by the blacksmith. "Fourth, the best of judgment should be used in loading, taking into consideration the condition of the street and the distance to be traveled. Never overload, for by so doing you only distress, strain, and discourage your horse, and do him more injury than you can possibly gain by carrying the extra load. When your load is hard to pull, stop often and give your horses a chance to breathe. No good driver will ever resort to the cruel practice of whipping or beating his horse. A light whip may be carried, but there is seldom use for it. Much more can be accomplished by kind treat- ment and good judgment. Remember the horse is a very intelligent, proud, sensitive, noble animal, the mo.st useful known to men, and is deserving of the greatest kindness. As many horses have suffered from bad example and inexperienced drivers^ the above advice is offered." This method of treatment makes the breaking of double balkers a very simple and easy thing to do. It gives power to force the horse into obedience without danger or cruelty. I will refer to a few cases, showing the ease with which horses of this character can be broken by the treat- ment given. 17 258 BA T;KING. Case No. 1. — At Great Barrington, Mass., an Irishman proposed to join my class and pay a double tuition fee, if I would break his horse of balking. I told him if he would join the class I Avould teach him the principle, and if he could not make his horse work perfectly gentle when he went home that evening, he could so report next day at West Stockbridge, where I was engaged to lecture, and I would return his money. He was extremely suspicious and incredulous as to my terms, but finally joined the class. The following day he was at the next town, so well pleased that he stated publicly to his friends, that in ten minutes he was able to make the balky horse work as well as the gentle one, and that he could indorse all my statements. Case No. 2, — At Brunswick, Maine, a man introduced himself to me, and stated that he teamed for a living; that his whole property was in his horses ; that one of them balked, making his team worthless ; that his only object in going into the class was to break this horse of the habit. I assured him that I would put him in the way of break- ing his horse without difficulty ; and that if he could not make his horse work and pull as desired when he went home in the afternoon, on the following morning he could come to me and get his money back. Next day he stated that in less than ten minutes he was able to make this horse work just as well as the other. Case No. 3. — When in Northern New York, in 1876, a man introduced himself to me as an old scholar, who had attended my lectures a few years before, and desired to come into my class again. He said that he had not had occa- sion to make any use of the instructions until about a year before, when, in plowing, one of his horses balked. He was for some time puzzled to know what to do, when it occurred to him to try this method of treatment. He had ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. 259 forgotten the details, but remembered the general plan. He took a three-fourths inch rope, and put it on the Second Form of War Bridle, as described for balking. He next took a rail from the fence, and tied one end to the gentle horse's singletree ; to the other end he attached the rope. He then started the gentle horse, and jerked the balky horse out of his tracks two or three times. Using his own language, " That 'ere horse did n't wait to be pulled upon the second time, but pulled as if for life, and never offered to balk afterward, though I put the plow down to the beam." It was by mere good luck that this man succeeded, con- sidering the crude, imperfect manner in which the treat- ment was applied. It is hardly safe to risk attempting to make a bad horse go directly in this way. He should be made to yield first to the War Bridle until very sensitive to its restraint, then the pole should be adjusted very care- fully. If too short, or so limber that it will bend much, the experiment will be liable to fail. Case No. 4. — A great many cases illustrative of the ef- fect of the treatment could be referred to, but to saA^e space I wiU add but one more, selecting as a representative case, one among single balkers, an eight-year-old pony owned in Linesville, Pa. This horse was brought in to be treated before the class. He attracted my attention at once from the fact that when irritated he would resist every effort to make him follow by the War Bridle, by bracing his fore legs with all the stubbornness of a sullen mule. He would balk, riding or driving, and was entirely unmanageable. To test him a little, I put on the War Bridle and tried to move him. He spread his fore legs, and gave his head around to the shoulder on either- side, but I could not move him. To undertake to handle him before a class in the small space at my disposal, and with a large crowd of men 260 BALKING. around, would have been a difficult and embarrassing task. I had a clear intuition of his exceptionally stubborn nat- ure, and determined not to handle him before a class. I took him outside the town the next morning, and subjected him to Second Method. This treatment he resisted with great determination, and I was obliged to carry it to its fullest extent, and follow with the War Bridle, requiring in all about thirty minutes. Though he was now aj^par- ently quite gentle and manageable, he made a bold stand, resisting the power of the War Bridle with such determin- FiG. 192. — Patent Bridle as used for breaking double balkers. (See page 252.) ation that it became necessary to repeat the previous treat- ment, when he drove in all right. The same day he was driven to the county fair at Conneatsville, twelve miles dis- tant, drawing a heavy load. We had ordinary cases offered daily, which seldom required more than ten or fifteen min- utes to drive perfectly gentle. CHAPTER VII. RUNNING AWAY. Though the treatment for this habit is, to a great ex- tent, given under the heads of " Kicking," and " Fear," yet in bad cases it is liable to be so troublesome to manage that I deem it necessary to consider it more definitely. The main point is to make the mouth manageable to the re- straint of the bit. But if there is much viciousness or re- sistance, it is necessary to tone it down or overcome it by a general course of subjection, when the control by the mouth can be made more easy and certain. For example : A nervous, excitable colt, so unmanageable as to be both difficult and dangerous to put in shafts by an}'^ control that can be brought upon the mouth, after a proper course of subjective treatment which would overcome his fear and excitement, would be found to offer but little resistance to the control of even a common bit. The effect is the same in the management of headstrong, runaway horses, moved by some special cause of excitement, such as the rat- tling of a wagon or other object. There are three principles of controlling the mouth: 1. By training, as done wdth the Breaking Bit ; 2. By a form of bit that will prevent the horse from pulling against it, on account of the pain it causes ; 3. By obtaining such power upon the mouth and head as will prevent the horse from pulling. Of course these conditions run more or less into each (201) 202 EUNNING AWAY. other in the different forms of bits given, the point in all cases being to use such a form of bit or method of treat- ment as will safely and easily effect the control. The Breaking Bit is undoubtedly the best for making a hard mouth flexible. The Half-moon Bit, with check to restrain a dull, stiff mouth, also w^orks well. By pulling upon it, its thin, bearing surface presses against the jaw, and hurts so keenly that but few horses can pull very strongly against it. The Spoon Bit also, in many cases, works excellently by the pressure it throws upon the jaws laterally, thereby making it a good form of bit for cases that will not rein easily, or that will pull on one side. Next, comes the Four-ring Bit, which, with its improvement, is a very sim- ple but powerful means of con- trolling doubtful, head-strong, It is particularly well adapted for the easy The fourth and last is the Patent Bridle, which has been designed especially for the direct control of head-strong, runaway horses. The Power of the Patent Bridle is so great that when properly adjusted it is very difficult for a horse to make any prolonged resistance to it. It acts in three important ways : First, in its most severe form it produces such in- tense pain in connection with its great power upon the mouth, that it is very difficult for any horse to resist its re- straint ; second, in proportion to the resistance, if any, it brings such a pressure upon the spinal cord that it be- FiG. 193 .—The Patent Bridle. lugging horses, driving of side-reiners THE PATENT BEIDLE. 263 264 EUNNING AWAY. comes impossible to bear up against it for any length of time ; third, its impression upon the nervous system is so great that when the struggle is ended the subjection of the horse is complete. It is proper to add that these combinations and forms of bits may be varied in different ways to an almost unlim- ited degree. I give what I believe to be the simplest and the best. ' A cool, determined man can perform wonderful feats with the Breaking Bit, simple as it is. It requires more work, but is the only bit I have found that works satisfac- torily in making the mouth sensitive to the control of an or- dinary snaffle bit. It was with this bit I performed my greatest feats, and it cost me a good many years of experi- menting to develop its resources. If the mouth is stiff and hard, and it is desired to make it flexible, put on the har ness with this bit in the bridle, run the reins through the shaft-bearers, and get directly behind. Now commence ; slowly move the horse on a moderate walk, and suddenly call, " Whoa ! " following instantly with a quick, raking jerk upon the reins. Repeat at short intervals, until at the mo- ment the command is given, the horse will stop instantly to avoid the hurt of being pulled upon. Then gradually increase the gait to a fast trot or run, making him stop as before. In most cases the horse will submit in from ten to fif- teen minutes ; but if badly set in the habit, and plucky, the resistance may be so strong that this cannotb donein one lesson. The difficulty is, if the horse warms up very much, the sensibility of the mouth becomes so blunted or do- troyed that he will bear the severest pulling upon without flinching. Then the best way is to put him away until cool, when by a few minutes' treatment the mouth will be found so sensitive that he will usually submit uncondition- THE PATENT BEIDLE. 265 266 EUNNING AWAY. ally. In this way it can be determined how much to do without danger of harm. This point accomplished, hitch to a wagon, and repeat the same treatment. The course pur- sued by the writer, as before explained, is to let the horse go a few steps, call, " Whoa ! " and give a sharp, raking jerk to force him back a little. Repeat, so far as necessary, to establish the point of stopping and coming back, then, as before, let out a little faster until proved safe when on a fast trot or run. This point is to be made very thoroughly. If it is thought advisable, the bit can be left on for a few days in driving, but usually this will be unnecessary ; for if the horse is properly trained he can be controlled by an or- dinary snaffle bit. No chances must be taken with a runaway horse. This is a habit that requires thorough breaking up. In my practice, I am not only thorough in these cases, but even extreme in my treatment. No matter how well the horse behaves, I never let up on him until sure of his being en- tirely manageable under the greatest excitement. My ob- ject is to make the horse as safe as possible under any emergency. After the preliminary treatment, I drive on a moderate trot, and gradually up to the point of running, even under the whip, making him stop at command, until perfectly submissive. *If at all disposed to be tricky, I test him so thoroughly as to wholly remove all inclination to break over. No matter how sensitive or liable to kick pre- viously, this should be done without even buckling the breeching to prevent the cross-piece coming against the quarters. This was the secret of the Malone horse, and other run- away horses referred to, proving so safe after being sub- dued. At one time, while in a crowd, the wagon was crushed against his quarters. At another time one of the couplings of shafts broke, letting it drop sideways upon his ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. 267 heels, — one of the most severe tests a sensitive horse can be subjected to, — yet at each time he stopped instantly at command and stood perfectly quiet, without showing the least fear. See " Malone Horse, Case No. 2, Kicking." To give a good idea of the effect of this bit, I will in- clude an account of two average cases broken by its use : — Case No. 1. When at Dover Plains, N. Y., a man offered to join my class on condition that I would break his mare of the habit of running away. He stated that when she reached the top of a hill, she would take the bit in her mouth and rush down, regardless of all restraint, and become entirely un- manageable. I simply trained her with the Breaking Bit about twelve minutes, when she drove gentle. Next day she was driven by the owner, and proved broken of the habit. Case No. 2. When at West Falls, near Buffalo, a gentleman told me he had a fine six-year-old colt that he raised and broke; that he was naturally very gentle, and trotted fast, but one day while letting him out on a rapid trot, a man drove up behind with a pair of fast-stepping horses, which so excited the colt that he pulled against the bit and ran away in spite of all he could do. The next day he hitched him up and let him move off, but the moment he struck a trot, he ran against the bit and pulled so hard that, despite all ef- fort to prevent it, he again ran away. He now procured a pair of Hartman reins, supposing he could hold him with these without difficulty ; but, as before, the moment the horse struck a trot he ran away. He next tried different kinds of bits and rigging without success, and had given up all hope of ever being able to control him in harness. He 208 EUNNING AWAY. had now been standing six months in the stall, doing noth- ing. Understanding the disposition of the horse, I felt confi- dent there wonld be no difficulty in breaking him, and told the owner if he would join my class I would put him in the way of breaking the colt. He laughed, saying that he would believe it when he saw it done. But by much urging he was fin.ally induced to join the class. Having too many horses to experiment upon that day, to save time I subjected this horse only to the simple train- ing of tiie mouth for som ) twelve minutes. At first there Avas so little sensibility that pulling upon the bit seemed like pulling upon a post ; but by repeating the treatment he was soon made to feel its power sufficiently to yield to its restraint. The owner wished the horse hitched up and driven out of doors, but I knew this could not be safely done. I told him if he would bring the horse on the next day to a neighboring town, I would drive him. He did so, and upon testing him there, I found the mouth now so sen- sitive that when pulled upon sharply he ran back across the barn. I immediately hitched him to a buggy, with breeching straps unbuckled, and drove' him on a sharp trot and run, proving him perfectly manageable. He was driven next day by his owner to Wales Centre, and proved en- tirely broken. The more difficult cases of this character are well rep- resented by " Cases 2, 3, 5, and 7, Kicking ; " " Cases 1, 3, 6, and 8, Fear ; " and " No. 2, Subjection." Half-moon Bit. The Half-moon Bit, an illustration of which is given, will sometimes work very nicely upon head-strong pullers. The point of its success lies in holding the head up, which can be easily done by the form of checking in connection HALF-MOON BIT ADJUSTED. 260 with the extra bit, which of itself greatly restrains the im- pulse of resistance. The bit is very simple, merely a cir- cular mouth-piece, with the inner part filed clown to about the thickness of the back of an ordinary knife-blade, and rounding to prevent cutting. This makes the bearing sur- face against the mouth so narrow that the most plucky horse can scarcely pull against it, while its circular form prevents pulling sideways. It must, however, be tried cau- FiG. 196.— lliL Ilalf-niooii Bit adjusted. tiously upon a dangerous horse. Before trying whether the horse will submit to it, put on one or two foot-straps, which will be sufficient to disable the horse should he lunge so recklessly against the bit that he cannot be held. (This will be necessary only in extremely bad cases.) Then in all cases the experiment should be made where the road is very wide and free from obstructions, or in an open, smooth field. For illustration of bit, see cut 73, page 75. Spoon Bit. The Spoon Bit, an illustration of which is given, is so constructed as to bring the edges of two flanges, when 270 EUIS^NIKG AWAY. pulled upon, upon each side of the lower jaw. In some cases of badly trained mouths, or of moderately head-strong horses, it will be found to work very nicely. One point of advantage is its mildness, it being only a simple snaffle bit until resisted. It works especially well in the manage- ment of horses that rein hard. It is not a bit that is Fig. 197. — First form of Spoon Bit. IJasy on the moutli. adapted for head-strong, dangerous luggers, as it does not give power sufficient for such cases. A valuable form of bit, and one which works exceed- ingly well for the control of some headstrong, pulling horses, Fig. 198. — Second form of Spoon Bit. Gives more Power. is a simple bar made flat or concave on one side, and rounded on the other, from five-eighths to three-fourths of an inch wide, with a piece of rounded leather inside the ring on each end, as shown in cuts 199, 200. The flat or concave side is used when the horse pulls, or is inchned to resist the bit. When the mouth is sensitive and managea- ble, simply turning the rounded side against the jaw makes FOITE-RING BIT. 271 it extremely easy on the mouth. The length must be reg- ulated to the size of mouth, or about the average length of driving-bits. Four-ring Bit. The Four-ring Bit is peculiar in respect to the sensibil- ity it causes upon the roof of the mouth. While it is not a bit that gives much direct power, the efiect is such that Fig. 199.- Slightly rounded, or flat Concave, with edges rounded, when when not desired to be severe. more severity is required. but few horses outside of lunging, runaway horses, can ef- fectually pull against it. Hence a horse that with an or- dinary bit would pull so hard as to make it extremely dif- FiG. 200.— The rounded side of the bar. ficult to restrain and control him, more especially one that as he warms up will pull harder, will scarcely pull at all upon this bit, but will drive so easily as to hardly straighten the reins. It is not, however, to be risked too much in the driving of a really dangerous horse ; for, as before stated, its suc- cess depends more upon the sensibility it causes upon the roof of the mouth than upon any real power it otherwise 272 BURNING AWAY. gives. Consequently, should the horse lunge recklessly against the bit, the pain it inflicts not being sufficient to hold him in check, he is liable to get away. When used upon a doubtful horse, he should be carefully tested with it, first by driving around a little in harness, then as de- scribed in the use of the Half-moon Bit. The foot strap should also be used to enable testing the horse sufficiently hard to know with certainty to what degree the horse wall submit to the restraint. It is no proof of skill, but, on the contrary, of ignorant fool-hardiness, to take doubtful chances in the management of cases in which a single mismove would precipitate a dangerous runaway. It is a perfect remedy for cases that pull on one rein, and for luggers. It should be carefully fitted. The strap across the nose should not be so long as to lose the power of forcing the joint firmly against the roof of the mouth. Patent Bridle. To give sufficient power to overcome extreme resistance most effectually, I devised the Patent Bridle, which gives such power that the strongest horse can be easily held and controlled. It does not require any practice or work other than fitting the head-piece and bridle to the head, and set- ting the horse back a few times. It gives two important points of advantage : 1st. It is as any common bit in the mouth until resistance is excited, when by an ordinary ])u\\ such pain and power are produced in the mouth that it can rarely be resisted ; 2nd. Should there be so much pluck as to pull against it, in addition to the pain and pur- chase upon the mouth, it also causes such pressure upon the spinal cord, — the most vital part of the whole body, — that the wdiole nervous system is relaxed, and the horse is subdued, driving with a slack rein ; yet it is ready at any time to repeat the same terrible penalty. PULLING UPON ONE EEIN. 273 This bridle and the bits will be furnished by the author or his agents. Lugging, or Pulling upon One Uein. The habit of lugging or pulling on one rein is the re- sult of the faulty method of training the mouth. If not made to suTjmit to flexible restraint, when pulled upon the result is lugging, pulling on one rein, etc. It may result from one side of the mouth being sore, but is not so often from this cause as supposed. The quickest and simplest way to break up this habit is to put on the Breaking Bit, also the First Form of the War Bridle. But instead of bringing the cord through the mouth, bring it through the rings of the bit. Pull sharply on the side opposite that on which he lugs, until he will bring the head around freely without being pulled upon. Now tie up the cord, take down the reins, and drive around. If he pulls in the least, repeat the lesson, until he learns to yield promptly to the restraint of the reins, when he ought to drive to an ordinary bit ; or the Breaking Bit can be kept on for a day or two. This treatment will make that side of the mouth as tender and submissive to restraint as the opposite, and he will pull evenly. I have found a great many bits advertised as a perfect remedy for side-reiners, etc., but in my experience they have not proved satisfactory. Sometimes a bit will work on some horses, but not on others. The Four-ring Bit, as explained under that head, is practically a specific for this habit ; but as it is advisable in many cases to so break up the habit that an ordinary bit can be used, I have thought it advisable to include details for doing it. 18 274 KUNNING AWAY. Will not Back. Sometimes a horse will back readily out of harness, but when put before a wagon will resist every effort to make him back. Again, a horse may back all right until crowded and maddened, when he will stand sullenly, and refuse to move. Various palliative measures could he mentioned for making such a horse back, though they are hardly prac- ticable ; as, standing in front and pushing the end of a sharp stick under the shoulder blade gently until he will go back ; or, by taking a firm hold of the reins, and kick- ing the shins until the leg is lifted, then pushing back and repeating until successful. If a young, sullen colt is liable to resist the restraint upon the mouth so much as to injure it, put around the body a surcingle. Tie a rope around the fore foot below the fetlock, and bring forward over the belly-band. Now, while standing in front of the horse, catch hold of the reins and pull up the foot ; as you let the foot down again, pull upon the reins ; this will bring the foot down eight or ten inches back of the other one. Caress for this, and repeat, which will very soon teach a sullen colt to go back freely. The War Bridle, Second Form, will usually work bet- ter than this means, but it is liable, in extreme cases, to bruise the mouth somewhat. If, however, it is desired to use it, stand on the near side, bring the head partly around, ^hen give a sharp pull backward ; this will force the horse partly sideways, as well as back. Forcing him sideways a little prevents his power, in a great measure, to brace against the pull, as he could do if pulled upon in a line with the body. vSimply repeat cautiously until he can be made to go back freely. If a horse that has learned to resist, put on the harness WILL NOT BACK. 275 with the Breaking Bit, or Half-moon Bit, and with a firm hold of the reins get directly behind and call, " Back ! " sharply. Follow this with a quick, sharp, raking pull, so that, if possible, the horse can be forced back before warm- ing up, as he will in this condition struggle hard to resist. If he spreads his legs, and throws his head sullenly against the bit or down upon the breast, the case is a bad one, and it is necessary to work carefully. Simply repeat slowly, and if there is not success before he warms up and becomes reckless, put him away until cool, when the mouth will be found so tender that he will rarely refuse to go back freely when pulled upon. Great care should be used not to force the horse back too freely after he once gives up ; for with the increased tenderness of the mouth produced by the severe treatment, he may acquire the habit of going back too freely when pulled upon, — one of the most annoying habits a horse can learn. I would call attention to this particularly in train- ing colts to back. Usually a lesson of ten or fifteen minutes is sufficient for ordinary cases, but I have in a few instances found old horses that had learned this habit so thoroughly that it was utterly impossible to break them of it. One of the worst I ever found was in a small town in Connecticut. This was a medium-sized, gray horse, twelve years old. He could not be made to back, in or out of harness. The Breaking Bit was used, and he was compelled at first to go back repeatedly by making the jerks so quick and sharp as to force him to yield before he could concentrate his pur- pose to resist. But becoming warmed up, the legs were thrown forward at an acute angle with such an obstinacy of resistance as to defy the utmost force of punishment by the bit. As a matter of experiment, five men pulled stead- ily upon each rein ; but the horse resisted w^ith so much 276 EUNNING AWAY. stubbornness as to be pulled down upon the belly. Seeing the necessity of now resting until the mouth could become sensitiA^e, and the excitement pass off, I directed the owner to bring the horse to the next town, promising to then make the experiment a success. Upon trial at this place, a few uick, energetic pulls proved sufficient to make the case yield, and he soon could be made to back as read- ily as desired. Will not Stand. Usually it is not difficult to teach a horse to stand un- less there is inclination to balk. If a young horse that is simply a little impulsive, treat the same as directed for teaching colts to stand. Usually, with an ordinary mild bit, there will be an inclination to pull against it and fight its restraint. If this is the case, the Breaking Bit can be used as follows : — First, with the harness on, train to stop as explained in Colt Training. When first hitched to a wagon, let it be away from the place where accustomed to be hitched. I prefer to turn the horse's head toward a high fence or barn, because there is less inclination to go ahead when such an obstruction is in view. Then get in and out repeatedly, occasionally giving him an apple, etc., for some time. Now move him around, standing him a little farther off at each repetition, and gradually more sideways, until ho will stand with his body parallel to the barn or away from it. Next, repeat the lesson where in the habit of being hitched, un- til he will stand as desired. When hitched in, have the reins in the hand or within easy reach. The moment he starts, give a sharp pull that will make him stand, go to the head and stroke it for a while, then go back to the wheel. For the least resistance, set him back sharply with the reins. When desired to WILL NOT STAND. 277 start, take him by the head, and, after going a few steps, call, " Whoa ! " If he does not stop promptly, pull sharply upon the reins until he will do so. Reward for standing ; punish for moving. Having once learned to stand and wait, get on the step and make a noise ; this submitted to, get in quietly and sit down. Repeat the stopping, starting, and waiting, until the impression is fixed upon the mind. After he will do this properly away from the house, he should be taken where in the habit of resisting, and the lesson re- peated, if necessary. Horses of this character are sometimes very sensitive, and require nice management, because they are so easily taught to balk. The point is to impress thoroughly the idea of stopping, and make it so habitual that, when the horse is most impulsive during cold and chilly .weather, it will not be forgotten. A A^ery good plan, should the case be a little daubtful, and seem in danger of working into the habit again, would be to have some one stand in front of him, or near the head, and stroke the nose a little, but not touch the reins. This will disconcert the horse sufficiently to make him stand while getting in, when by stepping out of his way he will move off quietly. If the Breaking Bit is not available, the following course of treatment, though requiring more time and care, will be found to work very well : Put on the foot strap, call '' Whoa ! " at the same time pull upon the foot strap, which will pull the foot up and throw the horse upon three legs. After a few repetitions, he will stop rather than be pulled upon and tripped. Now put him before a wagon, carrying the foot strap back as a third rein. If he starts, simply pull the foot from under a few times, or until ho will stand as desired. In some cases, the foot strap may be put on both fore feet, as a very determined horse may lunge forward upon three feet. If when one foot is taken 278 EUNNING AWAY. up there is inclination to lunge forward, simply pull the other foot from under, which brings him forward upon his knees. This treatment should be given on soft, sodded ground, or sandy road free from stones, to avoid bruising the knees. Put the Breaking Bit into the bridle and commence crack- ing a whi}), yelling, or anything else to attact his attention. If he moves, punish by jerking him back sharply, and say, " Whoa ! " Then repeat, cracking the whip, etc., until he will stand quietly under the excitement. When he will stand while in wagon, get out and caress him, walk around carelessly, crack the whip, etc. The instant he starts, call " Whoa ! " and jerk him back again. When he will stand, go to his head, caress, give an apple, etc. ; so rejteat the lesson^until Jie will stand quietly. At first, the cause of excitement should be moderate, gradually increasing each time. The reins should extend back into the wagon over the seat, so they can be caught quickly whe". necessary. In this way the horse is made afraid to start for fear cf be- ing punished. If it is desired to make the effect still more thorough, boys can be made to run around, make a noise, etc. A simple way to make a horse stand without being hitched, is to buckle or tie a strap or cord around the near fore foot below the fetlock, and tie the other end around the shaft back of the cross-f>iece, bringing it short enough so that, while not interfering with the limb while standing, it prevents its being brought forward in the effort to stop or go ahead, A horse will stand quietly by spanceling the fore legs together; that is, tying two small cords around the fore legs about six or seven inches apart. As soon as the horse finds he cannot step, he will stand quietly. CHAPTER VIII. HALTER-PULLING. Halter-pulling is one of the simple habits that not only cause great annoyance, but seriously injure the value of a horse, by rendering him unsafe to be left hitched in the street. A horse subject to this habit may stand all right when not excited, but will be ready to break his neck in the attempt to pull loose should a bit of paper, Dr anything Fig. 301. — As the colt will naturally resist when pulled upon straight ahead. else, be suddenly thrown down in front of him. There was no habit that troubled me more to learn how to man- age than this one. It was easy enough, with a little care, to keep a horse from pulling for a short time, but the diffi- culty was, in bad cases, to wholly prevent or break up the habit. When there is an effort at first to lead a colt bv the halter, the moment the pressure is felt upon the head, there (379) 280 HALTBK-PULLING. is an inclination to resist, or pull back. If the halter is a rough, hard, rope one, with the slipping-noose back of the jaw, when jDulled upon the pain inflicted will increase this tendency to res-ist and pull away. (See cut 201.) In the same manner when a colt is tied, and his freedom restrained, there is a natural inclination to resist and pull back ; and if after a violent struggle the halter is broken, the habit of pulling is learned. Usually, the younger the colt the more Fig. 203. — As the colt is liable to break loose when hitched in the usual manner. stubborn will be the inclination to pull, and often he will struggle so desj^erately as to throw himself down. Not only this, but there is danger of straining and injuring the neck by the violence of the jerking and pulling. I have known of colts pulling so hard as to make the neck stiff, deforming and spoiling them ; and in a few cases even kill- ing themselves by dislocating the neck. Yet there was practically no better remedy in use than to hitch by. a hal- ter so strong that he could not break it. The point was to be able to so hitch the colt as to induce the least inclina- METHOD OF TEEATMENT. • 281 tion to pull, and that when he did pull he could not break away, strain, or otherwise injure himself. The first successful experiment I made in the manage- ment of this habit was to pass the hitching part of the hal- ter through the ring in the manger, thence back over the belly-band, and tie to the hind foot, leaving it so long that the horse could step around as usual. AVhen the horse pulled, the strain came directly upon the hind leg, which prevented his j)ulling severely. After submitting to this, I next tied the hitching part around the fore leg above the knee, so that should he pull, the leg was pulled forward to the manger. But I soon discovered two objections to this method : First, there was danger, by this violent pulling upon the leg, of causing serious lameness ; and second, when afterward hitched directly by the head, there was a liability of his repeating the pulling. To avoid this difficulty I took a cord of sufficient length, brought the center under the tail like a crupper, bringing both ends forward over the back, twisting a few times, and then knotted them together in front of the breast. I then passed the ends through the rings of the halter, and tied to the post or manger. When the horse pulled, the strain came directly upon the tail, which, in the case of a colt, would cause him to jump ahead, surprised and frightened. I soon learned, however, that a stubborn horse accustomed to the habit, would quickly learn to pull against it, or pull as bad as ever when it was taken off. I also found that it was apt to make the tail so sore that there was not only liability to cause the horse to kick then when pulled upon, but afterward, should the rein be caught under the tail, or he be otherwise irritated. I then devised the plan of making a noose of the cord, and placing it well back around the body, bringing both cords forward between the legs, and through the hole in 282 HALTER-PULLING. the manger, thence back to the halter, and fasten. Thus two important improvements were made ; namely, the seri- ous objection of making the tail sore was removed ; and, instead of tying directly to the post or manger, passing it through the ring or hole in the manger, and tying to the halter back of the jaw, the restraint was brought directly upon the head as if ordinarily hitched, but with the advan- tage of greatly disabling and punishing, while the horse could not strain or injure himself in the least, no matter how hard he pulled. If the subject were a colt, the moment there was an ef- fort to pull, the sudden tightening of the cord around the body frightened and hurt him so much that it compelled an instantaneous jumping ahead, and after repeating two or three times, all inclination to pull was entirely overcome. It was necessary to hitch him in this way only a few times, Avhen he could be tied by the halter directly, without know- ing it was possible to pull. If while hitched in this man- ner he was frightened by a robe, or a piece of paper coming suddenly in front of him, he was soon convinced of his in- ability to pull loose, and consequently the inclination to do so was overcome. For especially bad, sullen pullers, however, I found this was not of itself sufficient to break up the habit. It was easy, of course, to prevent the horse from pulling while the rig was on, but when taken off, and the horse tied as usual by the halter, there was liability of his again repeating the pulling. To overcome this difficulty, I was led to the ex- ])edient, when there was an effort to pull, of inflicting such intense pain as to disconcert the horse from his purpose, even while under the greatest excitement, and on this point I was successful. To give something of an idea how I was led to do this, I will refer to a chance incident : — Two colts that pulled very hard upon the halter — one METHOD OP TREATMENT. 283 of them desperately — were brought me to experiment upon. The one that pulled the worst provoked me so much by his intense pulling, that to frighten him out of it I whipped him very hard upon the tip of his nose, where there is the most sensibility. Though he made a supreme struggle, I succeeded in this way in making him so afraid to pull that, no matter how excited afterward, he could not be made to go back. The other horse submitted in a few minutes, re- quiring but a slight punishment. Meeting the owner after- ward, he informed me that the horse that pulled the hard- Fjg. 203.— As a horse of sullen temper is liable to throw himself down when pulling., est at first never did it afterward, while he had much trouble in effectually breaking the other one of the habit. This led me to experiment upon this principle all I could. When I found a bad case, I treated it, if possible, in private, and was invariably so successful that I soon be- came convinced that I could in this way force the most stubborn pullers into submission in a few minutes. In making these experiments for over two years, I found that in many cases the lesson must be repeated, in order to fully break up the habit, and that it was fatal to success to let the horse feel that he could resist at any point. Nothing 284 HALTEK-PULLING. with which the horse is tied should give way. Even the breaking of the whip, or the inability to force to the point of complete submission, would be equivalent to defeat. In all cases, the experiment should be made at the place where in the habit of resisting, or as near it as possible. The Patent Bridle will be found to give still more power, and is indispensable in the breaking of bridle-pullers. In using this, reverse the reins through the pulley, so that in- stead of passing back, they will run forward. (See cut 205.) Now the moment the horse pulls, the punishment upon the head becomes so severe that he will be afraid to re- peat it. Having learned these points, I advertised, among other apparently difficult feats, to break any halter-puller in two minutes so that he would not pull upon his own halter when hitched. Many amusing incidents could be given, showing an effort to break me down in this respect. I will give here two illustrative cases, one of them among the worst halter-pullers the writer ever saw : — On the morning of my engagement at a large town in Northern New York, happening to step into a livery stable, I found several men standing around, laughing and yelling at a mare hitched in the stall. She had a rope under her tail, against which she pulled with great desperation, sit- ting back upon the ground and bracing herself with her fore legs. There was no lunging, but a steady, reckless pull, which settled the cord its thickness into the flesh of her tail. In explanation, they said they were stirring up and practicing the mare, to have a good subject for me ; that they knew she was the premium halter-puller of that coun- try, and they proposed to fix her so that she would beat me. She was ten years old, of medium size, brownish black in color, of the most courageous, plucky character imagina- METHOD OF TBEATMENT. 285 ble, and one of the worst possible halter-pullers in the coun- try. She would undoubtedly have defeated me had I not, in this way, become aware of her extremely bad char- acter, and prepared for the emergency. It was a precon- certed plan to spring the mare upon me, and defeat me, and thus make an excuse to get their money back. Though I had never seen so bad a halter-puller before, I determined to put a bold front on the matter, and pass for all I was worth. In forming a class, I told the people they were to dis- tinctly understand if I could not control the mare in two Fig. 204.— The halter-puller trying to pull loose. minutes so that she could not be made to pull when hitched by her own halter, I would give every man his money back ; with this understanding I made a large class. It now became important for them to defeat me, and for me, if possible, to succeed. Fearing my whip would break, I secured an extra one, of the best quaUty I could find, stripped off my coat and vest, attended carefully to every detail of hitching, and doubled the usual strength of the cord, to guard against the possibility of breaking. The moment the mare was tied, she went back with all the fury of a maniac. But she had no more than done so when I sent the ksh of the whip across the tip of her nose, re- 286 HALTEE-PULLING. peating as rapidly and with as much force as I could. The struggle was a desperate one, and the excitement and anx- iety to see which would beat was intense. At the four- teenth or fifteenth blow, the whip broke ; dropping it and catching the other, without losing a blow, I followed up the struggle. Had this whip broken, failure would have been inevitable ; but fortunately it held out, and at about the thirtieth blow she jumped ahead. But true to the in- stincts of her desperate pluck, she immediately went back again. The punishment, however, was too hot for her, and Fig. 205. — As a horse will rear and jump ahead after pulling. after the third stroke she bounded into the air, completely conquered ; for, in defiance of the utmost effort, she could not be made to pull back. I was consequently voted "all right." So great was the exertion on my part, that after she submitted I was out of breath and completely ex- hausted. I told the owner afterward that if he wished to break the mare successfully, he must not permit any fooling with her ; he must lead her quietly to the stable, back her into the stall, tie her head to the post, and let her stand until cool and over the excitement, when the impression would be so METHOD OF TEEATMEXT. 287 intensified that she would not repeat the habit ; and as a matter of precaution to test her as thoroughly as he could, then hitch her as I had done. I met the owner a week afterward, when he told me there were not men enough in town to make her pull hard enough now to break a tow string. At Marion, N. Y., where I made a large class many years before, I found a twenty-four-year-old mare that had not been hitched for ten years ; also a daughter and grand- daughter of the mare, — all confirmed halter- pullers. To catch mc, nothing was said about the character of the sub- jects until the time of making the experiments. The young- est mare was led in first, and proved a decidedly good sub- ject, yielding unconditionally in about a minute. They next led in the mother, a twelve-year-old mare, saying, "We have another case we wish tried." But, upon trial, she yielded, if anything, more readily than the first. They laughed and said, " Now let us have the old mare ; if he can stop her from pulling, we will give it up." This revealed the plot, and she was the reserved case upon which they depended to defeat me. Upon trial, however, the old mare proved no more difficult than the others, — in fact, not mak- ing near so good a contest as the first. Almost daily there were horses of this character brought me, man}^ of them ex- tremely bad ; but in no case was there failure. (Details of hitching a colt, and accustoming to stand hitched, are fully given in " Colt Training," and can be referred to un- der that head.) In breaking up this habit, no possible chances for de- feat should be taken. First, the cord must be so light and pliable as not to be noticeably felt around the body, yet so strong that it cannot be broken by the most desperate lunging. If heavy and clumsy, it woidd teach to descrim- inate between being off* or on. Secondly, the manger, post, 288 HALTBE-PULLING. or ring through which the cord plays, should be so strong or solid there is no danger of giving way. If it is a hitching ring, and small or rough, it should be wound with leather, or something to prevent its cutting the cord. Thirdly, the horse should be first tied where in the habit of pulling hardest, or where most accustomed to pull. The degree of freedom should be about the same as when ordinarily hitched by the halter, and the point of tying or playing through the ring should be about on a level w^ith the breast. As before explained, in ordinary cases all that is necessary is to hitch in this way, and frighten him back a little at Fig. 206. — A test to which the Ti alter-puller was usually submitted by the class after treatment. first by whatever excites him, until he refuses to go back, when all inclination to pull is overcome. While in serious cases, especially if of a plucky, determined character, pun- ishing sharply with a whip will be necessary. It is important also that the whip be of the most suit- able kind, as in many cases the Avant of this precaution would be suflicient to cause defeat. It should be from five to six feet long, rather stiff, with a bow top made of buck- skin, and a good hard lash. It must be of such good ma- terial that there will be no danger ofits breaking, and so easily METHOD OF TREATMENT. 289 handled that the end of the nose can be struck with quick- ness and precision. If long and unwieldy, it cannot be handled with the effectiveness necessary, as there is dan- ger of hitting around the eyes and head, which must not be done. Another point : The horse must not at first be hitched where he cannot, if necessary, be punished with the whip. When he goes back, punish instantly. When he jumps for- ward, make a noise, crack the whip, or anything else, but do not strike him. It is advisable to let him stand quietly where treated until cool. He may, when left alone, try to pull again once or twice, but this will only fix the impres- sion the stronger until he will give up the contest. Next, he should be tested at other points, though not very se- verely. If he pulls, the punishment should be quick and sharp until submissive. It does no good to break a horse only sufficiently to make him stand quietly when not ex- cited or frightened. To be effective, he must be made to stand quietly, regardless of any of the usual causes of ex- citement. Unless this can be done, the horse cannot be risked hitched in the street, or at any place where exposed to any causes of fear. Hitching to a limb of a tree, which will give when pulled upon, will prevent the habit during the time hitched, but when tied to an unyielding post or manger he is again liable to pull. Running Back in the Stall when Unhitched. For ordinary cases of running back in the stall when unhitched, tie a little longer than for halter-pulling ; then untie the halter, and the horse will run back to the point of being disabled and hurt. This will cause him to jump ahead. Repeat, at each time tying a little longer, until the nose will come on a line with the back end of the stall, when he should be hit sharply across the nose until he 19 290 HALTER-PULLING. jumps ahead. This will in a short time make him afraid to run back. As a precaution, it is advisable, the next time he is unhitched, to have a cord on, so that should he try to run back he could be caught by the cord attachment and punished as before. Whenever I had a particularly bad case of this kind, I would hitch the horse as before explained, but with the cord or rope so long that when he went back it let the nose come just out- side the stall. I would then stand outside, while some one unhitched him, or made him go back. The moment he w^ent the length Fig. 207.— First method of making a horse of the COrd, he WaS stopped stand in harness without hitching. ^^j^J^ .^ j^^k, wheU I stood ready to punish him by hitting him across the tip of the nose once or twice, causing him to jump ahead. A few repetitions of this would make him so afraid he could not be made to go back. I have at different times created considera- ble amusement in the management of these cases by making it im- possible for the owner, after the experiment, to back the horse out of the stall. Treated in this way, the management of these cases is easy and simple. It is sometimes quite important to have a horse stand without being hitched, as there may be no hitching-post at Fig. 208. — Second method of making a horse stand with- out being hitched. EUNNING BACK IN STALL. 291 hand. This can be done in two ways : First, by buckling one end of a strap around the foot below the fetlock, and the other end to the crosspiece of the shafts, just short enough to hold the foot in a perpendicular position. When the horse tries to step, being unable to carry the foot forward he is rendered helpless. It is always advisable to try a horse before leaving him in this way, as it is barely possible he may lunge for- ward upon three legs if badly frightened ; but only wild, impulsive fel- lows are liable to do this. Another way is to simply tie the fore legs together, as seen in the cut. This method is specially valuable in making saddle-horses stand without hitched. It is also important to be able to hitch a horse to a tree or smooth post in such a manner as to prevent the cord from slipping down. Above I give an illustration of a method for doing this, which is so plain that it does not need any further description. Fig. 209. — How to hitch a horse to a tree or smooth post so that the strap or cord will not untie or slip down. -*^ '^- CHAPTER IX. STALLIONS. There is no class of horses that require more careful management than stallions. They have more intelligence than other horses, and are quicker to take advantage when carelessness or weakness is shown. They are also more courageous in their re- sistance. In addition, the character of their re- sistance — b i t i n g and striking — is far more dif- ficult to combat. Mis- takes can be m a d e in breaking mares and geld- ings without doing much more harm than to in- crease the labor of their subjection ; but in subdu- ing a stallion, a mistake, or even slight carelessness, is in many cases fatal to suc- cess. The whip should never be used upon a horse of tlfis character ; for there is great danger, if at all spirited or courageous, of his becoming aggressive and vicious. A young horse that is very gentle, allowing himself to be handled and caressed around the head, etc., can, by bad treatment, easily be made so vicious that his whole char- r393) Fig. 210.— Portrait from life of Old Hamble- tonian. Sire of the Hambletoniau trotters. BEFOEE TEEATMENT. 293 294 STALLIONS. acter is changed. A great many cases of this kind have come under my observation. At one time, a gentleman who had jjreviously attended one of my lectures, told me that he and his brother owned a fine stallion in company. The horse was naturally quite gentle, but one day his brother, becoming impatient with him, hit him sharply ; the result was the horse ever afterward held such an antipathy against him that he could not safely go near or handle him in any way, while towards himself the horse was perfectly gentle. One of my pair of matched, trained horses, nine years old, bought in Madison, 0., and exhibited by me for a num- ber of years, was of good character at the time of coming into my possession ; but when 1 undertook to train him to be controlled by the whip, he became so excited when hit that he jumped at me with nil the ferocity of a bulldog, and I was obliged to tie him back. One sharp whipping, and leaving him mad, would have made him irretrievably vicious ; so I was very careful when compelled to rouse him much to treat him afterward with great kindness, — giving him apples, rubbing his nose, etc., until entirely over the excitement, and finally succeeded in training him as I wished without making him vicious. After using him for some years, he passed into other hands, when, by needless excitement and punishment, he became so bad a biter as to be almost worthless. The " Gifford-Morgan Horse," sold to Fred Arnd, of Bath, N. Y., and mentioned in the last part of this chapter, is a striking case in point. Had I not been in Bath at the time, and able to treat him properly, he would have been entirely unmanageable and worthless. I would also refer to the " Robert's Horse," of Utica, SPECIAL CASES. 295 N. Y. (" Case No. 13, Subjection.") This horse had previ- ously been of so good a character that be was used for family driving ; but in consequence of being whipped repeatedly by an ignorant groom in order to make him show off, he became so vicious as to be entirely unmanageable. There are, however, occasionally to be found stallions that are by nature vicious, even in defiance of the most careful manage- ment. Perhaps the most marked case of this character ever known in this country was the Hillman Horse, " Jet," Case 7, Subjection. During the conversation I held with Mr. Goodenough (referred to in chapter on " Subjection "), in speaking of the intelligence of horses, he said, " It is wonderful what a memory a horse has. Once, while we were subjecting the Stafford Stallion to treatment, his resistance was so deter- mined that Rarey lost his patience, and hit him across the head with a pitch-fork. The horse never forgot it ; for he ever afterward manifested such hatred towards him that he could approach and handle him only by using the greatest caution, while I could handle him without exciting in him the least resentment. Some time afterward, w^hen handhng him, happening to leave the enclosure for a moment, the horse suddenly grabbed Rarey by the arm, and would un- doubtedly have killed or seriously injured him had I not quickly rushed to the rescue. On my approach, the horse let go and ran off." I refer to these cases to show to owners the necessity of employing good, careful men to take charge of their horses. A coarse-grained, passionate man should not be employed at any price. Habits of intemperance should in all cases be sufficient to disqualify a man for such work. My experience in the management of this class of horses 296 STALLIONS. has been very extensive. Advertising as a specialty that I would make any headstrong, unmanageable stallion that could not be led or controlled by even two or three men at once, so manageable in ten minutes that I could stand ten feet away and call him to me away from a mare or other horses, of course there was great interest to see whether I could do so apparently difficult a feat ; and almost every week or two an especially vicious stallion of this character would be reported for treatment, but he invariably proved a good subject. There is no class of horses that submit more readily to treatment when taken in time, but they are the hardest to re- form when the treatment is not right, or when, by the in- efficiency of the owner or groom, they are afterward al- lowed successful resistance. On this account I have thought it advisable to give special instructions for the management of these cases. Treatment for Headstrong Stallions. If a colt is simply unbroken and impulsive — perhaps nipping a little — he can be easily made gentle by subject- ing him lightly to the Second Method and following with the War Bridle. Sometimes a horse of this character is perfectly manageable until led near other horses, when he will try to pull away. I will refer to two or three such cases. While at Pennington, N. J., a horse that pulled away so badly he could not be taken into the streets at all if other horses were in sight, was reported for treatment. He was subjected lightly to the Second Method, and then brought under thorough control by the War Bridle, when he was led home as manageable as any horse. At a point in Northern New York, a five-year-old horse AFTEE TREATMENT. 297 298 STALLIONS. was produced that proved entirely unmanageable in this re- spect. As a test, a horse was brought to his view at the opposite end of the barn, when, in spite of the united efforts of two or three men, he rushed toward him, and to guard against accident, the horse was taken away. In less than five minutes' treatment by the War Bridle he was made perfectly gentle while in the presence of other horses — even to being called away from them by word of command alone, while I was standing from six to ten feet away from him. At Litchfield Corners, Me., a horse of the same age was reported to be utterly unmanageable when brought near other horses ; but by the same treatment he was brought under control in less time than the above case. At another place near Portland, Me., a four-year-old colt that had be- come entirely unmanageable in the same way, and was brought to the place of experiment only by blindfolding, was made completely manageable in seven or eight min- utes, and led home by the owner without the least difficulty. Well-bred, nervous-tempered horses of this character will always prove easy subjects to manage ; while those of a sullen, cold-blooded, or draft order, may be found quite difficult, and require very careful treatment. It is seen that for these simple cases a short lesson with the most se- vere form of the War Bridle should be all that is necessary. Stand opposite the shoulder, four or five feet away, and give a sharp pull, repeating slowly until he will come around promptly. This lesson must be made sufficiently thorough to overcome all inclination to resist, no matter how tried or excited. Five or ten minutes' treatment, when properly done, should be sufficient to break up the habit. VICIOUS STALLIONS. 299 Tkeatment for Very Vicious Stallions. Vicious stallions require very careful management. In determining the treatment, a great deal depends upon the temperament of the horse, and how greatly his resentment has been excited. A horse that seems the worst is not al- ways the hardest to break ; in fact, if he has never been fooled with much, he may be, in many instances, the very easiest to manage ; and when once subdued by the methods of subjection given here, it will not be difficult to hold the character good by careful after-treatment. If a stallion of moderately good disposition be partially broken or subdued, and that for a number of times, it may be very difficult to afterward make him reliably gentle. Or when once thoroughly subdued, if he is whipped or managed in such a way as to again excite him to resist, it would require the most thorough course of treatment to produce the same degree of docility as before ; for by such success- ful resistance the horse is taught a degree of cunning and treachery that it is next to impossible to break up. On this account it is of the greatest importance that the treatment of these cases, when once undertaken, should be very care- ful and thorough. For a really dangerous horse whose head cannot be reached with safety, the best course is to subject him first to the Second Method, which will give sufficient foundation to use the other methods with more success. Subject him next to the First Method, throwing rapidly as long as he will get up, or until he will not try to resist. It is rarely this will not make the horse, in a general way, submissive ; but as it is necessary to make the impression as intense as possible upon these doubtful cases, this treatment should 300 STALLIONS. be followed with the Third Method, and in some en pes it may be advisable to repeat again with the Second, after which the War Bridle should be used. . It is almost needless to remark that there should be the most careful attention, while going around the horse, to keep such a restraint upon him as will prevent his biting. A very little carelessness, such as taking the eye off from his, turning the back to him, or relaxing restraint upon the head, would encourage aggression, and practically undo all that has been done. It is easy enough to subject the horse to the various methods of subjection given, but it is not so easy to exercise that prudent after-watchfulness which is an indispensable requisite in fixing and holding the impres- sion made. In going into the stall, the trainer should give the horse an apple or two, or something he likes, to win his better nature. It is also important that the horse be worked or driven enough to keep him a little sore or tired. Above any other class of horses, stallions seem the best able to determine the strength of character of a man from his actions ; and in approaching them in the stall it is al- most fatal to success to show any timidity, or weakness in voice or manner ; whatever the feeling of doubt, nothing but the most perfect confidence and firmness must be shown. Fencers always look each other in the eye to see an in- dication of the intended movement, and to be ready to ward off the attack. In the same manner are the intentions and movements of the horse in a great measure revealed. In approaching a vicious horse in a stall, a fixed, determined expression of the eye and manner will sometimes so dis- concert him that he will stand undecided what to do until appraached and made helpless. The usual course to pur- sue is about as follows : When within reach of the horse, APPEOACHING A STALLION. 301 look him firmly in the eye, and say, " Get around ! " or any other word of command, in a way to make him feel your power. If his eye quails, approach ; if not, stand still. It may be a duel of a few minutes to determine which will give up. Should he yield, approach softly, midway be- tween his head and quarters, so as to keep him, as it were. Fig. 213. — Method of placing the hand, and bringing it quickly to the head, in approaching a vicious stallion. undecided and unbalanced. If standing too near his quar- ters, he is liable to kick ; if too near his head, to strike or bite. The point is to keep him undecided until the shoul- der is reached, then pass the hand quickly up the neck to the ear, thence down, grasping the nose-piece of the hal- ter. He is at such a disadvantage now that unless very violent he cannot do harm. Should he, however, attempt to strike or bite, grab the mane at the shoulder with the other 302 STALLIONS. hand, and so keep the head turned straight from you. But should he prove too much, the only alternative is to get out of the way. Presuming, however, that he is under good con- trol, the point now is to disable him. Have ready a cord, throw the doubled part over the neck and pass over the lower jaw ; bring the other part down through the loop tight, and tie into a single hitch. Now put on another cord, and if nec- essary tie up one leg to prevent kicking, get him out of the stall and subject him to treatment, modifying it accord- ing to the case. Should the horse show a cool, daring expression of eye, with ears thrown back, and standing sullenly, and seem- ingly indifferent, no chances should be taken. Such a horse will wait until within reach, when he will kick, strike, or bite, so quickly that no firmness or quickness of action would save a man. In such a case, resort to any means most convenient and safe that will give sufficient control to enable subjecting him to the regular treatment. If no hal- ter or bridle is on, the following course may be adopted : Put on a halter as described in Colt Training, tie up the head, put on a bridle, or one or two War Bridles, get him out on a sodded place, and subject him to treatment. Of course if the stall or room is large enough, he can be sub- jected to treatment there. The point of making the horse sufficiently gentle to be handled and used while free from rigging or restraint of any kind, must be thoroughly established as a foundation upon which this afterrtreatment must be based. Unless this can be done, the horse cannot practically be made safe. In my experience with these cases I make the lesson, if I can, a quick, overpowering rush of force, which breaks up aH resistance, and makes him submit before he warms up, A BAD CASE. 303 being careful not to strain, bruise, or over heat the horse. But should he warm up, and fight with such energy that I cannot force his unconditional submission, I aim to carrj the treatment simply far enough to make him sore. This is sometimes difficult to do, as these horses, especially the cold-blooded cases, may be so sullen in their resistance they cannot be made sufficiently sore to do any good. At any rate, the lesson must be repeated to the point of producing unconditional submission, or there cannot be any hope of success. The horse should be tested the day after treat- ment, when the effects can be best discerned. If the least vestige of resistance be found in him, it must be imme- diately overcome by more or less repetition of treatment. The Avorst horse of this character I ever found was a blind, gray stallion in Pittsburg, Pa. This horse was a strong-muscled, heavy-boned fellow, with a remarkably fine head,and was a perfect model in points of strength and endur- ance. Ordinarily, he showed every indication of being nat- urally gentle, but by bad training had become vicious, and when roused or excited was a perfect bull-dog. Though compelled to handle him at a great disadvantage in a barn, I succeeded, after much efibrt, in making him sufficiently gentle to handle for the time, which was in reality a great feat. Sometimes stallions, especially of this character, are liable to develop very peculiar whims in the way of affection or hatred. I have frequently found horses that would be perfectly gentle toward certain persons,^ but entirely un- manageable toward others. I will giA^e here one very marked case, formerly owned by me. A* ten-year-old Gif- ford-Morgan stallion, owned in Bath, Steuben Co., N. Y., was of a fine, intelligent, docile disposition naturally, but S04 STALLIONS. EFFECT OF TEEATMENT. 305 when excited he showed an under-current of great will and courage. He was raised in Gowanda, N. Y. I bought him for the purpose of training him to drive without reins, and succeeded in making him drive very nicely, holding him gentle. For a stallion, he was singularly free from all in- clination to bite, and other habits of viciousness. Later, I sold this horse, with another, for breeding purposes, to Fred Arnd, a hotel keeper in Bath, N. Y. Mr. Arnd (who was Fig. 215. — The Fred Arnd Horse as seen by the writer four years after being subdued. somewhat intemperate in his habits) one day perceiving the horse acted as though about to bite, whipped him se- verely. Happening in the stable at the time, I found Arnd in the horse's stall, and greatly excited from the exertion of kicking and whipping. I told him emphatically that he must not whip and abuse the horse in that way. If he did, he would surely in a short time make him so vicious he could do nothing with him. I advised him at once to give the horse some apples, and handle and caress him until over the excitement. But he disregarded the advice, and about a 20 30G STALLIONS. week afterward I again heard a row in this stalL Proceed- ing to the i^lace,. I found Arnd with hat off and face red with possion, in the act of whipping and kicking the horse. I again told him in the most positive terms that he could not whip and abuse the horse in that manner without spoil- ing him, and that he must on no condition repeat it. As before, I urged him to treat the horse kindly, give apples, etc. ; but, as before, my advice was disregarded, and as the result, in less than a week afterward he came to me and said, " That horse is so vicious no one can go near him. I am afraid he is completely spoiled. If you can and will break him for me, I will do anything you require." I found the horse perfectly furious, with eyes like balls of fire, and ready to jump at any one who might approach. He did not seem to have the least recollection of me, and it was with the greatest difficulty I was able to get him out of the stall, and across the street into my tent. I sub- jected him first to Second Method, following with First, which he resisted furiously. I threw him fully a dozen times before he gave up the contest, when he quieted down, and seemed to fully recognize me. I talked to him and caressed him now for some time, walking around with him, when he would follow me around perfectly gentle. I now directed him to be placed in the care of a quiet, careful man, and instructed him to make it his business to visit the horse frequently in his stall, give an apple or two each time, caress and talk to him, and on no account to allow Arnd to go near or in his sight until I advised it. The treatment was continued two weeks, the horse acting just as gentle as before. Now while standing at his head I di- rected Arnd to come inside the door of his stall. The horse knew him instantly and became greatly excited, but EFFECT OF TEKATMENT. 307 I managed, however, to keep him quiet while Arnd was near him. I soon afterward left the place, but at the expiration of about four years I again visited that part of the State pro- fessionally. At Merchants ville, in the same county, I was surprised to find this horse. I was informed that at the moment Arnd would come near, the horse would become furiously excited and seem ready to jump at him, but was perfectly gentle toward others. Convinced that he could not manage him, he sold him to his present owner, a resi- dent of Merchantsville, who used him for breeding purposes and for a family driver. The man told me his wife could hitch up the horse and drive him as well as any old family horse, and he could take him out in the street by the halter and play with him with all the freedom he could with any pet horse. " But," added he, " were he to see a bald-headed man, it would make him so furious he would kill him if he could get at him." Mr. Arnd was bald headed, and the horse retained his peculiar repugnance to such an appearance. I took him into the streets by the halter, and found he was just as obedient to the whip as when I owned him, over four years before. In training this horse to drive without reins, I was com- pelled a great many times to punish him with the whip very severely, possibly as hard if not harder than Arnd did, but I was always careful never to leave him smarting from the effects of such punishment. I at once gave him apples, etc., until cool and quiet. It is impossible to teach a horse to drive without reins, without at times whipping quite severely. This must be done to force obedience to the whip, or the horse cannot be relied upon. 308 STALLIONS. GoDOLPiiiN Arabian. In concluding this chaj^ter, I will give the romantic story of the famous " Godolphin Arabian," the most noted sire of 'the English thoroughbreds, copied from a story by Eugene Sue, published in Wallaces Monthhj^ 170 Fulton St., N. Y. The editor of this journal, who is A^ery careful authority, states in conclusion as follows : — " As a matter of course we must not expect historical Fig. 216.— Godolphin Arabian. From Stubb's picture. accuracy in a romance, but there are not many things in this that practically need correction." I include a portrait of this famous horse, taken from Stubb's picture. " The story opens with an English philanthropic Quaker, who, while on a visit to Paris, in 1732, received letters from home, an- nouncing that his only daughter had gratified his fondest hopes by making him a grandfather, and, according to the custom of his sect, he resolved on evincmg his gratitude to the Giver of all good for the fortuitous event by performing some charitable ac- tion. In his progress on this work of mercy — it was a dreadful GODOLPHIN AEABIAN. 809 cold night in the latter part of January — he saw a great crowd at the foot of the Pont Neuf, and a horse, in a heavy cart, loaded with wood, attempting in vain to draw his burden up the ascent, while the carter was urging him on with brutal severity. All the efforts of the animal to move forward were ineffectual, and, driven to desperation by the lashings of his hard taskmaster, he plunged with so much violence, the ground being extremely slip- pery, that he fell on his knees, and was unable to rise. The carter renewed his blows, and with horrid imprecations seized the bit of his bridle, attempting to force him up, but with such violence that the mouth of the poor animal was filled with blood. With violent efforts, he at last got on his legs, but only to fall again, when, turning on his side, he lay trembling, covered with sweat, and his eye reproachfully fixed on his inhuman tyrant, who, unmoved by his piteous groans, kicked him repeatedly on his streaming nostrils, till every one cried ' Shame ! ' but all were too much afraid of his known brutality to further interfere. Their horror was increased when the fellow, go- ing to the tail of his cart, took out a handful of straw, and twisting it into the form of a torch, and lighting it, was in the act of applying the brand to the poor animal's foot, when the compassionate Friend inter- fered, arrested his arm, and exhibited fifteen louis-d'ors spread on the palm of his hand, offering the whole as the price of his pur- chase. Although he had treated the execrations of the multitude with contempt, the ' timber-merchant ' was not proof against the glittering coin, and crushed the torch under his foot. The pur- chase was agreed upon, the horse disengaged, and the parties pro- ceeded to the driver's stable, to complete the contract. "The carter, mollified by receiving the money, so far beyond his estiination of the value of the animal, said he ought, injustice, to tell the purchaser that the horse was the most malignant and ungovernable brute he had ever met with, and so dangerous to approach that he was obliged to put his corn into his manger be- fore he had entered the stable; that, from his vicious habits, he had bought him fot a mere trifle, having given only twenty crowns for him; that ' the beggar,' when in the humor, would draw well, but when he had a heavier load than usual, would play him the Fig. 217. — Godolphin Arabian. From Stubb's picture. By J. C. Beard. 310 STALLIONS. same trick he Imd done that day, and nothing but extreme sever- ity would induce him to do his work. He was also so cunning as to utter groans on the slightest punishment, and then he would put on the appearance of submission till he was released from the vehicle, when he would kick and run at him with open mouth, in the most savage manner. The only way he could subdue him was to keep him constantly in the shafts, so that he could not lie down, either by night or by day ; and he placed both horse and cart under a shed, for protection from the weather, the only sleep he got being as he stood. Once a week (on Sunday) he permitted the Moor to release him, and then the three, Agba, Scham (for such was his Moorish appellation), and the cat, seemed in a state of ecstasy. " The carter goes on to state that an uncommon attachment subsisted between the three ; that the Moor doated on the horse, having accompanied him to Paris from Barbary, and that the cat woidd jump on his back, purring continually, the horse whinny- ing in evident gratification at his presence. He then proceeds to say that ho had purchased the animal from one of the royal cooks; and, on the Quaker expressing his astonisRment that an animal so meager should ever have belonged to the king, the wood-man pro- ceeded to state how he came into his possession. "Scham was employed in the most menial capacity, drawing a covered wagon from the Paris cuisine to that of Versailles, but was so vicious, and so savage with other horses, especially if any mares were in sight, that they could do nothing with him, and the comptroller ordered him to be sold. No one, however, would pur- chase him, not only from his known character, but because he con- sumed more food than he was worth; and he was at length given to one of the cooks, to get rid of him, on condition that he would find -him sustenance. It appears, however, that his new master kept him on short commons; for he actually attempted to make a meal of the cook, having seized him with his teeth, and bitten a large piece of flesh through his clothes. This was enough for the cuisinier, who determined to get rid of the vicious brute. He ac- cordingly sent for the wood-merchant, and offered to sell him the horse for thirty crowns, but eventually parted with him for twenty. "M. Sue then proceeds: The driver spoke truly; the horse so lately put to the drudgery of the wood-merchant's heavy cart, was one of eight Barbary steeds, which the Bey of Tunis had sent as a present to Louis XV., in 17*31, in consequence of having concluded a treaty of commerce, which was efltected in his majesty's name, by M. the Viscount do Manly, a commander in the king's navy. " On the arrival of these animals in Paris, thev, for a short time, attracted the attention, or rather the curiosity, of the king GODOLPHIN AEABIAN. 811 and his court; but, from their wild appearance, their restless and haughty deportment, their lean and angular forms, rendered more so by the fatigue of the voyage, they were received into the royal stables with perfect indifference, and, subsequently, with contempt. M. Sue accounts for this from the prevailing fancy of his majesty for the great Norman horses, both for war and the chase, and more especially for those bred in Sutfolk — short in the loins, well knit together, going close to the ground, and termed thickset. As the king's name is a tower of strength in v/ar, so in fashion his taste is paramount, and these Barbary horses excited the greatest raillery and scorn— their deep chests, their small mouths, their beautiful, nervous, and bony forms, so typical of the character of this famous race, and religiously preserved pure in the East, were all lost* on king, courtiers, equerries, and grooms. " Of the eight Tunisian slaves sent from Africa by the Bey, Agba alone remained, the other seven having returned to their na- tive country. The poor mute was so attached to Scham that even the natural affection for home was disregarded, and, though ex- cluded from the royal stables, he hovered about their precincts for the purpose of seeing his favorite whenever he was suffered to pass the door, living on the charity of those who pitied his unhappy condition. Since he had become the property of the wood- carrier, the Moor had taken up his quarters in the shed for the sole pur- pose of enjoying the society of the 'Barb, and obtained his food by begging, for he (the carter) refused to encourage him, believing that his witchcraft rendered the horse so vicious. He suffered him to remain in the shed, as he was much amused to see the evident affection subsisting between the mute, the horse, and the cat. On his return home, Agba and Grimalkin were always in waiting, the former squatting down disconsolately, with the cat curled up by his side. On permitting him to giv^e the horse his food, the Moor would rise up in ecstasy, embrace the animal, take his head between his hands, jump on his back, then dismount, and creep under him; by all of which endearments the horse seemed as grat- ified as himself. He would whinny, and appear to talk to him, as if rejoiced to see him. On the other hand, if the Moor was not in the shed, he became furious, stamped with his feet, laid back his ears, and attempted to attack the carter. On one occasion the Moor was not in the shed, but returned when he was chastising the horse, and was so exasperated that he seemed inclined to at- tack him, bu^ he showed him his shoulder-of -mutton fist, and the demonstration was sufficient. " When the Quaker, who had been struck with their mutual attachment, told the Moor that he had purchased the horse, and that both should acconijiany him to England, the poor fellow showed the most extravagant joy, threw himself on his knees at 312 STALLIONS. the feet of the Englishman, and placed his foot on his head, in to- ken of submission, and showing that he would be his slave for life. He removed the cumbrous harness with which Scham was capari- soned, in a sort of frenzy, believing that the malign influ-ence had departed from his companion. The hard- stuffed collar covered with blue sheepskin, the I'usty hames, the ponderous wooden sad- dle, and the thick bridle, were all dashed to the ground in the greatest indignation , then, drawing from one of the pockets of his cloak a horse-hair glove, he began to rub down Scham, after the manner of the Moors of Tunis (who never use a currycomb), the friction of which soon renders glossy the handsome and fine skin of the horses of the pure race. Scham, thus unharnessed, could be better examined by the Quaker. He was a brown bay, about fifteen hands high, with a white spot on the off hind leg. He was terribly thin ; his sharp bones seemed to pierce through his skin, naturally so fine and delicate that he was covered with wounds by the friction of tb.c heavy collar and shafts of the cart. The dust and dii't which covered the poor animal rendered his coat, formerly so bright and smooth, quite dull and rough, and his mane was matted with filth. Notwithstanding his distressing and mis- erable appearance, a judge of horse-flesh would still have admired his bony form ; and on seeing his deep chest, — sure indication of capacity and strength of lungs, — it was evident that Scham could perform, without the slightest difficulty, a lengthened course. Judging also from the construction and strength of his well-pro- portioned limbs, his speed must be prodigious; and his large hams, flat and so singularly tajx'iing ofl", seemed steel springs to his iron frame. These, added to his uncommon beauty, and his graceful tail, flowing like a plume of silk, pi'oved him to be an illustrious descendant from the purest caste. "The Quaker shortly after returned home, accompanied by his purchase, his mute attendant, and the faithful cat. "Arrived in Englan ting through the regular experiments, a notoriously bad KICKING COWS. 329 tearing kicking cow was brought in for treatment. As usual, a few pulls of the War Bridle made her stand to be milked as gentle as could be desired. While the class were amus- ing themselves over the ease with which the cow was controlled, and somewhat at the expense of the owner, with the cord still on, she suddenly, and without warning, rushed through the wall of the canvas, almost down the w^hole tent, and ran through the main street of the town to- ward home. Every dog in the street took after her, making a most ludi- crous scene, no one ap- pearing more amused than the owner. He came into the class on condition that I would make the cow gentle to be milked at home. He Fig. 226. — Arrangement of the cord for leading a cow. never came back to report upon the success of the exper- iment. The course of treatment is about as follows : — Put on the War Bridle, Second Form, pull right and left a few times ; then stand off at a safe distance, and pull a little upon the teats. If there is resistance, punish ; so repeat, until there is no resistance. Sometimes the teats are sore, and the pain caused by milking is very severe. Take Gonlard's extract 2 oz., sulphate zinc 2 oz., lard 2 oz., and rub upon the parts a few times. This is a favorite remedy among dairymen for sore teats, cake in the bag, etc. This prescription I know to have been sold for fifteen dollars, and it is prized by dairymen in Northern New York, where the medicine is sold especially for their use. 330 miscellanf:olts habits. To Lead a Cow P^asilv. Tie a rope around the head under the horns, Itringing the knot over the ear. Now bring the rope forward and under the ear, again forward over and under the cord. By pulling now, the cord will tighten around the ear, hurt- ing so severely that the cow will lead freely. To Force a Horse on the Trot. During one of my early tours in Ohio, a horse-trainer came one hundred and fifty miles to attend my class. He stated that there was but one point in which he was interested, and if I could help him on that, it was all he de- sired. The point was, how to force and keep a horse on the trot under excitement. On this point he was very much interested, for the reason that he made the train- ing of trotters his business, and it was indispensable that he should be able to do this. Also, because he knew of a mare that could trot very fast, but when driven in company with other horses, or excited in the least, she would break, and could not be made to trot, and on this account was re- garded worthless as a trotter. He could buy her at a very moderate figure, and could make a big thing on her if he could break her ; but he did not wish to purchase her un- less he felt confident of success in her management. This was a new point to me ; but on the impulse of the moment I advised him to try the Breaking Rig as shown by cut on page 180, at first to work her slowly and gently Fig. 827.— To change a horse's gait. FOECING TO TKOT. 331 until accustomed to it ; then gradually push her under ex- citement, cracking the whip, etc., and then driving her with other horses, gradually Avorking up in same manner with- out restraint of rig. I had noticed when driving with this rig that a horse must either walk or trot; for the instant he struck a run, both legs coming back at the same time shortened the cord so much as to tangle and hurt severely, and consequently it must work in this case. He went iiome, bought the mare for $375, made the experiment, and Avas successful beyond his expectations, soon being able to put her under the whip, and dri^'e her under any excitement, Avith other horses, at the top of her speed. Within three months he sold her for $1500. Hap- pening to meet me some time afterAvard, he gaA^e me the above facts, at the same time stating that he then had an- other horse of the same character on Avhich he expected to do equally well. The gait of a horse can be changed from pacing to trot- ting, or from trotting to j)acing, by passing the cord or strap from the hind foot to the opposite 'fore foot — through rings in the belly-band for trotters — and from hind to fore feet direct for pacing. (See cut 230.) This Avill not, however, be found to be of much practical value. Q> CHAPTER XI. TEACHING TRICKS. In this chapter I give the portraits of my old group of trained horses and ponies, whose performances were re- garded with such great interest by all who witnessed them, that for a number of years I was compelled to give an extra exhibition daily for the benefit of ladies and children, for which a regular admission fee was charged ; and it was uni- versally conceded that these exhibitions were more inter- esting than those of any circus. The performances of Blind Billy were regarded as especially remarkable, from the fact of his being totally blind. He is, without question, the most remarkable performing horse that has ever been ex- hibited in this or any other country. I give a very fine portrait of this remarkable horse, sketched by a leading artist. The details of teaching a few tricks, which I give in this chapter, will be of special interest to farmer boys, who may desire to train their colts in this way. A horse seems more intelligent and tractable when trained to perform a few simple tricks, such as telling the age, kissing, bowing his head, kicking up, turning right and left, or following with the whip, etc., all of which any intelligent boy can easily train a colt to do. In training a colt or horse to perform these tricks, there should be no hurry, or effort to teach more than one thing at a time. Make the lesson short, and repeat until thor- (332) DETAILS OF TEACHING. 33S 334 TEACHING THICKS. oughly learned, when another can be taken up, but do not contin horse. continue the lesson long enough to excite or confuse the To Follow by the Wiiie. One of the simi:)lest and most interesting tricks to teach a horse is to follow at the motion of the whip, without bri- dle or halter. It is oven quite useful, as it teaches a horse to follow at command from one part of the barn to another, or to come out of his stall without attempting to get away. Full details of teaching this trick are given in the chapter on " Colt Training." To Nod his Head, or Say Yes. To teach a horse to bow, or nod his head, prick him lightly on the back with a pin, and continue until in his ef- fort to avoid the annoyance he drops his head ; then in- stantly stop the pricking, and caress him. Repeat the pricking until the head is again dropped, when caress and oive him somethiner of which he is fond. Continue to al- ternate in this way with the pricking and caressing until at the instant a motion is made toward the back, or even to take a pin from the coat, he will drop his head. To Shake his Head, or Say No. To teach a horse to say No, prick him lightiy on the top of the shoulder with a pin until he shakes his head, when stop and reward him. Repeat the pricking until at the least motion toward the withers the horse will shake his head. To Tell his Age. To teach a horse to tell his age, prick him lightly on the back part of the leg until, to avoid the annoyance, the DETAILS OF TEACHING. 335 foot is lifted, or there is an effort to paw ; for this, stop and caress him. Repeat until the least motion toward the leg will cause him to paw the ground. In teaching this trick, the body is naturally bent a lit- tle while in the act of pricking the leg, and by repeating, the position will soon indicate to the horse that he must Fig. 229.-Bliud Billy. paw. This position is to be maintained until he paws four, five, or six times, or as many times as he is years old, when the position is changed, and the pawing ceases. To Kick Up. To teach a horse to kick up, simply prick him on the rump with a pin until there is an inclination to kick up, when^ as before^ stop and caress him. Repeat until the 336 TEACHING TIUCKS. least motion toward the rump will induce him to kick up ; then touch with the whip, and repeat until at the mere motion of it he will kick up. These tricks may be made quite interesting by talking to the horse somewhat as follows : '* Tommy, I want you to tell how old you are ; will you do it ? " and signal for the horse to shake his head, as if refusing. Then exclaim, as if surprised, " Oh, you can't tell your age, I suppose, without being paid for it ! Will you do it if I give you a Fig. 230. — Blind Billy i-unning after and catching liis trainer when playing Blind Man's Buff. lump of sugar?" and signal for him to nod his head. You can now signal for him to tell his age, and when he has done so, it gives him an air of sagacity which is very amus- ing and interesting. Again, you may ask, " What will you do to one who does not treat you well?" then signal for him to kick. His prompt obedience, of course, indicates to the spectators that he understands what is said to him, when in reality he is only obeying the signals which have been taught him. The nice point lies in giving the signals in such a manner that they will not be noticed or under- stood by the spectators. DETAILS OF TEACHING. 337 Teaching to Kiss. Kissing is a A^eiy simple trick to teach a horse, and it adds greatly to the interest of those already explained. Stand facing the horse, with the right side turned partly toward his left shoulder, and let him take a piece of apple from your hand which is held toward his mouth. Bring it nearer each time, and finally let him take a piece in the 3ame manner from between the lips. When he does not reach forward promptly to take the piece of apple from the lips, prick him with a pin at the point of the shoulder. Repeat until he gets the idea of avoiding punishment by bringing his mouth to that of the trainer when desired. Now put the apple farther into the mouth, which will com- pel him to open his lips to get it. Commence lessening the size of the apple, finally giving it to him as a reward after he has performed the trick of bringing his mouth to that of the trainer. This will teach him that by doing this he will escape punishment and receive reward. To Lie Down and Sit Up. A horse is taught to lie down or to sit up principally by means of the whip or bridle, as follows : Tap the horse smartly across the shins until he will drop upon his knees. This method, however, requires a good deal of care and judgment, or it will occasion needless pain and punishment before the horse is made to submit, I will give the follow- ing method, which, though slower, is better calculated for amateurs : — Tie the bridle-reins into a knot back of the neck, throw your strap over the back, under the body, and tie to the near foot, below the fetlock. Now pass the right hand well over the back, and take a short hold of the strap. Cause the horse to step toward you, and pull the foot up. Then 338 TEAC3IING TRICKS. Fig. 331.— Blind Billy kicking up. the left, at the same time pressing down and from you firmly with the right, until the horse will lie down. Now pass the end of the strap through the ring of the bit, draw through gently, step over tlie neck, and as the horse attempts to get up, pull him back, until he lies quiet. Hub and caress him, and af- pass the left hand around the reins, pull .back and down upon them in such a manner as to turn the head a little to the off side, at the same time pulling down steadily but firmly on the strap over the back with the riuht hand. As the horse goes down, gradually pull the near rein, so as to bring the liead to Fig. 233.— Bliiul Billy walking on his knees. ter lying a few minutes, say, " Get up, sir !" Repeat in this way a fcAv times, until the horse will lie down readily. Then while holding him on or near the knee with the strap, hit him on the shin of the other with a small whip, until he will bring it under and lie down. After a while he can be made to come on his knees and lie down by simply pulling the head down a little and hitting the leg with the whip, at the same time saying, " Lie down, sir ! " repeating un- til the horse will lie down to the motion of the whip. Fig. 233. — Blind Billy in his great act of walking erect. DETAILS OF TEACHUMG. 339 To Sit Up. When the horse will lie down promptly, put on him a common collar, and while down take two pieces of rope, each about ten feet in length, tie the ends around the hind feet, carry them forward between the fore legs, and bring them once around the collar. Now step on his tail, take the bridle-reins in the right hand, while holding the ends Fig. 334.— Tommy. Sketch from life. of the ropes firmly in the left. Give a little jerk on the reins, and say, " Get up, sir ! " When the horse throws out the forward feet and springs to raise himself on the hind feet, he finds himself unable to complete the effort, on account of the hind feet being tied forward under him, and so brings himself in a sitting position. Instantly step for- ward, holding the ropes firmly, rub and caress the head and neck a httle for a few seconds, then as you see the efibrt to keep up becoming tiresome, let loose and say, " Get up, 340 TEACHING TEICKS. sir !" By repeating in this way a few times, the horse will soon learn to sit up when commanded, without being tied. To Throw Boys. To teach a horse to throw boys, first make him kick up as before explained. Then have plenty of straw on the ground, put a boy on his back, and while holding the halter make the horse kick up sharply by pricking, or touching him with the whip. The instant he kicks up, have the boy throw himself forward over the shoulders, for which give Fig. 235. — Tommy in his vicious act defending the ring. the horse a caress and a piece of apple. Repeat until he will, at the motion of the whip, make an effort to get the boy off. When he has done this, put on a larger and stronger boy, so that he must make a greater effort to get him off. Watch the point carefully, and see that the boy comes off when the horse makes an effort to throw him, otherwise he will soon become discouraged. By persever- ing in the treatment, he will soon learn to throw the most expert rider. But it will be noticed that he will make a greater effort sometimes than at others. When he does not seem to work well, put on a poorer rider, and work up again gradually. When the horse makes a particularly good DETAILS OF TEACHING. 341 Fig. 336. — Tommy as the model riding pony. point, give him apples, and caress him, for encouragement. It is important now to teach the horse to throw his rider only when commanded, or at a signal. To do this, when the boy is on, lead the horse a short distance around the ring, and then signal for him to throw. Repeat in this manner, also letting him go around alone with the boy on his back, until he will go on a sharp trot or run, and throw when commanded. I trained a pony to throw so expertly that he would at times turn a man or boy over in a double somersault, ana bring him down squarely upon his feet. The best throw- ing pony ever exhibited in this country is admitted to be "Tommy." (See cut 234.) He has been exhibited in all the principal places in the North, and although the best riders, from the bare-back cir- cus-rider to the mustang- trainer on the plains, have tried, no man has ever been able to sit squarely upon his back one minute after* the horse was signalled to throw him. His performances in this way have been regarded as wonderful. He will even carry two boys upon his back for a while, and then at the motion of the finger throw them both. This sometimes afforded a good deal of amusement. First, if a boy was in- FiG. 237. — Tommy in his great act of throwing. 342 TEACHING TRICKS. dicated to him as being good, he would allow him to ride as long as he wished, and then to safely slide oil' behind down to the ground. Then another boy vvould come who perhaps used tobacco, or had some other vice, when the pony would throw him immediately. Again, if there was a sharp political campaign, a democrat and a republican boy would mount him at the same time, and the one who could ride the longer time could declare his party the victor. To give something of an idea of the wonderful ])eY- formances of these ponies, Fio. 238. — Tommy as the gentle pony. • n j.i i especially the expert n ess with which Tommy could throw a rider, I give some ex- tracts from the press : - " Last night a large number of our leading citizens, by special invitation, were present at Prof. Magner's exhibition on Champlain street. " The first exercise was performed with blind Billy, a pony, stone blind. The pony sat down at a word from his master, and walked upright on his hind legs several times ai'ound the ring. A hankerchief was thrown down in the ring, and the pony ordered by his master to find it. After walking around a few minutes, ,the pony came to a stand and seized the article in its mouth. Sev- eral other interesting tricks were performed by this blind pony, but the most laughable scene took place when the spotted wild horse. Tommy, was introduced. He presented every appearance of a wild steed, and ran restively about with distended nostrils and fiery eye, his mane bristling like the quills of a fretful porcupine, but at the approach of his master he became as tame as a lamb. Every one was invited to try their equestrian skill on Tommy, and all who tried were thrown to the ground, tenderly, but in the twinkling of an eye. Mr. Magner offered $100 to any one who would ride Tommy one minute. Several tried, but none were re- warded with success. One ambitious gentleman threw off hat, coat, and vest, and said he ' would be d — d if he didn't ride him.' DETAILS OF TEACHING. 343 Tommy was too much for him. He was thrown several times, and finally concluded that he had better let Tommy have his own way." — Cleveland Leader, "Fun on the Paeade. " The parade yesterday morning presented such a lively scene as has not been witnessed for some time. The occasion was uhe exercise of some trained horses by Mr. Magner. Straw was plen • tifully strewn on the ground, and expectation was high while the arrangements wondent in the Veterinarian, named Cas- tly, in referring to a cer- tain horse given Jumper to break, says that in ten days he brought him home perfectly sub- dued, for he would lie dotvn, and rise again, at his command. About the same time / a man named Sullivan, better known as who lived in Mallow, in the County of Cork, Ireland, had quite a local reputation for his power over horses. His method of management was to shut himself up in a build- ing with the horse to be subdued, until he had him under control, when he would open the doors and exhibit the ef- fects of his treatment. While the horse was standins: quietly, he would occasionally put his mouth to the horse's ear as if whispering something to him; hence the term HISTOEICAL FACTS. 367 " Whisperer " Sullivan. Many people, even of intelligence, supposed that Sullivan's control was supernatural. Though an ignorant man of the lowest class, and addicted to drink- ing, he was evidently a shrewd fellow in making the most of his secret. It is stated as a fact that the parish priest, whenever he saw Sullivan coming toward him in the street, believing he was in league with the devil, would cross him- FiG. 257. — As the horse is liable to rear and plunge, in his resistance to being thrown. self and take the opposite side, to protect himself from his supposed Satanic influence. Sullivan would not reveal his secret, but there is no doubt but that his method of treatment was the same as that practiced by Jumper and Bull. When exposed to the pub- lic, the horse was always sweaty, and exhibited the general effects of exhaustion usually produced by this method of treatment. According to report, he claimed to have ob- 368 SUBJECTION. tained the secret from a soldier who had been in service in America, in return for treating him to a gallon of porter. The first man in this country of whom I have any ac- count, claiming to have the secret of taming horses, was one named who traveled in the Southwest. But it was admitted that circus men understood and used it long before his time. He seems to have kept his knowledge a secret ; for we find that but very few obtained it of him, and those only at very large prices. The next was formerly of New London, Ohio. He claims to have traveled, when young, through Mexico and Texas, and to have lived for some time among the Comanchee Indians. I do not know positively whether he learned the secret of Offutt, but I so inferred. At least, he practiced the method prior to 1844, when he was quite a young man, as will be shown hereafter. But no great stir was made by any one in this field of effort until the advent of in England, in 1858. Rarey was the son of a country ho- tel-keeper in Central Ohio, at a place called Groveport. When of age, he went to Texas, and on his return traveled as a horse-tamer. Finally, arriving at Toronto, Canada, a gentleman named R. A. Goodenough, an American banker and produce broker, who carried on a large stock-breeding farm, became interested in his mode of treatment, and took him to England for the purpose of teaching the system. There were several circumstances which seemed to give him immediate notoriety: 1. His being permitted to give m exhibition before the queen and ro^al family j 2. IIi§ HISTORICAL FACTS. 369 bold pretensions to being able to know a horse's every thought, and to subdue any horse or animal in the world. In proof of these claims, he subdued Cruiser so that he coul(^ handle him with safety before the public. This horse was said to be so vicious that an iron muzzle was kept on him, and he was shut up in a building built especially for him. He next subdued a horse called the Stafford Stallion, owned by the emperor of France, so that he was driven in the streets of Paris for two weeks by the side of a mare. Fig. 258. — Usual position before being thrown. This horse was so vicious that he had killed three men, and had been kept confined in a building for two years. A still more surprising feat was the subjection of a zebra from the zoological gardens of London. So great was the interest excited among all classes in England by this apparent success, that two thousand sub- scribers Avere obtained to learn the secret, at $50 each. But when he came to reveal his method, it was found, or claimed, to be based wholly upon disabling and throwing the horse, the same as Bull's method, excej)ting that in- stead of bringing the strap Avhich was attached to the off 34 370 SUBJECTION. fore leg, over the back, it was l)rought under the body, over the surcingle. (See cut 254.) The horse was then brought upon his knees, and held there until he would lie down, when he was handled and caressed until reconciled to the restraint and submissive to control. This treatment was so simple, and the change produced in so short a time seemed so remarkable, that it Avas surpris- ing, as there was no idea at that time that a horse could be Fig. 259. — The horse subdued. so acted upon directly as to change his character. What little knowledge there was on the subject was possessed by but few, who kept it a great secret. The submission was all that could be desired, so far as the lying down and handling afterward while on his feet was concerned, but was not by any means sufficient in the management of bad cases (which was not explained) to hold him submissive afterward in other positions. (See first chapter, " First Method of Subjection," also the close of this paper.) But over against these achievements were the unpleas- HISTOEICAL FACTS. 371 ant facts that the cases upon which he claimed his reputa- tion, out of his hands became again as vicious as before, and that Cruiser, for this reason, was finally presented to him by the owner. In showing him in this country, as an evidence of his previously bad character, Rarey exhibited the big iron muzzle which he claimed the horse had worn before Fig. 260. — The first step in the improved method of throwing. being subdued by him. I include here illustrations of the treatment, which, with the explanation gi^^en of it in the reference to Bull, will make it sufficiently clear to the reader. Notwithstanding the method was well known and taught in this country before his return, there was great curiosity among all classes to see Mr. Rarey himself illustrate the treatment ; yet in spite of the most thorough and oft-re- peated trials by himself and others, there was failure to give the satisfactory results claimed and expected. 372 SUBJECTION. Although I could explain the mystery of his success in a few paragraphs, yet in consequence of the great niiscon- cej3tion in regard to it, and to the merits of his claims, I consider it necessary to give my reasons for doubting their genuineness, as well as the way I was finally able to obtain the facts. There were several points which to me would not seem to bear close investigation : First, if this treatment enabled Mr. Rarey to perform the feats claimed in Europe, why would it not, upon thorough trial by himself and others, produce the same resrftts here upon horses only moderately vicious ? Second, Cruiser and the other cases referred to, out of his hands became again entirely unmanageable. How was it that he could control such horses, while others, using the same treatment, utterly failed upon them ? These were questions which puzzled and misled the public, making them believe, as the only reasonable explanation, that Rarey had a magnetic or psychological power over horses that others did not possesf^and which enabled him to con- trol them as he wished ; or that he gave them drugs, or something that gave him power to control them for the time. Another fact : Before going to Europe he made no especial reputation as a horse-tamer,* and after dissolving partnership with Mr. Goodenough in England, or after his return to this country, he made no special stir, nor did he make the improvements to be reasonably expected from a man capable of the resources and skill necessary to attain the success with which he had been credited. He simply repeated the same method of treatment, depending mainly upon the prestige of his European reputation for enlisting attention here. It also came out after his return from * During my early professional career, I traveled over imith country that had been visited by Rarey previous to his going to Europe, especially in Southern Penn- sylvania, and frequently heard of him. All the statements concerning him sub- stantially agreed in the fact that he traveled alone from town to town, with but very indifEerent success. HISTOEICAL FACTS. 373 Europe, that he learned the secret of Offutt,* from the fact that Oflfutt sued him for revealing it, claiming large dam- ages, at first getting judgment, but upon being carried to a higher court, the judgment was reversed. In talking with Mr. Fancher about Mr. Rarey's claims, as proof that he did not originate the system, he brought Fig. 261. — The second step in the improved method of throwing. Objectionable from danger of pulling the horse over backward, &c. Details explained farther on. See page 506 in Personal Experience. forward indorsements from Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and other men of national reputation, showing that he (Fan- cher) practiced the same method as early as 1844, which was long before Rarey was known. I had tried the treatment upon all sorts of horses, and had studied with close attention the effect it would produce upon horses of different temperaments and habits. While * See note on page 384, 374 SUBJECTION. it would insure considerable success in the control of some horses, it would utterly fail upon others. I was led to be- lieve that possibly there might be some secret about the treatment that I did not understand. To satisfy myself upon this jDoint, I had a great desire to see Mr. Rarey him- self explain and illustrate it. This I Avas finally able to do in Pittsburg, Pa., in the early summer of 1865, when he gave a series of exhibitions there. I exhibited there Fig. 262. — The method as now used, giving all the power desired to throw- any horse with ease, and without danger. • the week before, and remained over to see him. His ap- plication of treatment was precisely what I had long un- derstood and practiced. I next desired to see Cruiser, and study the peculiari- ties of his disposition. In 1868, when in Columbus, Ohio, and neighboring towns, I had an opportunity of submitting several of his colts to treatment. Two of them were con- idered entirely unmanageable, having resisted all efforts to HISTOEICAL FACTS. 375 break them. One, an eight-year-old colt, belonging to Squire West, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio (a point twelve miles south of Columbus, on the pike), was especially vicious. This colt submitted to my treatment perfectly in less than an hour. I now went to Groveport to see Cruiser, and spent two hours studying him as he stood in his paddock. I found him a medium-sized, fine-grained horse. His head was well proportioned, wide and full between the eyes, which, though not large, were well set out on his head. The eyelids were thin, and the distance from eyes to ears noticeably short. Fig. 263. — As the horse usually falls by this method. The ears were exceedingly fine, short, and pointed, and set close together, indicating, like the other parts, great sensi- bility and courage, and, if excited, great capacity for pro- longed resistance. (I give a sketch of his head, drawn un- der my direction from memory, by J. C. Beard of New York. It is not exactly the impression I had in my mind, but it is as near it as the eminent artist could catch from my description.) Though susceptible of being easily man- aged when subjected to proper treatment, such a horse I knew I could not make gentle and hold him so by .the treat- ment claimed to have been practiced upon him. And when 87G SUBJECTION. I took into consideration the character of the Stafford horse in France, which I know to be that of a savage, bull-dog nature, and which would nut by iiny uieuiis be amenable to such a method of treatment, also that of the zebra, a far more difficult nature to subdue, I was fully convinced that they never were controlled by the method of treatment claimed to have been practiced upon them. Also at this time and later I made careful inquiry in the neighboring towns in relation to Rarey, but could obtain no facts show- FiG. 264. — Position of the horse when down. ing that he possessed any unusual aptitude or ability in the control of horses during his early career. I now desired to see Mr. Goodenough, Mr. Rarey's partner in England, from whom I hoped to obtain a clue to the matter. This I did not expect to accomplish, not know- ing whether he were in the country, or even living ; but I was finally so fortunate as to meet him under the following circumstances : In 1872 I Q;ave test exhibitions in New York City (special reference to which is made in Personal Experience) before lending horsemen, to which Mr. Good- enough was incidentally invited by a friend. A few min- utes before commencing the exhibition, Mr. Goodenough HISTOEICAL FACTS. 377 was introduced to me. I was impressed instantly, " Here is the key to the whole matter." I found him a man nearly six feet tall, finely proportioned, of a strong, vigorous, pro- gressive nature, and just the man capable of engineering and making a success of such an enterprise. I immediately said to him that he was the man of all others I wished to see, and that I would like a few minutes' private conversa- tion with him. This he kindly granted, when I said, " There is one question I wish to ask, which vou alone can answer. You were with Mr. Rarey when he subdued Cruiser, and I would like to knowjust how he accomplished it; for I am sure he never did it by the treatment he pro- fessed to have practiced upon him." Mr. G replied, " How do you know ? " I said, " I have studied Cruiser carefully, and handled several of his colts, and the treatment will not work for me with anything like such success upon a horse of that nat- ure and temperament, and I should like to know how Mr. Rarey was able to subdue him by such a method of treat- ment. It will make no difference now about the facts be- ing known, Mr. Rarey being dead." Mr. Goodenough laughed, and said, " You are right ; he did not subdue him by that treatment. We tried it thor- oughly upon him, and failed. I then advised Rarey to tie him down. We did so, and let him lie all night and the night following, when we could handle him as Ave pleased. This was the only alternative that suggested itself in the emergency, and we employed it." After writing the foregoing, and giving the facts to a well-known literary gentleman (Mr. Robert Bonner of New York), explaining the importance of the discovery I had made, and adding that I intended to publish it, Mr. Bonner asked, " Is Mr. Goodenough living ? " I stated that I did not know, when he said nt once, — 378 SUBJECTION. " It will not do to publish it unless Mr. Goodenough is living." Not haA'ing any clue to Mr. Goodenough beyond having met him in the city eight years before, it was a matter of great difficulty to find him, and it was only after a long and diligent search that I was by the merest chance finally successful. I found him still in vigorous health at the age of seventy-two. He received me kindly, but on stating the object of my visit, he manifested a decided reluctance to say anything about the matter ; and it was only after urgently explaining to him that it was necessary, not only to the present but to future generations, that the facts should be made known ; that I washed to give in this book which I was about to publish only such simj)le facts as were necessary to a correct explanation of the principles of con- trolling and managing horses, and with the promise that whatever I should write upon the subject should not be pub- lished until first submitted to his inspection, that he, after two hours f)leasant conversation, — during which time he gave me many interesting incidents in connection with his efforts in England, — gave me in substance the following state- ment : — First becoming interested in Uarey's mode of treatment, and desiring to go to England for his own pleasure, and as a means more of recreation than of profit, he proposed tak- ing Rarey to England for the purpose of teaching the sys- tem, and if successful, to divide the profits equally. Should the enterprise not pay, he was to return Rarey to this coun- try at his own expense. As a preparatory step, Mr. Good- enough had exhibitions given before the chief officers of the government, which were highly satisfactory. He then obtained letters of introduction from the Governor General of Canada to Sir Charles York of the Horse Guards of Lon- don, also to Sir Richard Airy, Quartermaster General, to HISTOEICAL FACTS. 379 whom he explained what he wanted ; and by them he was in- troduced to Col. Hood, Prince Albert's Chief Equerry, who had charge of the Queen's farm at Windsor, and Lord Al- fred Paget, the Queen's First Equerry, who were made confidants, and to whom the system was previously ex- plained. By them he was introduced to the Queen and royal family, before whom he performed upon a four-year- old colt from the Queen's farm, and also upon other horses. These gentlemen permitted their names to be used in the London Times as reference for the faithful performance of what was promised. Books were now opened at Tatersall's for subscriptions to learn the system, and two thousand names, comprising the nobility of England, were obtained, at ten guineas each. The first lesson was given at the Duke of Wellington's private riding school, upon Cruiser. The facts in relation to Cruiser and his subjection were as follows : He was owned by Lord Dorchester, and had been vicious from a colt. He was kept for breeding pur- poses at Morrel Green, forty-one miles from London, in a building erected especially for him. He had on a simple watering-bridle, to which were attached two chains, each about twelve inches long, having buckles on the ends. The door of his stable was cut in two, and when they intended to lead him out for use, they opened the lower half and put in a bucket of water for him to drink. When he plunged his nose into the bucket to drink, they would quickly buckle to these chains two straps, each twenty feet long, when he could easily be led out between two men. I asked Mr. Goodenough, " What about the big iron muzzle which it was claimed Cruiser had worn ? " He laughed, and said, " That was all advertising decep- tion. I had nothing to do with that. There was no muz- zle at all on him," 380 SUBJECTION. He leased the horse for six months by the payment of £100, stipulating that he should break the horse, and re- turn him in good order. Should he fail, he was to pay £500, which he subsequently paid Lord Dorchester, and brought the horse to America. Not wishing to follow the plan of the grooms in taking him from the stable, they devised the following one, and nearly failed. They backed a cart up near the door, and tried by various means to attach the straps to the bridle ; but after an hour's effort, failed. Finally, while Mr. Good- enough stood in the cart and attracted the attention of the horse as he stood near the door, Rarey succeeded in slipping the strap over the leg and arm. Once on three legs, he was speedily brought under control by throwing. He was now led into the yard on three legs, and Lord Dorchester mounted him. They now repeated the treatment out of doors. The horse finally becoming greatly excited, re- sisted with the greatest fury, to use Mr. Goodenough's ex- pression, " fairly roaring." At this point, when failure was inevitable, Mr. Good- enough suggested the only means of success available, — tying down, and letting him remain until exhausted and submissive. He was accordingly led into the stable again, his fore-legs tied up, and he was thrown down, a collar put on, and his hind legs tied forward to it. In this condition he was left until the next morning, when they gave him water while down ; but behaving gentle, he was released. They now fed and groomed him carefully, and led him be- hind a dog-cart to London, forty-one miles. To make sure, that night they tied him down again, when afterward he could be managed without difficulty. After this, Rarey handled and trained him every day for two weeks, when he had him under such good control that he could stand in the ring, and by calling, the horse would come out of his stall to him. mSTOBICAL FACTS. 381 The Stafford horse was the worst one they handled. It was only after being subjected to treatment in the most thorough and persevering manner, and being tied down ten nights in succession, that they could, by using the greatest precaution, handle him with any degree of safety. The zebra was tied down every night for two weeks. Of course all this was kept a profound secret. In all critical cases, they invariably handled the horse in private until successful. Cruiser and the other horses were handled al- most daily for two weeks, to insure their reliable manage- ment when in public. Another fact was not known ; namely, that the entire subjection of the zebra, and almost the entire Avork of sub- duing the Stafford horse, was done by Mr. Goodenough. At the conclusion of the interview, the writer asked, "Who wrote the three principles upon which it was assumed the system was founded ? " His answer was, " Oh, I fixed those up." c?Wf? foiec^oin^ fia{> €^en mitUcl to me fot UiHUon and coii^cHofi, and J find U a Mmjtfa Uahmenf of fach. Netv York, ^ \ , LU^ ^^^C^^^^^e^'-^-W^ June 2d, 1881. ' / ^ — — ~/r^ I would call special attention to the far-reaching skill and boldness of conception exhibited by Mr. Goodenough in the management of every detail of the enterprise, with- out which, success Avould ha^e been impossible. First, in creating such great interest in and attention to tlieir efforts ; second, the ingenuity capable of suggesting such means of management as would give success ; third, the skill and care with which every point of weakness was guarded and concealed until he had accomphshed his purpose. This 382 SUBJECTION. certainly, when calmly considered, was one of the boldest and best executed feats of management ever accomplished in any field of effort, and justly entitles him to whatever success or honor there Avas in the achievement. It struck me as of great interest to give a portrait of Mr. Goodenough in connection with his statement, and I re- Mr. R. a. Goodenough At the age of 72. quested his permission to do so. This he at first, in the most positive terms, declined to permit, but finally, after much persuasion, and as a matter of personal favor, it was granted. As before explained, any method of lowering the strength or vitality, such as bleeding, starving, depriving of sleep, etc., will give power to subdue the horse to any de- gree for the time ; yet after the strength is regained, the character is liable to become as bad as before. This is proved by the cases referred to again becoming vicious. HISTOEICAL FACTS. 383 The Allegan horse, " Case No. 9, Subjection," Avas starA^ed to the point of helplessness, with other extreme treatment, without being able to hold him gentle ; yet after a course of proper subjective treatment, he was held gentle without difficulty. The Hillman horse, " Case No. 7, Sub- jection," is another striking case. The most severe treat- ment failed to hold him gentle. If necessary, the same could be said about many other cases, showing such limited imperfect methods to be entirely inferior to the regular treatment here given. As to the method claimed to have been used (disabling and throwing) , it was good so far as it went, but it did not go far enough. This can be better understood when it is learned there was but one method of treatment, " throwing," for all kinds of horses, from the green colt that had never been handled, to the old horse of the worst character ; all were treated alike. Of course it is easy to disable and throw a horse until he will not resist, so far as the act of throwing is concerned, but if the horse, after being thrown, persists in the habit, which may be expected in bad cases, it will fail. But even this principle of subjection we have now so far improA^ed upon as to make it immeasurably more direct and powerful in effect. If in wrestling a man could be thrown directly upon his back as fast as he could get up, it is evident a much more effectual impression of his antagonist's mastery would be made than if he were permitted to carry on a doubtful struggle for half an hour, that Avould only occasionally bring him to his knees. The very doubtfulness of the contest would stimulate him to the utmost resistance until exhausted. But if he Avere thrown at once, and as often as he could get up, his courage and confidence Avould be at once broken up, convincing him of the uselessness of con- tinuing the struggle, and making the impression of mastery 384 SUBJECTION. all that could be desired. The effect upon the horse is the same. It" the control is made direct and positive, throwing the horse on his side as often as he can get up, the confi- dence which stimulates the resistance is quickly broken up. Now this we are able to do by the improvement gi^^en in the First Method, which gives such power that any or- dinary man can throw the strongest horse as quickly and as often as he can get up ; in addition, he can hold him down or roll him back, as lio pleases, thereby making it not only far more effective, but entirely obviating the ob- jections of the old method. Yet even with this great ad- vantage, it is seen that this method constitutes but a small part of my system, and is far inferior to the other methods introduced. The ease and success with which the character of a wild or vicious horse can be changed when subjected to the proper method of treatment is wonderful. For example, a wild, unbroken colt that it would be dangerous to touch or even approach, and which it would be entirely impossi- ble to control in harness, can, by ten to thirty minutes' ju- dicious, subjective treatment, be made just as manageable and gentle as any well-broken horse. Or a runaway kicker that has become afraid of the wagon, and perhaps so vicious in his resistance as to be entirely unmanageable, can, by a Note. — In March, 1883, after the foregoing statement was in type, the writer visited New York City for the purpose of having new illustrations made, and obtain- ing assistance in the preparation of the medical department of this work. While there, he was incidentally informed by a prominent gentleman to whom he submitted the proof-sheet of the article, that the facts concerning Rarcy's being taught by OfiEutt would be found in the issue of Tiirj\ Field, and Farm of Jan. 4, 1878. To prove the assertion, the gentleman sent to the office of that paper for the files con- taining the issue in question, and read the article. It comprised an interesting ac- count of a visit by the editor, ?/Ir. Busbcy, to Mr. A. Kcene Richards, at the home of the latter gentleman, at Blue Grass Park, near Georgetown, Ky. At the close of this chapter (page 449) I give the substance of their conversation in relation to the matter, as an introduction to an extract from Mr. Offutt's book, which clearly shows that Rarey received his knowledge from Denton Offutt. EFFECTS OP TEEATMENT. 385 little treatment, seldom requiring more than twenty or thirty minutes, be made so gentle as to submit even to have the cross-piece come against the quarters, — a test that only horses of the very best character will bear. This is strikingly illustrated in the ease with which the most stubl^orn horse can by a few minutes' treatment be made, without the least restraint of halter or bridle, to fol- low or run after the trainer with the docility and obedience of a pet. It is also shown in the ease with Avhicli a nerv- ous, excitable horse can be made indifferent to an object Fig. 265. — Effect of fcood influences. Fig. 266.— Effect of bad iiiflueuces. that had ^jreviously induced in him the greatest terror. But it is mainly interesting as contrasting the facility and ease with which even horses of extremely bad character can be made entirely gentle when treated properly, with the diffi- culty of doing it Avhen the treatment is not right ; show- ing conclusively that the main causes of trouble in the con- trol and management of horses are ignorance and bad treat- ment. Properly considered, the art of taming and teaching horses consists in appealing to or acting upon the brain most forcibly in the desired direction. This can be done with great success, even without the use of much physical 85 88G SUBJECTION. force. Every one knows that a single word may often be sufficient to make such an impression upon the brain as not only to destroy all kindly feeling, but to perpetuate the greatest enmity ever afterward ; also that character is formed by the influences to which the mind is subjected. This i.^ proA^ed by the fact that children, and those ex- posed to coarse or abusive influences, have the stamp of that character predominant, while those subject to kind, in- telligent treatment have the better nature developed ; also that even the most intellisrent men and w^omen can have Fig. 207. — Efiect of good education and influences. Fig. 36S. — Effect of bad education and influences. the mind so perverted and weakened by the use of narcot ics or unnatural stimulants, such as tobacco, opium, alcoholic liquors, etc., as to make it very difficult to overcome the habit. I give a series of illustrations showing the contrasts of character, the results of good and bad influences, for which I am indebted to the courtesy of Messrs. Fowler & Wells, of New York City. On the same principle, the horse can be influenced in the formation of his character for good or bad, by the treat- ment to which he is subjected. We see that the impres- sion of CA on a few moments is sometimes sufficient of itself to change the whole character for life. This is shown by the EFFECTS OF TKEATMEl^T. 387 ease with which many fine horses, though previously of the very best character, have been changed into dangerous, unreliable brutes, by a little carelessness which allow^ed them to run away, or by abusive treatment which aroused the temper into uncontrollable resistance, making them after- ward practically unsafe and worthless for use. And on the same principle, when understood and properly applied, a bad character can be neutralized and overcome so as to establish a reliable condition of docility, as shown and Fig. 200.— Result of good influences. Fig. 270.— Result of bad influences. proved in the many cases recorded in this and other chap- ters of this work. The better to explain this, I give a variety of illustra- tions showing the effects of bad treatment and intensely exciting influences upon the nervous system. Understand- ing these principles and applying them properly, it is often wonderful to what a degree the brain can be acted upon in making a horse either gentle or vicious ; showing that it is not only not difficult, but even easy, to make the most vicious, unmanageable horses as gentle and obedient to control as if they had always been of the best character. It is a recognized fact that the horse partakes largely of the character of the owner. If he is kind and gentle^ 388 SUBJECTION. the horse, on commg under such influences, though pre- viously nervous and difficult to manage, soon becomes do- cile and gentle; while an irritable, passionate or impulsive man will often speedily impart the same characteristics to the animal he undertakes to manage. To explain the principles governing these conditions, we will presume to make a few simple experiments. First- suppose a horse resists being shod; if the foot Avere taken up very gently, lifted higher, and gradually using more force as there is sufficient power acquired to hold and re- strain it,, until submitted to be pounded upon without ex- citing resistance. the success in the management of the Fig. 371.— Effect of good influ- ences unci training. Fig. 273.— Effect of bad influ- ences and training. case would be easy ami simple. But if there is not suffi- cient tact and delicacy in taking up the foot, or the resist- ance becomes so great that it is pulled away, the treat- ment, no matter how successful up to this point, would not only be a failure, l)ut to some extent make the horse worse by teaching him his power of resistance. It would be necessary in such a case to use such simple or direct means of control as Avill enable holding and restraining the foot most easily ; but in the event of the resistance becom- ing so great that the foot cannot l)e held or controlled, then the restraint should be made of such a character as to first enforce general submission, when, if necessary, the treatment can be again carried directly to the foot, when EFFECTS OF TEEATMENT. 389 the control can be made easy and simple. In this we find there are two principles involved: 1. Tact and judgment to hold the inclination to resistance passive until the atten- tion and confidence can be won, or until there is submis- sion; 2. In using means of subjection, or force, to make ev- ery step of progress so sure that resistance cannot be suc- cessfully made until all inclination to repeat the habit is overcome. Next, in the case of a wild, unbroken colt, to gradually overcome his fear by working indirectly to the point of his resistance until he becomes submissive. For example : If, Fig. 273. — Expression of kindness and love. Fig. 274. — Expression of disarust and hate. after haltering, a pole were brought gently to the nose until there is no fear of it, then passed back slowly, at the same time gently rubbing the mane and other parts until it can be passed around the quarters without excit- ing his resistance, it would be just as good, if not better, than if subjected to more severe treatment. But if he re- sists, or is so vicious that he will not submit to this treat- ment, then he must be subjected to such treatment as will most directly neutralize and restrain his resistance until this can be done and the impression made permanent, when but little difficulty will be experienced in enforcing docil- ity in even the most vicious cases. :}90 SUBJECTION". The principle is the same in the management of kick- ing, runaway, biting, striking horses, as well us horses of other peculiarities of resistance, the point being, first, to use tact in addressing the animal's intelligence without ex- citing his fear, or to the least possible degree, and, as in the examjiles referred to, resorting to such means of re- straint or power to impress the brain sufficiently, without in- jury, to compel obedience, and fix the condition of docil- ity, — more or less being necessary to be done, according to the severity of the case. Although I have given in the Fig. 37.5. — Primary effects of intemperance. first chapter very full details of the principles and best methods of doing this, which, with the details of their ap- plication for the management of the various habits, to be found in subsequent chapters, shovdd make it sufficiently clear to the reader, still I think there are some points that require in this connection more full explanation. I would allude particularly to the necessity for adapting treatment to conditions of intelligence and character, the importance of not neutralizing or counteracting the effects of the treat- ment by exciting resistance, the effect of drugs, inherent power, etc. The study of physiology teaches that the primary units, or protoplasm, are in all cases the same; that each peculi- EEVIEW OP SYSTEM. 301 arity of action or sense is governed by aggregations of these, called nerve centers; that, for example, the nerve centers controlling the senses of smelling, tasting, feeling, seeing, balancing, etc., are at the back part or base of the brain ; that the power and activity of these senses are in all cases governed by the strength and activity of such ganglia of nerves. Thus, a hound that follows the scent, or a bird- dog that has the power of smelling game at a distance, has large development of the olfactory nerve ; while the grey- hound, eagle, vulture, etc., that depend upon seeing game Fig. 376. — Ultimate etfects of intemperance. at a great distance, have large development of the optic nerve; and others that depend for safety upon hearing, have large development of the auditory nerve. Thus e\- ery peculiarity of animal nature has some special excellence of power, adapted either to aggression or defense. The bee has its sting, the viper its fangs, the bull its horns, and the horse bites, strikes, kicks, etc. The front brain, or cerebrum, gives the power of sense, or reason, and animals of but small brain have but very little capacity for being trained or taught, while those haA'- ing considerable brain can be easily taught. For example, a fish has very little or no brain, and cannot be taught any- 89^ SUBJECTION. Fig. 277. — ^Expression of aggressive viciousness. thing, while a dog, elephant, or other animal that has con- siderable deA^elopment of brain, can easily be taught a great deal. In like manner there are greater or less degrees of a natural tendency in horses to viciousness and resist- ance, imposing more or less difficulty in their subjec- tion. Twenty horses may kick or run away, and so far as the act of resistance is concerned, there is prac- tically little or no differ- ence. One horse may yield to treatment in a few min- utes, the next may require a much longer time, while the third, though subjected to the same treatment, can perhaps be controlled only after hours of extreme effort. Consequently, success in the subjection of any par- ticular case, or in over- coming any special habit, must depend, first, upon the amount and quality of the brain; second, the de- gree to which tlie nervous system has been impressed or deranged ; third, upon the pluck and endurance of the horse ; and fourth, the directness and power with which the resistance can be restrained or controlled, and the skill with which the treatment is applied. Fig. 27S. — Expression of docility. BEVIEW OF SYvSTEM. SOS Fig. 279. — Expression of viciousness. It is evident that a very timid, sensitive nature, whicli is moved entirely by fear, can be controlled best by patient, winning treatment, while a stubborn, aggressive type of character must be met by force, or the fear of punish- ment. Hence, in propor- tion to the predominance of these peculiarities llirro must be force, or winning treatment, or both com- bined. To illustrate: A sheep or gazelle, or any an- imal of that nature, can be managed best by gentle, winning treatment. To ex- cite them in any way would undo the effect of a great deal of patient work, while the bear, hog, mule, and kin- dred natures, will bear force : and punishment in many instances be- comes a necessary condition of their management. The horse possesses, to a singular degree, these, with other remarkable modifications of character, not only making a combination of kindness and force necessary, but this force must be of a char- acter not to excite pain, or to stimulate the bad nature, as this but neutralizes or counteracts the eflects of good treatment. This is particularly the case when there is much sensitiveness, or where there is much tendency to the strong, wild^ Fig, 380. — Exprussiun vi kindness. 804 SUBJECTION. courageous type of nature. These conditions show that no matter how good and perfect the treatment, success must depend greatly upon the skill and judgment of the trainer in properly adapting the efforts to the conditions of the case. First, these conditions require enforcing submission be- fore the horse boc-onies greatly excited and Avarmed up. Should there be failure before this is accomplished, the dif- * Fig. 231.— Expressior. of rage and fear. ficulty of making him surrender unconditionally will be greatly increased. Second, the horse must be made to understand the harm- less character of objects and sounds forced upon his notice, until intelligently reconciled to them. Third, the co-operation of his intelligence and better nature must be won by kindness to permanently fix the impression of control. In doing this, we see that so far as we can show a horse in any way that we are master, he will become submissive and gentle. Thus by disabling and throwing until he is so discouraged that he will not try to resist, he will become gentle to handle j but ii' he is allowed EEYIEW OF SYSTEM. 395 to get up immediately and move about at will, he may again resist with the greatest courage. To make him reliably gentle upon his feet, he must be controlled in this position also. For exam- ple, should he re- sist the bit and run away, subject- ing him to any treatment short of direct control of the mouth, and that at the time and in the position of his resistance, Avould be defective or entirely useless. On the same principle, should the horse kick, balk, or show any other bad habit, sutHcient power must be used to com- bat or overcome these habits direct- ly, or there cannot be assurance of suc- cess. Of course it is easy, in a general Fig. 282. — Expression of strong, determined character when mad. way. to subdue a horse; but the diffi- culty is to do it so as not to excite his resistance, or to do him any physical injury. In teaching a colt to lead by the halter, or follow, if the pull is brought upon the head sideways, his power of re- sistance in this direction becomes so lessened that he can Fig. 283. — Expression of nervous excitability. 396 SUBJECTION. be pulled around instantly and easily, and he can soon be taught to come around and follow without resistance. But if this cannot be done with the halter, increase the power of pulling by means of the War Bridle, or decrease the power of resistance by tying up one foot. If, on the other hand, the pulling were made straight ahead, which is the more common method, the work will be done at a great disadvantage, because in this way we stimulate resistance, if we do not give power successfully Fig. 284. — Effect of intense fear. to resist us. This mode of pulling would retard, if not wholly neutralize, the effort to control the horse, as he would now involuntarily draw backward, bracing himself with his legs, thus increasing his power of resistance, which soon shows him there is not sufficient strength to move him. Hence the necessity of combating the resistance in such a way as not to permit this to be done. Either or both the methods combined will give sufficient power to compel his following without causing him injury. The principle is the same in combating a habit, or viciousness of any character. But should the resistance KEVIEW OF SYSTEM. 397 be so great that it cannot be overcome hy simple treatment, then the more direct means of obtaining power must be used, such as the various methods of general subjection, using one or more, according to the character of the case. The art of taming horses, or the principles of subjection, may be divided into four general classes. The one entitled the First Method of Subjection, in the first chapter, is the most sensational, and is based upon making the horse par- tially helpless by tying up the fore leg, and throwing. This, though necessarily limited in its effects, when prop- erly done is a valuable method of subjection. Throwing him repeatedly and rapidly as often as he can get up, and rolling him back until he gives up unconditionally, is the full extent of the power of this method. If the horse be of a nature to submit fully to this method, the result will be very satisfactory ; if not, it should be followed by the other methods. The second, called the Second Method of Subjection, is simpler, and is based upon the principle of preventing the horse from concentrating his purpose to act until he can be rendered helpless, and be subdued. In the subjection of colts and some strong, dangerous young horses, that, when approached, strike and kick, and upon which it would be not only extremely difficult, but dangerous, to try the other methods, this method will be found especially effective. It is also a reliable reserve to be used in connection with the other methods, particularly the first, or in effecting control when the others prove inadequate. It gives the true key for breaking single balkers, as it not only gives power to move the horse at will, but disconcerts the mind from the purpose of resisting, by the confusion it causes. This form of subjection, simple as it is, requires very nice discrimination to bring out its full effects, especially in the management of very bad cases ; for if not carried far 398 SUBJECTION. enough, there is liability of failure, and even when carried to the fullest extent of its power, there may in some cases be resistance to it. These are usually cases that, when warmed up or handled carelessly, become desperate in their resistance before being made to yield. The point in the management of such is to follow with the Third Method, which will usually make the horse submit. But if there is much resistance to it, after cooling off, another sharp or short lesson with this will rarely fail to produce uncon- ditional submission. Third, by pressure upon the spinal cord, which grasps, as it were, and holds in subjection at will, the very life of the horse. This is called the Third Method of Subjection. It will be found especially adapted to the subjection of nerA^ous-tempered horses that will not bear excitement. For example, a horse that in an attempt to throw would be- come so irritated and excited as to jump and resist so much as to endanger straining, or if subjected to the Second Method would go so quickly as to be liable to fall down directly, or be made to yield only after the most severe effort, will usually submit readily to this method of treat- ment. If a kicker in harness, that exhibits fear when any- thing is brought near or against his quarters, subjecting him to pressure of about three cords, and touching the quar- ters gently with a pole until indifferent to its contact, will usually compel submission in a few minutes. Horses of an ordinary bad character submit in from eight to twelve min- utes, but exceptionally bad cases may resist it thirty min- utes, even with the use of four cords (100 feet) ; but in all cases it can be supplemented by the other methods. One important point I wish to impress is that whatever is intended to be done with this method, must be done at once, and carried to the fullest extent that the horse will bear. If he resists it, it must at once be abandoned, EEVIEW OF SYSTEM. • 399 because it is liable to make the cheeks more or less sore : also the effect is not satisfactory when repeated next day, or at any time afterward ; so that if the point is not made at once, other treatment must be resorted to. I seldom use this method in the management of colts, because they are liable to bite, or chew the lips or cheeks. In their management, the Second Method, in connection with the War Bridle, is far more simple and easy. Occa- sionally an old horse will do this, and may resist the treat- ment violently, and become much excited over it. In such a case it must be at once abandoned. Next come the various modifications of the War Bridle, which give all the. power necessary to subdue and control more than half of the average of vicious colts and horses. It is all that is necessary for nearly all horses bad to shoe, harness, etc., and is by far the best means of teaching a horse to lead or follow. It is one of the most effective means of overcoming the habit of balking. Though a minor method of subjection, I regard it so important that I have given a careful explanation of it, very fully illustrated. The Breaking Bit and Patent Bridle are equally impor- tant in their places. The Breaking Bit, without doing in- jury, gives power to train the mouth so that it will yield to an ordinary bit. The Patent Bridle was invented by me for the purpose of enabling persons lacking in practical experience, to directly control headstrong, lunging, runa- way horses. In the first place, the extra adjustment over the upper jaw gives such power upon the mouth that the most reckless horse cannot successfully pull against it, and he will in a short time be so unnerved as to become sub- missive to a slack rein. Secondly, the pressure upon the spinal cord is so intense that courage to pull cannot be maintained for any length of time. When he gives up, it becomes simply a common bit in his mouth, but ready to 400 SUBJECTION. instantly bring to bear the same terrible pain and power before felt. I also give illustrations of very powerful but simple means of controlling headstrong horses by the Half- Moon and other bits. I call attention in a general way to the application cf these methods, because much depends both upon the way they are used for cases to which they are specially adapted, and in properly following with the next best suited to the case. When the case is critical, an imjjortant jjoint is to make every step of the treatment sure, and to Yary it all the horse will bear ; for the more ways in which power to enforce obedience can be applied, the more impressive and enduring will be the effect. Consequently, if the case be bad, it may be necessary to apply two, or even all three, of the methods of subjection. Suppose the case to be a bad, young, kicking horse, the First Method will usually be found applicable; he would be likely to resist the Second too severely to make it successful. The best course would be to send him around a few times, enough to take off the wire edge of his courage, then put on the throwing rig, and throw him rapidly eight or a dozen times, when his subjec- tion will be easy and simple. When on his feet, and espe- cially when driven around in harness, if it is discovered that he is yet so sensitive as to be liable to kick or break over, the Second or Third Method should at once be used. Not unfrequcntly both will be necessary. The First will do no good if repeated, for the reason that the horse Avill lie down, and remain passive while down, but when up may kick as viciously as before. Sometimes the Third Method may be tried, and the horse not submit to it uncondition- ally ; then the Second or First are to be tried. The differ- ence between the First and Second is that the First cannot be repeated with success, while the Second can be ; and usually in very bad cases I hold the Second as the reserve EEYIEW OF SYSTEM. 401 powei'. As explained in the first chapter, it will not do to use the First Method on a sullen or sulky horse. He will usually drop down upon his belly, not trying to get up. In such a case dependence must be placed upon the Second and Third alternately. The mustang, of a wild, dangerous nature, cannot be safely approached and subjected to the Third Method, be- cause he would strike the moment approached. If a rig could be put on, and the foot tied up (which would be very difficult to do), the instant freedom is given again he would be likely to bound into the air, or drop down sullenly upon his belly, either doing nothing or acting like a desperate maniac. For such the Second Method would be just the thing. It requires very little effort to tie the halter into the tail, and send around until helplessly dizzy, when the subjection of the case becomes simple and easy. A wild mule, that cannot be safely touched, can frequently be made entirely gentle in a few minutes in this way, and after this treatment, if necessary, the other methods can be used. If space permitted, these explanations might be ex- tended indefinitely. But whatever the success of the direct treatment, it is important to hold the advantage gained, by kind and careful after-treatment, because upon kindness must depend fixing and holding the impression made upon the brain by the previous treatment. Without this, it is practi- cally impossible to hold a very vicious horse gentle. It is, of course, easy enough to compel obedience by force, or by reducing the strength ; but unless the incentive to resist- ance is overcome, which must really be done by kindness, the instinct of viciousness is liable to again gain the ascend- ency. The importance of this is repeatedly urged in the previous chapters. Without this, the best results of direct subjection can easily be neutralized, and the horse be per- mitted to go back into his old habits. Should this occur, 26 402 SUBJECTION. the difficulty of his subjection would be greatly increased, as such failures teach the horse to become cunning, and give him confidence to fight back at every opportunity. This is the reason, why I refused to handle the Portland horse "Jet" (Case 7, Subjection), until I could remain in the city long enough to see that the after-treatment was properly carried out. AVitliout this care, there w^ould have been failure It was the main key of making the " Arnd" horse, of Bath, N. Y., gentle. I refer to these as good rej)- resentative cases ; for without this care neither of these horses could have been held gentle, and it is equally im- portant in the management of all cases. The great power and eflectiveness of these methods when properly applied, will enable the trainer to easily and safely control the most powerful horses to any extent desired. This is proved by the success of my experiments upon all kinds of horses which had resisted all previous ef- forts to break. Reference to a few representative cases will be found at the close of this chapter. The subjection of '' Wild Pete," the " Hettrick Horse," " Wilkins Horse," " Omnibus Horse," " Portland Horse Jet," and many others that might be named, equally vicious, when the character of the horses, and the shortness of the time required to produce the changes, are considered, may seem to border so closely upon the miraculous as to appear incredible; yet these results were accomplished simply by the skillful application of the methods of treatment here given. Many people suppose there is a medicine or something of the kind that will make vicious horses gentle, or enable the r control at will. Sometimes, when unusually success- ful in the subjection of an exceptionally vicious horse or colt, though the treatment had been carefully explained to the class, the result would appear so wonderful that they MEDlCmES, OR DJIUGS. 40a could not realize liow sucli a cliano:e could be brouo-lit about by the treatment employed. It Avas not unusual to have persons smell of my hands or clothing to see if they could discover some peculiar odor about me to account for so great an achievement. On this account, I think it advisable to explain what medicines are supposed to do this, and their effects. The main object in the use of odors, or scents, has been to attract attention, and divert it from the real means of control. Many odors, or scents, will in some instances affect the nervous system greatly. Blood, a buffalo robe, or any offensive odor, will intensely excite many horses. In trapping for mink or other animals, it is no uncommon thing for the hunter to conceal the smell of his hands from the trap, and attract the animal to it by using some odor that is agreeable to him. Asafetida put on the bottom of the boots will cause wolves to follow the wearer eagerly. While this is admitted, there is no odor or medicine that I know of — and I have experimented carefidly with all those supposed to have this power, without obtaining decidedly satisfactory results — that will make a wild horse approach- able and induce him to follow, or make a vicious horse gentle. What is supposed to be the great medicine for doing this is called the " Arabian secret," which consists of two parts of the oil of rhodium, and one each of cumin and anise, to be kept in separate bottles and corked tightly; but practically it makes no difference whether they are kept separate or not. A little of this is to be rubbed on the hands, and while held before the horse, approach from the windward side ; when near enough, rub a little on ]iis nose, when the horse, it is claimed, will follow anywhere. Other essential oils are recommended for the same purpose, but their effect is really no better than good apples or any- 404 SUBJECTION. thing of which the horse is fond.'"'' Warts or ostlets, grow- ing on the inside of a horde's leg, dried, and pulverized with a coarse rasp or grater, and about a thimble full blown into the nostrils, is also claimed to make any horse gentle. This is to be used in connection with the oils mentioned. The oil of parsley is sometimes used for the same purpose. A few drops are put on the hands or handkerchief, and the horse is allowed to smell of it. The perspiration from under the arms, rubbed on the horse's nose, or breathed into the nostrils from the hand, is also held as quite a secret for making a horse so gentle that he will follow readily. Before and during the time of Rarey, parties under- standing the secret of " throwing," usually managed as follows : Force the horse to lie down on the barn floor until submissiA'e ; and, while lying quietly, open the door and allow the people to come in. Under such circumstances, much curiosity will be manifested to discover what has been done. The operator now, while pretending that he is unobserved, will slip a jjiece of apple into the horse's mouth, and rub the hand over the nose. This will of course be observed, and when curiosity is sufficiently aroused, the pretended tamer will say, " Yes ; I have a secret scent by which any horse can be tamed, the effect of which you see." Then he will offer to sell the secret, naming a large price, but finally taking Avhat he can get. I have found in my travels many who have paid from ten to fifty dollars for the " Arabian secret." The control was obtained by throwing. But this in itself being too simple to inspire much faith, the medicine dodge was added. * Denton Offutt's book, ■which I have carefully read, and the best features of which are given at the close of this cliapter, contains some secrets for taming horses and olhcr animals, for the virtues of which he claims a great deal; but thc}' .are practically cf no more consideration than other treatment of the same kind. Still, I thought it advisable, and of sufficient interest to the curious, to copy them verbatim, and they will be found embodied in this work. MEDICINES, UP. DKUCtS, 405 The man who was most instrumental in teaching this method of " throwing," was Mr. 0* H. P. Fancher, before referred to, who chiimed to have given Rarey instructions on the practical application of the method of subjection which he practiced. In 1865 and '66, I traA^eled through his section of country, and hired to him one of my horses trained to drive without reins, when he took the road, teaching my system, and abandoned the medicine scheme. * Catlin, describing his travels among the North Ameri- can Indians, mentions the manner of their taming horses as follows : — " The Indian coils his lasso on his arm and gallops fearlessly into the herd of wild horses, and soon gets it over the neck of one of the number, when he instantly dis- mounts so as to hold him dow^n and prevent him from turning over on his back. He now gradually advances until he is able to place his hand on the animal's nose and over his eyes, and breathe into his nostrils, when the horse becomes so docile and conquered, that by removing the hobbles from the feet, he can be led or ridden into canqD with very little difficulty." According to this statement, which seems reliable, covering the eyes and breathing into the nostrils of the wild horse, was the princijDal means of his subjection ; if true, it would be an easy and simple matter to make a vicious horse gentle. I have repeatedly tried the experiment upon all kinds of horses, and found it would not produce any appreciable effect for me, and consider it practically of no more account than merely stroking the head and nose with the hand. I might add many other pretended secrets, but none of them are worthy of much consideration. Ostlets, before referred to, taken from a vigorous horse, properly prepared and used, may produce very satisfactory results, especially 406 . SUBJECTION. ill Ihc management of balkers. They should be prepared as follows : If the subject be a mare, the warts, fresh and strong, should be taken from a healthy horse. Sometimes old accumulations lose their strength, and are good for nothing. Dry the ostlets carefully, and grate them to a fine powder, and keep in an air-tight bottle. One hour before the horse is driven, blow an old-fashioned thimble full into the nostrils, and the horse will usually go off all right. This secret was given me by an old man in Western Ohio, who, with his sons, about ten years ago, was a mem- ber of my class. After taking me one side, and express- ing his appreciation of the information I had given him, he said he would give me a secret that he had practiced for forty years, and had never known it to fail. " Every one around here knows," said he, " that I can drive any balky horse, but never learned the secret of my doing it. I am now an old man of seventy-four years ; and not intending to handle any more horses, I will give it to you for your ben- efit." He said he had never in any case found it necessary to repeat it more than two or three times. Sometimes a horse that has learned to kick his mate, can be cured by giving this. It would also be good when a horse objects seriously to the scent of a buffalo robe or other object, to blow this into the nose, because it conceals the repugnant odor. It will also be found the jDrincipal ingredient in the remedy for the cure of fits. (See " Medical Department " under the head of " Miscellaneous Recipes.") I would here add that I have had so little trouble in breaking balkers by the treatment explained under that head, that I never used this ; but I have given the secret to many, and reports have been favorable. A great secret amonff some doo; fanciers is holding a little of this in the MEDICINES, OR DRUGS. • 407 hand, and letting the dog smell of it, when he will follow anywhere. The secret of the effect of these ostlets upon the horse, is undoubtedly the strong pungent odor, which has a remarkably soothing effect upon the nervous system, by which the horse is disconcerted and won from his pur- pose of resistance. It is well known that gypsies are very successful in managing vicious horses. Their method of management is to boil a plug of tobacco in a gallon of ale, until the strength is extracted, then give enough of it to make the horse so sick that he cannot resist.'-' He is then driven as desired, and when over the effect of it, the dose is repeated, if nec- essary. I never but once resorted to the use of medicine to control a horse before a class. When at Howard Steuben Co., N. Y., a strong, wild, unbroken colt seven years old, was the subject of experiment. At the time, I was so prostrated by ague that I was not able to give the horse sufficient treatment to drive him under canvas or in the street with safety. The class insisted upon my doing this. I therefore proposed to the owner that the colt be taken to the next town, where I would be on the following day, when I would make him drive gently, promis- ing thatif I failed to do so satisfactorily, I would return them their money. Next morning I was more prostrated than be- fore, but as my failure to drive the horse in the street would necessitate a return of the money, and make it impossible for me to form a class there, I was compelled to resort to strat- egy. I directed one of my men to go to the drug store and get two ounces of tincture of lobelia, and, when free from observation, give it to the horse. In about half an hour, * This was given me by a gypsy who was a member of m}- class. Gypsies liave been repeatedly in my classes since, and all admit that this was their principal secret. 4(« tSUBJKCTrON. wlieii T snpposcfl he felt the full ofrecls, T subjected him as ;i Hi.Mttor of I'orni to the Second jNTethod (ur ;i few minutes, Mild then di'ovc him through the streets perl'ectly gentle. The fact was, he had become so sick that he could not resist. I now directed the man to put him in his team and dri^'e home. Knowing the temperament of the horse, I concluded he would submit to this means, which he did, but I resorted to it only because of my weakened condition. I was informed by the owner nearly a year afterward, that the liorse remained entirely gentle, and that if I would return again to II , he would warrant me a large class. I haA^e experimented carefully with this method of treat- ment upon a A\ariety of cases. Sometimes it would Avork exceedingly well on those of a cold blooded nature, but courageous, strong-willed cases are liable, Avhen excited, to resist it, even when given much larger doses. (Two ounces should be about the maximum dose for an ordinary sized horse.) In addition to making violently sick, it is liable to produce severe attacks of colic. One horse I experimented upon in this way became subject to colic. Control r.v thk Evk, or AVh-l. It is supposed ))}' many that certain persons possess a peculiar power by which they can with safet}^ approach and control a vicious horse ns if by magic. In the sense understood, this cannot be done. There is no inherent power beyond that of nerve to conceal any impression of fear or- timidity, and the ability to exercise accurate judg- ment in determining what to do and how much, so cMS not to excite resistance until tlio horse is under control. For example, standing just beyond his rejich, and looking fix- edly into his eye, saying with sternness, "Get around!" until he is disconcerted, then approaching the shoulder and passing the hand (quickly but smoothly up to the halter or CONTROL BY THE EYE, OR WILL. 409 bridle, thence to the nose-piece, and grasping it firmly, will enable one to approach some horses with safety, which it would be dangerous to go near without. It is an undoubted fact that a certain class of snakes can so charm birds as to disable and catch them, and there are well-authenticated cases of their charming children and men. An intelligent lady, in whom the writer has perfect confidence, stated that in two instances she had seen small birds charmed by a black snake. Once, when stepping over a log, she saw a bird in the act of flying into the open mouth of a large black snake which lay coiled upon the ground at the opposite side. I copy here another instance of this kind from the Petersburg (Va.) Index-Appeal: — "The Snake's Ability to Charm. " A veritable instance of the peculiar fascination which the snake exerts, was witnessed a few days ago within a short dis- tance of our city. The gentleman who saw this says he was walk- ing leisui'ely along the road when his attention was directed to the movements of a brown thrush which Avas flitting about near a small plum bush, and, at intervals, giving a cry as of distress. He walked up to the bush, supposing he would find a brood of young birds. He looked carefully, but saw nothing, and was walking off, when he noticed that the thrush had returned to the* bush from which he had frightened it. He waited a moment to watch its movements, when he saw it fly down on the ground be- neath the plum. There it stood still a short time, then began to circle around the bush, still crying in its peculiar tones. This circling was kept up for a while, and then the thrush seemed gradually to weaken, and at length stood perfectly still — immov- able, with its wings partly open, and its head bent forward. He drew neai'er to the bush, when he heard an ominous hiss, and, looking down under the plum he saw a large black snake coiled up, and about to spring upon the bird. He frightened the snake away and picked up the bird, which made no effort to escape, and seemed powerless. In a few minutes, however, the bird revived, and shortly afterward flew off" - It is also a fact that some men, by an effort of the will, can control others, as shown by the art of what is termed 410 . SUBJECTION. psychologizing, or putting into a stute of trance. This has led to a very general belief that, in like mannei-, certain persons have the power of controlling vicious horses, so that they can be rendered completely gentle. I haA'C at different times seen plausible statements by diilerent writers sustaining this theory. But notwithstanding man's intelli- gence and will power are greatly superior to that of horses, I never have known of a horse being directly controlled in this way. I think I may assume, without presumption, that I have subdued, and had treated under my supervision, more exceptionally vicious horses than any other living man. It has been a matter of hard, practical experience with me, and I know it is impossible to control wild or vicious horses by will power alone. I am so confident of this that I will give any man one thousand dollars who will show that he can control wild or vicious horses in any such way. I have many hundreds of times made wild or vicious horses so docile that they would run after, or follow me around, with- out the restraint of a halter, or without being touched in any way, — a feat in most cases not at all difficult to per- form on a suitable subject. And as I have stated in an- other place, though the principles were carefully explained those present would often insist that it must have been done by some secret power. I am thus emphatic to cor- rect this false impression, which seems to prevail in the minds of all classes of society. As explained in another part of this chapter, any method of impressing the horse with the sense of helpless- ness, such as disabling, repressing by fear, intense pain, or the reverse, quieting the nervous irritation by scnitching the mane and tail, giving apples, etc., can to a great extent hold passive the impulse of resistance. The principle is to so change or disconcert the general nervous action, as to secure the more easy concentration of the nervous forces CONTEOL BY THE EYE, OR WILL. 411 in the direction desired ; hence every method of repressing by fear, or revealing power by action or voice, etc., may be regarded as the expression of this power, which of course no one denies. But that by will power alone, the character of a horse can be held completely submissive or in a marked trancoydal state, is entirely impossible. Having taken lessons in psychology many years ago, I found that I could to a certain extent control the will of others ; yet notwithstanding the greatest etibrt, I never have been able to control horses without first impressing the nervous system with a sense of physical power. The cases which are most likely to resist such management, are stallions wdiich have grown into viciousness through bad treatment, and mustangs, or those of a fixed, wild nature. The"AVilkins Horse," " Hillman Horse," and "Mustang Pony," Cases G, 7, and 11, Subjection, and the " Hettrick Horse," No. 4, Kicking, are cases in point. As a matter of experiment, while the " Hettrick Horse" was tied to the center pole of the ring, I tried for over an hour to even get near enough to touch his body without being struck or kicked, and if my life depended upon it, T could not safely do it ; yet by less than twenty minutes' proper subjective treatment, his submission was made complete. In proof of this, reference could be made if necessary to a great many of like character. When a horse is thoroughly vicious and unmanageable, subjecting him fj[uickly to a full course of treatment, sur- prises and breaks up his confidence, on the same principle that the eye disconcerts and controls, with the difference that now it is the result of direct physical control, when by careful management he can be held gentle. But in doing this, as I have repeatedly remarked, it is fiital to success to let the horse see, at any point, that there is not sufficient power to master and control him. Sometimes, 412 SUIUECTION.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES Avheii this is well done, the will of the horse is so i4i)roughly broken, and made so submissive, that, though previously so vicious as to be entirely unmanageable, he m.ty become among the safest and gentlest for use. The mum point of success, after he thoroughly submits to coercive treatment, is to win his affections. ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. As an additional aid to the reader in studyirit, this sub- ject, I include the details of treatment in the management of a few representative cases. Case 1. — Mt. Vernon Horse. This was an eight-year old, sorrel gelding, weighing about 1100 pounds. He had an exceedingly strong, tough organization, but was most remarkable for his wild, treach- erous, sullen nature. He was one of the best types of this peculiarity of character the writer ever treated. His head was almost the exact counterpart of that of the " Hett- rick Horse," Case 4, Kicking, but was immeasurably the worse horse to subdue. He could not be controlled in har- ness, double or single, was so strong and tough that up to the time of his being brought to me, his temper had not been subdued by any treatment given him. He would kick out sideways and kill a hog whenever brought near one. He was in fact one of the most dangerous and difficult horses to break ever known in that country. I had been at Mt. Vernon, Ohio, over a week when this horse was brought in to be treated before the class. The moment I saw him across the ring, I made the remark, " There is a Averse horse than I have ever yet treated in the State." The owner, offended at my giving his horse so bad a character, said he could handle and drive him. Though I knew nothing whatever of the horse beyond MT. VERNON HOHSE. 413 what I saw of him at a distance, I stated that there was not a man in the country who could drive him, and if I could not prove it, I would charge him nothing for my instructions. Upon trial with a severe bit, he went straight along in defiance of the pulling of ten men upon the reins, when his bad character was confessed. Had I not been able to prepare the minds of the class to see the true character of the horse, he would have broken me down ; but in fact my statement was accepted as a reasonable explanation, and so I had an opportunity to repeat the treatment until successful. I had a very large class of experienced horsemen, and it became a matter of deep interest for them to see whether the char- acter given him would be fully proved by trial. He was subjected first to the First Method, which he resisted Avith great energy. This was followed by the Second and Third Methods, carried to the fullest extreme, when he would allow his quarters to be touched all around with a pole, and could be handled without difficulty. He Avas next taken in hand for over an hour to obtain control of the mouth, but Avithout making the least impres- sion upon him. This I expected and explained to the class, and put liim over till the next day, Avhen he Avas again subjected to the Second Method sharply, and the training of the mouth repeated, as before, for about an hour, Avith but little apparent success. This Avas extraor- dinary, there having no horse been brought forward for years that did not in tAvo lessons yield to the control of the bit; but I promised that one more lesson Avould bring him. On the day folloAving, he was again subjected in part to First and Second Methods, and the mouth again taken in hand, though quite sore from the effects of the previous treatment. His wonderful pluck and nerve enabled him to fight it Avith the utmost desperation for nearly an hour, 414 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. when he at la.st- gave up unconditionally, and was driven before the cla.ss and upon the streets with entire success, afterward remaining perfectly gentle and manageable. A week later, he was exhibited in the street at a little town eight miles distant, where he was owned. His good character and performances enabled me to make a large class there. Case 2. — Gallopsville Horse. This was a seven-year old sorrel gelding, owned in Gal- lopsville, N. Y. He was a remarkably fine, muscular fel- low, weighing about 1050 pounds. I refer to him as a good type of an extremely bad, unbroken colt, and but a slight modification of the previous case. In the preceding case, when the horse was hitched up, he would go, per- haps, some distance, and then, suddenly and without warn- ing, pull ahead, or kick and run away. And, once resist- ing, there was no possibility of holding him afterward. He was a snorting, treacherous brute of the worst kind, and when brought forward for treatment, Avas considered en- tirely unmanageable in harness. The touching of the harness, or anything brought against his quarters would cause him to jump or kick with great fury. At this time I remained but one day in a place, and taught my classes in any kind of a building available. At this place we had a small carriage house with hard-wood floor, which Avas so unsuitable that to attempt the subjec- tion of such a horse here would be not only very difficult, but dangerous. On this account the First Method, Avhich was well adapted for his temperament, could not be used. Consequently he was subjected first, cautiously, to the Second Method, which was a necessary step toward toning down his extreme sensibility, but he could not be j)ushed to its limits on account of the hard-wood floor, the smallness of OMNIBUS HOESE. 415 the place, and the large crowd present. He was next sul)- jected to the Third Method, which was carried to its fullest extent. While being subjected to it, if touched with a f>ole, the energy of his kicking was so desperate that both shoes, though nailed solidly to his feet, were thrown off in a few minutes. Not submitting satisfactorily to this method, it became a matter of necessity to subject him again to the Second. The place was partly cleared, and the chances taken of pushing it to its fullest extent, to which he sub- mitted unconditionally. The rest was easy, little more being necessary than putting him in harness, when he drove off gently. Next day he was taken to Central Bridge, where the owner and class were promised that he should be driven in the street. It being quite safe now to attempt driving him while w^arm, he was put away till next morning, wdien, after testing a few moments, he was hitched up and driven perfectly gentle. The change was regarded quite wonderful by those who had known and witnessed his previously vicious character. Case 3. — Buffalo Omnibus Co.'s Horse. This case has some points of peculiar interest, for which reason it is included. First, it shows to what de- gree a naturally good, gentle horse, can be made vicious by irritating, bad treatment ; secondly, the ease with which, sometimes, a horse supposed to be very vicious can be made gentle. The particulars of the case are as follows : — This horse was nine years old, a bright bay, remarkably fine, strong, intelligent, and weighing about 1200 pounds. He was regarded one of the best in a large stable of horses. He had been worked to an omnibus, and, it seems, gradu- ally became Adcious, requiring great care in harnessing and handling. He finally bit and crushed a man's arm, and inflicted such other injuries as nearly killed him. The man 416 SUBJECTION.— ILI.USTEATIVE CASES. was rescued only ])y the prompt interference of the other men. The horse was so furious that he would jump at and bite other horses, and it was finally only by the use of pitchforks, etc., that the stablemen were able to drive him into his stall, where he stood with his collar on for over three months. No one daring to go near him, his food and water were let down to him from above. Unable to work him, and fearing he would kill some one, the superintendent had ordered him shot, but for some cause it had been put off until the period of my visit there. Before commencing my exhibition in this place, a gen- tleman who was especially interested in my efforts, privately informed me of this case, and said there was a strong fac- tion of opposition there. They asserted they might consider it worth while to come and see me after I had subdued the horse ; that I could not or would not dare attempt it. I at once informed the people of what I had learned, and promised, if I could obtain the horse, to take him in hand before the class. At my earliest opportunity, I called at the stable, and the horse w^as pointed out to me. I was confident I should have no trouble with him, and told the superintendent that if he would let me have the horse to experiment upon before the class, I would subdue him. He frankly said that the horse was too dangerous to take any chances with, Fig. 285.— Omnibus Horse. OMNIBUS HOESE. 417 and he did not wish to take any responsibility in the mat- ter ; that if he permitted me to take him, and I shouki be killed, or injured in any way, the public would censure him. He said further that the horse was of no value, and he had ordered him shot. I finally convinced the gentleman that there would be no diflftculty in tlie management of the case, and obtained permission to take him o^^er to my building, where, in the presence of leading citizens of Buffalo, I made him entirely gentle in about twelve minutes. He was simply subjected to First Method, followed hy War Bridle. His collar, which had now been on for o^'er three months, could be taken olT or put on at i)leasure. I told the superintendent to put him ;it once at work, and have him treated with the greatest kindness, and if at any time he exhibited the least viciousness, to report to me. In about a week he was brought back, and subjected to very severe tests before them, and proved perfectly gentle. I include here an editorial notice of this case, and a letter from Mr. Ford written three months afterward : — •'' A Horse that Killed one Man and Injured Several Others. "We yesterday afternoon visited the amphitheater of Prof. Magner, the noted horse-tamer, on Carroll street. We found there a Jarge number of our most prominent citizens and horse-owners, and all manifested the greatest interest in the doings of the pro- fessor. A horse belonging to the Omnibus Company, — a most vicious brute, with the habit of biting, and striking with his fore feet, and from which those in charge have not been able to remove the collar or bridle for over three months, — was brought for treat- ment. We understand, by the way, that this horse (a large and powerful bay) once killed a man by biting and trampling him un- der foot, and recently bit the hand almost otf the person having him in .charge. In about twenty minutes, in the presence of be- tween two and three hundred persons, Mr. Magner reduced this brute to perfect subjection, so that the groom and himself har- B^sijed ^■Tid unharnessed him, put their hands in his mouth, aii(i 8T 418 SUBJECTIOX.— ILLUSTKATIVE CASES. handled hirn in every shape with perfect impunity, the former fu- rious beast beinij as docile as a kitten. It was a wonderful exhi- bition, as we can bear testimony." — Buffalo Commercial Adver- tiser. ''Buffalo, Dec. 21, 1S69. "Prof. Magner, Dear Sir : I consider myself in duty bound to drop you a few lines respecting our once vicious horse, ' Man- eater,' as wo called him.. I have ofxni said, What a good thing it was we did not shoot him. He was taken out of the stable twice for that purpose, when I, on both occasions, interceded in his be- half. He is now one of our best h >rses, as docile as a lamb, and all the drivers like him. AVe woidc him double or single, as required. All this Avas caused from your few minutes' tuition. You are aware of his past history. For months previous to making your acquaintance, we could not get a man to Iiarness him, and two of our drivers were disabled by him. When you visit our city, please give us a call. "Believe me, yours very truly, , M. FoRD, " Ayent Buffalo Omnibus Co." Case 4. — Oxford Horse. This case is included for its remarkable peculiarity of character, the writer having found no parallel to it in all his experience. The horse was seven years old, and was owned by a hotel-keeper in Oxford, Miss. He was remarkable for his extreme sensibility, courage, and fine form. Al- though perfectly gentle to handle or approach, he would not bear the least abuse or excitement. Being a fine sad- dle-horse, he could be mounted or dismounted in a building, but not outside the building Avith safety. If an effort were made to lead, mount, or dismount him outside of the build- ing, he would jump and pull away, striking and jumping with such fury as made him not only unmanageable, but really dangerous. ^Vs an illustration of his sensitiveness, the owner stated that once, desiring to shoe him, he was ridden to the bhicksmith's, but refusing to go in, h6 was struck upon the shoulder with the end of the bridle-rein, and spoken to sharply. The result Avas, he took such a dislike OXFOKD HORSE. 419 to the blacksmith's shop that he never couhl be ridden near one afterward, and was shod in his stable. Two traveling horse-taming parties, at different times, had visited Oxford, and tried their skill upon this case, both making a disastrous failure. When I visited the place, it was made a condition of success that this horse should be led, mounted or dismounted, in the street. And so it became a matter of either giving up the town, or taking him in hand. I never had jumped a to'wn for any such cause, and concluded I would not now. As a matter of experiment, I put on him two War Bridles, with over fifty feet of cord to each, and with the aid of a strong man led him out of the barn, wdien such a desperate struggle com- menced, he to get away and we to hold him, as was, perhaps, never seen before. The moment he was outside he rushed forward, but being restrained, he lunged into the air more than fifty times, when we were glad to end it by running him into the stable as quickly as we could. Explaining to the class that he could not be successfully treated in a barn, he was mounted and ridden to a field a mile outside the town, follow^ed by the class. The halter was now put on outside the bridle, and while still mounted, the rider ready to jump off, the hitching-strap was cautiously tied to his tail. When ready, the rider instantly jumped from his back, when he commenced the most violent struggle to free himself. As he went round wnth great rapidity, he struck and kicked with intense fury. When entirely helpless, he was quickly untied, the treatment reversed, and carried to the fullest extent to make him submit. Fig. 286 —Oxford Horse. 420 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. The first form of War Bridle was now put on, when, on his being untied, 1 instantly took him off his feet sidewise, following up so sharply that he could not resist, when he finally submitted to it. The experiment of mounting him was now made, but he resisted so violently by wheeling, jumping, and kicking, that the rider barely escaped being killed. He was again subjected to general treatment, which was carried to the utmost extreme of its power. The pre- caution was now taken to mount him while tied. This was successful, and he was soon made to stand gently to be mounted or dismounted while the head was free. On the way back to town, the better to test him, and fix the im- pression, he was frequently mounted and dismounted. Upon arriving at the public square, these tests were re- peated, and the horse led to the stable. This case caused me a great deal of anxiety, and it Avas only by the most careful management that it was made so decided a success. Case 5. — Hermon Horse. This horse was a seven-year old thoroughbred stallion, owned in Hermon, N. Y. He was a bright bay, had a good head, was finely formed, and looked very much like Cruiser. He was raised in Canada, and according to report had killed a man there. He had not beeen broken to harness, and was kept shut up, and considered a very difficult and dangerous horse to break. When I was advertised at Hermon, it was insisted as a condition of making a class that this horse be subdued and driven in harness. I was unable at the time to obtain any particulars about the horse, further than that of his being a wild, unbroken stallion,^a regular " man-eater." I had but one clue, — he was a thoroughbred, and such cases, no matter how vicious, I always found the best, or rather the easiest, subjects to subdue. This influenced me to strike WILKINS HORSE. 421 boldly for a large class, promising every man his money back if the horse could not be made perfectly gentle to drive in harness in forty minutes. Being compelled to work in a barn, which was entirely unsuitable for such an experiment, the treatment had to be limited to Second and Third Methods, the Third being depended upon the most. He submitted to treatment in about thirty minutes, and drove to harness with entire success. Considering the pre- vious character of the horse, the success of the experiment was really remarkable, and far better than was expected by any one ; still there were a few jockeys who were bound to find fault. They.claimed that the horse would not stay broken, and offered to bet f 100 that he could not be han- dled or driven the next day. This I promptly met by of- fering to put up $500 against it that it could be done in a week from that time, when they backed down. Two days later, on my arrival at Russel, eight miles distant, I found the people had been so prejudiced by the parties named, that it was necessary to make a special ef- fort there. To counteract such an impression, which I knew would spread and destroy confidence in my work, I telegraphed the owner to bring the horse there at my ex- pense and risk, which he did, leading him behind an open buggy. Upon testing him, which I did carefully, I found him perfectly gentle, hitched him before my buggy, with the breeching-straps loose, and drove him up and down hill, and through the streets generally with perfect satisfaction. Case 6. — Wilkins Horse. This is in some respects one of the most interesting cases which has been referred to, on account of the peculiar character and notoriety given him by the condi- tions of his subjection by me (specially referred to in Per- sonal Experience, page 511). The last effort to break him 422 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. Avas two months before my visit there, when he was brought to a pretentious horse-tamer, with orders to break or kill him ; but after a week's continuous efibrt, he was pro- nounced as " haA^ng no brains," and impossible to subdue. As a test experiment, he was controlled by me in about thirty minutes, in the presence of the owner and Mr. Bonner, in the last-named gentleman's stable. He Avas a Avell-brfed trotting horse, nine years old, a bright bay of medium size, quiet and gentle ordinarily, but Avhen excited by being touched or handled, he AA^ould kick and strike Avith great violence. Touching his nose or head Avould cause him to strike like a AAdld mustang, Avhile to touch his feet, or to attempt to take them up, would make him kick desperately. A singular characteristic in this case, rarely to be found among domesticated horses, was, that if irritated he could repeat the resistance, if he tried, a thousand times in succession ; there seemed to be no let- up to him. When studied carefully, at such a time, it would be seen that the expression of the eye indicated the untamable nature of a Avild animal. In moving, his tread and actions seemed to be like those of a cat. While stand- ing, he Avould, Avithout moving, or changing the position of his ears, out of the corner of his eye Avatch every movement, seemingly listless, but ready at any moment to strike or kick. He had in fact the true mustang nature, Avith any amount of endurance, and Avas treacherous to the last degree. This horse should have been subjected to the Second Method, Avhich Avould have made his control simj)le and easy ; but the circumstances under which I was led to take him in hand compelled me to handle him in a box stall, and consequently I Avas limited to the Third Method, Avhich was not in reality at all adapted to his case, and I barely succeeded Avith it. I have repeatedly stated that this WILKINS HORSE. 423 424 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTilATl VE CASES. method must not be used when the character is such that there is inclination to bite the checks or lips, or when the head is interfered Avith, as there is then an inclination, as in the mustang nature, to strike, and the treatment will be difficult to ajiply. In this case the result Avas that both cheeks Avere badly bruised,* making him again very Adolent until cured, when I applied the Second Method, subduing him in about twenty minutes. I afterward gave exhibitions of his good character in the presence of Mr. K^i&jM^^^ AJS Henry Bergh, Esq.. President of the So- ciety for the Pre- vention of Cruelty to Animals, and other well-known gentlem-en, when he Avas turned loose in the ring Avithout anything on him, and submitted to handling Avith the docility of any gentle horse. This was one of the fcAV excej^tional cases that the most patient and kind treatment Avould have no effect upon. As an illustration. Dr. Braily, formerly Chief Veterinary Surgeon of U. S. Cavalry, a man of exceptionally large experience in handling horses, tried for over an hour, by scratching the mane, etc., to get his hand upon a certain part of the head, Avithout being able to do it. He had claimed that there Avas no living horse Avhose head he could not in time by this method lay his hand upon. I told him it could not be done in this case ; if it could, I would give him one hundred dollars ; that the only way it could be done Avas by proper subjective treat- FiG. 2SS.-AVilkins Horse. ♦Proper treatment for such cases will be found in Medical Department. HILLMAN HOES.E ''JET." 42£ ment. As explained, he made the experiment, and failed completely; yet in about fifteen mimites' treatment, I made the horse stand gentle and allow his head to be rubbed or caressed in any manner. In these as well as in all other conditions of resistance requiring coercive meas- ures, kind treatment, as repeatedly explained, is to be depended upon as an aid in fixing and holding the character good. Case 7. — Hillman Horse " Jet." When the facts of this case are considered, it must be accepted as by far the most remarkable as well as interest- ing case yet referred to. He Avas a young stallion out of one of the best trotting horses in the State. He was but little over three years old, and of beautiful form. Not- withstanding the conditions of his treatment were of the best character, when but little past two years old, in defiance of all that could be done, he developed such an extremely vicious character as to become at once wholly uncontrollable. The circumstances under which I was induced to experiment upon this horse were as follows : In the early summer of 1875 I made a chance A^sit to Portland, Maine, where I had previously been in 1863, as explained in Personal Experience. Meeting Dr. Tewkes- bury, a leading physician and prominent citizen of that city, he said : " There is one of the most vicious young stallions here that has ever been known in the country, one of the worst brutes that ever lived. He is shut up in a building to prevent his injuring or killing any one. He nearly killed one man, Eben Howe, and seriously injured several others. If you can subdue him, you will prove your ability to subdue any horse, and show that you are the greatest horse-tamer in the world." As he could give no particulars of the disposition, and 426 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. being there on business with no time or inclination to give the matter any serious consideration, I soon after left for the West. A few weeks after, I received a letter from Rev. A. P. Ililhuan, the owner, asking whether such a horse could be broken; saying that unless I could come there and break him, he must be shot. I wrote him that I intended to visit Maine the following spring, and from the explanation given of the horse, I thought I should have no difficulty in his subjei^tion. I advised him not to allow the horse to be annoyed or molested in any way, to give Fig. 289.— Hillman Horse "Jet." apples, etc., occasionally. Upon arriving in the State in the following spring, I went to see the horse privately ; and upon a careful examination, concluded I could not prudently experiment upon him before a class, and so announced I would take him in hand immediately after the close of the season's business, at which time I went to Porthuid for that purpose. Desiring to make the experi- ment a perfectly fair one, I appointed a special committee of three leading citizens to invite a few representative horsemen to be present to witness his subjection. It being feared by those interested that I would play some under- handed game, giving the horse medicine, or something that would control him for the present, a special committee was HILLMAN HOESE ''JET." 427 428 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. appointed to accompany me from the time I got up in the morning until the horse was brought forward for treatment. The real difficulty in the management of this case was in getting to him safely, and taking him from his stable to the place of exhibition. This, however, I was fortunate enough to do without accident. Knowing by his tempera- FiG. 2'.n.- "Jet" as led into Portland before being subdued. ment that the First and Second Methods would have but little if any effect upon him, I determined, as a matter of experiment, to try by the Second Method to influence him sufficiently to enable applying the Third safely, but failed, lie was so sullen that he could not be made to turn sufficiently fast to affect him. It being entirely unsafe to give his head sufficient freedom while upon his feet to apply the cord, he was thrown down by First Method. As HILLMAN HOESE "JF^T. 429 430 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. expected, he did not resist it, proving it entirely powerless in his case as a method of subjection. He Avas subjected next to full pressure. For full fifteen minutes his resistance was desperate, running, jumping, and throwing himself, when he finally ceased all resistance, and in twenty-four minutes all pressure was removed. He was now hitched up and driven perfectly gentle, after which he was turned loose in the midst of the crowd, with not even a halter upon him, and proved perfectly gentle and safe. He was then taken charge of by a good practical horseman, Mr. Robinson, whom I charged to treat the horse with the most perfect kindness and care, and to go to his stable a dozen times a day, rub, caress, give apples, etc., which in- structions were carefully carried out. On the following Monday, as a matter of precaution, he was subjected to the Second Method, to which he now re- sponded promptly, after which he was harnessed and driven for about two hours. A week afterward, as previously ad- vertised, he was taken into the street in front of the Prebles House, unharnessed, led around, and shown to be as gentle as any ordinary driving-horse. Two weeks afterward, on the 4th of July morning, he was driven by me in a street procession, proving one of the safest and gentlest horses in the crowd. After the subjection of this horse, a chance occurrence nearly destroyed the good effect of all I had done. While the horse was standing with a crowd arovmd him, I was called away for a moment. I was scarcely outside the building when I heard a great uproar inside. I went quickly back, when the sight that presented itself was most startling. The horse which I had left there so quiet and gentle was now under the greatest excitement, running from one side of the building to the other, with head up and eyes flashing fire, the people panic-stricken, and every HILLMAN HOESE '^JET." 431 man running for his life, and climbing up the sides of the building for safety. The better to understand the condition of things, I will explain that the experiment was made in a building about 75x100 feet in dimensions, that had for- merly been used for a riding-school. Back of this was a stable running across the entire breadth, with an open door- way about ten feet wide between. In this stable were standing about twenty horses. While I was out, he sud- denly became conscious of the presence of these horses, and went racing around trying to get to them. When I reached the door, I saw at once that he must be caught in- stantly, or the effect of the treatment would be entirely de- stroyed. In addition, should he get into the stable behind me, the result would be very serious. Keeping between him and the horses in the opposite stable, I ran quickly forward to his shoulder and grasped the mane firmly, and as he ran along, passed the other hand down over his nose and succeeded in stopping him. Three times he broke away, but by great effort I regamed my hold. His old nat- ure was fast getting control of him, as several times he tried to reach back and bite my legs, and I saw that I must get him under control quickly, or run. The fourth time I held him, and ran him into a corner against the wall, where was a high manger. While holding him, I induced a man who was standing upon the manger trying to get away, to put on the halter, which was with some difficulty done. With this once on, he was immediately as docile and quiet as if nothing had occurred. This incident, trifling as it may seem, caused me as much anxiety as taking him out of his stall a few hours before, but occurring without accident, it passed off with- out a comment. To show the great interest with which the subjection of this case was regarded, I include a synopsis of editorials from the press of the city, also an article from Mr. Robinson, a well-known citizen : 432 SUBJJ^CTION.— ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. " Horse-Training — Wonderful Performance. " The announcement that the well-known Hillman horse was to be trained at the South-street stable drew a large crowd yes- terday nioi'ning, as this horse is known to be one of the worst cases on record. Some few gentlemen, including representatives of the morning papers, took carriages, and drove out to the resi- dence of Rev. A. P. Hillman, near the Reform School, to see Pro- fessor Magner in his first attempt to handle the animal. . . " Last September he was placed in a large box -stall, and had not been taken out until yesterday morning. ... In this condi- tion Jet was led from the stall for the first time in eight months. The line of march was taken up for the city, a man on either side holding by the curds attached to him. All the residents on the way were in waiting to see the wonderful horse pass, and on reach- ing the city a large crowd followed the horse and his trainer to the stable. " The stable was thronged on the arrival, and after giving the horse a slight rest, Mr. Magner commenced upon him. We can- not give the method of training, for it would be telling the secret by which he governs hoi-ses. Suffice it to say that in just twen- ty-five minutes the sti-iking, dangerous hor.se was as mild as a lamb. He was turned loose, and wandered about amono; the horsemen as though he Avere an old truck-h^rse. The trainer j umped upon his back, and afterward harnessed him to a wagon, and drove about without the least strap to keep the wagon from striking his heels. The gathering was composed almost exclusively of horsemen, and each and every one of them pronounced the horse under perfect control, and they voted the professor a vote of thanks." — Portland Press. "'Jet' Conquered. An Interesting Exhibition of Horse-taming. "When Magner first entered the stall, the demon in the brute showed itself in the most striking manner by frantic efforts to seize him with his teeth, rushing around his narrow quarters like a caged tiger, while the red flash of his wild eyes woukl have de- terred many strong men from appi-oaching him. But the pro- fessor paid little heed'to the wicked manifestations of this modern Bucephalus, and, taking advantage of his quiet seconds, firmly se- cured his head with cords, slipped a large hood over his head; and thus blindfolded and fastened in the strongest possible manner, handsome 'Jet' was led in triumph to the city, and taken to the old riding-school on South-street, arriving there shortly aft(3r 9 o'clock. A large number of people interested in horses, including HILLMAN HOESE "JET." 433 nearly every physician in the city, were assembled at this place; and, on the stallion's arrival, many were the comments on his re- markable beauty of form and color, as well as the strength and supple grace which every movement revealed. "At 10 o'clock Professor Magner cleared the place of all spec- tators excepting those holding tickets of invitation from the com- mittee having charge of the exhibition, and proceeded to carry out the promise of his circular. " Of course, the peculiar method by which, in a wonderfully brief time, one of the most savage stallions in the State was so completely conquered that he was harnessed to a carriage and driven around the enclosed yard, fast or slow, as suited, as well as backing, stopping instantly at the word, ' Whoa ! ' besides various other things, — all proving that the demon had been, temporarily at least, exorcised, — cannot be stated; but it was surely done." — Portland Argus. "Sketch of the Noted Hillman Horse, 'Jet.' " BY C, G. ROBINSON, ESQ., " Whu took charge of him after hehig subdued. " I have known ' Jet' since he was foaled. He has been known as the finest and most promising colt of his age in the State, being of the best trotting blood. He has attracted the most widespread notice for his remarkable viciousness. He would look at a man pleasantly, yet bite, strike, or kick, as soon as within reach, and would fight as coolly and desperately as a bull-dog. If he could not reach the pei'son with his fore feet or mouth, he would wheel and kick with the quickness of a mule. Any one having a little experience with him once, let him alone afterwards. When but eighteen months old, ho was taken for exhibition to the Lewiston fair. It was with great difficulty that he was taken out after standing in the car two days, and he was not, in consequence, en- tered for competition. His exploits at this age were numerous. For instance, a horseman who did not fear any horse, could not be prevailed upon to keep away, and, though warned to keep out, incautiously stepped into 'Jet's' department; when, quick as a flash, upon getting near enough, 'Jet' cornered and crushed him under his feet with mouth and hoofs. When that man was res- cued, which was with great difficulty, he needed no more admo- nitions to keep away. At different times foolhardy individuals were cornered in this manner at Lewiston ; and each time the horse had to be clubbed to rescue thein. Though notoriously vicious, being remarkably fine in form and action, a great effort was made to use him for l^reeding. He was put in the care of Mr, Jacob Bailey, of Hiram, a horse-breaker who was highly rec- 28 434 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTE ATI VE CASES. ouimencled in the language, 'If he cannot break him, no man can.' Mr. Bailey had him but a short time, when he wrote the owner that he could not manage him at all, and that he must take the horse away; in fact, the hor.se came near killing him. Then a Southern colored man, av ho had been used to taking care of blooded liorses in the South, was recommended very highly to take him, and was employed by the owner. He had him but a few days before he was beaten. Then, with much diliiculty, with strapping and binding he was carried to Portland. In leading him from the cars to the stable, he got the man under him, who was rescued with difficulty from his ferocious fury. " Mr. Richardson and Eben Howe, two of our most experienced and successful horsemen, now took him in hand. They attached ropes to his feet and head, tied up one foot, taking every precau- tion they could, and undertook to lead him to his owner's stable between them. In hiseflbrts to resist, and of the men to hold him, Mr. Richardson's rope broke, wdien the horse at once jumped for Mr. Howe, catching him by the breast of his thick overcoat, lifting him from the flooi- as if only a mere toy (Mi-. Howe Mill weigh about 180 pounds), threw him down, and came down upon him with his knees, liolding his grip with the tenacity of a tiger (Mr. Hillman's words). Mr. J. Jewell, stable-keeper on Centre-street, grabbed a hay-fork and hit the horse three times heavily upon the back of tlie hea