Pitting up the Stables—Loose Boxes and their Uses—Stable Fittings—Light, Ventilation and Drainage—Cobweb and Major—How to tell a Horse's Age—Do Horses understand Language?—Starting a balky Horse—The Horse that knew the Doxology—Horses telling Time by the Clock—Famous Horse Trainers: Rarey, Gleason, and Sullivan the Whisperer—How Cruiser was Tamed—Horse-breaking in Texas—“Creasing” Wild Horses.
Mr. Graham told his boys they might fit up the stable for their horses in whatever way suited them best; he gave them this permission in the confident belief that they would thereby be led to learn more about the animals and their needs than if the stables were turned over to them already fitted. The correctness of his judgment was shown by the earnestness with which the youths proceeded to inform themselves on the subject.
“There's plenty of room in the stable,” said Charley, “and so we'll have a 'loose box' for our horses in addition to the ordinary stalls. Mr. Sidney says it is desirable to have one box for every two stalls and therefore one box will be enough for us.”
“How large shall the box be?” George asked.
“Not less than twelve feet by fourteen if we have the space for it,” was the reply, “but even a much smaller box is better than none at all. Where space is limited one of the stalls may be made into a box by putting a gate across the end of it. A space large enough for a horse to turn around in, so Mr. Sidney says, is of great advantage sometimes to a sick, or very tired horse, or to one that is obliged to be idle several days at a time. When horses are in good health and steady use they haven't much need of boxes, and as we propose to keep our horses healthy and use them, too, one box will be enough for both of us.”
Then came the question of ventilation, which did not require a long debate. The youths were agreed at the start that horses as well as other animals require plenty of light and air; Mr. Graham had been of the same opinion before them, and had built his stable upon intelligent principles. It was on a dry foundation, was well drained, no unsavory gutters or sewers near it, and the windows were numerous and well arranged. He had taken especial pains with the windows and his orders to the grooms were very strict as to the proper ventilation of the stable.
“Unless you watch the grooms closely,” said Mr. Graham to Charley, “you'll very likely find them keeping the windows of the stable closed when they should be open. Grooms like to heat their horses into a condition of moisture in order to give their coats a silky appearance, and their best way of doing this is to keep the windows closed and the air foul. The colonel of an English regiment has said on this subject that the horses of his command live in stables that are constantly open to the air, and consequently are very rarely out of sorts; the same gentleman has a pack of hunting horses at his country seat, and his manager keeps them in stables that are close and hot. The hunters are constantly sick and he attributes it to the bad air in which they are confined.”
“Some people use deodorisers about their stables,” the gentleman continued, “but I have always found that when cleanliness and fresh air are insisted upon no deodorisers are needed. With a stable properly ventilated, well-paved, and kept at all times clean the horses will be in good health and disinfectants may be thrown away.”
Charley was exercised in mind as to the best form of feeding and drinking arrangements for his horse, and pondered some time on the subject.
The result of his deliberation was that he chose a trough with a rack at one side, the former for grain and the latter for hay. The tie, or fastening, for the horse was a patent one so arranged that the slack of the halter was taken up by a sliding weight inside. Mr. Graham had lost a valuable horse some years before by the animal becoming entangled in a long halter, and ever after that he had his stables provided with fastenings that would render entanglement impossible.
At the suggestion of the groom the headstall was provided with several inches of chain next to the animal's head, so as to discourage any possible inclination he might have to bite it. Some horses will use their teeth on anything, and if they once succeed in gnawing off their halters and getting loose it is not easy to break them of the habit.
Various articles for use in the stable were procured and made ready by the time the horses were bought. When the animals were sent home the two boys could hardly stay out of the stable long enough to take their meals, so anxious were they to see that proper attention was given to their prizes.
0031
Charley's horse was a medium sized animal and was said to have come from Kentucky. The first question of the youth was as to the age of the creature, to which Mr. Graham replied that he must find out for himself.
This was a subject that had not been investigated; it demanded immediate study and away went Charley to his books again. In a few days he considered himself competent to tell a horse's age, and his practice on his own steed showed that he was not far out of the way.
0032
“But do you know, father that I'll have to violate a very old injunction,” said Charley, as he proceeded to the study of the subject.
“How so?”
“You gave me the horse, did you not?” queried the youth.
“Certainly,” replied Mr. Graham.
“Well, then,” quoth the boy with a smile, “Isn't there an old adage that says 'never look a gift horse in the mouth'?”
“Yes,” the father answered, his face reflecting the smile of the son, “but all rules have their exceptions, and we'll make one in the present case.”
We haven't space for all that Charley learned about the way in which the age of horses is shown by their teeth. The novice who is buying a horse should not rely upon himself in this matter, and it is not at all probable that Mr. Graham would have allowed the youth to make a purchase on the strength of his limited study of the subject. A great deal of observation and practice are necessary and even then one may be deceived. The best judges of horses have been defrauded by the tricks of dealers, who can reduce the apparent age of an animal by careful filing of the teeth. The general appearance of the creature, the smoothness of his skin, the shape of the limbs and head, and many other things must be taken into consideration as well as the condition of his teeth.
Charley's horse was pronounced about four years old, while that of George was not far from five. Both the animals were of gentle disposition and the boys made friends with them at once.
Charley decided that his horse should be called Cobweb, while George thought that Major would be a good name for his steed. Accordingly the animals were known as Cobweb and Major and very quickly knew their names. In this respect a horse is very much like a dog and learns to associate a word with himself when it is frequently repeated.
“Do you think horses understand language?” George asked his brother one day while they were exercising Cobweb and Major.
“I'm quite sure they do,” was the reply. “I went to see some trained horses that were being exhibited by a man named Bartholebeen a secret sign given to the horse by the trainer, but we were positively assured there was nothing of the kind.
0034
“That the horses all knew their names was very evident, for they stood up in a row and each one walked out when his name was called, either by the trainer or by persons in the audience. They were bright, intelligent horses and perfectly docile; after the performance was over the audience went among the horses and petted them and not one showed the least sign of ill temper. On the contrary they seemed to appreciate the attention they received and to be proud of it.”
“I have noticed,” said George, “that the horses on the street cars understand the meaning of the conductor's bell. When they are going mew. The horses did a great many things just as he told them, and to make sure there was no trickery about the matter he asked the audience to give some of the orders.”
“How was that?”
“Why, when a horse was standing at the front of the stage the trainer would ask the audience to tell the animal which way to make a circle, whether to the right or left. The horse would hesitate a moment after the order was given and then he turned in the when he was asked to. This was done several times; perhaps there may have they stop at the sound of the bell, and when they are standing they start up as soon as the bell rings.”
“I've observed that, too,” was the reply, “and the drivers say it only takes a few days for a green horse to understand it. And a car horse after a little experience learns just about how long a time should be required for a passenger to enter or leave a car, and when the time is exceeded he is apt to show impatience.”
“Henry Johnson was telling me an amusing story the other day,” said George, “about how a man started a balky horse on the street in New York.”
“How was that?” Charley asked.
“Henry was going along Broadway,” said George, “and saw a crowd around a handsome horse that was attached to an equally handsome carriage. One man had him by the bit, another by the tail, a couple of men put their shoulders against his ribs and heaved as hard as they could but the animal was as immovable as a house.
“When everybody was in despair, a stranger appeared, and stepping out of the crowd said to the driver, “'I'll show you how to make that horse go.'
“The driver retired, and the stranger took the horse confidently by the mouth, opened it and looked into it, examined his teeth for a few minutes, then seized the beast by the bridle, and to the astonishment of the crowd, the horse started off at a good gait, drawing the carriage after him with perfect ease.
“The success of the stranger's method of persuading a balky horse to go was so surprising that Henry asked the man how he did it.
“'It's very simple,' said he. 'Of course you didn't see me, but I took a chip of wood which I picked up from the sidewalk and placed it under the horse's tongue. The presence of that bit of pine chip diverted the horse's attention. He forgot all about being balky, and when I took hold of the bridle he started off like any other horse. A horse can think of only one thing at a time and you want to keep that fact in mind when you are training him.'”
“I heard a groom say the other day,” Charley remarked when George had ended his story, “that you could often start a balky horse by pretending to do something to the harness. Fasten and unfasten some of the straps, be very busy about it for several minutes, then take the reins and give the order to go on in an ordinary tone and quite likely the horse will start off without hesitation. Gleason, the famous horse trainer, acts on this principle when he is handling vicious horses; he puts a string in the animal's mouth that incommodes him though it does not hurt him. The horse concentrates his thoughts upon how he will get rid of the incumbrance and hasn't any time to be ugly. And what's more, he follows the trainer all round the ring and keeps him constantly in sight for fear he'll go away without removing the string.”
“Did you ever hear of a horse that knew the doxology?” George asked.
“No!” replied his brother in a tone of surprise. “He must have belonged to a clergyman.”
“So he did,” was the ready answer. “He belonged to a preacher in the country and had been driven by him for eighteen years. The preacher said he had so often driven the horse to church and left him standing near by, that the horse learned the doxology, and whenever it is sung he begins to neigh, knowing that he is going home soon.”
“I heard a gentleman say recently,” Charley responded, “that the school horses in the riding academies in New York can tell the time by the clock.”
“Nonsense!” said George. “That's too much to believe.”
“So I think,” was the reply, “and probably the gentleman didn't mean it literally. He explained that the horses are used for an hour at a time and they seem to know almost exactly when they have been in the ring for that period. They go around perfectly docile and obedient to their riders till just about as the hour is up, when they turn toward the mounting block and intimate very plainly that they think it is time for them to be relieved of duty and sent back to the stable. In the same way when they are taken into Central Park they know all the turns of the bridle path, and are very ready to take those that lead back to the stable.”
“You mentioned Gleason, the horse trainer, just now,” said George; “I wonder how these famous trainers have such control over horses?”
“I've been trying to find out,” was the reply, “but can't tell. Some of them say it is no secret, while others make a great deal of mystery about the matter. They teach others how to control horses, but it is rarely the case that their pupils are able to accomplish anywhere near as much as the masters. One of the most remarkable men in this line of business was Rarey, an American, who became famous in Europe about thirty years ago for subduing horses that had been quite unmanageable; I was reading about him this morning and was particularly impressed with one thing that he said.”
“What was that?” queried his brother.
“That you must never show either fear or anger in dealing with a horse. He says you should always treat him kindly, speak to him in gentle tones, let him regard you as a friend, pat him and call him endearing names, and be perfectly familiar with him. But probably there was something more than this in his method, as some of the horses that he subdued were not of a character to be soothed by kind words when he started in with them.”
“Isn't he the man that conquered the English horse Cruiser?” George asked.
“Yes,” was the reply. “When Mr. Rarey went to England a good many people thought he was playing a trick upon them, and somebody published a suggestion that he should try his skill upon a famous horse called Cruiser. Cruiser was so vicious that no one could approach him, and he had not been touched with a curry-comb for months. He kicked the planks of his stall to pieces and once he broke off an iron bar an inch in diameter by pulling it with his teeth.”
“How long did it take Mr. Rarey to conquer this ferocious animal?”
“About three hours,” was the reply. “At the end of that time his owner, Lord Dorchester, was able to mount Cruiser and ride him, a thing that nobody had done for three years. The horse was perfectly gentle after that and would follow his master like a dog. Mr. Rarey afterwards tamed a zebra and rode him, and he did other things that a great many people had believed impossible.”
“How carious!” exclaimed George.
“Yes, it was indeed,” replied Charley, “but other men have done very much the same sort of thing. I've been reading about an Irishman named James Sullivan, who was called the 'Whisperer' by the people of his neighborhood, as they believed he was able to make the horses understand what he wanted by whispering to them.”
“What could he do?”
“No matter how unruly the horse or mule that was put into his hands, he was able to make it perfectly docile in half an hour. Exactly what he did nobody knew, and the secret died with him.
“He used to ask that the stable where they kept the horse on which he was to operate should be shut, and he was to be left alone with the animal until he gave the signal for opening the door. In about half an hour he would give the signal and when the people entered they found the horse lying down and the man and horse playing together in the most friendly way imaginable. From that time on the horse was perfectly docile, no matter how bad his temper had been before. Horses that had refused to be shod and had resisted all the efforts of other trainers became thoroughly obedient in the short time he was with them; they obeyed others just as readily as they did the man who tamed them.”
In the evening following the foregoing conversation, one of the boys asked Mr. Graham about the different ways of breaking horses to saddle or harness.
“That is a branch of the horse business I don't think it desirable for you to engage in,” was the reply, “but it is well for you to know about it.”
“Various methods are pursued by trainers,” he continued, “and a great deal depends upon the character of the horse. Most of the horse-breakers are coarse, rough fellows, and employ the harshest means for subduing the animals they take into their charge. Some horses are readily tamed, and if an animal is played with by children when a colt, and grows up among them, it is generally the case that he can be ridden without the least resistance. He should be accustomed to have a blanket folded over his back when he is very young, then a saddle should be placed upon him, and after a few days of this practice a very light person may mount the saddle. Coaxing and caressing will do a great deal; it is said that the Arabs do not have to 'break' their horses at all, for the simple reason that the animals associate with the family and are accustomed to be ridden by the children of their owners when they are the merest colts.”
0040
“Here's an account of how they break horses in Texas,” said Mr. Graham, as he took up a newspaper, from which he proceeded to read as follows:
“There are but a few men who make it a business to break horses, and who possess sufficient skill and patience to conquer the fiery spirit of the most vicious animal. These 'wild horse riders,' as they are called, in addition to receiving the use of the horse while handling him, get fees ranging from five dollars to twenty-five dollars. Fearless Frank, a well-known Texas tamer, had been engaged to break a magnificent sorrel, called Mad Ranger. Ranger was a spoiled horse. He had been caught several times for the purpose of being saddled and bridled, but the tamers had been unable to do anything with him.
“The horse-lot was inclosed by massive logs and stout timbers, capable of successfully resisting the most determined effort on the part of the beasts to escape. Connected with the large enclosure were several smaller ones, and into one of these Ranger was driven. Frank then took from his saddle a coil of three-quarter-inch rope, forty feet long, and a second coil about half as long, but much heavier, and an oilcloth slicker. Thus equipped, he slipped into the inclosure and faced the horse. Making a noose in one of the coils, he quickly threw it over Ranger's head and fastened the other end to a post called the tug-post. The animal commenced to rear and plunge, but at every plunge the slack in the rope was taken up, and Ranger was soon alongside the post. Here he was made secure with a Spanish knot, which his struggles only served to tighten.
“Seizing the old slicker, the trainer next hit the horse over the head and neck, causing the animal to rear and kick. The horse was soon tired out, and the blows that fell upon him scarcely caused him to wince. The trainer next took his long rope and fastened it around Ranger's head in such a manner that it served as a halter. The other end of the rope was secured to the post. A rope was then placed around the animal's body in such a manner that it would not slip, and another rope was fastened to his hind foot. The rope attached to the foot was drawn through the one around his body and the end taken by the trainer.
“A couple of hard pulls brought the foot up to the stomach, and the horse was compelled to stand on three legs, thus unable to kick or rear. The trainer then patted the horse on the head and slipped the bridle on. Then the saddle was put in the proper place, and the stirrups 'hobbled,' to prevent any injury to the animal, should he fall. The rider then seated himself in the saddle, the ropes were taken from the horse's feet and body, the gate of the pen opened, and horse and rider dashed out on the prairie. For fully an hour the infuriated animal reared, plunged and jumped about, vainly endeavoring to throw his rider, but finally, becoming exhausted, came to a standstill, and had to be urged even to walk. It was then that the horse was broken.”
“And now,” said Mr. Graham, after pausing a moment, “did you ever hear of how they used to capture wild horses in Texas by 'creasing' them?”
“I've read about it,” replied Charley, “but forget exactly how it was done.”
“Well,” responded Mr. Graham, “here's an account by a man who was once in the business and knows all about it. Shall I read it?”
Both the youths were anxious to hear about this manner of taking horses, whereupon their father gave them the following in the words of Mr. Hill, an experienced cattle raiser of Texas:
“In the early days of the cattle business in Texas, from 1857 to 1860, the ranges were overrun by bands of wild horses. These animals were a great nuisance, as they would get mixed with our loose horses and run them off when any one approached. As a rule, they were a rough, ill-shaped set of beasts, and almost untamable, so that few attempts were ever made to catch them, it being considered best to shoot them and thus get rid of a disturbing influence in our horse herds.
“Sometimes, however, a really fine animal would be seen and the ranchmen would try hard to secure it. But the ordinary mode of capture—lassoing—could seldom be used against wild horses, as these beasts were very shy, and even a poor horse, carrying no weight, could outstrip a very fine animal with a man on his back.
0043
“In this extremity the Texans used to resort to a means of capturing the horses which is, I believe, exclusively American. It was discovered, I do not know how, that a blow upon a particular sinew in a horse's neck, located just above where the spine joins the skull, would paralyze the animal temporarily without doing it any permanent injury. In those days the Texans were nearly without exception fine shots, and at short range could send a rifle ball with phenomenal accuracy.
“The horses could not be approached on foot, and it was impossible to catch them on horseback. But, not to be overcome by any such difficulties, the cowboys discovered a way to capture them. Taking his rifle, a hunter would crawl through the thick chaparral until within fifty or sixty yards of the horse he desired to secure. Then, taking careful aim, he would endeavor to send a bullet through the top of the neck so as to strike the sinew. When this was properly done the horse would fall as if struck by lightning and remain insensible for ten or fifteen minutes, recovering completely in an hour or two, with no worse injury than a slight wound in the back of the neck that soon healed. Of course many bullets went astray and hundreds of horses were killed, but a good marksman would secure about one horse in three that he attempted to 'crease' as this mode of capture was called.
“The weapon universally employed in creasing mustangs was the old Hawkins rifle, which carried a bullet not much larger than a pea, had a set trigger and required but a small charge of powder. Hundreds of mustangs, always the best animals in the herd, used to be creased every year, and this practice was kept up until the herds had entirely disappeared.
“Some of the horses thus secured were very tough and fleet animals, but few were of any practical use. Nearly all were irreclaimably vicious, even when judged from the Texas standpoint. Even when broken to the saddle, they could only be ridden by the very best horsemen, and were always on the lookout to do their riders an injury. Strange to say, they seldom tried to kick, but a man had to be continually on the lookout for their fore feet and teeth. They only used their hind feet when a man was about to mount, but nearly every one of them had a trick of kicking forward as soon as the rider put his foot in the stirrup, and unless he was wary he would receive a terrible blow on the leg. I used to own a horse that, I believe, could scratch himself between the ears with his hind foot, his hind leg being apparently made of India rubber. The instant he felt a foot in the stirrup his hind hoof would come forward with the speed of lightning, in the attempt to inflict a most vicious kick. I gave up mounting him in the usual way and always used to vault into the saddle without touching the stirrups, a feat easily enough performed in my younger days, although I would have some difficulty in doing it now. I used to like to ride wild horses, but after one or two narrow escapes from their deadly fore feet, which they would use if a man carelessly stood in front of them, I gave it up and stuck to the tame stock.”
Other stories about horses consumed the evening, and at length the boys said “Good-night” and went to bed, where they doubtless dreamed of exciting experiences among the wild horses of Texas and other regions where those animals abound.
