NEW METHOD OF HALTERING A VICIOUS OR WILD COLT.

Having directed my attention for many years to compiling a system of educating the horse, and traveling over twenty-five States of the Union, together with nearly all the cities and towns in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, during the past eight years, it is highly probable that few, if any, men are better prepared to impart instruction or to give direction with regard to the management of the horse than myself. Therefore, without being egotistic, or overrating my ability, I can but say that, if the reader will adopt the various ideas found in my work relating to the colt alone, he will have gained knowledge sufficient to more than repay him for the amount paid for the book.

I deem it advisable to give special directions to those who raise colts, not only as to their manner of treatment and education, but, knowing full well the difficulty sometimes attending the first haltering of wild colts, I have prepared the foregoing plate as illustrative of my method, and now proceed to give directions which, if strictly followed, will insure success.

Take a pole about ten feet long; drive a nail near the end, then drive another about fifteen inches from it; now take a rope halter, and hang the part that goes on the top of the head on these nails; then enlarge the nose-piece, by means of the slip-noose, sufficiently to allow it to slip on easily, observing to hold the halter stale in your hands with the pole; approach your colt with great care, and allow him to smell of the halter, and, in a few minutes, he will yield to your advances, and allow you to place the halter on him without much difficulty. Make the shank or stale of the halter about three times the ordinary length, for, as soon as he finds himself caught, he will use his best exertions to get away from you.

TO EDUCATE THE HORSE TO THE WORDS “COME HERE.”

Place a Camanche bridle on the horse, made as follows: take a small cord about sixteen feet long, tie the end around the neck firmly, so that it cannot slip; then double your cord, placing it under the neck, from, the shoulder to the mouth; step back at the side of your horse, and say “Come here;” at the same time give him a sharp jerk, and he will swing around to you; when he comes, caress him with your hand on the shoulder; now repeat the same on opposite side, remembering to caress each time; do this four or five times, and you will find that your horse will obey and fully understand the words “come here.” Always speak the words with a distinct and commanding tone of voice.

I desire that the reader may understand that obedience in the horse is accomplished by pain; so, when you inflict pain, accompanied by a word, the horse is made to understand that the words mean pain; and, rather than suffer pain, he cheerfully obeys the word.

Persons have practiced the foregoing idea and succeeded in accomplishing their purpose and have, no doubt, been highly gratified that their horse was so intelligent, yielding a quiet obedience to their efforts in a very short time; now had the owner known that a foundation for a complete education was properly laid, how easily could he have built a superstructure thereon that would have been permanent and beneficial during the life of the animal. Men are often conceited and think that because they have experienced no difficulty in the past in breaking and handling their horses, therefore all will be sunshine in the future. I would advise a careful perusal of my work, and, by so doing, those of the character above described will have their conceit supplanted as they gain the knowledge of a practical system of properly educating the horse.

HOW TO LAY A HORSE DOWN.

Place a rope or rein around the horse’s body, forming a surcingle; pass the other end under the tail and bring it back, tying it to the part around the body, thus forming a surcingle and crooper; also put a ring, say an inch in diameter, in the surcingle on the back; then strap up the nigh fore-leg as follows: take a quarter-strap, pass it two or three times around below the fetlock, then through the keeper; bring the leg up and buckle close to the belly; place around the neck a quarter-inch strong rope, loosely, fixing the knot so it will not slip; bring the end down the near side of the head, through the mouth, and back on the off-side through the ring in the surcingle; now take a position on the nigh-side of the horse, commencing to pull gently, allowing him to struggle a short time, after which he will lie down quite easily, without sustaining any injury.

By adhering strictly to the instructions given, every person will readily see, that the object in laying the horse down is to give him to understand that you are master; and, after repeating this two or three times, he will be perfectly satisfied of the fact. While down, place a small pole between his legs, moving it about; if he shows fear or resists, give him a sharp pull on the cord in his mouth by way of correction. In other words, punish him for doing wrong, and caress him for doing right, thus making him understand the difference between right and wrong.

HOW TO GET A HORSE UP THAT THROWS HIMSELF.

Animals are often sulky, and quickly acquire the habit of lying down. Balky horses, when urged to go, will lie down and refuse to get up, and an ox will sometimes lie down in the furrow when before the plough. When the habit is thoroughly settled, it becomes very annoying to the owner or driver, who often resorts to severe means, but fails to accomplish the end desired; therefore, to prevent violence and ill-treatment, I give the easy and simple remedy subjoined, which, when adopted, will be found to be practical and never-failing:

Raise the animal’s head up, as illustrated in the foregoing plate, and pour into his nostril a small quantity of water, not to exceed a pint, from a pitcher or cup, and you will be amused by the pleasing result: the animal will rise to his feet as quickly as it is possible for him to do so; he believes himself to be drowning, and will extricate himself with all speed.

Simple as is this expedient, it is yet unfailing in its efficacy; and that which most commends it to the acceptance of kind-hearted men is the absence of all cruelty in its application. No pain is caused, but the unusual sensation, together with the necessity for air on the part of the horse, banishes his former feeling of sulkiness or anger and the yields to the almost irresistible impulse to spring to his feet and free his nostrils of the water.

If any one who has never applied this remedy should doubt its power, he only needs to try the experiment in a mild way on himself, when he will realize its power upon the horse.

I believe it would be impossible to devise another method so free from pain, so harmless to the horse, and yet so thoroughly efficacious as is the one we have here given.

TO EDUCATE A COLT NOT TO BE AFRAID OF HIS HEELS.

Too much importance cannot be attached to the manner of educating a horse’s heels, as it is in that point his greatest means of defense and resistance lies, and most men make the mistake of breaking one end of the horse, while they allow his hind parts to go uneducated. The instructions I am about to give will, if properly followed, insure success.

After laying your colt down, commence to handle his hind parts and heels, being careful to hold the cord firmly in your left hand, so that, if he attempts to get up, you can control him; then strike him gently with a stick, and, if he should show fear, which he naturally will, punish him in the mouth; then place the stick between his legs and commence moving it around, and, if he makes no resistance, remember to caress him; almost as much is accomplished by caressing as by punishing.

The above instruction is equally applicable to a kicking horse, but in his education he will require more lessons before the habit will be entirely removed; still, kindness and a little patience will soon accomplish all you desire.

Men in general exercise too little patience in the training of their colts, and they frequently expect to accomplish more in a short space of time than can possibly be performed. Yet the time really required, when measured by days, is so short as to be really surprising. Let us suppose that in training a colt one were to spend two hours a day for ten days, which is the longest time that could possibly be needed; compute the time at ten hours to the day, and the whole amounts to but two days, at the end of which he would have a well-educated animal. I doubt if a farmer or horse-raiser could employ his time more profitably in any other way than in thoroughly educating his colts, as he thus enhances their value, for there is no sensible man who would not give ten dollars more for a properly educated animal than for one improperly trained.

TO EDUCATE A COLT TO DRIVE BEFORE BEING HARNESSED.

Place on him the Bonaparte bridle, as shown in engraving, with your cord in the left hand and whip in the right; the cord referred to should be about eighteen feet long; now drive him around a circle to the right about fifteen minutes; then drive him to the left about the same time. You have now educated your colt to drive, and may with safety put on your harness, observing to put the reins through the shaft tugs at his side; then commence driving him carefully for some fifteen minutes on a walk, turning him to the right and left as before directed. Do not use the whip more than sufficient to give him a knowledge of its use. Never drive a colt without blinders. It is better to first hitch him to a sulky or a cart, and do not put on breechings, but allow the cross-bar frequently to come against his heels, so that he may never be afraid, or learn to kick. Never forget, when your colt is obedient, to stop him, and walk up to and caress him.

I am unwilling to pass on to another illustration without more fully impressing on the minds of those who raise or break colts the necessity of kind and careful usage in educating their animals. Never approach your colt quickly. Never, pull the halter or bridle off quickly. Always handle the colt’s ears with great care. Never punish him on the body with anything but a whip, and with it as seldom as possible, as many colts become sulky and show signs of balking when severely whipped. It is better that you should give your colt two or three lessons each day, as heretofore directed, at intervals of say two hours apart: by this means you do not overtax his brain, nor cause him to get weary. In this, as in many other cases, the wisest course is to “make haste slowly.”

HOW TO EDUCATE A COLT TO MOVE HIS BODY WHEN HE MOVES HIS HEAD.

Place on your bridle, then your harness; carry your reins through the shaft tugs; take your position behind the horse (see engraving); now commence to drive, turning him round frequently, first to the right, then to the left, and he will quickly understand to move his body when he moves his head. By this means you are educating to the shafts, and educating not to be afraid of his heels, thus thoroughly breaking your horse at both sides and both ends.

After your colt has been driven two or three times, as above described, educate him to obey the word “whoa:” let him walk along smartly, then speak plain, with audible voice, and say “whoa;” at the same time pull on the reins with some force; when he stops, caress him; repeat this a few times, and, in the short space of fifteen minutes, you will have taught him the use of the word. Now your horse is educated to drive and stop at the word of command.

The next thing in order is to teach him to back. To accomplish this, grasp your reins firmly, and with a determined effort; speak firmly, making use of the word “back,” at the same time pulling with all your might; if he obeys the first time, step up and caress him; if not, increase the power by inviting one or more of your friends to assist on the reins, being fully determined to accomplish your purpose. As soon as he obeys, don’t fail to caress him, and by this process you will educate your horse to the word, which he will never forget.

Your colt being educated, you may now hitch him up to a vehicle, observing to drive him very slow, only on a walk, and after thus driving him a few times, you can with certainty say that you have a thoroughly educated horse, whose value will be greatly increased, compared with the old or any other system of breaking the colt. Always observing to drive your colt with blinders, only using the whip enough to let him know the use of it. Be kind to your animal, never using harsh means, and he will reward your kindness by implicit obedience.

IMPROVED METHOD OF BITTING A COLT.

Use the Bonaparte bridle, placing a loop on the lower jaw; carry the cord back on the neck, bringing the end of the cord down through the loop on the jaw; then draw the horse’s head up in an easy and graceful position, and tie a bow-knot. Should the horse attempt to rear and go over backwards, give a little pull to untie the cord, and the horse is saved from any accident. The object aimed at in bitting a horse is to give an easy position, with a high and graceful carriage of the head, and, in our efforts to do this, we must be careful not to give him a dead bearing on the bit, or make him what is usually known as a “lugger.” All the bitting rings which we have examined, and especially those of English make, are objectionable, as having a tendency to produce this result. The rig which we here give you is entirely free from this objection, and is better calculated to produce the desired result of ease and gracefulness than any ever before presented to the public. Our rig, instead of bearing on the jaw-bones whenever the horse presses his weight upon the bit, producing a calloused jaw and indifference to the bit, contracts the side muscles of the cheek on the molar teeth, with a pain the horse cannot endure; he lifts his head, the bit falls on the side rein, and the mouth is at once relieved. Practice has shown that horses bitted with this rig soon acquire the habit of gently and gracefully raising the head with that occasional toss, or upward and downward motion, and playing with the bit, which is the perfection of beauty in a carriage horse, while standing in the harness.

It is not possible for a horse with our rig to become a “lugger.” This bit never bears upon the jaw-bone with more than a light pressure, and when he attempts to rest his head upon the bit, the pressure on the teeth causes him to desist and elevate his head. He soon dreads to rest upon the bit, and of his own free will, without the force of the rein, carries it up with freedom and ease.

EDUCATING THE COLT TO RIDE

First put on the Bonaparte bridle, make a double half-hitch, bringing it over the head, back of his ears, and, carrying it down to the mouth, place it under the upper lip, taking the end of the cord in your right hand, placing it on the horse’s rump; then place your left hand in the mane; now spring partly on and off, as seen in the plate on preceding page. Do this several times; if he moves, punish him in the mouth, by means of the cord; if he does not move, when you get off caress him; then go to the opposite side, repeating the same several times, after which you may safely mount your horse, but be particular not to remain on his back too long at a time, as the strength of the animal is not yet sufficiently developed to bear a protracted strain. Like the young of all animals, the colt has a great deal of energy and spirit, but lacks the stamina to endure long-continued exertion, nor can it be imposed on them without certain injury.

Men do not act wisely by practicing the old system of riding colts, viz., by mounting on the back with reins and whip in hand, and, so soon as the colt jumps about or rears, applying the whip or heels; for the reason that the animal does not know what you require of him, but believes you design some injury, and therefore resists your efforts to ride him. No wonder that he repeatedly throws his rider and treats him as an intruder. He cannot be less terrified than a man would be if a wild animal were to mount on his back. In order to secure success in educating his colt to ride let the reader adopt the foregoing instructions, and he will not have cause for regret, but will find that he has gained more than the single point of riding, as he has taught his colt that he does not intend to harm him, and that his duty is to yield a cheerful obedience to his owner’s commands.

INSTRUCTIONS TO RIDE THE COLT.

Take a small cord, ten to twelve feet long, divide it in the center; then place the center back of the ears, cross it in the mouth, then bring both ends along the neck to the withers, and tie a knot, thus forming a powerful bridle, sufficient to ride the most vicious animal.

Sacred history contains the declaration that there is “the bridle for the horse, the whip for the ass, and the rod for the fool’s back,” and, while writing my book, I have often thought of the first portion of that quotation. The power of the bridle in controlling the horse is really wonderful, and the new forms of powerful bridles given in this work enable the most timid rider to secure the mastery of the most powerful animal. The one described above is excellent, and can never fail to give satisfaction when it is used as directed.

There is no exercise so invigorating and scarcely any so delightful as the manly one of riding the horse, yet three-quarters of the pleasure of equestrianism depends on the early training of the horse for this delightful exercise. The rider who feels that he has beneath him an animal obedient to his slightest wish, and which responds to a touch of the heel or the lightest pressure of the bit, moving to the lifting or the falling of the bridle, such a rider feels almost as though the horse on which he sits forms a portion of himself, and courses onward with a delightful sense of power and freedom. Nearly all of this excellence in a riding-horse depends on the way in which he has been educated while young. Faults then acquired may be corrected, it is true, in later years, yet it is far more desirable that they should never have been formed, but, in place thereof, the qualities secured which form the excellence of a horse.

I throw out these suggestions at this point, for I am now dealing with the early education of the colt; later in the book I shall have to speak more of faults to be corrected, and it is my wish to impress on my reader the great importance of the kind of education which the colt receives at his hands.

TO HALTER-BREAK A COLT, AND HITCH IN THE STABLE.

Place the center of a sixteen-foot cord under the horse’s tail, and bring it over and cross it on the back; then tie it firmly in front of the breast (as seen by reference to illustration on preceding page); carry the halter-strap through the manger, and bring it back under the mouth; then tie the end of the strap to the cord in front of the breast. The colt is now tied by the head and tail. While he yields quietly to the confinement, he is comfortable and easy, but the moment he begins to resist he punishes himself; this he soon learns, and in a little time ceases the efforts which he finds to be productive of pain. He will always remember the lesson, and give no further trouble.

It may seem a trifling thing to have gained the result described above; yet, as the earth is made up of grains of sand, so the thorough education of the horse is the result of attention to a multitude of small affairs, each one seeming to be of little importance in itself, but which, in their total, make the difference between a gentle and an unruly animal.

Too much care and attention cannot be bestowed on the colt while you are giving him lesson after lesson, as he is susceptible of impressions that will take weeks to overcome, provided you should through neglect or carelessness omit to practice the instructions laid down. Do not suppose that any of the directions given in this book are unimportant. They are, one and all, the result of long experience in the management and education of the horse, and each one, in its place and relation to the general system, is as necessary, though perhaps not as important, as any other. To be certain of reaching the best results of the system, the reader must not pass over any of our directions as unimportant or unnecessary, but accept each as a part of the system which it has required years of time and thought to bring to its present state of perfection.

TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK AT YOU WHEN ENTERING THE STALL.

Place on the horse the Bonaparte bridle; then drive a staple at the side of the stall, near the manger, three or four feet from the floor; then attach another staple at the entrance of the stall, the same distance from the floor; now pass the cord through both staples and tie it. When you enter the stall, pull sharply on the rope; at the same time use the words “go over.” The head of the horse will be drawn towards you, and his heels to the opposite side. Thus you avoid all danger, and will very soon educate your horse to abandon this bad habit.

Vicious and annoying habits in horses often owe their origin to bad management by their owner or groom. Allow me to instance a few examples: A man walks into the stable and approaches his horse in the stall, and, if he should move about quickly, the person springs back from him, evidently showing his fear, which is at once noticed by the horse, and taken advantage of; so that, after a repetition of this two or three times, the animal fancies he is master, and uses his heels to help the intruder out of the stall. Another custom prevails: that of striking a horse on the rump or hinder parts, with a whip or stick in order to make him stand over, and the effect is to irritate and cause him to kick. Now, in order to insure success, walk up to your animal manfully and determinately, observing never to show fear, and by this means you will never teach your horse to kick at you.

TO EDUCATE A HORSE THAT KICKS OR PAWS IN THE STALL.

First make the Bonaparte bridle, as before directed; carry the cord through a surcingle, attached around the body, back to a ring in front of the hind-leg, to which are attached two straps, one above and one below the gambol joint of the leg he has the habit of kicking with; thus, when he kicks, he is punished in the act, and soon gives up the habit. Pawing—Continue the cord forward to a ring attached to two small straps above and below the knee-joint, as seen on engraving, observing, as above directed, to attach the appliance to the leg he paws with, reversing the straps when required, which will give a horse the knowledge that when he paws he punishes himself, and the reader will see, by this treatment, the habit speedily broken up.

The habit of kicking in the stall is one that is not only disagreeable to the owner of the horse addicted to it, but is often destructive and costly, as a horse viciously inclined to that habit will sometimes even splinter the boards of the stall, and with so simple and effective a method of correcting the bad habit it should never be tolerated for a single day, and the possessor of this book would be inexcusable should he suffer it to continue in an animal owned by him.

The habit of pawing in the stall, though not so vicious in its nature as that of kicking, is yet sufficiently troublesome and unpleasant to deserve a speedy correction, and the owner of a horse addicted to even the last-named fault will be more than compensated for the slight trouble caused in its removal.

It may seem needless to repeat what has before been said, in substance, that the seemingly small faults of a horse are the ones which most frequently lessen his value and impair his usefulness, and that the removal of any one, however trifling, adds a money value to the horse more than sufficient to compensate for the time and trouble expended.

TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO GET CAST IN THE STALL.

Drive a staple in the ceiling over the manger at the side of the stall, then another in the ceiling in the center of the stall over the horse’s head; pass a small cord through the staple at the side of the stall; tie a horseshoe, or the weight of a horseshoe, so that the cord will not draw through the staple; then put the cord through the staple in the center of the stall, bring it down within two and a half feet of the floor, and cut it off, attaching a snap to the end; place a ring in the halter at the top of the head, in the center, as seen in engraving. Now, when his head raises up, the weight comes down; when his mouth is on the floor he can lie down with ease, but he cannot get the top of his head to the floor; and, if he cannot get the top of his head to the floor, he cannot roll; and, if he cannot roll, he cannot get cast. This remedy is as simple as it is certain, and is always perfectly safe.

The habit of rolling in the stable is one often attended with fatal results, in addition to the anxiety experienced by the owner of the horse. Various means are resorted to in order to prevent the animal getting cast, and most of them are wide of the mark; and, in order to acquaint the reader with the variety of ways practiced, so that he may contrast the difference between others and mine, I have thought proper to write more explicitly on the subject.

A favorite idea with many is to tie the halter so short that the animal cannot get his mouth near the floor; this renders the horse uncomfortable, as he cannot lie down when he desires. Another is, hitching the halter-stale at the ceiling directly over the head of the animal, and allowing cord enough that he may get his mouth on the floor; this, too, is attended with bad results, for when he raises his head up there is sufficient slack in the rope so as to permit his getting his foot over the rope and become so entangled as to render his position dangerous.

TO EDUCATE A COLT TO LEAD BEHIND A WAGON.

First put on the colt a common halter without a leader, then place a small cord about eighteen feet long, divided in the center, under the tail, cross it on the back, then bring the ends through between the under-jaw of the horse and the nose-piece of the halter, and tie it to the hind end of the wagon. This idea will be satisfactory, and your colt will soon be educated to lead without trouble to his owner. The expedient is a very simple one, yet will invariably prove successful, because the colt will find his own comfort to be promoted by doing as you wish; and this is one of the principles which underlie my whole system of training—to make the horse desire to do that which his owner wishes.

Under this head I am satisfied that I cannot be too particular in giving instructions, as persons often grow merry when witnessing the results produced from ideas that are so different from their old and accustomed ones, practiced for leading colts. After you have hitched your colt in the manner described, do not start off immediately, but let him remain as quiet as possible for a few minutes, then start the wagon slowly, and, if your colt attempts to rear or plunge about, stop your vehicle, get out and walk up quietly to your colt and caress him, and when you start him again, if possible, walk along by his side for a short time, then stop him again, and again caress. His attention will not be attracted by objects on the road, but very soon he will understand that his chief business is to walk on quietly away from the punishment inflicted from the cord under his tail.

TO EDUCATE A HORSE THAT IS BAD TO CATCH.

Horses acquire this habit mainly from improperly turning them out; and, to illustrate, I will give the reader an example. First, the man or boy takes his horse to the bars or fence of the field, and lets only a portion of either down; he now takes off the bridle or halter, and, in order to make the horse jump over, hits him on the rump and shouts at him; thus the animal is made to fear the approach of man when loose; so that, with this kind of training, it soon becomes difficult to catch, and requires education in order to counteract this bad habit.

Directions: Put on the Bonaparte bridle, and tie a knot at the mouth, so as to prevent it from slipping down to his teeth, when he might sever the cord; then carry it up to his mane over the shoulder; tie the mane together with a string; then pass the cord through the loop thus made with the mane, and carry the cord through a loop made in the tail by same means, and let your cord lay out behind from ten to fifty feet, as required. Now, when you want your horse, go carefully up behind him and take a firm hold of the cord, and say “Come here,” at the same time pulling with all your might. By giving him three or four lessons of this kind, you may safely take off the cord and go into the field, standing about the same distance as when you last pulled or the cord, and repeat the words “come here;” he will quickly obey your voice, and give you no more trouble in catching him.

When it is remembered how much time is often lost in catching a horse in the field, it will be seen that, in money value, this simple point of horse education will more than repay the cost of this book to the owner of a horse that has heretofore been bad to catch; and the saving of temper as well as time will make the improvement in his habits doubly valuable. Both the man and the horse are made better by it.

TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO REAR UNDER THE SADDLE OR BEFORE A CARRIAGE.

Attach a small cord tightly around the swell of the body, tied with a loop-knot, and carry it back into the carriage. By doing this you prevent your horse from rearing, inasmuch as he is unable to expand his body, and, without doing so, it is impossible for him to rear. Simple as is this method, the reader, if he should have occasion to practice it, will find the idea of great value, as it will never fail to prove effectual in removing this, to say the least, unpleasant and often dangerous habit. It is possible that the habit might be broken up in other ways, but there are none so harmless and easy of application as is the one I have described.

My readers will, I doubt not, receive with kindly feelings not only the instructions on the important points of educating their horses to break off bad habits, but will profit by the ideas and examples given of the various means adopted by horse-handlers to create these habits. In the present instance, it is rarely, if ever, known that horses acquire the habit of rearing themselves, but are prompted so to do by the means used, viz., starting and stopping suddenly; pulling sharply on the reins, and then striking the animal with the whip, either of which is a sure and certain means of producing this result—that of causing the horse to rear up whenever you desire to move off.

The inconvenience and unpleasantness of such a habit are too plain to need more than a mention, besides its often occasioning great alarm to a timid driver; and the simple yet practical means I have given for breaking up the habit, will be found successful whenever it is tried, as it always should be where the habit exists.

TO EDUCATE AND PREVENT A HORSE FROM CRIBBING.

Build a manger on the floor or from the floor up. In many cases this will prevent a horse from cribbing by getting his mouth below his chest.

Another method, sure to be effective, is to place a piece of sheep-skin of long wool, eight inches wide and about three feet long, or long enough to reach from one side of the stall to the other, and on the skin sprinkle cayenne pepper; take soft soap and rub it on any part of the stall where the horse will be likely to crib. If the above instructions are strictly adhered to, and the horse is fed regularly, three times a day, there will be little danger of his ever becoming a cribber. The slight trouble which this remedy involves will be repaid a hundred-fold by the satisfaction felt in the prevention or cure of a most disagreeable habit, and one which, like every other fault, lessens the value of a horse. In using the cayenne pepper, a small quantity will be sufficient.

There are more bad results accruing from cribbing than many are aware of. From cribbing the horse may become a crib-sucker, which often results in colic, or, as it is sometimes termed, belly-ache. When this occurs of course it becomes a dangerous habit, and no one should think it too much trouble to adopt the instructions given under this head. Do not think you can eradicate this habit by nailing tin or iron over the manger; you cannot remove it thus; your horse may desist for the time being, but when put into a stall that is not thus arranged, he will relapse into his old habit; but by adopting the remedy I have provided he will be thoroughly taught not to attempt to bite or gnaw the manger.

There is a wide difference between preventing a horse from doing what he still wishes to do, and taking from him the disposition to do wrong; the latter alone can properly be called education, and is the only way in which a bad habit can be permanently removed. On this principle I base my whole system; it is education, by appealing to the intelligence of the horse.

TO EDUCATE AND BREAK A HALTER-PULLER.

Place on the horse a common halter, without tie-strap; then take a small cord, about 16 to 18 feet long; divide it on the center, place it under the tail and cross it on the back; bring the ends each side of the neck, then place the ends through the halter under the mouth; tie round a post or tree. Then tie a strap from the mouth to the post or tree one foot shorter than the rope, after making it taut from the tail; then cut the strap half off, after which, frighten your horse by rolling a barrel in front of him; now he will fly back, breaking the strap, and he will be caught under the tail, which is a severe punishment that will, by repeating it two or three times, educate him not to pull at the halter again.

The practical nature of the idea embraced in the foregoing directions will be seen at a glance, for the following reason: the horse has from time to time been guilty of pulling on his halter and breaking it, much to the displeasure of the owner, but probably much to the gratification of the horse, who, perhaps, has come to take a sort of pleasure in the act; now he is made to repeat the same thing, unconscious of the result that will follow, when immediately on carrying out his old habit he receives a severe punishment inflicted by the very act. The horse is, no doubt, surprised, but he quickly learns to connect the act and the suffering in his mind, and so soon as he does that the habit is cured forever. This I claim as a great excellence in my system, that its results are all permanent; the cure is not for a day only, but for all time; the very disposition to do wrong is wiped out of the animal’s brain.

TO EDUCATE A HORSE NOT TO KICK WHEN THE LINE GETS UNDER HIS TAIL.

Horses become kickers from various causes, and one most effectual in producing the habit, is that when a horse gets the rein under his tail, his driver, getting provoked, pulls strongly on the rein in order to liberate it, and by this means burns the skin beneath the tail, when the horse becomes excited and commences to kick. The driver then usually begins to whip, and oftentimes the horse continues to kick, until he breaks everything within reach of his heels, and runs away. Now the owner has a confirmed kicker, and frequently knows not what to do to correct the fault he has himself established. The instructions below, if properly applied, will effect a cure.

When your horse is down, as seen in the engraving, place a strap under his tail and commence moving it up and down; should he kick, or show signs of resistance, at once punish him; if not, caress him, and in a short time his tail will become limber and he will be taught to not be afraid, though, in driving, the rein should get under his tail. Also, after you allow him to rise to his feet, use the same means as just directed when he was lying down.

In my book I have endeavored to grapple with almost every bad habit that the horse is addicted to, and would here advise all persons who handle them to be extremely careful that if their animals acquire unpleasant habits, they are not mostly to be blamed themselves. Horses differ materially in their ability to learn, and many are less susceptible of impressions than others, therefore, it behooves the educator to first make himself acquainted with the disposition of his horse, and treat him accordingly, as the same line of management will not serve for all, but an observance of one important direction, that of always using the utmost kindness, will, in most cases, prevent and remove all habits but those of long standing.

ANOTHER METHOD OF EDUCATING A HORSE NOT TO KICK.

ANOTHER METHOD OF EDUCATING A KICKING HORSE.