» | Bh PRANC “he ay ue a Bee baad iS 7 trot | te i if ; ee Six o.-7) oie my ts cae Woh. fi eyren” aoe id my ff Gino ‘ all | | pa Copyright COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT: First-Hand Bits of Stable Lore rs ae Tia oan ‘ASIOWIXY LY First-Hand Bits of Stable Lore By Francis M. Ware Illustrated from Photographs Boston Little, Brown, and Company 1903 Le ae eb! ald WR OS orety THE LISRARY OF CONGRESS, Two Gori ce Rosie: DEC. T¢ 199 Crneveiaur extay Copyright, 1902, By LirrLe, Brown, anp Company. All rights reserved Published December, 1902 a 9-404 c ale @%F ¢ ee Sie ce ea ec eo Tee @€ €) See E60 C «© @e @€e0 eee as sat PCN ec @ eco y i] © © e © c ne aete eee sere. 5 65 re « fe ee. « « ec e¢ efe!® © « PRM CeCe © Cig! Cet eees 0 “Ye @ «€ UNIVERSITY PRESS - JOHN WILSON AND SON + CAMBRIDGE, U.S. A. ee PR hres ? \HESE chapters, except that on “Man- agement of a Pack of Hounds,” appeared originally in the “Boston Transcript ;”’ the chapter named, in the magazine Coach and Saddle, Chicago, Ill., of which the author is the editor. The pictures are from photographs taken by Messrs. W. P. Robertson, 738 Eighth Avenue, New York, and Messrs. Schreiber & Son, Phila- delphia, Pa. The chapters epitomize thirty years’ active per- sonal experience with every kind of horse for every conceivable purpose, and the deductions drawn are in no sense theoretical. Such a book would have greatly helped the author when he began as a youngster, and it is his earnest hope that it may prove of use to others. FRANCIS M. WARE. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Horse Buyinc anp Horse Trying . .. . I Wi wAG CRO SSISOUNDNESS: © Jo. dc hhes werd eee hes Se ey 1 2S RU OSTABEINGH AND STABLES. a2 leg sips) sae, | Bg VEC eSTapim MANAGEMENT 2 fs eg Ve) 4 cose pe AZ, V Conpirion. ann’ ConpirionInG 2.9. .°.-.' . 60 VI. Tue ‘*Green’’? on UnaccuimaTep Horse anp Ris iG emiey e | tae: cig al teVh vecree ear ata Gas Wik Pap Elorse’s. EpucATION, 2.005 [ess «8a Reve WlowrHs: AND. NMEANNERS: ca ix 5806? oo ee OM Petar Foor anpiirs TREATMENT 22). .0 a) eo (ENS Per HEGAPFOINTMENT PAD "ss! a! cde) | Mn mS DOE GLE, SADDLE-LIORSEY. seh SVs isc snes osha SR hEO XIE.) “Tne Hounrer ano: His: Epveation +. 3). 3. 159 XIII. THe Sreeprecnasrr anD His ScHootinc . . 180 XIV. Ripinc ror Women anD CHILDREN . . . . 197 DOVin EE OUR-IN-LLAND: ORIVING | ),/.0\4e) Gy epnies os | eon SUE Vil CONTENTS CHAPTER XVI. CoacHinc anD 1Trs AcCOMPANIMENTS XVII. Manacement or a Pack or Howunps . XVIII. SHowinc Horses Vili PAGE 230 251 288 TLEOSTRALLO NS AeseEmercisese yas). V5)! hc | ge he. eee Ram eaep hacen Romiande Work.) 004) 1 3 Oem Rely gael oun Mr. Reginald Vanderbilt and his runabout pair. AMmomooth) Pebble cs... 35 ies tar) ye ME ie ke no om wvown ors Park? 95 30. )s fer Geni ames. Ve. ek iia | Fae Mr. A. A. Hausman’s Royal Swell. AD Capital Phaeton bain "lcs 2) seks SOS Uae Mrs. John Gerken driving Brandon and Belmar. Worth Schooling’ 4. 8s (ete) Site ee as ee moe tsentromy the: Country.) > 3) bed +3 >> 39 Page 160 180 198 212 230 252 288 WIRST HAND BIES OF STABLE LORE Chapter I HORSE BUYING AND HORSE TRYING OONER or later there awakens in the breast of every wholesome and normal man the desire to own a horse, and, that flame once kindled, there is nothing which will assuage it, should Fortune prove ordinarily urbane, but the delights — and the disasters — of ownership. To “witch the world with noble horsemanship” has been the ambition of many an unsung hero, even as in the days of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, and of Alexander; and the agility, the decision of character, the patience, and the courage such pursuits develop are invariably the strongest arguments in their favor. As we teach our chil- dren to read and to write, so should we thoroughly instruct them in the best methods of equestrianism, watermanship, marksmanship, etc.; and better far . I FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE is he equipped who 1s au fait in such accomplish- ments — with some thoroughly comprehended trade to fall back upon if necessary —than the young men who are annually turned forth in thousands from our colleges with nothing but a “sheepskin” to cover their nakedness, and left trembling upon the threshold of a destiny with which their average collegiate acquirements have but illy fitted them to cope. That courses in such matters are not open to the pupils of our universities is matter for comment and reflection, as is the fact that modern languages have, in com- parison with the ancient, until recently formed but an insignificant portion of the preliminary require- ments and regular curriculum. Given the ambition to own a horse, and the question of “‘means”’ affirmatively answered, the obstacle of “ways”? remains; and many a Mr. Neophyte has found, or fancied, this an insur- mountable obstacle. Generally recourse is had to Uncle John, whom family tradition has handed down as a combination of the serpent and the hawk in matters equine ; Cousin Will also knows a man who is on terms of friendship with another man who keeps several horses, and is therefore an expert; grandma, according to the fairy-tales 2 “AYO AA avoy woy HORSE, BUYING AND) ‘TRYING recited at family reunions on Thanksgiving and Christmas, was a regular daredevil in her salad days, and still has fancies for the flowing tails and arching necks that used to look so well on sofa cushion and sampler; the news spreads through- out the family that Henry is about to buy a horse, and accordingly Henry, after much reflection as to how that act will affect him with regard to his business associates and social intimates, prepares for the fatal plunge. Right here is where Mr. Neophyte accumulates a cargo of trouble that would stagger a dromedary if he does not, once and forever, cast grandmas, aunts, cousins, friends and all, into the outer dark- ness. A man’s wifeand his horseare two acquisitions which he must choose for himself; and he who tries to please every one will end by displeasing them as well as himself. He will have been told blood- curdling tales of the duplicity and chicanery of horse- dealers, and of the treacherous and evil disposition of horses; and he enters upon his quest with much the same feeling that surges in the breast of a twentieth-century society girl on her first slumming expedition, — prepared to be dreadfully shocked, and finally disappointed that the incidents and surroundings are common-place after all. 3 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE The process of buying a satisfactory horse is so very simple that it 1s most extraordinary that no one, or practically no one, follows it. If you want a set of furniture you go to a store; look over the goods, ask the prices, select your arti- cles, and pay for them; you do the same thing with all the necessaries and luxuries of life, save and except when it comes to the purchase of a horse. Youdo not insult the furniture dealer by asking idiotic questions about things of which you know nothing and he knows you know nothing; if — he says that this wood is mahogany,and that bruise came from an accident in unpacking, you accept his statement; you do not look at him with the “icy eye of suspicion,” as one who would say, “Great Scott! what a monumental liar is this!” nor, when he has named his price, do you offer him fifty per cent thereof, and insinuate that he is a scoundrel and a pirate for not jumping at it. In short you “go shopping”’ for horses as you do for no other commodity, and if you “get stuck’ you are, in nine cases out of ten, obtain- ing your just deserts. If you want to buy a horse go to any dealer — you can’t go wrong, general opinions to the con- trary — treat him like a man, and be sure he will 4 HORSE BUYING AND TRYING reciprocate, be’ he’ Jew or Gentile, “Gyp”: or genuine. Say to him, “I want a horse for such and such purposes, and place myself absolutely in your hands, save that I shall have a veteri- narian to decide whether the animal is practically sound, and reasonably likely to remain so in the work for which I intend him. I know absolutely nothing about horses” (it will cost you a struggle to acknowledge this, but never mind, it’s no secret, for the dealer knew it the moment you walked into the yard, and he will think a lot of you for being man enough to acknowledge what to him was perfectly plain), “‘ and shall be guided by you not only in the selection, but in the subsequent treatment of my purchase. I expect a frank description of all my acquisition’s shortcomings, that I may allow for them.” Now, if that dealer can fit you out, be sure he will do it to the very best of his ability, and take pride in so doing. On the other hand, if you take Uncle John along, that worthy old gentleman hops around the beast produced for his inspection, like an old crow around a bone, and makes occasional verbal pecks in this fashion: “ Six years, hey? Had his mouth fixed, likely. Ill bet he won’t see ten again. What’s that on his off hock? Nothing! D’ye 5 FIRST-HAND BITS: OF STABLE LORE call that hock smooth? Isn’t he over a little mite on that knee? Eyes look kinder blinky. Sure he ain’t moon-eyed, hey? Don’t kick, does he? Looks kinder mean. Well, hitch him up, and if he don’t balk, and ain’t much scared of ’lectrics, why, Henry, we’ll drive him up to the house and see what grandma and Mr. Brown and the folks think.” Now what is a dealer to do with people like that? What would you do yourself to a man who thus maligned a horse you knew to be absolutely all right; a man who, you ~ could tell the moment you saw him, didn’t know a horse-car from a car-horse, and was simply handing out a lot of drivel which he had acquired at second-hand, and with which he was trying to impress you. Every word was a covert insult; every look a slap in the face; and as human nature is weak and prone to err, we must not blame the dealer if he occasionally is tried too far, and hands back to the Uncle Johns (who are so prevalent) “what is coming to him, and good and plenty,” as Westerners would say. Remember that, as a class, horse-dealers are as reputable as any business men. Investigation will prove that while there are in our penal insti- tutions numerous black sheep of all trades, busi- 6 HORSE BUYING AND TRYING nesses, and - professions, there are precious few horsemen. Respect decent men, and let them see that you do. You will, perhaps, afford them an agreeable and a novel sensation. Once you have taken the dealer’s word and completed the transaction, do not expect that, because of the wisdom of your adviser, or through your own preternatural sagacity, your $250 horse is worth at least $500. One’s geese may be swans, but whatever price you paid, it was full value, and the dealer would tell you so if you asked him. He is no Santa Claus, nor is he in business for health any more than you pursue your own avo- cation for the ozone that may be in it. He got full value, or you wouldn’t have got the horse, and upon his always doing so depends his ability to eat porter-house steak whenever his appetite impels. You got fair value for your money, and that, reader mine, is about all we can ever expect, in this vale of tears, from anybody. One thing more and we will be moving. When you get ready to sell, don’t, for pity’s sake, be you novice or expert, imagine that you can use a horse from three to'ten years, and then get for him more than you paid originally. A $60 suit of clothes sells for $2 after one year’s wear, Why 7 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE must a horse that cost $250 stand five years’ hard usage and then bring $300, or the man that you bought him of be held up as a rogue forever more? When you do get ready to sell him, never under- take to give warranty, which perhaps you do with the best intentions, and then take refuge behind your ignorance, which then (and only then) you are willing to frankly acknowledge. If you could see the debit accounts on the books of every dealer in the business chargeable to the screws he has bought or “traded for” (unseen) from his customers, whose representations (generally most flowery) are rarely anywhere near accurate ! The horse to buy is the animal that fills the eye; in other words, if you like a horse and his qualities seem satisfactory, buy him, and results will almost certainly prove likewise. We have several good show ring judges who select their winners practically on these lines, and to general satisfaction. Distrust the sunken eye, and the head narrow and prominent between the eyes— | that horse may not be vicious, but he is peculiar and probably crochetty — perhaps “a good ’un wen yer knows ‘im, but yer got ter know im fust.” Lop ears are a disfigurement; jaws that seem narrow, and necks that are thick area likely 8 HORSE. BUYING AND: TRYING combination, after some sickness, to afford you a thick-winded horse. Buy a horse largely “on ? his face,” as you trust a man,—his character is there if you can read it, as you may if you will try. A thick and heavy shoulder is rather “ har- nessy,” yet excellent saddle horses and hunters are that way built —in fact, for saddle and jump- ing purposes we have for generations been con- sidering the wrong end of the horse. Well- developed withers are desirable, especially for a lady’s hack, but never forget that your ride, your ease and comfort, come from the other end, as we shall see later. As to legs and feet, never mind measurements below the knee and around the arm, for horses work on for years on legs that are all out of proportion, and the best looking limbs and feet go wrong in no time. Therefore, if you like the looks of him, go ahead, no matter what anybody says; buy him, if he’s reasonably sound, but don’t let the veterinary, as he is prone to do, attempt to predict what may happen after you have owned him six years. You’llall be in luck if any of you are alive then. Walk him and trot him (in hand) to and from you; if he doesn’t stand straight and move straight, if he “ wings” or “dishes,” as he certainly will if he is not 9 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE true on his joints, don’t have him, and give the dealer the reason, —that is one thing you can see and judge for yourself. Of course the only probable result is that he may have to wear boots somewhere, but moderate-priced horses are too plenty to make it necessary to bother with the crooked-legged sort. At “ bargain-counter ” rates the aspect changes, but the $3.98 horse (marked up from $2.37) is better left to the expert (if there are any such individuals). ‘Real old English” prints give us short back, rare loins, deep - ribs, long quarters, great stifles, and second thighs, and all that; English sporting prose and verse record their virtues and extol their necessity, and the result would be as vastly edifying as desirable were it not for the fact that, so far as actual im- portance goes, every one of these much-lauded points is not only non-essential, but practically of little value! A short back is becoming, is grace- ful, is acceptable, but many of our best horses — racing, chasing, saddling, trotting, driving, and weight-carrying — have been as long as a street in the back, as slack as a hammock in the loin, as shallow in back-rib (not front, or round chest) as a soup-plate, as short in the quarters as a Jersey yearling, and as narrow and undeveloped 10 HORSE ;/BUYING, AND: TRYING in second thighs as a hound pup; in fact not a few breeders of thoroughbreds maintain that this latter characteristic is essential to the race horse, and Hanover and imported Meddler were both entirely wanting in any development there. A tail, well set and gaily carried, is attractive and generally evidence of good courage, yet beware the tail that is carried to one side, for it is almost an infallible signal of an existing weakness of structure somewhere in the anatomy of that side, which may have developed, may be developing, or may never develop, but probably will. The drooping quarter and low-set tail are generally indications that a horse is quick on his feet, and will jump well, so that, in race horse or hunter, this formation is rather desirable. The horse whose hocks are set in will not improbably inter- fere, over-reach, or “‘ cross-fire;”’ that is, overreach on to the opposite forefoot. Your veterinary will tell you if he has done any or all of these things, or if he is shod to correct or prevent them; as also whether his teeth show marks of cribbing, his jugular vein has been interfered with by bleeding, etc. On all such matters be guided by him. Above all things get the bugbear of actual soundness out of your head, and be satisfied with vig FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the practical, for that’s all you can get, anyway. No horse is absolutely sound, so why bother? And if he could be, and you used him hard enough and long enough, he would not remain so. The fact that your bookkeeper has a “ base- ball’ finger does n’t worry you; why need the fact that your beast exhibits an odd splint, spavin, bog, etc., so long as they cause no lameness, in- convenience you more than him? An owner may have “spavin on the brain,” and it will affect him far more, nine times out of ten, than it does his family slave, who cheerfully carries it about for years. Nothing is so certain as the fact that, if a blemish or unsoundness exists, there can hardly be another in the same place and of the same sort, and the man who buys his blem- ishes with his horse is relieved of a vast amount of anxiety as to whether they may come, by the fact that they already exist. You may say that this is the philosophical view to take of it, but what more important and generally satisfactory view can one take of anything? And what is life, anyway, without the ability to so view mat- ters generally? Remember, this is not written for the “ expert” (?) owner, the rich buyer, the wholesale user of horseflesh, but for the “ little 12 HORSE, BUYING AND TRYING men,’ who are in a state of transition between steering a baby-carriage and a horse, and who, if they find actual experience satisfactory and econo- mical, may develop later into leviathan purchasers, and can then gratify unhindered personal whims and the caprice of family or friends. A horse of five or six or seven years is not as generally sought and as urgently demanded as was the case some years ago. ‘This is for practi- cal reasons. The animal of eight to twelve is in his prime; he has passed, more or less success- fully, through the trials and the accidents of youth, and, as he is now, so will he probably remain, for as many years as any horse ought. Practical soundness in a horse of this age means a lot, and it is for that reason, among others, that he is so much more desirable than a younger beast to whose condition it may not continue, for long, to apply. Invariably, however, go to one expense with such a horse, and never omit it; geta first- class horse dentist, and be sure that his teeth are, or are placed, in thorough order — the outlay will repay you a hundredfold. Having looked him over, liked him, “ vet ’’ ed him, etc., we will proceed to try him. Right here, and generally through a most natural and 13 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE over-looked cause, is where so many troubles and so much dissatisfaction arise in horse buying: A dealer drives all day, and every day, all sorts of rough, half-schooled and timid horses, in the pro- cess of “ city-breaking ” them ; going past, and up to all sorts of objects with perfect safety, and as a matter of course with horses which, until they learn their way about, would climb trees and church-steeples with the average driver. Conse- quently, he is wtterly unable to answer intelli- gently the question whether any horse is quiet and “family broken.” He is, with the dealer, a per- fect lamb, and that gentleman honestly considers him so. With you he proves a regular “ limb,” and dire is your consequent wrath, and great the possible destruction of your property. Yet the horse is again, in the dealer’s hands, as you are much mortified to find, a patent-safety convey- ance. Both parties are honest in such transactions, and both right according to their lights, but the dealer invariably gets the worst of it. Yet it was all your own fault, every bit of it. The dealer knew you were not a horseman the moment he saw you. The horse realized it the moment you laid hands on reins, and _ he took liberties accord- ingly. The dealer could not possibly know what 14 HORSE BUYING AND TRYING a duffer you would prove, and was absolutely honest in his representations. Yet trouble en- sues, and nothing will convince you that heis not a scamp, and him that you are not a hopeless imbecile. To prevent any such misunderstand- ings Insist upon driving yourself from the time you leave the stable door —and out of the door also. If the horse is too much for you in any way, say so frankly, and try another, nor let false pride prevent. The dealer is trying to suit ; give him a fair chance and prevent all afterclaps. Drive the horse to the objects you want him to see, and allow no argument against it. Explain this to the owner before you start, and don’t let him harness the horse unless the understanding to that effect is clear. His time is worth as much as yours. Don’t be satisfied with a trial at electric cars, for instance, in the city streets. No horse minds them there unless he is a regular Indian. Find things to suit you, and take no one’s “‘sayso” for any such particulars. If the dealer will not agree to this, which is absolutely a fair trial, tell him to “ keep his old horse.’ There are others ; and you are well within your rights. The qualities of a horse must absolutely suit, or you are foolish to take him, and many a cut of _ FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the whip, and “jab” in the mouth will be his luckless portion because he does some little thing, or has some little trick, which you don’t like. Be sure the animal backs freely (many of them do not), and that up hill. Let him get his tail over the reins ; he’d better kick then, if he’s that way inclined, than after you own him. Hit him sharply near the root of the tail for the same reason; pull him up sharp, and start him quickly to see if he is balky or inclined to get mad, and to be hot about it; in short, put him through any “stunts”? you consider necessary or advisable, but invariably have a distinct understanding with the dealer first. Now that your Bucephalus is tried, and we hope bought and taken home, there are two things to be especially insisted upon. First, use him, and keep using him. Don’t think because he is new to you that he is too precious to work. The reason for his demure behavior is because he has labored regularly and steadily for somebody, so keep him going. «« Mark that day lost which sees the setting sun Descend upon at least ten miles undone ”’ may be pasted over Charlie’s box-stall door (let’s hope you will give him a box). So use him 16 HORSE BUYING AND: TRYING regularly and plentifully, that’s what he is for; nor, if you and the groom and the children and grandma and the entire outfit will all persist in feed- ing him and in driving him, perhaps only to the post-officeand back, can you blame either Charlie or his former master if some day, in sheer lightness of heart, he sends the dasher flying about your ears. Secondly, never believe the ghost story that Charlie or any other horse is, was, or will be “safe for women to drive,’ for that means safe under every and all possible (and impossible) conditions; no such horse was ever foaled, and putting women aside, no horse is “absolutely sate for any man ‘to. drive... There are three very excellent reasons why no woman, unaccom- panied by a man, should drive any horse; that is, the average woman who “sometimes used to drive old Nellie and the carryall when a girl,” and who, now that Henry is able to afford a turn- out, wants to take the family out behind the new horse because the dealer said ““a woman could drive him.’”” A woman has never been taught to shut her hands (and has no strength when they are shut); she wears gloves generally much too small for her, or, if large enough, they button tight around the wrist, which is as bad, so far as cramp- 2 a7, FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE ing the muscles goes, and she does not “make allowances ;” everything the new horse does must be the identical thing that old Nellie did, and that respected and defunct family treasure is the coat which the cloth of the new horse must fit, or woe to his former possessor—the dealer. A horse is a fool, and he is a coward; his mind is one-ideaed ; and what he has done is no criterion of what he may do at the next moment. Nature constructed him thus, and he is not to be blamed for his limitations, but. they must be recognized and allowed for. The man who unreservedly places his family at the mercy of any horse under feminine guidance courts disaster, which is almost certain sooner or later to arrive; and the dealer who sells a horse with a warranty that it is safe for a woman to use, does a most reprehensible thing, and carelessly exposes to danger thousands of innocent lives. A horse fears nothing familiar, nearly everything that is strange; a woman’s skirts fluttering in the wind will stampede a herd of plains horses, who will, any of them, allow one to shoot from their backs; and some day the one dreadful object heaves in view ; foolishness prompts fear, fear flight; weak arms, slender hands, and tight gloves play their useless parts, and Mary 18 HORSE BUYING AND TRYING and the children are sprinkled over the country- side as victims to man’s folly. Perhaps all this may sound very discouraging, but be that as it may, isn’t it true, and aren’t we, lots of us, “ monkeying” with an equine “ buzz- saw” that needs proper attention and fairly capa- ble engineers to handle it? A danger that is appreciated is half prevented, and if those who realize their own shortcomings in such matters will but see to it that their boys and girls are from childhood accustomed to, and properly instructed in, the methods of managing successfully horses and other animals, they will endow their children with a most valuable mental, moral, physical, and (possibly) pecuniary asset; they will add incalcu- lably to the safety of traffic in all thoroughfares in town and country ; they will open up wide fields of pleasure to their offspring, and they will further by leaps and bounds the proper appreciation, the humane and common-sense management of horses, and, through that, of all kinds of dumb animals. The S. P. C. A. has most signally and singularly missed the point at which it has aimed because of the neglect of this very matter of teach- ing the children the proper management of animals, and making it a part of their up-bring- 19 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE ing. What matters it that an occasional brute of a man is imprisoned or fined? He knows no better, nor will his descendants learn from his punishment. Show them the why and wherefore of such matters by actual demonstration, talks, lectures, pictures, living examples, and teach them not only the proper treatment of birds, cats, dogs, horses, etc., but explain to them in a practical way how and why things are right and wrong. Text-books and pamphlets are all very well, but they are not practical, and no one knows that more quickly than the children for whom they are intended. Such matters should be part of the curriculum of every school (public or private) and college; not the dilettante end of it, but the hard, old business end that has, after all, so much in it of sentiment, of sympathy, of romance to those who really love dumb animals and appre- ciate their needs and their neglect. Prices, of course, vary as widely as do the merits of the animals sought. A good, plain, family horse will cost all the way from $100 to $250, the first figure, or perhaps a trifle less, being sufficient to secure a practically sound, ‘‘ second- hand” animal, displaying probably the scars and effects of honorable toil, but none the worse for 20 HORSE BUYING AND TRYING them so far as utility goes. The last-named figure ‘will secure as good a horse as any one needs for family purposes, — sound, rugged, free, powerful and clever. The family horse may be called the staple of the carriage-horse trade, and from him up- ward prices increase by leaps and bounds in propor- tion to the possession of the “Seven Royal S’s,” — Symmetry, Speed, Style, Size, Shape, Substance and Safety. Such figures as $500 to $2,500, for single horses, $1,000 to $5,000 for pairs, etc., are prices paid every day, and exciting no special comment. Never buy a horse in the spring, for the reason that the active market puts prices up 407%: nor sell in the fall, since opposite conditions cause the same ratio of depreciation. The winter or the summer are also appropriate times to invest, but you are apt to find then only the Jeavings of the active seasons. As every one else sells in the fall, do you buy then, even if you have to board out your purchase until wanted. It is the cheap- est plan, and there are hundreds of excellent animals on sale which, fresh from the country in the previous spring, have been used just enough to thoroughly season, city-break, and way-wise them. These are your choicest bargains. Dy) Chapter II AS TO «SOUNDNESS”? N view of the increasing difficulty in obtaining strictly high-class horses for any purpose, it would appear inevitable that the consumer must make up his mind to accept fair-class horses that are not quite sound, or to put up with sound animals of moderate individual merits. It is becoming impossible for dealers to find sound horses of the highest class. In no country are the buyers’ exactions as to soundness as severe as they are in America, and in no country are they so unreasonably and unwisely strict, — “ unreas- onably ” because perfection is insisted upon when certain departures from it do not affect usefulness, and “unwisely”’ because the presence of these defects will often result in the rejection of an animal otherwise exactly suitable to the buyer and his purposes. To the average purchaser, absolute soundness is a “bugaboo” which he, parrot-like, insists upon; fearing to invest in 22 “ATHHAq HLOOWS VY AS LO “SOUND NESS” anything to which the adjective may not properly apply. Of course the majority of buyers are unable to decide for themselves as to what defects are really injurious, or likely to become so; or even to determine whether blemishes exist at all. In this emergency the veterinarian is called in, and the matter is blindly left to his verdict, which is competent so far as concerns physical merit, but generally weak when it includes an opinion as to the fitness of the animal for the purpose intended. It will thus be seen that the veter- inary is generally (in private dealing at least) the arbiter who decides the points at issue, and that, so far as a “‘deal” is concerned, he is the power behind the throne. Not only by private buyers, but by the dealers themselves, is the veterinarian consulted more and more every day; his opinions are more carefully weighed, and his place in the horse-world more generally appreciated and properly recognized. He has it in his power, therefore, by timely word and proper demonstration, largely to modify the exactions of a public which does not at all realize that it is demanding impossibilities when it insists upon having a sound horse, — such a creature hav- ing never been seen—and to cause it to realize 23 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE that the practically sound animal, varying only in degree and amount of physical imperfections, is the best to be expected. The veterinary surgeons should agree (as they have it so easily in their power, through their different associations, to do) upon some line of action in this matter, which they will universally adopt, and upon distinct modifications of the requirements of the public, which they will rec- ommend, publishing to the world exactly what these are, and standing by them. The younger members of the fraternity would be especially helped by such action, for while they have, one and all, the technical part of the profession at their fingers’ and tongues’ end, they are neces- sarily lacking in that practical application which is so absolutely a matter of observation and ex- perience. Carried away by enthusiasm for their calling, and filled with lofty resolutions of never passing an animal not perfectly sound; rigor- ously applying in all points the precepts of their instructors, these young men unwittingly work a lot of injustice fo sellers, and prevent many buyers from investing in horses perfectly suited to their needs, and physically able for service of many years’ duration, simply because the animals are un- a4 as LO “SOUNDNESS* fortunate enough to fall short of the high physical standard arbitrarily imposed. For another thing, there are numerous veterinarians, who — whisper ! —are not horsemen ; that is, in the broad sense of being “born horsemen.” They know technique, they have an eagle eye and velvet touch and all the other qualifications for the job, but they are not horsemen. ‘They have been taught the busi- ness all right enough, but they lack the intuitive appreciation of the “ born horseman.”’ to apply it fairly for the best interests of all. Many angry mutterings are heard at our horse- shows every year through this lack of any recog- nized system. The show-ring legend, “ Horses must be practically sound,’ means what? And the occasional stipulation, “ Horses must be sound” (no “if” or “ perhaps ”’ about it), is to be construed how? And how many of the horses, exhibited in any class, would receive a clean bill of health? A splint is a splint, a filled tendon is nothing else, a coarse hock is not smooth, a “ bit of a cold” is not good wind. Where shall the line be drawn, and who shall draw it? The foreign buyers, especially the English- men, have “wiped our eye”’ significantly over this soundness matter. Bumpy or smooth, if the =» FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE horses ‘‘ look the part” and fill the eye, they will not be denied, and insist upon but two points —a horse’s wind and eyes must be good. The heavy English climate and the fondness for horse- ° beans and other concentrated food over there, work havoc with lungs, throat, and eyes, and for- eign talent is therefore naturally suspicious of ‘“/roarers,. ’ ‘* whistlers,’: “gerunters,’” “i wheezerses and ‘‘ blinky ’uns,” as a dealer put it. For other bodily infirmities, however, they have a large toleration, and will put up with all sorts of “ornaments ” if considered in the price. In no particular have they so taught us a lesson as in the matter of purchasing cavalry and artillery horses. Our idiotic governmental requirements compel inspectors to condemn quantities of capital animals, merely on the ground of slight physical defects that amount to nothing, resulting in the accumu- lation of a lot of brutes for our army use that have no merit whatever but that of freedom from blemish, and are in many cases utterly unfit for the purposes intended. The foreigner, on the contrary, fills his hand from our discards, with the result that he accumulates from the leavings of our inspectors a cracking lot of horses, a credit to any army, but many of them blemished in 26 AS TO: “SOUNDNESS-’ unimportant ways, practical soundness being good enough. When does a “ coarse” hock become a “ spav- ined” hock? What constitutes a “ well-placed” splint? Shall a horse always be “turned down” for side-bones when his work is to be on soft ground, if he is not lame at the time and is eight or ten years old; bearing in mind that many a horse is, although thus afflicted, working on city ”? “rocks” and going sound? Shall a “ properly placed’ (!) ringbone always disqualify? Shall curbs condemn, without regard to age, the shape of the leg and the manner of shoeing? Shall “wire cuts’’ be considered as to possible future effect, etc.? These and dozens of other matters might well be settled officially by our veterinary societies, and a full and free discussion of them courted both from the professional and the amateur, the buyer’s and the seller’s stand- point. Considering the most common forms of un- soundness, fromthe practical standpoint of the consumer, not from the technical position of the veterinarian, the matter of splints occupies the first place. The following points must be considered in deciding as to the practical useful- 2} FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE I.ORE ness of an animal so afflicted, — his age, the size and location of the deposit, the work required, his action and the peculiarities of his gait. Situ- ated close under the knee, or in the form called “pegged,” splints almost invariably cause trouble, interfering with articulation (possibly) in the one case, and with the tendons in the other. The very low placed splint is suspicious for the same reason. Any splints on horses under five years old are likely, owing to immaturity of the subject, to cause trouble. A very large splint, wherever situated, is also open to condemnation ; of course for draught purposes, concussion being less, all risks are smaller. High action not only produces but often largely increases any deposit. Many animals that “wind,” “ paddle,” or “dish,” will brush a splint so lightly as not to cause a blemish, but will produce an irritation and soreness which results in lameness. Imperfect action is always to be regarded with distrust. The presence of spavin — qualified frequently under the complimentary title of “coarse hock”’ —jis becoming astonishingly common, and the number of horses so afflicted which are in daily hard work, and free from conspicuous or troublesome lameness, is remarkable. The true “ coarse hock ” 28 AS: TO: “SOUNDNESS*’ is as durable as the smooth joint, if not more so, and its very roughness and prominence about the articulation seems to proclaim its rugged quality. This roughness of the hock-joint, however, will generally be found to be accompanied by the same general characteristics in a// the articulations of the individual, and a truly “coarse hock” is seldom or never present in an animal of otherwise fine-grained quality; nor is an animal likely to have one coarse hock, and one smooth one; in either of these cases any deviation from smooth- ness must logically be classed as true spavin. Suspicion in any case may be made certainty by driving the suspect until thoroughly warmed up, leaving him in his stall for an hour or two, and then re-examining him (watching especially how he backs out of the stall) , and turning him sharply both ways before trotting him, slowly, to halter, and with his head loose. You may also hold his foot well up against the stomach for a few moments to cramp the hock-joint, and then trot him again. If afflicted he will surely go lame, although a sound horse will generally do the same for a few steps, if you cramp the joint long enough. Curb never matters provided the horse be eight years old or more, has a naturally good and 29 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE true-shaped hind leg, and shows no lameness after cooling out. The sickle-hocked, round- boned sort should be left alone, even if smooth; for any strain or wrench may “spring” the blemish. Many horses havea natural prominence at the curb-place caused by the extension of the cuboid bones; but if there is no enlargement of the sheath of the tendon there, the horse is sound. Any fresh curb causes inflammation, pain and ensuing lameness, temporary in nature only. As a precautionary measure, all horses with curb, or curby hocks, should be shod with shoes raised at the heels. Sound wind is usual in the East, almost uni- versal in the altitudes of the far West. Practi- cally we are troubled only with “roarers’”’ and “whistlers.” The “ grunter”’ (which may develop something more) 1s carefully rejected by English- men, because of their heavier home climate, but we are never troubled by him, as the infirmity is only rarely noticeable. Nearly all such horses may be greatly helped by keeping the neck and jowl well sweated out; and occasionally artificial means will almost entirely prevent the noise. Osselets —small bony deposits on the front ankles — are very common in the race-horse, and 30 AS FO. <“SOUNDNESS” not unusual in other varieties which are, when immature, put to severe work. They cause per- manent blemishes of various sizes, but are rarely, after growth is attained and inflammation allayed, the cause of permanent lameness. Ring-bones and side-bones are serious blemishes at times, but do not necessarily interfere with work. Side-bone—a thickening and hardening of the cartilages contiguous to the coronet — causes severe lameness, generally permanent, espe- cially where fast work is done, and can be relieved only by the generally misunderstood and improp- erly condemned process of “nerving.”’ But the ring-boned animal may work on for years. An animal burdened with any or all of the above- mentioned ailments may outwork and outlast the stable-mate with a clear bill of health, and, through necessity, the buying public will soon acquire a toleration in the matter of absolute soundness which at present it does not evince. As Pooh Bah says in the “ Mikado,” “ Bless you, it all depends,” and in the next few years we shall see many a blemished and technically unsound horse filling his place in the owner’s affections, and his position as a useful slave as honorably as capably. When, then, is a horse “usefully sound”? He oa FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE is so when his infirmities do not interfere with the work at which you intend to use him. ‘Thus an animal which is quite lame is “usefully sound” for slow work ; a hunter may be crippled in any ways that do not affect his galloping and jumping. But his eyes and wind must de sound. A carriage- horse must trot sound, and be sound of wind and eyes (although if one eye has by an accident been destroyed, it rarely affects usefulness). A saddle- horse must be useable as such. Sprung knees in all these cases are in the nature of blemishes only, and, opinion to the contrary, the strongest knee is the natural “ buck-knee.” Such animals are generally particularly sure-footed and safe on their feet. A horse with navicular disease, quarter-crack, corns, quittor, etc., is usefully sound for certain work. The opinion of the veterinary is the safest guide in all such matters, and is what you pay him to express. 32 Chapter iwi! STABLING AND STABLES T is unfortunate for the horses and servants who have to occupy them that so few stables are built by practical men; or perhaps it is because architects and builders com- prise few horsemen in their ranks. Externally these structures are usually highly ornamental, and frequently extremely attractive; internally, while appearing to the owner and his friends all that ingenuity can devise and convenience de- mand, they fall short in many of the real es- sentials, and prove inconvenient, unhealthy, and far from satisfactory. Architecturally they are triumphs ; practically they are failures, presenting wrong exposures, and providing scientific drainage and ventilation which ought to be satisfactory, as being of the most expert and newly approved patterns, but which do not prove so. Horses ought to do well in them, but are always ailing. Varnish should keep bright; panels whole; linings ; 33 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE dry; and harness in good order, but somehow they don’t. In the same way, by all the accepted laws re- lating to building materials, cement or stone floors should be the best, and brick buildings the warmest or coolest according to the season; but none of these results necessarily obtain, and the scientific erection is a dismal failure from every useful point. Probably the most expensive and extensive stable ever built in America, containing the most costly collection of horses in the world, has proved so absolutely worthless and unwholesome that nearly every one of its valuable inmates was taken sick with lung fever, many of them dying, and those which recovered being rendered valueless for racing purposes. Another enor- mously costly set of farm-buildings, erected for one of our millionaires had, when completed, no place to store away hay, so that another building had to be put up for the purpose. Many other similar cases could be mentioned. What, then, are the essentials of a stable, and how may they best be secured? Convenience for all work comes first, then ventilation, next drainage, and then proper exposure and situation. Convenience (for man and horse) 1s vitally neces- on "MUVg YO NMOT, AO i iets Weeidhi: STABLING AND STABLES sary to secure comfort and the saving of time. Good ventilation will do away with many of the evils of bad drainage, and if both of these are per- fect, the defects of exposure may be counter- acted by verandas or awnings, and thickly lined walls. Situation is unimportant if all the other details are first class, and high land or low, wet or dry, the building may be perfectly wholesome. Horses should always be stalled on the north or west sides of a stable in order to escape the effects of the sun which causes, by its heat, violent and extreme variations in temperature during each twenty-four hours, throughout all seasons of the year. The animal will bear perfectly almost any extremes of heat or cold providing it is equable ; but neither his constitution, his clothing, nor his attendance and environment can adapt themselves to the rapid changes which our climate assures from a southern or eastern exposure. No stable should ever accommodate in one apartment more than twelve to twenty horses, for the reason that if many of them in cold weather, go out at the same time, the removal of so much animal heat causes an immediate drop in temper- ature, which the opening of various doors aug- ments; just as, in the heated term, the return of Sie) FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE these horses may raise the thermometer to a dis- tressing point, and if the stable is then closed, as at night, may seriously affect the inmates. More illness is caused in such ways than people at all realize or provide for. It is very easy to sub- divide all large stables in some way so that all the animals are not kept in one lot. Every large building must be draughty, and nothing will pre- vent this but apartments of reasonable size, and careful attention to doors and windows. All stables must be arranged so that the opera- tions of cleaning, harnessing, etc., can be consec- utive, since this means an enormous saving of time and labor. Backed from his stall, the horse should proceed by direct progress from brushing over to harness; from harness to vehicle; and thence out of the door, reversing this proceeding on his return, and arriving in his living-room clean, and ready for food and rest, his equipments left at their appropriate place along the way from the entrance. There must be no running here for tools, there for harness, yonder for vehicle, but all should be consecutive, convenient, and arranged in every detail with that idea. Every- thing must be large enough, yet not too big; snug, compact, and “ get-at-able.” 36 STABLING AND STABLES Coach-houses should be arranged to comfort- ably accommodate the number and sort of vehicles intended to be kept there, allowing room to move about them easily. Nota few such buildings are just too large or too small,— too big for three, too small for four; and in the same way many washstands are built too short and narrow. Stone or brick stables need plastering or sheath- ing to guard against damp, and both walls and ceilings must be covered for this reason; in our climate nothing equals a wooden stable, and it is always drier, cooler, and warmer than the others, if double-boarded, sheathed, and clapboarded. Brick or cement floors may answer in the coach- house, where there is generally a fire in winter, but they are always dangerous as likely to be slippery. Horses often plunge at starting, and they fall on such floors. The coach-house exposure should always be southern or western, as insuring ample heat from the sun, and insuring rapid drying of vehicles and linings. All modern forms of drainage and ventilation are good, if they are attended to properly by the stablemen. This is however rarely the case, and it has proved in practice that the more scientific 37 FIRST-HAND BITS OR STABEE LORE were such arrangements, the more they were neg- lected by the men in charge. No traps, drains, or windows, etc., will keep clean, or work them- selves for any length of time, and as this is so absolutely true, it has always seemed the height of folly to expend money upon elaborate sys- tems which would forthwith, through neglect, be reduced to absolute or comparative ineffi- ciency. If the master sees for himself that all such details are properly administered, well and good — but he never does. If he did, the same argument would hold good, for then the most crude arrangements would answer perfectly. So far as absolute satisfaction and inexpensiveness goes, the writer has found best results from lead- ing all stall drains into a receptacle built in the floor, and containing a galvanized iron bucket or tub large enough to hold the probable fluids of twenty-four hours; that is, according to the num- ber of horses. No neglect was possible for this arrangement since it simply ran over, if not regu- larly and daily emptied, either into a sewer, cess- pool, or elsewhere ; and its operation was attended with excellent results, while the cost, as com- pared to the usual systems, was a bagatelle. Ifthis is not done, then the washstand and harness-room 38 SLTABLING; AND: STABLES drains should be arranged to flush the stall-gut- ters, for carriages, etc., must be washed, and the water used will daily effect what careless grooms neglect. All details about stables should be ar- ranged not as if the dest sort of help was to be in charge, but so that the worst cannot do harm. Stall floors are best made of cement, laid with the proper slope, covered with plank or slats so ar- ranged as to afford a level footing, bevelled to re- quirements upon the under side. The two middle planks — or the four middle slats, if these are used — should be movable, either by hinges, or may be left loose. They can thus be daily swung up, and the cement beneath disinfected very easily and quickly. All moisture falls on about the middle of the stall, and thence it easily percolates to the gutter at the heel-posts; nor is there any chance for the accumulation of filth as in the ordinary stall. Of course whether planks or slats are used, the ordinary separations between them will be observed. This arrangement is advised, provided earth floors cannot be arranged, than which nothing is better, cheaper, or more easily renewed. Six inches of large stone, six of gravel or ashes, and four to six of earth, make an ideal floor, self-draining, 39 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE comfortable, healthy, and natural to the horse and his feet and eyes. All hay should be fed from the floor, and no hay-racks ever provided. The feed-boxes should be movable, whether wood or iron, that they may be scoured and sunned to keep them sweet. A place should be provided in every stall to set a water-bucket. Stall partitions should never be solid, at all events near the floor. This construction is ab- solutely inappropriate to our climate, and it is marvellous that neither owners, stablemen, nor builders have considered this most essential de- tail. If any of them would spend a hot summer’s night in one of the stalls to which they condemn their horses, they would know the reason. An inch or two between planks allows air to circulate at the bottom of the apartment, and to carry the foul odors up and away. The partitions should always be of open work, at least above five feet, in order that horses may see each other, be sociable, eat better, and do better. Imagine the solitary confinement of the average equine, staring at a blank wall, another behind him, and one on each side ! If possible the apartment for horses should 40 SPABLING AND SPABLES reach clear to the roof of the building, and no loft should be imposed; or if it 1s, the men’s rooms should never be over, or so situated that they must walk over, the horses, which are entitled to undisturbed rest. If anything must be crowded and skimped for room and air, let it be the carriages and the human, and not the equine occupants. Air, air, air; none of our stables get half enough. That builder would do well who would leave an aperture of a few inches all around the top of the horse apartments, which could not be caulked by any ingenuity of stablemen, who superheat and ill- ventilate all stables in order that they may them- selves be kept warm and enjoy the vitiated air to which they are accustomed. Even direct draught is better than too little air. Any arrangement for ventilation is good, provided there is just twice as much of it as the owner and architect have agreed to be necessary. A lofty stable ventilates itself somehow; a low one is never really well aired, for we must remember that for ten or twelve hours of the twenty-four it is shut tight. No matter ow you get air — only get lots of it. Light should never come from directly in front or directly behind, but if it must, the glass should be white- (or rather gray-) washed. More defec- 41 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE tive vision is caused by badly and improperly lighted stables than from any other cause. Lots of light means plenty of windows, and numerous windows insure plenty of air, if only by way of ill-fitting casements. Windows hinged at the bottom prevent direct draught. Hay and grain should be stored on the ground floor if possible, and if upstairs, over carriages and not over horses, being thrown down a chute or trap-door at one end, or in the middle of the gangway, and thence fed out. If this trap has no door provided, it greatly assists the matter of ventilation. Watering should always be done by buckets. Troughs get filthy, and a sick horse will infect a whole stable in this way. These drinking buckets should never, under any pretext, be used for other purposes. Harness rooms need good light, and space enough to carry things in and out without knock- ing other articles off their hooks. Hot water in quantity should always be obtainable, and the room should be large enough to allow lounging space for the men. The owner will find it to his interest to make this room attractive to the men, unless they have other sitting rooms as in large 42 STABLING AND STABLES stables. Half the problem of satisfactorily hand- ling servants is solved if you make their quarters attractive enough to encourage them to stay at home and about the premises. There is no reason whatever why the internal arrangement of any stable should be permanent, and all partitions may just as economically be movable. If space allows, the restricting of the building to one story will prove economical in that it will allow very light framing. The “bail” as a separation between horses presents all the desirable features of cheapness, simplicity, airiness, and movability, and has been used regularly by the writer with the utmost satis- faction. He has kept many hundreds, — yes, thousands, — of horses, utter strangers to each other generally, and sometimes shod with sharp shoes, in these arrangements, and has yet to record the first accident. These “bails” expe- dite stable work vastly by simplifying the labor ”» of bedding down, “ mucking out,” and “setting fair;”’ they may be instantly removed or swung up out of the way, and no horse can get cast in them. A “bail” consists simply of two planks, or boards (one will answer fairly well), tongued and grooved together, and stiffened by two braces 43 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE on each end. They may be painted, stained, brass-mounted, or straw-decorated, and are sus- pended at the head by a hook fastening into a ring in the wall, and at the heel by a rope, brass chain, or pipe-clayed cord, hanging either directly from a ring in the ceiling, or running through a pulley there which allows hoisting out of the way, —a needless provision, since, by merely unhook- ing it “fore and aft,” it may be put away anywhere. Its lower side is about eighteen inches from the floor, and its top about four feet, six inches, from the same point, and the partitions are hung about four feet apart, — although horses do well in even three feet, six inches space, so elastic is this accommodation from its freedom to swing aside. A kicker will abandon his attempts at mischief when he finds that his efforts produce no other effect than to swing the obstacle gently to and fro. The animals were tethered by ropes about eighteen inches long, spliced into a ring running upon a “traveller”? which runs up and down the wall from about twenty inches above the ground surface, to about four feet, six inches ; the free end being provided with a hook which snaps into the head-stall ring, the regular halter-shank (also pro- 44, STABLING AND STABLES vided with a strap) being detached and hung over the bail-heel ready for use. Thus the horse can eat and lie down in comfort, but can neither get cast nor assail his neighbor. The divisions should not be too wide, or the occupants may stand cross- wise of them. All boxes are framed on the ground surface, and about eight feet above it by scantlings which pin together; the uprights at the corners being mortised at top and bottom, and readily slipping into place; the partitions (slatted from the ground up) fitting into braces in these uprights and being secured by hooks; the doors hanging on pintles fastened in the proper uprights, and the front of the box consisting wholly of two doors which both swing open and allow easy access to it. Everything is light. Two men will set one up in twenty minutes, while so great is the elasticity that no horse can kick or break it down. The writer has eighty-six of these boxes, made in 1894, and they are to-day (1902) all perfect, although they have been put up and taken down dozens of times, and shipped all about by freight as well—not one penny having as yet been spent in repairs—and they cost complete, $5.00 each! ‘Further particulars, specifications, etc., are at the service of any one interested. 45 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE These random notes have nothing of the scien- tific and probably less of the interesting to them. The writer has constructed and arranged many stables, some to hold four hundred horses, and has always followed the plans outlined here, and always with success. The last things any builder need bother himself about in constructing stables, are drainage, light, and air, provided he will cast science to the winds and simply provide amply for the last two details (and then double his allow- ance), and arrange the first, so far as the stable goes, as recommended here. Genuine disinfec- tants are too cheap and plentiful nowadays to make it necessary or worth while to scientifically arrange drainage which is sure to be neglected. 46 Chapter lV STABLE MANAGEMENT HE question of economical stable man- agement is a matter that sooner or later comes closely home to both the heart and the pocket of the amateur who invests in horseflesh, and who is, as a rule, heavily handicapped by the fact that he is igno- rant of proper methods, and of the point where wise liberality should cease and true economy begin. Primarily, difficulty arises from the fact that the first economy the novice practises is almost invariably a most unwise one. This is an unwillingness to pay first-class men first-class wages ; the trying to make a born “ hewer of wood and drawer of water” successfully fill the place of a capable servant ; the putting of a man in charge of a stud or stable whose only previous “four-in-hand”’ experience has been gained by looking after three cows and a horse; the in- trusting of the family to the steerage of a deck- 47 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE hand whose experience not improbably, has been acquired upon the quarter-deck of a dump-cart ; the employment of a groom to “do” horses whose most energetic efforts are directed toward “doing”’ his employer. A man will cheerfully expend large sums in the purchase of expensive horses, carriages, and harness, lease a costly stable, and go liberally into other details, but, when the matter of employing servants comes up, he begins to retrench, and not improbably winds up by engaging some incompetent, who has no real knowledge of, or fitness for, his business. Forth- with, horses go lame and grow thin, paint and varnish tarnish, harness grows shabby, and gene- ral family complaint and dissatisfaction brings the whole outfit ultimately,in a more or less dilapida- ted condition, to the auction block, and to the loss side of the ledger. Better far a first-class man and poor horses, etc., than the best that money can buy and an incompetent in charge. The good man, who is liberally paid, has his em- ployer’s interest vitally at heart, and the matter of perquisites will receive much less attention from him than from the employee, who, knowing his own worth, is forced by circumstances to accept a wage which is not really a fair return for the 48 “WIV NOLIVH| TVWLIdV7) Wi STABLE MANAGEMENT ability he possesses. A coachman or stud-groom should receive some reward for the economies he practises; should be, in a way, sharer in the results of any retrenchment which, while main- taining the efficiency of the service, he is able to effect. An employer may well say to such a man, “ I am prepared to spend so much per month per horse for feed, so much for repairs, so much for fresh horses, etc. Upon any diminution of these expenses which you are able to effect still affording me the first-class service I require, I am ready to pay you a certain percentage” (twenty-five per cent or fifty per cent, according to circumstances). ‘“ If, however, your manage- ment causes this outlay, which I find from in- quiry is reasonable, to be exceeded, you must go.” If, in addition to this, the head man is always allowed to engage his own subordinates, which promotes harmony and general efficiency, it will be found that he is quite certain to work with an eye single to his employer’s interests. Upon the invariably usable condition of one’s horses depends the satisfaction in keeping them, and many of our current stable methods are cal- culated to rejoice the heart of horse dealer and : 49 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE veterinarian alike. We have adopted wholesale, the systems prevalent in England with but little Inquiry into their necessity or appropriateness to this country and climate, and have accepted the dictum of ignorant and non-practical men without comment or personal experiment, making our animals fit the treatment instead of suiting the methods to them. It is really astounding that intelligent and wide-awake men will gravely consult an employee in such matters and be ex- actly guided by his opinion, when in their own business affairs they neither request nor accept the advice of their subordinates — men frequently really able to competently advise. If John saysa horse needs physic, forthwith he gets it ; if James — who does n’t knowa splint from a spavin— con- demns a horse as unsound, so it must be; if Charles decides that the horses had better not go out, they generally stay in. One does not consult the cook about the china, or the maid about the linen — where does the other servant come in that he must necessarily be an authority ? In the first place we keep our horses too warm, stables too close, and use clothing too heavy. The race-horse people have the right idea about this matter, and one never sees more healthy, bloom- Lie) STABLE MANAGEMENT ing coats on any horses. heir charges are kept stripped in all weathers, and, provided a horse is thoroughly cooled out, externally and internally, everything is left open on him, and the $30,000 stake horse thrives under an exposure that would put most of our coddled harness-horses in the bone-yard inside of twenty-four hours. A horse well fed and healthy will stand a vast amount of exposure, and will be all the better for it. Blankets as generally used are a delusion anda snare. “A full grain-bin is the best body-brush,” and ex- perimentwill prove that medicine-chestand doctor’s bills are quite unnecessary if the horse is habitu- ated to an exposure as stimulating as it is sanitary, —one which may keep a stableman moving to keep warm, but the more useful perhaps on that account. Open up the stables, pack away the blankets, and realize that a horse is healthy in proportion as he approaches his natural state, and that a hard working horse, as our cabbers and other general-purpose animals prove, will thrive under an amount of exposure that, according to popular belief, ought to kill him off-hand. Our accepted idea of condition in carriage horses is wrong, anyway, and our eye has been accustomed, by the over-fattened condition of SI FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE show and sale horses, to accept a wholly false idea of fitness for actual use. What we call suitable ? “condition”’ is generally secured by the presence of soft and useless flesh, clogging to the vital as hampering to the external parts, and ready to produce and augment a feverish condition at any slight over-exertion, or sudden change of temper- ature. Private stablemen do not know how to ‘cool out”’ a horse properly, or if they do, don’t take the trouble. External coolness is not enough for safety. Heart and circulation must be regu- lar and tranquil, and the temperature throughout normal, before the animal can be safely put away. This insured, one can disregard open windows, draughts, and anything else. Odd as it may sound, many stablemen overdo the grooming act, and beat and hammer a nervous horse with wisp and cloth until he is sore all over, and ready to go mad if you rasp a brush with a currycomb. This slam-bang business ts all wrong, and will not do for the modern, thin-skinned, ner- vous creature, which is replacing the old dung-hill that would enjoy combing over with a garden rake. Make your horse’s toilet as you make your own: plenty of water and plenty of fric- tion; but as you carefully dry yourself, so dry §2 STABLE MANAGEMENT him, not by brute strength, but with soft towels or rub-cloths which absorb as they shampoo. When a horse comes in wet, tired, and dirty, don’t allow him to be dressed and hissed at for hours. Would you like to come in from a long walk and be fussed around for an hour after? Scrape him, straighten his hair, roll thick band- ages on legs, either after washing or over the dirt; cover him up warm to let him steam out, and leave him. When dry, simply remove band- ages, take off blankets, and let alone until next morning. Never be afraid to wash a horse, legs, body and all; what is there about soap and water that is poison to him, and good for you? But dry him thoroughly from ear to toe as you would yourself, and never fear scratches, colds, nor other ill-results. Oats, hay and bran; hay, bran and oats; the poor equine in the average stable hardly knows the taste of any other food; while condiments of all sorts are regarded with holy horror by the master, and used secretly, if at all, by the man. Vary the food daily if possible, each meal if you can. There are lots of excellent materials which are disregarded, and which afford a most whole- some change. Slightly damaged grain can be a3 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE cheaply procured, cooked or steamed, and com- bined in varying quantities and flavors. Stale bread and cake can often be bought of the bakeries at very low prices per barrel. Numberless food- stuffs are perfectly appropriate for equine use; sugar, molasses, salt, etc., dissolved and sprinkled on hay, etc., will insure the greedy consumption of even the poorer qualities. Don’t think horses must always have choicest Timothy hay, best oats,, etc., for other grades properly treated are just as appetizing, wholesome, and nourishing. You’ve eaten hash yourself; if you take such chances and do well, why not your animals? The watering question is another “ bugaboo.” Why cannot a horse even after active exertion, provided heart action and circulation have reached the normal point, have all the water he wants, if its temperature is nearly that of the body? Of course he can. Don’t you drink ice-water your- self when hot? and if the fool-killer does n’t get you there and then, what harm is coming to him if he swallows a few quarts of tepid fluid? If water is always left where horses can get at it, they will never over-indulge, and, somehow, this should always be arranged. You are not always thirsty at six, twelve, and six o’clock yourself, yet 54 STABLE MANAGEMENT very much in need of refreshment at odd times, and your horse has the same desires. In fact, if there is one hour in the day when an animal really needs water—and never gets it—it is about ten o ’clock at night, when he has consumed and digested an immense amount of dry prov- ender, and when nature demands that he flush his system copiously. It is astonishing what a difference attention to this most important detail will make in the condition of horses. Individual preference must be carefully considered also. Many are night feeders and will only eat heartily , at that time. Many shy “doers” require their food in small quantities and at frequent periods ; some do better if they see plainly in every direc- tion and enjoy the association of their stable- mates; other misanthropes prefer seclusion. Ifa horse is a bad feeder he will generally drink pretty well, and his nourishment may be given him in liquid form. No animal will take on flesh or hold it well unless he is a good and deep drinker, and this most important characteristic of the easily fattened steer is equally essential in the horse. In shoeing we have vastly improved these latter days, and all honor to the craft which so 53 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE speedily recognized and accepted modern methods. Just at present the fad runs to a long toe in front because certain show horses which had a tendency to “mix’”’ needed such balancing to square them away, and to attain the high action sought. For use, however, such methods are to be condemned, and no one can imagine how much this system has to do with the premature disablement of numbers of our fast trotters and high-stepping horses. Weight in heel or toe according to need will improve a horse’s high stepping, but, for every-day work, an ordinary light shoe is all that should be used, and it must be remembered that the heavy shoes are never kept upon show horses for more than a few days, or they lose all their effect. The rubber pads, now in such general use, are an excellent thing and almost a necessity, but they will often make a horse go sore and short, especially those with naturally weak quarters and heels, while some few, already inclined to go “sroggy,” they will benefit by relieving the con- cussion. For country work, tips properly applied (mind, properly applied) all round are as good a protection as can be used, but one must not expect to find them immediately successful upon an animal whose feet have for years been accus- 56 STABLE MANAGEMENT tomed to protection, any more than one can com- fortably go barefoot until Nature has adapted herself to the change. There is far too much stuffing of feet and smearing them with oil and blacking externally. A wet sponge confined in the foot by a bit of steel or a stick is better than any packing, which a wet swab tied around the coronets will assist; while for dressing, a wipe with a damp sponge will insure a better appear- ance than an application of blacking, which will be covered with dirt before your equipage gets around to the front door. A horse’s foot is provided with pores as is your own, and if these are clogged with grease, etc., local health cannot obtain for long. Pages can be written upon the most unimpor- tant of these details, and it is only possible to touch upon a very few of them within the boundaries allowed. So important are they: to the enjoyable and profitable use of horse- flesh that the amateur will be well repaid if he will begin to experiment for himself, and to real- ize how exactly the hygiene, accepted as sen- sible for the biped, applies to the needs of the quadruped. Taking one day with another, and averaging 57 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the periods of expensive and of cheap feed, the cost of feeding and bedding a horse will reach about twenty-five cents per day, if the best of everything is bought; if lower grades, and the various materials recommended are purchased, the cost may well run down to fifteen cents, though this would hardly be possible, without buying at wholesale. Large quantities of grain, etc., should not be stored for too long a time in closed bins, or it will heat, and be damaged. Foods are best (if mixed) prepared not over six or eight hours before feeding lest they sour. About twenty-five minutes will suffice if the man is active, and has everything handily ar- ranged, to thoroughly clean any horse, and there is no occasion for him to kill time over the job unnecessarily. The time requisite to cooling out, and putting away after work, varies with the ani- mal’s condition on arrival. The ordinary carriage, given the usual accessories of hose, ample water supply, etc., should be washed in the same time, a buggy or runabout in about fifteen minutes. The ordinary single harness will need twenty minutes of attention, aside from its steels, and metal work, which will require time in comparison 58 STABLE MANAGEMENT with their condition and amount. All necessaries in the way of sponges, chamois, ‘‘ compo,” soap, polish, etc., should be bought in quantity, and issued as needed, as such economies all count. 59 Chapter, V CONDITION AND CONDITIONING ATISFACTORY working condition, that bodily fulness of outline which not im- properly may also be associated with hard- ness of flesh and fineness of muscle is, givenordinary attention to the usually unconsidered trifles, and genuine interest in the welfare of one’s dumb beasts, neither difficult to attain, nor to maintain. All horses in work should, as denoted by coat and countenance, be constantly in the bloom of health, and as evidenced by action and appetite in the flush of vigor; nor is there any excuse, in private stables at least, for their exhib- iting other appearance. Be your man ever so highly recommended, or ever so affectionately regarded by yourself and family, any appearance of dulness of courage or roughness of coats among his charges is proof positive that he does not know his business, and, if he is allowed full swing in stable management, no excuses should 60 “ONTTOOHOG HLYO AV CONDITION AND CONDITIONING be accepted; if he is not, and you look after things yourself, better far, for your own credit, to resign in his favor, or to find some one able to supplant you both, for the ability of the horse is largely dependable upon his treatment, and he, at least, will of a certainty “do as he is done by.” Given a hearty feeder and one who is regularly worked and exercised, his care resolves itself chiefly into the matter of feeding and grooming; but there is a vast army of the other kinds, excellent in all respects, but wanting in little details, that nursing and coddling over, which, to the detriment of their appearance and of their reputation, they seldom get. The average horse is not fed or watered often enough, early enough, or late enough. With his small stomach and voluminous intestinal arrange- ment little and often is the necessary and whole- some rule, and the long hours of the winter’s night are made doubly irksome by the fact that after a certain period the poor animal is both hungry and thirsty; nor will the provision of a large feed of hay and grain obviate the trouble, because his own breath and the usual stable excretions render the provender unpalatable long before appetite has prompted its consumption, 61 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE while the greedy feeder will gorge himself with a mass which his digestive apparatus is wholly un- able to handle. The man who will invent an automatic feeder that shall expose extra feeds at certain hours will meet a vital want; but, failing this, the man who feeds at say six and ten in the morning, and two, six and ten in the afternoon, the usual daily amounts, subdivided to meet the occasions, will find his sure reward in the im- mediately bettered condition of his horses, and inthe fact that they are ready, at any time, (to use. Especially must the thin animal have his meals often; in concentrated form, and small in quantity. No satisfactory progress can be expected if allowance is not made for the weakened con- dition of the subject’s digestive apparatus, which is the prime cause of his failure to do well. Exercise of course has its necessary place in the attainment of satisfactory condition, and herein we all err on the side of insufficiency. Not one horse in twenty in private stables is used enough to keep him really healthy. If the pair go down town on a shopping tour they must do no more that day ; if our saddle horses get an hour in the park or riding school every day they are in luck. Any horse in work, can do and should do his ten 62 CONDITION AND CONDITIONING miles a day, and that at a smart pace, not jogging along at huckster’s trot, but roading fast and promptly. So far as stable management goes, its depart- ments of menu and massage are of first impor- tance. To simply gallop a race horse is by no means to train him. As one taciturn yet won- derfully successful trainer replied to the question as to where he worked his horses, “In my stable.” And that is three-fourths of the whole matter. As to ventilation there cannot be too much, draughts being prevented as much as pos- sible; nor should there ever be noticeable the slightest trace of ammonia. Disinfectants that really disinfect — not simply cause one stench in order to smother another —are too plentiful to allow for any such evidence of neglect, whether the stable shelters one horse or one thousand ; and air may be plentiful, yet foul, or limited, yet fresh. Get all the ozone you can manage, and then try your best to get a little more. As we carefully cleanse the lungs by proper ventilation, so we must attend to the “ external breathing apparatus,’ so to speak — the pores of the skin— by regular and thorough grooming, by frequent washing, and by clipping the hair, if 63 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the animal is to work in winter, and is heavy coated. That washing should be advised is con- trary to general practise, but that has no bearing on its practical advantage. A cold bath and shower, followed by a quick scrape and rub-out (alcohol shampoo to follow, if desired), is as in- vigorating to your horse as to yourself, and just as healthful. Moreover, the recipient is left absolutely clean, as he should always be and seldom is. There need be, and should be, no more “horsey” smell to your steed and his clothing than to yourself. Clean clothing is a luxury to him as to you, and you had far better be untidy than to have him appear so. A lazy groom can so smear a horse over with damp sponge and rub-cloth that he shall look fairly well to the eye; but if you know that he receives a bath daily, or thrice weekly, he will come very near being sweet and savory all the time. If the lungs and skin are regularly well cleansed the highroad to health will be in sight, and it but remains to see that the digestive organs are properly nourished and regularly flushed to at- tain the goal of perfect physical condition. So far as nutriment goes, hay is, of course, the staple, and furnishes in addition the bulk which is needed 64 CONDITION AND CONDITIONING in the stomach to insure perfect digestion. The popular demand is all for a coarse and clear Tim- othy hay, woody in fibre, and not freely digest- ible ; but why this should be the case, at least for general purposes, will ever remain a mystery. Of course, horses in fast work and highly grain-fed get but little hay (although the more advanced trainers have modified this); but the average beast may have all he wants, and the finer grasses (and clovers) early cut and nicely cured are cheap, wholesome, preferable, and rarely used. One hears much of the celebrated “blue grass” of Kentucky, but finds it simply the “June grass” of all northern localities; while the stock- barns of that State, thoroughbred and trotting estab- lishments alike, are filled solid to the roofs with clover hay, and that is what grows and nourishes every celebrated race-horse that upholds the fame of the “ blue-grass region.” Such fodder may be a little dusty, but it is easily sprinkled, and no horse keeper need fear to outrage tradition and feed the finer grades of this material with great economy and much satisfaction. Oats, as the staff of equine life, should form the basis of the general ration. But corn-on-the-ear, no other way, is a most satisfactory adjunct for eight 5 65 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE months in the year, and a breakfast of ten to fifteen ears of a cold morning is as grateful as you find a Yarmouth bloater now and then. There is a strong prejudice against corn, but it is a mistaken objection, provided ear-corn, rather than the shelled or the cracked, be gener- ally fed. Bran in its various grades, according to the animal’s characteristics, is a most useful and generally cheap food, and mixed with cheap oats and cooked (by pouring on boiling water, and covering for a few hours) may well be used for feeding as a warm evening meal, well salted, on, say, Saturday nights. All the other grains may be usefully and profitably fed in the same way as well as brewers’ grains, stale bread, etc., experiment determining the needs of the indi- vidual. Cut feed is an excellent provender in theory, and in practice if carefully managed, but its steady use has caused many a death, and made many a hopeless dyspeptic. The difficulty is to keep the stomach sweet, especially with greedy feeders, who will bolt their provender. To use it safely a mixture of equal parts of powdered ginger, gentian, and bi-carbonate of soda should be kept, and a tablespoonful mixed with at least one feed daily. Flaxseed jelly, made by pouring boiling 66 CONDITION AND CONDITIONING water on the whole seed and letting it “jell,” is a most valuable feeding adjunct, and as wholesome as it is appetizing. A half-pint at a feed will work wonders in a horse’s appearance, or it may be given as a drink, or as a drench. Linseed meal has, under modern processes, little feeding value, as all the oil is extracted by pressure and by chemicals. While the hearty and hardy equine is the most eagerly sought and most easily cared for, there are numbers of high-strung, nervous and “ crotch- ety” individuals, who, properly handled, will out- work and out-last their more phlegmatic confreres. For these certain methods must be tried, and various means applied to soothe the nervous temper, coax and stimulate the generally wayward appetite. A real “shy doer” is a fascinating study, just as is a brilliant cripple. “If I can only get him right, he’s a wonder,” we have all soliloquized many a time! Your shy feeders will always drink if they won’t eat, or they can be made to drink, thus disproving the adage that the “devil may lead a horse to water, but he cannot make him drink.” You can drench him with the essence of say eight pounds of hay three times a day, with the addition of a half-pint of 67 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE flaxseed jelly each time (that is, if he won't drink it, which he generally will). Skim milk can be bought very cheap, and with flaxseed (or with that and “hay tea”’) affords excellent nourishment. Molasses also, the old-time black kind, is a grand appetizer; may be diluted and sprinkled on hay, etc., or fed clear, and a pair of very old horses were, to the writer’s knowledge, kept for a long time on clear molasses, and a little hay, which they mumbled over and rejected after extracting the juice. Apples, carrots, etc., all kinds of flavoring materials, may be cheaply pro- cured and appropriately used, so that there is no excuse for any man to say that he cannot keep his animal in condition, unless his horse has some grave physical ailment. Physic — purgative — is rarely or never needed, especially if the subject is well salted, either in his Saturday night feed, or by the provision of Glau- ber salts, or rock-salt, at frequent intervals, and by the weekly provision of a grass-sod (if obtainable), roots, dirt, and all. Very rarely the kidneys need slight stimulation, and occasionally the liver gets sluggish, but if so, the veterinary had better be consulted than to tinker with your horse’s inter- nals as your own theories or your man’s fancies 68 CONDITION AND CONDITIONING suggest. You take your $5 Waterbury to the do be equally respectful to your $500 equine’s main- watchmaker’s for cleansing and oiling, spring. “Carron oil” —linseed oil and lime- water — may be given (from a pint to a quart) occasionally, and can do no harm, provided the recipient is laid by for a day. Now we come to a matter that is usually re- garded with horror and distrust,—the use of arsenic. ‘This drug, properly used, is nothing in the world but a strong tonic, and, like all such powerful agents, its use must be gradually be- gun, briefly continued, and gradually abandoned. ’ “ Fowler’s solution” is a very valuable medicine, and in capable hands works excellent results, stimu- lates faltering appetite, and generally tones up the system. Quinine, another powerful tonic, is also wonderfully helpful with hard-working horses, and with some it seems to be as useful as the dangerous and distrusted arsenic. There are more horses (which do not seem to do well) suf- fering from genuine malaria than would be be- lieved, and especially in the spring is this drug a most valuable agent to the maintaining of health, appetite, and courage. Do not for a moment imagine that the writer is an advocate of the use of 69 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE stimulants, medicines, etc., for general and regular use, for that is not the case; but there are not a few useful and appropriate methods and medicaments which we are prone to condemn wholesale because we have seen them abused and not used. The water and drinking vessels must be of the purest. Can you expect a sensitive creature to relish drinking from the pail which has just held soap, and is contaminated with the other stable uses to which it may be put? or to be other than nauseated when the same sponge is used to wash his mouth, his legs,and his feet? And can the creature relish a mash mixed by hands uncleaned from the filth of stable labor? Or does a sour manger under his nose all day, a steaming hay- rack beside that, and a reeking straw-bed under him, sound like a combination likely to create a thirst to be acceptably assuaged only from a bucket about which clings the filth of months? No wonder we have some light feeders! Horses should have their hay on the ground in front of them. They may waste some, but it is generally only that which has become distaste- ful to them, anyway, by being breathed upon. Besides, hay nowadays is as cheap as rye-straw, and no more expensive if used as bedding. Feed- 70 CONDITION AND CONDITIONING boxes should “take out,” and what is more, they should be taken out after each meal, washed and sunned if possible. Ifa certain time is allowed for the consumption of grain, horses will learn it, the light feeders eat as much or more, and not be disgusted with a balance steaming under their noses. On days that no work is to be done, the feed- ing must be regulated accordingly ; and if any acci- dent, etc., is likely to prevent outdoor work for an extended period, a mild dose of physic may be given at once to advantage, which, with rather laxative food, will prevent any tendency to feverish symptoms from its sudden and abso- lute cessation. There are so many dozens of little details which bear directly upon this most important matter that one hardly knows how to stop or where to begin. Various rarely considered details, such as the condemnation of many horses as subjects to fits, which suffer from nothing but disordered liver and digestion generally ; the value of bleed- ing in certain cases, where a horse is nervous, shy feeding, and generally upset ; the treatment of feet and legs with relation to maintenance of health, — these and dozens of other matters must be left ip FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE untouched. The “condition” herein referred to means that of the carriage, the hunter, the saddle, and the general-purpose horse; with the race-horse and the trotter we have nothing to do as yet. 72 Chapter VI THE «GREEN”? OR UNACCLIMATED HORSE AND HIS CARE T comes to the ill fortune of most of us, at some period of our horse-keeping experi- ence, to purchase, and be obliged to care for, a horse fresh from the country —west or east, north or south—to watch for and tend him in his acclimation sickness, which is certain sooner or later, with varying degree of severity, to overtake him, and to subsequently congratulate ourselves upon his recovery, or to mourn his untimely demise. The trouble which we thus call “acclimation ’ fever” is rarely other than a more or less severe attack of influenza, brought on by the transfer from airy country barns, or pastures, to hot and ill-ventilated dealers’—or private—stables in town or city. In the former case the animal is not improbably dosed with drugs to resist the approach of the disease, and when removed to the 73 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE private stable his condition is the more liable to make him not only ill, but seriously so. As the Esquimaux succumb to the conditions of civiliza- tion, as you yourself, after weeks spent in camp- ing out and exposure of all sorts, immediately become ill with a cold on taking up your usual habits of indoor life, so is your horse upset by changed air, food, water, and surroundings, while probably the mental depression and despondency caused by his homesickness for familiar scenes play their important part in reaching this result. Horses are poor patients, possess but feeble resistive powers, and the gamest and most sturdy succumb to apparently trifling ailments, which would never seriously affect a human being —the truth being that not only have they often a “ faint” heart, but also a really weak heart, and one sometimes failing totally in most extraordinary fashion. ‘True it may be, that such cases have “kept up” bravely until nature was exhausted, and after their disease had advanced further than was appreciated — though this is hardly likely. Physicians find great difficulty in diagnosing cases of the human subject where questions may be answered and symptoms explained. How much more arduous to successfully locate and 74 "AULNOOD JHL WOWd Lsa[ THE “GREEN? HORSE combat illness in an animal which can do neither, nor call attention to other complications which may exist! In equine pathology all treatment must be speculative, and one can but try and try again. Certain evidences insure the presence of special troubles, but the serious ailment may totally escape notice, as in the cases mentioned of apparently weak heart. Privation and fatigue, the horse’s limitations, insure that he shall but feebly resist. Nature is the best veterinary, and her indicated treatment of rest, and light feeding will result favorably five times out of six, and her repairs, slowly made, are the more enduring for that reason. Sooner or later, then, you find your “green” horse running at the nose, and possibly the eyes, refusing his feed and probably coughing and sneezing a little. If you can, forthwith stop his grain; feed him only a little hay (or a mash, if his throat is sore, as probable), never more than he will eat clean in thirty minutes or so, and all remnants cleared away at once; all the water he will drink, with a dose (at once) of powdered nitre, or one ounce saltpetre in it to keep his kidneys active; clothe him warmly, bandaging his extrem- 75 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE ities well, and insure fresh air, but no draught ; then, leaving him alone until he gets better, it wil] generally be but a few days before he is all right again; nor, beyond a simple febrifuge, and a liniment for the sore throat, could the most skilled veterinarian do anything further. It is, of course, best to send for him when available (as he nearly always is) but this is written for those who may not care to go to that expense. Rigid cleanliness must be enforced, and the nose, eyes, etc., as well as the surrounding wood- work, gently sponged and cleaned with tepid water, for a sick horse is generally rather nasty. The head may be steamed if there is much accumulation of mucus, and if the throat is very sore, but if this is done (hot water and vinegar is as good as anything) the head and neck must be carefully dried, and protected by a hood, or harm may ensue. A thermometer is useful if understood, but is dangerous in the hands of an amateur, for the reason that he will always be “panicky” if he uses it. A horse’s temperature constantly varies, and the odd degree or two of change from normal, which may seem to presage fever, has very prob- ably no significance. One should experiment 76 THE “GREEN } HORSE with healthy animals by placing the fingers on the bars of the mouth under the tongue, for fever is quickly detected here, the temperature being about ninety-eight degrees in health. The pulse is below the jaw and runs about forty de- grees in health, and it is then pliant and full, not hard and wiry. The following will be found excellent to relieve the cough, etc.: Extract of Belladonna . . . . . ¥% ounce PowidercdwOplum: jo So) 6. | 2) 2) dtachms Powdered) Camphor ))('3' 0 y's) 3) ‘drachms Powdered Iniquorice, | si). = 2). 2 2 ounces Wralasses gn thinn (ecliiie ssi) \)\raitve @ oe eapine. Mix ; smear tablespoonful on tongue three or four times daily. The throat may be smeared —not rubbed, or it will blister — with Lard Ae ie Tome cath orhiniiake las tee RO DOUnG Turpentine . Bee (etare okies I pint Melt lard and mix turpentine. When the “pink eye,” as it is called from the tendency of the eyes to close and be weak (needing a darkish stable when this occurs), has passed its worst, there is often a dropsical tendency of the legs ensuing, or remaining, which may hugely swell them, giving them the appearance of having 77 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE been tied with strings. This will help toward cure: Todide of Potassium sty ofa St. ie a eT POUNCE Carbonate of/-Ammonia $s) 45.5) 3) ieounce Powdered Gentian . . Se) alo ounce Eight balls (or drench if throat is still sore); two each day for four days. Soft food is indicated, but very little of any- thing will be eaten. If weakness continues, the strength may be maintained, and heart stimulated, by doses of whiskey and quinine at frequent inter- vals ; or this treatment may begin at the first indi- cation of disease. Soft and easily digested food should be the rule for some weeks after recovery, for a latent weakness —a sort of low fever—remains and any over-exertion may cause a relapse. Exercise must gradually increase. Of course few or none of these occurrences may result. The horse may escape with a trifling dulness for a few days that will hardly be notice- able, and not even affect his ability for light work. If this fresh or “ green” horse is put directly to gentle, steady work, whereby he gets regularly into the open air; if he is neither over-heated, nor allowed to chill when warm ; if kidneys and bowels 78 Tae “GREEN HORSE are kept active, that feverish tendencies may be corrected ; if, in short, he is used just like any other horse, only not quite so hard, he will have little trouble, as proved by the thousands of express, car, and cab horses, which are always put at work, and, keeping on, are rarely sick. We kill more horses by mistaken kindness than we do by abuse. Your “green” horse tells you (or your man) that he feels “ dumpish,” by refusing his feed, or not eating up as he should. Forthwith your energies are directed to tempting him to eat not only as much as usual, but even more, and his slightly feverish system is loaded up with all sorts of stimulating stuff. As he seems not quite himself, you decide he is best in the stable for a few days, and there he stops, to eat, to grow very ill, and possibly to die, a victim to your inexcusable ignorance, for it is that. You have no business to own him if you will not spare a few hours to inform yourself by reading or by questions as to his care and needs. Had you been advised by him, and kept the food away until he asked for it, or even had you used him and got him into the air, the chances are that three or four days would have seen him all right again. Use him, therefore, even if his 19 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE soft flesh shrinks; he will take no harm, and quickly build up again; nor spare him just ’ because he is “the new horse,” and therefore to be treated with the care accorded new furniture or china. You bought him to work, and that it is which insures his health and welfare. Remember that your country horse will prob- ably suffer from homesickness, and try to alleviate this by insuring him equine companionship, by little attentions and delicacies, etc. As you would, in similar circumstances, brood over your condi- tion if left in solitary confinement, so will he; as your depression would be increased by over-feed- ing and lack of exercise, so is his; as wholesome fatigue insures the kindly oblivion to you of sleep, soit will to him. Wherefore, use him’ ‘daily: cherish him thoughtfully, treat him rationally, and never fear the “bugaboo” of the fatalities attending the acclimatizing of the “ green” coun- try horse. 80 Chapter Vil THE HORSE’S EDUCATION HERE can be no such thing as a part- nership arrangement in the handling of any dumb beasts, and he who thinks that this is exaggerated, and that he and his horse are animated by a single purpose, is laying up stores of trouble that will surely lead him to ultimate disaster. The fables of the Arab and his steed, and the verse or prose of various writers who were composing for “ the gallery” of the general public, make interesting reading; but beware how you reduce these lovely theories to practice. Any idea that your horse really knows you from any one else, or that your touch has any special influence over him, should be banished from the mind, for it is the merest nonsense. To any stranger who uses your tones he will pay as much attention as to you; to any casual whose nerve and experience chance to render the hand- ling of the reins, etc., similar to that of the accus- 6 81 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE tomed hand, he will prove as biddable. “Go on” may mean “stop” to him; “ Whoa” may produce accelerated speed ; “ go away” may make him come to you, provided he has been used to so construe these commands, —and your actual words are immaterial ; the tone and gesture are the only mediums effective. In “ educating” a horse one should carefully remember three vitally important facts which never change as characteristics, although they may vary in degree. First, a horse 1s a fool, and he isacoward. Nature intended that this should be the case, in order that his failing should make him distrustful ; that this foolish distrust should render him timid because of his suspicions; and that the combination of these characteristics should prompt him, once his fears from whatever trivial cause are thoroughly aroused, to use his chief means of protection (his speed) in flight. A horse will, of course, fight when cornered, as will any moral weakling; but, save for a saucy colt, which may now and then run at you, or an occa- sional stallion which has been made savage by solitary confinement and improper handling, there is no such thing as any attempt to seek an encounter with man, whose scent is disagreeable 82 Even ALit-rounpD ACTION. if © , aarrt ry bs ey re F SKS SOL Elo hades ba ae i < >» wt ct aie y “phe oe vis = t ‘ ry +3 oo A] =o a3 Sioa ral aa Sta Ay bal Sa | we + . Gide wR te aa — SARS baar ge Pee TiORSES DUCA TION to the animal, and whose presence is distasteful, until it is found that from him come certain ad- vantages in the way of care and food. Second, the horse is an animal of one idea, and cannot be expected to consider two or more matters intelli- gently at one and the same time. ‘This is, of course, a part of the universal characteristics just mentioned, and an essential portion, for it prompts the one idea of terror of any strange object or action; the one idea of flight over or through all obstacles. Through fire and flame he returns to his blazing stall with the one idea of seeking the sanctuary which has always proved to him the safe and secure haven. Do not consider that these statements are intended to in any way vilify the animal, but let us try to realize distinctly his mental limitations, and be governed by them in our treatment of him. Nothing but his foolish- ness allows man to so successfully hoodwink him as to his powerlessness to evade the labor which he does not enjoy, and to obtain from him the services which he does zor delight to render, but which he imagines he cannot escape. As to the “education” of a horse, much de- pends, of course, upon what will satisfy the owner : whether the “three royal R’s” are enough, or 83 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE whether the full collegiate course must be com- pleted. He whois content that his children shall, as he himself did, stop short at the merest rudi- ments, will pooh pooh the higher branches; he who believes that a horse is merely a beast which turns either way if the steersman pull hard enough, or stops if he pull more strongly, will ridicule the idea of any further development; yet may, if he choose, and has ordinary patience and intelligence, convert his equine into a patent safety conveyance under almost any circumstances. The public are greatly to blame, that, through mistaken economy, they will not make this “ edu- cation” possible to the producer and the pur- veyor. The qualities of fearlessness, etc., are obtained by simply accustoming a horse to every- thing; and this takes time and money. If you, as a buyer, will not pay the extra price the acquire- ment of these accomplishments has cost, a dealer will have certainly no intention of spending any more time in such efforts upon his merchandise than will make them way-wise enough to pass muster, and the fault is yours, and yours only, if trustworthy horses are not easily obtainable. In- stead of a properly educated steed at $500 or more, you will persist in buying one you know is 84 ’ THE HORSE’Sc EDUCATION raw and green for $150; and the woe you thus persistently court be upon your own head. A horse may be taught to do anything possible to any creature so formed, and to be fearless of everything on earth, if he is accustomed to see and hear all sights and sounds; and the fault in training all colts and horses is that we seek the quietest country locations, and most secluded roads and fields for such purposes, and then have to begin all over again when city life ensues. We take the greatest care in harnessing the raw colt that no loose straps hang about; that the gig does not rattle, etc., yet he fears the dangling leather (or chains,even) no more than the ordinary har- ness; the clattering vehicle than the noiseless. He will pull the wagon by his tail, and hold it back by his unprotected quarters, thighs and hocks, if you educate him to do it. An ideal school for equines would contain pile-drivers, thrashing machines, steam-drills, blowing paper, electric and elevated cars, etc., in quantity ; while a band of music, a company of artillery, and a gang of quarrymen blasting rocks, would prove useful accessories. Timid and foolish, the horse does not discriminate, and notices nothing fam- iliar, nearly everything strange; your artillery 85 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE wheel-horse which stands drowsily while cannons fire in his face, has a convulsion at sight of a fluttering apron. As the ideal school is a medley of hideous sights and sounds, so the ideal schoolmaster is dumb. He who never speaks to a horse does well; he whose vocabulary is absolutely limited to “whoa” and “c’lk” is fortunate. These words should be construed by your pupil as always meaning but two things — instant and motionless stop in the first case, and accelerated progress, to be regulated by the feeling of the hand upon the reins, in the other. Your voice alone, even in its kindest tones, causes apprehension in the narrow-gauge mind of the raw colt or wild horse, and he is prevented by his natural limitations from calmly comprehending the two details of speech and action upon your part. Your actions he finally appreciates through their personal effect; and in the same way the tones accompanying certain motions are finally accepted as signals. Pray do not—O dear reader do not— enroll yourself among that band of chirping and chir- ruping dickey-birds who, with their incessant ““P-weep-p-p”’ and the “c’lk, c’lk, clk,” make themselves a menace to others, and render them- 86 THE HORSE’S EDUCATION selves a spectacle to the general public by their vocal gymnastics. The man who is eternally “Steady, old man,” or “ P-weep-p-p’”’-ing to his horse is an infernal nuisance, and a menace to every one within hearing. This wretched habit causes you to spoil your own horse and to needlessly irritate those of others; you have no possible right to persist in it, and some day it will be interdicted, at least in park-ways and bridle- paths, by strict regulations. If now your horse also comprehends the com- mand “‘ Back,” he is indeed well equipped to prove to youa thoroughly safe and satisfactory means of transport, and to provide for you all the delights to be so liberally gained from such outings. Naturally horses vary greatly in their receptive powers, and their intelligence is not always to be gauged in the same notch. Every acquisition of an accomplishment, every instance of implicit obedience, renders much easier further advance in the direction of higher education. Not only are the body and muscles thus coerced, but obedience follows more instantly as the futility of resistance is understood, and there is practically no limita- tion to the lengths to which this instruction may proceed, allowing that the subject is not physically 87 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE deformed, and that only feats possible to him are attempted. You are greatly to blame, as a breeder or trainer, if you do not teach your pupils to walk fast, and to move actively at all paces; you are equally culpable, as an owner and consumer, if you do not improve your steed’s abilities in this direction to the best of his powers. Remember that this pace is, to the average horse, the only one susceptible of improvement, and yet the gait upon which we rarely attempt to work any betterment. Of course the trotter or the race horse will gain increased speed at their fastest paces through teaching, but the average horse has his abilities at the trot and gallop very accurately measured out to him at birth, while his walk is what his trainer chooses to make it. No horse is so regularly overdriven and abused as the slow and dawdling walker, none so appreciated as the free and active mover at this gait. Your saddle or harness horse may be greatly helped if you will but persistently try to educate him. Punishment must enter into the education of a horse, and usually the quarrel which compels it brews without a helping hand from you. No animal is safe until he has been conquered in a 88 THE HORSE’S EDUCATION discussion of this kind, and made to know that he must obey, or physical pain to himself may follow. Arguments are naturally useless, and no such thing as mutual alliance or concession is possible; nor must he for an instant imagine that he is the superior ; you must be the boss and there must be no possible misunderstanding about it. If you have to punish, the sharp and sudden is the most genuinely kind method; but the subject must be allowed every opportunity to understand clearly the reason for the discipline, and the punishment itself must promptly follow the fault. It is true that if you punish only for reasons that satisfy yourself, it is strange how seldom you will inflict such discipline at all; but even so the time always comes when the recalcitrant must learn who is his master. Punishment by no means always means whipping or spurring, there are other methods, and the “punishment must fit the crime,” as “ The Mikado”’ says. Ninety times in the hundred we punish at the wrong time, and in the heat of passion. Remember that if a horse is beaten for shying, his narrow intelligence will always associate the two events, and he will so confuse cause and effect as to imagine that an encounter with a piece of 89 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE blowing paper, for instance, is synonymous with a sound thrashing and a badly hurt mouth. There- fore when next he meets this disconcerting object he proceeds to turn round, to upset the buggy, and to escape at all hazard from the vicinity of the object which has been to him accompanied by much physical distress. Remember that if he is troubled by this so-called vice — which it never is — his’ one-idead mind is perhaps to blame; or his eyes may be wrong (he may be as near- sighted as any of us); or the alarming sights may be strange to him, needing only thorough famil- larizing to be disregarded; or perhaps he may be playing the fool from sheer light-heartedness, and if so, to be circumvented by taking him sharply in hand, “ shaking him up,” and pulling him together as the awesome spectacle is passed. Fear of any particular object is almost invari- ably a token that at some previous time, and in some other hands, serious fright or injury has been associated with it, and if this seems to be the case the utmost patience is called for in your treat- ment of the timid, apprehensive creature. While you must punish at times, and teach the pupil that this will invariably follow wilful rebellion, your caresses must as regularly, and even 99 ?EE VFORSEs EDUCATION more promptly, follow competent performance. As cannot be too often repeated, however, these must apply directly to the part involved, and not to other portions of the body, which, while they may also have been concerned in the action, are not so actively implicated. If your Uncle John lends you ten dollars, you do not return it to Cousin Henry, and in the very same way if your hunter jumps a fence, do not pat his neck, but the hind quarters which he so ably em- ployed; if he bends his neck and carries himself as your hand directs, do not caress his shoulders. Indiscriminate petting 1s worse than none at all, and extremely confusing, while that which is prompt and appropriate is the kerne/ of the nut, the gist of the whole matter. The old books on equestrianism were, in a way, insistent upon such points, and while they were not strong upon the ’ “‘caress’’ clause, they came out brilliantly upon the punishment part of it—and that directly to the rebellious members, as instanced by the advice “ to cure a balky horse”’ by tying a tom- cat to a pole and shoving it between the hind legs to scratch and bite, winding up with the prophecy, ‘‘ And thus doing, doubt not that he will go forward.” gi FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE The rubbing of the forehead over the brain is always gratifying to the animal, and doubly so when he has obeyed; while the application of the hand, or a light switch to the ears, when rebellious has always proved especially effective in obtaining obedience very quickly. Baucher, the celebrated French equestrian, must be given the credit for first discovering and intelligently applying these principles of direct punishment and reward, and while his pupils have tried vainly to apply his teachings, their failures are not due to error upon his part, or to mistakes in his deductions, but to inability to carry out his teach- ings, or, indeed, to unravel from the skein of verbiage in which they are enmeshed the practical fragments of his method. Remember, as the Irishman said, that your pupil “has a mouth on him,” and a most appre- ciative palate behind that, and do not forget that various tid-bits, as apples, carrots, sugar, etc., are as grateful to the inner quadruped as are caresses to the outer. Of course you will always be provided with such morsels if you are, “ round and about”’ horses to any extent, and equally of course you will not, if you are wise, hand them out indiscriminately, but reserve them for the mo- g2 THE HORSE’S EDUCATION ments when they may make the most vivid im- pression, and “tip” him with them as judiciously as were your superiors moved to reward you, in boyhood’s days, when various delicacies were yours if — always if— you did or did not thus and so. Exhaustive and tedious rehearsals taught you your letters, and no effort was ever made to have you read before you could spell. A horse’s education should follow the same lines. About the first lesson kindergarten taught you was that you had to obey, and even as the traits of disobedi- ence and disorder became more and more con- firmed if not combated, so the habit of submission might be developed to any length — so far that even man, a reasoning and intelligent being, should have no active and aggressive mind of his own. This same habit of non-resistance may be developed in the horse to a remarkable extent, and not too early can the initiative in this respect be taken, nor too sternly can it be enforced. Good manners in the subject who has never been thoroughly “ bested” — allowed to attempt revolt and met only with summary defeat — are but the merest shell, which, like the “ shedder”’ crab, he is likely to cast aside without a moment’s 93 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE notice. His good behavior has been due to laziness or indifference, or he has not been, through fortunate environment, really alarmed. Some day, however, something happens to arouse him, and then look out, for no memory of previous fruit- less rebellion recurs to him, and you will, as you pick yourself out of the gutter or off the tree- tops wish most earnestly that you had devoted a few of the dollars, which must now go toward doctor’s and wheelwright’s bills, to a thorough collegiate course for your disappearing steed! The domestic wheels turn more smoothly after the first little ““spat’’ or two which really welds the diverse natures more closely together; the wheels of your vehicles will be safer from bruise and blemish if similar squabbles arise between horse and master, but they must have only the one result of his defeat. You may proceed along these educational lines to whatever lengths you fancy, but the average man will be well satisfied if the primary school stage is passed, and its essentials thoroughly mas- tered. The great drawback attending the advanced education of all horses is two-fold: firstly the public will not pay the prices which such time- consuming work makes necessary ; and secondly, of THE *HORSE’S) EDUCATION after the animal is thus trained, it is not easy to find the man who is similarly qualified to use him. The rudiments of behavior are therefore sufficient for the average owner, and further advance is not practical. If the animal knows his A. B. C.’s thoroughly, that is a lot more than can be said of the majority of them, and we should be grate- ful for that. Every accomplishment may be taught him ‘‘hind-side before” if you like, and a pull to the right may mean turn to the left, as it does when the ‘“‘jerk line” of the southern four or six mule team is pulled, and thus we see most of our equestrians conveying their wishes to their saddle-backs, by exactly wrong signals which nevertheless these patient creatures have learnt to construe as meaning exactly what they do wot say! If awkward blundering will effect such results, what may not intelligent effort attain ? That latter-day Juggernaut, the noisy and noisome automobile, has, as was the case when the bicycle first appeared, excited much appre- hension, and caused prophecies that driving and riding would shortly become impossible. As was the case with the bicycle, however, this “ bug- aboo”’ will lose its terrors as it becomes more 95 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE common, and thereby horses get used to it. The whole country is now so thickly settled, and the ordinary traffic along even remote country roads is so variegated that horses encounter these machines in their ‘‘ salad days,” and long before they come to market. No horse ever fears the bicycle to- day; none will notice the “ ought-not-to-be’s”’ to-morrow, although the intervening period of time is trying to nerves and exasperating to tempers. Undoubtedly the manufacturers will provide schools for equine education, and probably the authorities will enact ordinances that horses must attend them, for necessary evils must be combated along sensible lines, and the machines have as much right to the highways as the animals. Any friend who owns one of these “‘ contraptions” will oblige with rehearsals. Let your horse, led in hand, investigate it, smell it, touch it, gratify all the senses, and thereby allay terror, while it is standing still, then when moving at all speeds and from all angles; feed him in it if possible, but simply keep at him until he is used to it, or get rid of him. Carry a thick felt blind with you when driving, and in narrow roads signal for a halt, and blindfold your horse. He will not move while the machine passes. Try him with 96 RHE IHORSE!S EDUCATION all varieties, —the stenchful, the coughing, the snapping, the chug-chugging, the steaming, the smoking, the rattling, — they all evince some one or all of these enjoyable characteristics, and keep rehearsing him until indifferent to them, apologiz- ing to him for the inconvenience which the dis- eased taste of modern man has forced upon him, and never punishing him for manifesting the alarm which at times overcomes even you at the uproar and confusion which attends the passage of these horrors. It is impossible, of course, within the limits of a book to give ways and means, methods and , manners, of “educating’’ the horse to sedately perform all the offices which we require of him, but the fundamental rules are invariably the same, and their results if intelligently applied, are uni- versally satisfactory. A certain amount of “ horse sense” is required, and ordinary nerve and temper ; that is all, and every horse which successfully per- forms on track or circus ring, park, road, or rid- ing school, has learned his lesson on these general lines of instruction, which might have been ac- quired so much more quickly, painlessly, and pleasantly, had reward always been intelligible, caress appropriate, and punishment as rare, as a7 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE prompt and severe upon occasion. Sentiment and theory are slender supports in such matters, and as you love and care for all dumb animals, so see that in their sphere of action they perform their tasks as you, their master, direct ; promoting thus their truest happiness and best welfare. 98 “SUANNVJA] LOTAUdg Chapter VIII MOUTHS AND MANNERS ITHOUT manners of the best, neither man nor horse is fit for polite society ; and as the one may be judged by the words which fall from his lips, so may the other by the moisture which anoints his bars and mouth angles; for if one would keep the horse’s mouth alive and sen- sitive, beware the period when moisture disap- pears, and saliva ceases to be in evidence,—a lubrication intended by nature to facilitate in just such ways the comfort of the animal. Without manners, the biped is reduced to the level of the aborigine, the quadruped to that of the wild beast, in degree equal to their respective deficien- cies in such respects. In view of the constantly increasing number of horse shows, it is curious that so little attention is paid to these points; or that, when these requirements are insisted upon, they form an unimportant detail under the cap- are: 99 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE tion, “ mouth and manners also to be considered.” How refreshing it would be to notice some such classification as this: “ Mouth and manners about ninety per cent; horses also to be considered,” and fairly practical as well, for, as every dealer knows, and as every buyer will agree, without these two essentials in.their best development, no horse is trustworthy. “To balk” is generally interpreted as a refusal to progress, and good old Mr. Webster in his lively little work, sets forth that “balky ” means “apt to turn aside or stop abruptly.” Mr. Webster is a trifle out on the last definition, however, as “stopping abruptly” implies that there must previously have existed motion, which, alas, is not always within the facts! No reference is made as to direction, and an animal as truly balks which refuses to back, or to turn either way at the signal of the reins, as the beast which objects to go forward. At the Philadelphia show a few years ago the judges, asking a coachman to back a step away from a puddle of water and mud, found he could not perform the feat; further investigation revealing the fact that but one entry in the entire class could and would “progress backward,” yet several of them had 100 MOUTHS AND MANNERS previously won as private carriage horses, pre- sumably suitable for ladies and children to drive behind! Surely all horse-show exhibits should be required to back freely and in a straight line, a distance of at least twenty feet, and to stand still, when “ lined up,” without a man to hold them, or be instantly disqualified, be their merits ever so great. Conditions are published far enough in advance for intending exhibitors to familiarize themselves with all details, and prepare accord- ingly ; and if they will not take the trouble, or have not the skill, to mouth and manner their entries, let them “take the penalty for their neg- lect.” It would surely be for the best interests of all if severe bitting were restricted, and no horse allowed to compete which was apparelled in any- thing but a plain elbow, or Liverpool bit, no port, and the reins in either the cheek or half- cheek, the chain loose and untwisted. We do not want to know what an animal can be tortured into doing, but to see what he does when left comparatively to himself; and too many awards have gone to the brutes that have to be “ fished,” jerked, and whipped into the ribbons, and that cannot, or will not, go a yard save under strong compulsion. Any external evidence of appliances IOI FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE for controlling or influencing pace or action is promptly penalized; why punish for the employ- ment of what every one can see, and omit investi- gation as to concealed means of control which may be far more severe and inexcusable? As is well known, many horses go quietly single if the breeching is omitted, but strongly object when that sometimes necessary portion of the equipment is used. Yet, in championship classes at least, it would seem that the competitors should be put to this and all other conceivable fair tests; for certainly champions should possess perfection of manners and mouth. A horse also which must be gag-checked until his backbone creaks, and he can’t close his eyes, is deficient in deportment. Our saddle-horse classes are ham- pered with such proper requirements to but slight extent, and exhibitors employ all sorts of arrange- ments to get away with the money if possible. Not thirty per cent of their horses will back ; not half of them stand still, either mounted or to be mounted ; and not one of them is ever required to “side-step” freely and instantly, as he must do if his rider wishes to open a gate or a door from his back, hold it, sidle round it (pirouette), and close it again. A saddle-horse is supposed to 102 MOUTHS AND MANNERS carry you across country, or anywhere, and gates and bar-ways may be present in quantities. Your hack need not know how to jump them, but he must know how to be handy in the other ways. We have gone quite daft upon the subject of appointments, which matter not at all to any one but the faddist and the ‘‘ poseur,” but never stop to consider that an outfit comprising every detail that caprice may require or ingenuity construct, may be quickly reduced to fragments, and rele- gated to a state of “innocuous desuetude,”: by the misdirected energies of an animal which is lacking in these two essentials. Primarily, and of more importance than the layman will allow, it is necessary that your horse’s “clothes must fit,” his harness be just right at al] points, his saddle properly fitted to his back, and correctly placed, his bit or bits nghtly arranged in his mouth. Let the master be ever so partic- ular as to the set of his own garments, it is a mar- vellous fact that he will, month after month, ride his hack uncomfortably and improperly capari- soned as to saddle and bridle, the former wrongly placed, unevenly padded, too narrow and too short in seat to properly distribute weight when the rider is a heavy man, and the head-piece too 103 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE narrow in brow-band; too short as to bridoon, too narrow as to bit, too severe as to curb-chain, too small as to both mouth-pieces. The average bridoon bit is generally so tightly drawn up into the angles of the mouth that cheeks are wrinkled and drawn in against the teeth, so that any motion of them tends to bruise and Jacerate the inside of the cheeks, causing continual pain and discomfort. Nine bridoons out of ten are taken up from three to six holes too short, and the bridoon thus acts upon a part of the mouth which it was never meant to touch, and which it must not press upon if the best results are expected. An old-fashioned “Texter snaffe”’ is the best bridoon known, and it cannot be too large, while its shape prevents its pulling through the mouth (as does the ordinary small-ringed wire bridoon). A bridoon dropped as low, or lower, than the bit, will effect the best results, as experiment proves, as practice confirms, and as the most competent authorities advocate. As the bridoon is too high generally, so is the bit placed too low, and is often not only very narrow, but sometimes provided with a port as well. While the whole purpose, intention, and indica- tions of the two bits are dissimilar, and intended rarely to be used at equal tension, most equestrians 104 MOUTHS AND MANNERS handle them as one rein, and rest their weight upon both alike. It is a miracle, not that the horses occasionally turn sulky, and rear and run away, but that most of them are so well behaved under their uncomfortable accoutrements. Now that the “ full” bridle — the double-bitted — is in such general use, it behooves every one who rides to carefully study the effect of the bits; to ascertain by experiment how a horse goes most pleasantly ; to purchase larger and easier bits, and to inspect the inside of their horses’ mouths and consider those wonderfully constructed, delicate, and sen- sitive membranes upon which these instruments must rest. As in the case of the saddle-horse, so with the heavy harness-horse ; we do not use ordinary care that his comfort is assured before we ask or expect perfect service. We jama huge “ Liverpool” or “elbow” bit between his teeth, and before he has more than licked it over, proceed to convey to him a series of most confusing signals, which he has neither time nor preliminary instruction enough to understand. In his confusion he finally makes a leap or plunge, and, not allowing for the action of the bit, or the fact that the driver’s weight will almost break his jaw-bone, 105 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE receives a terrific jab on that sensitive membrane, and a bruise which either grows more and more deep-seated until some bone sloughs away, or, continually painful, renders him frantic each time he is harnessed. Nor does the mischief end here, because he finds that, if he pulls hard enough, that infernal chain round his jaw, and that double- fisted Indian that is driving him, form a combi- nation which will quickly destroy all sensation. Of the two evils he chooses the lesser, and another confirmed puller is educated. Mouth and manners are interdependent, and no horse which has a bad mouth can have good manners. Heavy hands make bad mouths, and so far as equestrianism goes, no man can possibly have good hands who has not a strong and secure seat, while he may possess a very firm seat and the very worst of hands. The interpretation of ” what constitutes “good hands” is generally wrong, and half the people who pride themselves upon such possessions will be found to be actually riding and driving their horses “ behind the bit ;” that is, they do not make their animals go up to and face it, but allow the ‘‘ give and take” proc- ess to be all “give.” There is more to “hands” than mere manipulation. There is the intui- 106 MOUTHS AND MANNERS tive perception of what a horse is about to do, and the instant frustration and correction of any outbreak in just the proper degree, which is so much a matter of instinct that it is automatic. Therefore, it may be said, be he ever so assiduous in practice, no man can ever acquire good hands who is not thoroughly sympathetic, and has not that indefinable ‘horse sense’’ so necessary to successful equine manipulation. It is this quality that enables some men to get on amicably with even the most determined rogues and pullers. No special appliances for them, but just the exercise of the gifts of sympathetic intelligence which nature has granted them. With such hands a man handles his horse’s mouth with a touch that may sometimes seem rough, and frequently is. He never yields until the horse does, and then gives (rewards his sub- mission) like a flash, but only to an almost im- perceptible degree very often; forcing the animal up to his bridle by word and whip (or spur if rid- ing). A “nagsman” handling a green and raw horse may seem, as he “ fishes”’ him along, to be rough in his treatment, but, on the contrary, he is using consummate skill with beautiful effect, and, given a pliant and finished animal, no fingers will 107 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE be more airy. He is making the creature do what is desired to the best possible advantage, and that is “hands” in its best development, be methods approved or condemned. He combats each wayward movement and awkward turn with so much finesse and apparent ease that the on- looker is completely deceived; and he wends his way through complicated traffic, his horse always in hand; careful to anticipate any awkward move, and requiring just enough increasingly correct per- formance from his pupil to advance his education while it neither confuses nor discourages him. Watch him as he is about to turn at the end of the block; part way round, the mouth subtly telegraphs that the horse does not quite under- stand, or does not wish to describe the correct semi-circle intended ; like a flash the reins “ fish” the mouth, and if the answer still is “no,” a step or two in a straight line, and then another at- tempt, or a turn the other way, but no confusion, and no quarrel; here is a trolley on one side, and a steam drill on the other; forcing the pupil up to his bit, the driver fairly lifts him through, shifting the bit, and using all his arts to bring about the safe passage which he invariably secures. The spectator may say that this charioteer had no 108 MOUTHS AND MANNERS hands, and that he hurt his horse’s mouth, which very possibly he did, but both hands and manage- ment were of the best and most appropriate for that particular case, and any deviation from the methods followed might have caused a serious accident. What this man did, he is doing all day long, and every day, and probably he could not tell you why he adopts his methods, or what those methods are; condemn them if you like, but be sure that, theory aside, the individual who successfully handles ail sorts of raw horses in all sorts of places has hands of the very finest, and given time, his charges will usually acquire mouths and manners of the very best. The novice commits his first (generally his reg- ular) mistake when he sets out to “make” a horse’s mouth by asking the animal to change his balance and yield to the bit before his muscles, especially those of the neck and crest, are limber and supple. Nothing is more likely to make a dead and hard mouth than the practice of putting a “dumb , jockey” on a horse in his stall or box, bearing him up, and leaving him to “fight it out.’ The suddenly contracted muscles pain him, and he is thoroughly uncomfortable; he fights back and 109 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE learns that even if he does “lug” and lay his weight on the bit, he is no worse off than before, and another puller is made. If you mean to check a horse high, and especially to gag-check him, always do one of two things: either leave the check off the water-hook for the first ten minutes of the drive, or start with it five or six holes too long, to be taken up later. If you really want your charge to improve quickly and make a fine and sensitive mouth, drive him on a fairly loose check, and when you return, and after he is free of the wagon, bear him up hard and leave him so, on the floor or in a stall, for not over fifteen minutes. He is warmed up and can yield, and he freely does, often with extraor- dinary results. Of course his physical structure must be considered carefully, and impossibilities must not be asked, or another puller is assured. Thick and short necks cannot arch; narrow jaws cannot flex too far; weak backs and loins will not bear too much strain; of the two evils your horse will choose the lesser, and if he cannot give, and you persist, he must resist and pull. Conformation must always be taken into consideration. Broadly speaking, every horse that is fit to y1O MOUTHS AND MANNERS use, ought, in heavy harness, to drive comfortably in either the check or preferably the half-check ; and ninety per cent of them will do so if proper appliances are used. The use of the middle-bar has many drawbacks, and tends to make a horse dead in his mouth very quickly, unless carefully applied, for, some day the plain loose chain gets twisted, the bit drops lower to a new place, the mouth is bruised, and, as hanging back procures punishment, the horse, again choosing the lesser evil, pulls to let the chain and bit numb his mouth and—another puller is in process of manufacture. Be sure the bit is neither too nar- row nor (as generally) too wide; if the latter, put on leather cheek-pieces to make it fit, or get an- other bit. If the smooth side of an elbow bit is too easy, try the rough; if the subject opens his mouth, put on an “all-round” nose-band; try the bit high and low, loose chain and tight, plain chain and twisted, until you find the “ comfortable spot,” and frequently shift it from there if he is inclined to take hold; if a ‘‘ tongue loller,” or one which gets his tongue over the bit, try dropping it very low instead of, as usual, taking it up very high, or put on a long sole-leather port which will keep III FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the tongue in place; if he “lugs” on one rein, or has a habit of lunging, sidling, or wheeling either way, apply a bristle burr until he gives it up, an instrument which, contrary to the S. P. C. A., is neither cruel nor used to “ make horses prance” and ‘“‘foam at the mouth,” but to keep them out of shop windows, off sidewalks, and on all-fours, and is a most useful and necessary adjunct to the proper bitting of many horses; uncomfortable, yes, but cruel, never, nor will its steady use cause even an abrasion. The demonstrations of, the,S.. .P. ©. A.; \ and) :certamn 1.old, womens against these contrivances cause much merri- ment among all practical horsemen who use, always have used, and always will use them when “necessary,” but “no longer and not ’ otherwise;”’ in fact, it is only exceptional cases that require them. Every puller is made, none was ever “born so,” and every such horse has some reason for his bad mouth, and some one arrangement of bit and bridle that will suit him, — it is for his intelligent owner, given certain fundamental principles, to learn the one and to provide the other. Sharp teeth are a frequent cause of trouble, and every master should see to it that his stud is inspected Li MOUTHS AND MANNERS annually by a competent dentist, and no money is more humanely or practically spent. Of course a four-ringed snaffle or other bit may be used for heavy harness work, and in light har- ness the sensible and easy bits in vogue will in their various combinations meet practically any needs. In heavy harness, however, an “elbow” or a “Liverpool” bit is the sort in general use, and the methods named apply to these as to others. Given a proper mouth, the acquisition of acceptable manners is so natural a sequence and so entirely a matter of a little patience and a very reasonable amount of horse sense, that it is hardly necessary to go into the ways and means of perfecting education in these particulars. Firm- ness and constant rehearsal until letter-perfect, and all lessons short and frequent are the rules to follow, and your horse’s accomplishments in all the practical decencies are limited only by your own patience and intelligence as an instructor. One always chuckles inwardly to hear an owner say, “I can’t wait, my old mare won’t stand, and has troubled me that way for the six years I’ve owned her.” What folly to allow one’s self to be mastered by a dumb beast! One might as well admit that one could n’t open one’s office before 8 113 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE ten o'clock because the old bookkeeper did not choose to show up. You may be pretty sure that the old mare is more amused at it than any one else and fairly neighs with laughter at the biped who imagines he is master. 114 “aASYOP{-aATdavs S JALHOAY AIN Chapter EX THE FOOT AND ITS TREATMENT T is inevitable, if you keep horses for any length of time, and really take interest in them, that you should develop a fad in connection with shoeing, and the care of the feet. It is earnestly advised that when this period arrives, you read carefully all the books treating of such matters available; then select your fad, and stick to it through thick and thin, saving thereby much discomfort and probable injury to your animal and possible loss to yourself. “Well, come, now,” you may say to the writer “what is your fad?” And to this the reply will be made that it is the use of tips where any shoes are to be worn; but that probably the “fad genu- ine” in this case is the unshod and bare foot and the use of no protection of any kind. This is not the result of theory, but of practice extending over many years, and applied to many animals. 11¢ FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE Preliminarily he will assert that, given the op- portunity to rest the animal (by employing others) when the attrition of our stone and gravel roads has worn the foot to a condition where the horse evidences tenderness, nearly every horse — at all events the beast for average harness and saddle use — does better, and is vastly cheaper to keep if left barefooted. Secondly he gives it as his experience and opinion that an even larger percentage does better, lasts longer sound, and works more easily and naturally if no shoes are used but tips. Naturally Dame Nature does not in a night overcome the mistakes of years, nor produce in a moment the redundancy of material rendered necessary by the sudden exposure of the un- accustomed foot. The secreting vessels must be brought up gradually to the point of pouring forth in quantity the horny matter needed to repair such waste, and growth must be forced by the appli- cation of moisture; and the foot itself gradually toughened, frequent intervals of rest being ar- ranged that renewal may keep pace with the attrition of travel. Of course the pleasure horse, for saddle or driving purposes, or the farm horse, is the animal indicated for this treatment, and the heavy drafter used on city pavements is outside 116 THE! FOOT AND: IVS TREATMENT the pale, both because of his weight and of the location and regular long periods of his labor. Our pleasure horses, on the contrary, are most irregularly used, and that for only a matter of an hour or two at a time, so that, if they have origi- nally fairly sound feet, they may be used either barefooted or wearing tips, and while not, of course, displaying that excessive action which weight in the shoe assists to procure, they retain as much of it as is necessary to attractive progress. Our showmen are in the habit to-day of leaving their exhibits barefoot between shows, and the shoes then applied greatly enhance the always extravagant action. While just at first wet swabs about the coronets, and even the use of the foot- tub, will force the horny growth, no moisture will afterwards be called for beyond that absorbed in washing the feet, or in travelling muddy roads. If growth is rapid, extra pains must be taken to keep the feet level and balanced, and frequent treatment with a rasp (never any other instrument) is needed to round up the edges of quarters and toes. The attrition of travel will remove all sur- plus horn, but it must be noticed that all horses do not wear their feet alike, and then it is your duty to preserve the level they destroy, and to 117 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE credit yourself the amount of the blacksmith’s bill you do not pay. A barefooted, or a tip-wearing horse rarely overreaches, and never interferes, stumbles, or slips, suffers from corns, quittor, quarter-crack, etc., nor ever injures himself or others with sharp calks. He will go a trifle short for a day or two sometimes if you wear his feet too thin, but never if you use tips. These are simply a protection to the toe, and therefore that portion of the foot must be regularly shortened and lowered, or an unduly elongated foot works harm to back ten- dons, and throws all the joints of the leg out of gear. ‘This tiny crescent of iron (or steel) is set into the toe in a groove made just inside its edge by the drawing-knife, which is just sufficient to allow the admission of the tip, and fastened by three nails, to take the friction of travel by extend- ing just below the surface of the foot, extending round the toe to the widest part of the foot. The heels never need opening as is so usually done; the bars and frog should be left entirely alone. The requisites are alevel and natural tread, and this must be carefully provided, or quarters, if weak, may develop fissures or quarter-cracks. Wash your horse’s feet always, and have them 118 THE FOOT AND ITS TREATMENT wiped over, when going to the door, with a damp sponge, but do not defile them with grease or blacking which will not keep clean for ten steps and will cover your hands and gloves with filth if you touch them. Such applications close all the pores, and prevent the entrance of moisture thereby ; besides which, the equine foot perspires and should be allowed to do so unchecked. The savage travels barefooted over the rough- est and most stony ground, and so will that horse which has never been shod, — especially if he is protected for the first time by tips. Shoes and boots render soft the savage’s leathern sole, how- ever, and so do the refinements of civilization cause the horse to seem to demand similar assist- ance. As the one foot can be toughened so can the other. Certain fast trotters need —so far as experi- ment has gone—an extremely long toe, and various forms and weights of shoes to so balance them that they can reach and maintain the limit of their speed. Many celebrated show horses require similar appliances to display that high and stately action which catches the attention of the crowd, and draws the approval of the judges. ” The pleasure animal, the ‘‘common or garden 11g FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE horse, the race horse, and the pony in all his heights will do perfectly well in tips, or barefooted if due allowances are made for rest and for recu- peration of the horn-producing vessels from time to time. The writer has proved this time and again, not in isolated cases, but with dozens of horses, and of all ages and conditions, but natur- ally not without close personal supervision, and a knowledge for himself that all details were attended to, all directions carried out. Grooms, black- smiths, and even the average horse-owner are opposed to all innovations, and even if they adopt them, do so more with the idea of proving them impractical than the reverse. Fair trial is what all such plans should be accorded, however, espe- cially when so great an economy is possible. If you chase hither and yon to save a cent a bushel on oats or a trifle on hay, why not fairly try a scheme that will save you many dollars per annum, — not only in smith’s bills but in wear and tear of horse-flesh? We all agree that the first thing to do when we turn our horses out is to either pull off the shoes or to replace them with tips, and thus equipped we allow them probably to travel several miles daily in ranging over their pasture, — and that means a good many miles 120 tHE} FOOT (AND PES°TREATMENT when we consider the quality of the average pasture-ground! What is there to ordinary har- ness or saddle work that is more exacting, or likely to wear away the horn? If you fear to try it on the front feet, treat the hind after this plan ; and if it seems too radical to leave the subject barefoot all summer, take the early spring or the winter snows for the experiment. The only means of keeping a shod horse safely on his feet over the treacherous wet asphalt is to either leave him barefoot, or to shoe him with a rubber pad, which is a fairly faithful imitation of the surface of his unshod foot. These rubbers are acknowledged to be the only artificial means to this end, yet we pay four dollars a pair for them when Nature, if we give her a chance, will provide them as good in every way, gratis ! When you shoe in full, use a narrow one, thin at heel and flat on the foot surface, being very carefully fitted there, fitting the foot like a second edition of itself. Discard knife or buttress res- olutely, and be sure that the rasp will remove all that needs displacing, and usually a good deal more if you don’t watch the operator carefully. This instrument will shorten the toe, level the tread, and do the whole work, including rasping 121 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE a sharp point on the clinches so that they may hammer smoothly down. Never permit these to be drawn too hard, and after they are turned down, just smooth them (wot the foot) over with the rasp, thus leaving intact the delicate covering of the foot. Such a shoe should be convex on the ground surface, and the big natural frog assists this very narrow protection, which rests upon the bars as intended, and not upon the sole, to provide a good foothold, and to minimize the concussion to the limit. Indeed, such a shoe is quite as useful as though sharpened even in the frostiest weather, and provides quite a secure footing. Bevelling of the toe should always cause the new shoe to imitate the shape which travel had caused the old one to assume, and we are very careless in not recognizing this need and compelling the horse to anew stub away his toe until a comfortable angle is reached. Six nails, and generally five are enough for any shoe, and these should be driven at a sharp angle with the ground surface so as to take a short hold of the horn, and to come out as near the ground surface as possible, and at the same time to cross the grain of the horn, over-lying just enough of it to afford the clinches a nice hold. 122 PHE FOOT AND ITS) TREATMENT All nail holes must grow down as the horn grows, and have no other way of disappearing; hence the closer they are to the ground the quicker they grow down and the sounder the foot, which a number of different appertures greatly weakens. For this reason, also, the nail holes should be well spread apart, and the shoe not drawn too tight; in fact it should always be easy at the heels and quarters, and so that daylight is visible between horn and metal there. Pricking and serious wounds to the foot may be avoided and proper direction of the nails insured if the nails are gently driven with repeated taps of the ham- mer and not banged home with a blow or two as if one were welding a boiler-plate. Owners should insist upon this precaution and leave any artisan who will not take it. The man doesn’t live who can properly and quickly apply a shoe by “ cold-fitting,” and nothing is gained by the process, any way. Excessive heat should not be allowed in the shoe about to be applied, but this mistake is not usual. Shoe always as lightly as is commensurate with labor, and thus avoid all needless concussion, and jar to feet, legs, and body. Our efforts should all be directed to preserving the natural 123 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE and original shape of the foot and not to attempts to improve upon what is already exactly suited to the animal’s needs. The blacksmith of to-day is a man of great skill and intelligence, wide awake to the advance of methods and to the new departures in his trade. He is competent, asa general thing, to not only apply but to originate patterns suitable to the case at hand, and to-day the diseased or irreparably abused foot is becoming quite uncom- mon — and to this end the daily and the sporting press have worked their active part. No details of this kind are too much trouble forthe owner to take, and any man who assumes to take horses under his charge and into his stable is deficient in his duty as a man, and as a master, if he does not as thoroughly insure their ability to comfortably do their work as he provides their food and shelter. Certain diseased conditions of the foot necessi- tate special shapes of shoes, but many or most of them will be as quickly relieved by the methods given here as by more complicated means, all of which are valuable according to the faithfulness with which they imitate nature and allow her processes to proceed undisturbed. 124 Chapter xX THE APPOINTMENT FAD ORRECT appointment may, for want of a better definition, be described as a genuine harmony of all details and outlines, quietness of ornamentation and color, and appropriateness of animal, vehicle, and equipment in every essential, resulting in the perfection of good taste, inconspicuous in detail, yet thoroughly competent for the purpose in- tended. Let caprice be ever so rampant, and personal predilection ever so pronounced, he who is thus turned out is correct beyond dispute, and when this fact shall have been generally accepted, we shall arrive at really intelligible and intelligent results, and cease splitting hairs over the absurd issues which are to-day held paramount. Foreigners are vastly amused at our laborious efforts in this direction. The English and French whom we assume to imitate, go to no such ridicu- lous lengths, and, in fact, save in the matter of E215 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the equipages which they use upon state occasions and court days, elect in all such matters to indulge liberally in personal preference and convenience. If they, after centuries of trial, have reached such practical conclusions, by what right do we arro- gate to ourselves the power to set up standards in such matters, since, seventeen years ago, before the inception of the horse-show as a public educa- tor, we few of us soared above the level of the carryall, the buggy, and the chaise, distinctively American vehicles, which it is doubtful if we have ever, for practical use, greatly improved upon. It must not be imagined that any intention ex- ists of ridiculing the methods by which we have arrived at the generally attractive ensemble which nowadays predominates; on the contrary, there can be nothing but praise for the amateurs who have given so liberally of both time and money to attain perfection in such details; but this con- ceded, it can hardly be denied that there is a con- stant straining for effect which inevitably prevents lack of uniformity of arrangements, and the adop- tion of any definite standard of excellence, and seems to insure the arrival at results but too often as bizarre as unworkmanlike. Dictatorial selec- tion has almost completely overridden common- 126 “daLNIOddY ATLY IN Lee eee : é , b! “ - a ots : : 4 cs . a A E, 7 x ~~ o¢ VO - >, . aig i : te ‘ i] = x ° © izie J e ( be “a ete! ’ 4 » . - 38 a ui « v) nr . by i 5 i f ns ' Wesmeaine is Aen te = a 4 ~ ¢ THE APPOINTMENT FAD sense appropriateness. Everything very plain, and very neat is the acme of good taste. Of course one realizes that we are passing through a curiously abrupt transition stage in these matters. So many more people “keep a > carriage” than formerly, such a number of us have become suddenly and extremely wealthy, and, this being the case, desire that our equipages shall produce upon the general public the same feeling of amazement and gratification which we ourselves continually experience in such contem- plation, believing that by garish display such ends may be attained. Among the most common of our failures is our curious habit of keeping horses, carriages, har- nesses, servants, etc., all (or most) excellent of their kind, but, in their relations to each other total misfits. One constantly finds pretentious equipages thus appointed: the smart miniature brougham drawn by a pair of coach horses, and having two fat and heavy servants on the box; the imposing landau “ turned out” with a couple of slight and light servants, a pair of small and narrow horses at the pole lapped in harness suit- able for light phaeton use, or some huge old family brougham similarly appointed. Liveries are 127 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE often most extraordinary in cut, color, and con- ception, and too often of the “ hand-me-down” patterns of the ready-made establishments, while, if breeches pass muster, boots are apt to be shock- ing, and to look as if James wore them while washing the carriage and milking the cow. Again one sees a really fine and perfectly appointed ve- hicle disfigured by the figures and faces of the men in charge, who look as if they might, either of them, fit the innuendo of the London ’bus driver in Punch, who says to such a one, “ Now, then, gardener, when will the coachman be well enough to get about again?’ Trim and present- able servants are a most important detail of any establishment, and care in their selection is as 1m- portant to the general effect as that exercised over horses, carriages, etc., and infinitely more so than the quibbles and squabbles we are constantly obliged to endure while learned authorities (? ) ponderously argue over the location of the breast- plate upon the wire of the kidney-link, and the merits of three rivets (clips outside) on the hame tugs, or the relative propriety of square, horse- shoe, or D-shaped blinkers. Although seeking to establish rules for such details, yet we allow our servants to assume an 128 . THE APPOINTMENT FAD attitude upon the box suggestive of nothing so much as “the monkey on a stick” of “The Geisha” fame, as grotesque as inappropriate, as uncomfortable and unbusinesslike. This “cor- rect’’(?) attitude (and not a few of the masters have adopted it themselves) consists in perching upon the very edge of the cushion, with the back much hollowed, knees much bent, and the heels against the edge of the seat fall ; a position calcu- lated apparently to project the contortionist into space if perchance his gee-gee make a mistake or stumble. This posture undoubtedly was origin- ally adopted by some short footman or lad who could not otherwise reach the heel-board, and being perched upon the vehicle of some ultra- smart owner, it was assumed that this must be the dernier cri in form, and forthwith this atti- tude of compulsory discomfort became the posi- tion of established fashion. That any self-respect- ing amateur, however, should thus make a show of himself is as senseless as it is un-American. Another and more serious offence against or- dinary common-sense appropriateness of detail we notice when our carriage pulls up at the door and our footman must jump down into the mud, snow, or dust, and amid traffic, run thence 9 129 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE around the carriage or horses, before he can ap- pear at the door where we sit; nor when in mo- tion can we readily, from our seat on the right side, get at this servant, who sits upon the left, the place of all others where he is not wanted. Wherever traffic tends to the left, the coachman sits upon the right for the very excellent reason that his seat-mate may then alight upon the side- walk, or doorstep, wherever he pulls up, and be- cause thus placed, he can see his outside wheel, gauge distances, detect and avail himself of open- ings far away in the tide of travel constantly drawing nearer him, his horses meanwhile winding smoothly in and out, never suddenly checked, sharply turned, or quickly started. For the same identical and excellent reasons he should, where traffic is to the right (as in America), sit upon the left, and there is absolutely no logical reason for sitting elsewhere. Remember, also, that as you (and your servant) are constantly hindered in city streets, because from your (and their) seat on the wrong side you cannot avail yourself of the chances offered, you yourself further obstruct trafic, as do the thousands of others who adhere to this utterly unreasonable custom. Originality is something. It at least shows that 130 THE APPOINTMENT (FAD one has given thought and attention to the matter in hand, and has an individual opinion; but slavish and unreasoning imitation is less than nothing, especially the imitation of methods and customs which have no reason for existence; and in no detail of appointment matters does this imitation reach such dangerous and ridiculous lengths as in that connected with the harness, its “trappings and its strappings.”” Thus, once up- on a time, the punctilious pundits who adjudicate upon such matters, proclaimed that no harness was properly arranged for use with a carriage owned or driven by a lady, unless it included lace housings, fronts, rosettes, and loin straps; sub- sequently it was determined that such trappings were en regle only when a servant drove, and were a part of the full dress equipment imperative only where he was to take active pare.) At the Garden, 1901, not a single carriage was thus “turned out”’ (in the brougham class for pairs), and the only housings were those borne by a pair which got fourth, — these being of brass curb-chain pattern! In view of these absurdities — for really they are nothing else — why pay any attention to details? One cannot change frequently enough to be correct. Judges endorse at one show the 131 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE angular outline of the high-backed Victoria (which found such speedy oblivion, thank Fortune), and at the next they insist upon the graceful, flowing lines of the beautiful sea-shell pattern. Now for this, and again for that, but all as caprice or fancy dictates; and never do the safety and practical usefulness of either carriage, harness, or methods of “putting to” the horses appear as factors either in public appreciation or show ring de- cision, while some of the requirements are posi- tively dangerous and unsafe. For example, pole straps must never go around the collar-throats (nor must the breast-plates), and yet, otherwise, the whole weight of the vehicle, etc., which may be three tons of coach and passengers, is stopped and held back, by what? Why, by a hames-strap not half an inch wide, nor a quarter of an inch thick, confined by a tiny buckle with a tongue (on which all the strain may come) no larger than a match —a mere bit of wire —and bear in mind, if this wire breaks, and the pole straps are not around the collars, everything goes. So with the breast-plate, which, properly (?) appointed, must work upon the kidney-link wire only. Of what earthly use is it there in case of need? and how generally you find it so loose that it never tightens 132 THE APPOINTMENT FAD even when horses back, and yet all is passed as “correct” and proper! The almost universal abandonment of breeching in all light, and some heavy, four and two-wheeled vehicles also affords its elements of great danger, and has, from the unaccustomed pressure on the root of the tail caused by holding back, brought about many a kicking match and ensuing bad accident. How consistent we are in insisting that the ninety- pound one-man wagon shall be provided with breeching, etc., while the one-thousand-pound tandem cart, for instance (carrying possibly four passengers), would be regarded as extraordinarily “ out of line” were it so appointed ! What utter nonsense is all this matter of at- tempting to draw fine distinctions between finger or anchor hame drafts, open or jointed hame links, square or horseshoe buckles, pads, straight pattern or otherwise, where and how the hame- clip-rivets are placed, or when and how certain bearing reins and bits may or may not appear! Judges walk out of the show ring after “ settling the hash” of all comers in one of these appoint- ment classes, and the winner bears away the blue with his collar so short and narrow he can hardly breathe, gag-checked so his backbone creaks, his #33 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE browband so narrow it cuts his ears, his blinkers so close he cannot see, and producing uncomfort- able heat about his eyes, his backstrap so short that only his cramped condition prevents his kicking the trap to pieces, his pad too narrow in the tree, and his hame tugs gripping his shoulders ; girthed so tightly that he wants to lie down (and sometimes does). However, he has his rivets and breastplate all right, and the judges receive the plaudits they are conscious of deserving. Nor is this an imaginary happening. You may see it at pretty nearly every show you visit. The harness makers and carriage builders are sadly hampered in their undertakings by the va- garies of show ring judges in so illogically and so constantly changing the standard; for what is O. K. one season is all wrong the next. It is true that these industries frequently venture, upon their own accord, into the realms of the fantastic and the wonderful, and we all remember some of the extraordinary contraptions which have been thus evolved and put upon the market; harness as hideous in detail as ensemble, vehicles telescop- ing or expanding in all directions, and providing everything from a baby carriage to an ambulance, according to what springs were pushed, and what 134 THE APPOIN FMENT FAD arrangements were unfolded. Such contrivances, of course, can never be seriously considered, but there should be certain standard types that shall be permanent, duly authorized and accepted as correct. The associations which regulate the in- terests of such industries have it in their power, by proper action and adequate representation, to accomplish much in these directions, and they should attempt it. Horse shows have done much to awaken inter- est, and forward undertakings in these details. Never a little local show occurs that is not fol- lowed by a smartening of the neighborhood equipages. Even though evanescent in effect, the good seed is sown, and it is wonderful to turn back seventeen years, to the time of our first exhibition, and realize how general has been the “sprucing up.” It is not so very long ago (when we were lads, though, dear me, that is a long way back !), but, anyhow, then the smartest thing one could find on our public highways was a landau drawn by a pair of logy, long-tailed horses, caparisoned with what is now the “com- mon or garden” depot hack harness (including oftentimes overdrawn checks), coupled far apart, so that, like ancient mariners, “they looked east, 135 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE they looked west,” and engineered by an aged re- tainer whose livery was, in winter, the boss’s cast- off overcoat, and in summer one of his linen dusters, while those really inclined to be devilish, ornamented the beaver hat, which crowned the whole, with a velvet band and a silver buckle! With his ‘‘Galways” fluttering under his chin and ears, and a rein clasped in each white cotton gloved hand, these faded Jehus plodded solemnly over the drives and through the parks, as thor- oughly convinced that they were the “correct thing”” as were their complaisant employers. These equipages, while they would hardly fill the bill from latter-day standpoints, were thoroughly American, generally useful and distinctly individ- ual, as were the old-time carryalls, chaises, and buggies which have never, for real comfort and convenience, been improved upon. Were James still in the flesh, and were the old bays yet jog- ging about, think how easy it would be to find them in line after the opera; James’s flamboyant whiskers giving off their zolian melodies, and the bays, as handy as a yoke of oxen, monopo- lizing the whole_street! As it is, Jones, Brown, and Robinson are in dire distress to pick out the family outfit, so dismally alike do they all 136 THE APPOINTMENT FAD appear, and unless Jones has had the nerve to ornament his blinkers with a crest (which prob- ably does not belong to him), he is only kept out of Brown’s brougham by the positive refusal of Brown’s footman to allow him to enter. There are certain native vehicles, and various arrangements of harness, etc., which are distinc- tively American, and light, comfortable, and con- venient, but these are relegated mostly to country and seashore use where “it really makes no dif- ference.’’ Surely we might be more independent, more patriotic, and less imitative of the methods, manners, and management of other countries. Because a certain thing is English or French, does not necessarily prove it either correct or ap- propriate for our needs. American carriages, harnesses, etc., on distinctly national models, are making huge advances in Great Britain and all foreign countries, because our styles are light, durable, practical, and sensible. Can we not appreciate our own blessings, and like- wise endorse native enterprises, without supinely (and often mistakenly) trying to imitate alien fashions? New carriages from the best builders run in 137 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE price about as follows: brougham, $1,200 to $1,500; Victoria, $800 to $1,200; runabout, $300 to $450; gig, $450 to $600; coach, $2,200 to $2,700; hansom, $1,000 to $1,200; spider, stanhope, or demi-mail phaeton, $800 to $1,200; carryall, or depot wagon, $250 to $600. Excellent vehicles may, however, be obtained from builders of lesser note for fully thirty per cent less. Second-hand carriages in good repair will average about one quarter the price they bring new, and many capital bargains may be obtained by visiting the auction rooms, taking care to buy closed vehicles in the spring, and open in the fall, for the reason that the opposite condition of the seasons makes them cheapest then. Harnesses average about like the appended figures: brougham single, $150, double, $300; hansom, $80; four-in-hand (park), $400; road, $175; runabout, $85; tandem, $200; road harness, $35 to $150; all these prices vary- ing according to the maker’s reputation, to the mounting (whether brass or silver), and to the extra ornamentation and finish. Second hand they bring prices according to condition, but averaging about thirty per cent of the original 138 RHE APPOINTMENT) FAD cost. Excellent plain new harnesses may be had at $50 single, and $125 double, and road harnesses at $25; all good purchases, and as durable, practically, as any, but not quite so finely finished. 139 Chapter XT THE SADDLE-HORSE HILE the comparatively recent in- terest in all outdoor exercises has given renewed impetus to the glo- rious pastime of riding, and while fashion originally conferred upon it the seal of approval because it was English, and therefore proper, no nation has from necessity been more generally a user of saddle animals than Americans. From the early days of settlement, the pacer of the Providence Plantations and the more or less thoroughly “ gaited”” horse of other sections were the regular means of locomotion throughout all our great country, until gradual civilization and adequate road provision made possible traffic upon wheels. Just in proportion as the possibility of vehicu- lar transportation increased, the care for, and the attention to, the saddle beast decreased, until the advent of railroads and decently kept highways 140 | ‘UMIUAV) LHOW AL VY THE SADDLE-HORSE and “pikes” produced among our hustling citi- zens the rush, hurry, and drive which left neither time nor inclination for the pursuit of equestri- anism as an enjoyment, and, as fast as settlements became established, saddle-horses gave way to wheels, double impetus being given to this move- ment from the very beginning, through the fact that our ingenious mechanics at once produced a vehicle which for easy riding qualities, for strength, and for ease of draft has never been excelled even unto this day — the old-fashioned, leather-hung chaise of our boyhood’s days (and long before). In certain districts of the South and West the mild climate, and the imperfect condition of the roads at certain seasons of the year, rendered the use of the saddle-horse a necessity, and all children must ride perforce, as soon as able to get about alone. This bred a love for such exercise in these sections, and as society drew into closer connec- tion, the class of horses bred, and their thorough education, became a matter of great local pride and intense rivalry. Even these sections, how- ever, while they produce and market many of the best saddle-horses seen, have ceased to really use them in a general and matter-of-course way, so that go where you will, you find wheels in use in 141 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE every place where they are possible, and in many localities where they would seem impossible; the plain fact being that Americans, as a race, are not enthusiastic sportsmen, and care little for outdoor exercise for recreation’s sake. This is of course the thoroughly natural result of inheritance, en- vironment, and tradition. Our children’s chil- dren, the descendants of all our latter-day polo players, huntsmen, golfers, riders, drivers, yachts- men, etc., may logically and probably prove the most thorough and genuine sportsmen in the world, but we are, most of us, too near as yet to the counter, the desk, the office, the plough, pick, and shovel of hard-working, frugal, determined ancestors, whose pleasure was work, whose relax- ation was preparing for more work, and whose enthusiasm was all for the mighty dollar, its ac- quirement, its husbandry, and its augmentation. What the Narragansett pacer was to the Provi- dence Plantations, was imp. Diomed and his de- scendants to the Middle, the middle Southern, and the middle Western States ; but the ambling pal- freys of those days would find but little favor in modern eyes, either in gaits or appearance. The thoroughbred — the pure blood —was but little used for riding, although his more or less direct 142 | THE SADDLE-HORSE descendants were much appreciated, and, owing largely to the long journeys and the usually wretched roads, necessity and native ingenuity quickly set about methods to increase the ease to the rider, and furnish to him, and his not infrequent female companion em” croupe, an easy gliding gait which should neither discommode the lady, nor fracture the eggs and bottles which were a not infrequent part of the cargo. The slow amble, or pace (most easily taught to animals of the proper conformation) was in gen- eral use, and even in those early times the hob- bles were used for purposes of education, and the legs tied together laterally until the “side- wheeling” motion had been acquired. This pace it was found was transmissible, and horses of a certain shape either possessed the gait from birth or readily acquired and easily performed it. From this beginning followed, at brief intervals, the de- velopment of the single-foot, or rack, the fox- trot, and the running-walk, but just in what order no man knoweth. While the gaited saddle-horse — the five gaited beast — of the West and South is upheld by his admirers as the only properly educated “ saddler” (an excellent, expressive, thoroughly American 143, FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE and necessary word), he has found but limited favor in the East, and none at all in foreign coun- tries except in Cuba and Mexico. The reasons for this are plain and logical; simply that the saddle-horse is used for separate purposes in the two localities, and that his adherents in the West, and his detractors in the East, are, from their point of view, both right. Your easterner rides gener- ally for exercise, and for the deliberate and sole purpose of jolting up that sluggish liver, or les- sening the pressure upon that bulging waistcoat ; he is also generally an individual of limited leisure and to him the trotting hack presents the quickest means of attaining his end; moreover, all his tra- ditions and associations are with the English style. Your westerner, generally a man of spare habit, finds his pleasure in the gliding motion, the nim- bleness and the ease of the gaited horse, and his theories and environment blind him to the fact that he is compelling his animal to pursue his course at artificial paces, usually of the most tiring description, the rack —the favorite pace — being most severe and exhausting, since to properly per- form it the animal must go well up to his (curb) bit, must bend himself thoroughly, and must use hocks and knees as well as shoulders and stifles. 144 THE SADDLE-HORSE The running-walk and the fox-trot are easier for the horse, and are most comfortable all-day gaits for the rider; but when all is said and done these gaits are absolutely artificial, and most un- natural to one’s four-footed partner, as proved by the fact that no loose horse ever employs them, and every animal unless kept constantly collected and made to differentiate them, will so run one into the other, and so scuffle and shuffle in his efforts to ease himself that all clearness is destroyed,and none can tell where one begins and the other ceases. Although a “ saddle-horse register”’ has been started, and although the advocates of this variety of horse have made and are making persistent efforts to persuade the public of the vast merits of their commodities, the demand for gaited horses steadily decreases in the markets of the world. The walk-trot-canter horse is the one the public wants. If one uses it regularly, and was brought up to (and on) it, the square trot is the easiest for man and horse, the most natural, and the most sen- sible, whether for long distance or short, for close seat or “‘ posting ’’. (that is, rising in the stirrups). Nearly all over the world this is the standard gait, and it is no more tiresome than any other, Ze) 145 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE once the equestrian passes the novice stage. The cowboy trots his pony as persistently as the park rider his hack, and the two opposite styles of seats and saddles prove equally adaptable ; in fact, the trot is the regular plains gait for long distances. The walk is the most neglected pace the horse pursues, and few, indeed, are the animals that can perform it fairly, squarely, flat-footed, fast, and free. The hardest horse to beat in the show ring is he who comes striding in one, two, three, four, hind feet under girth, head nodding, quar- ters, shoulders, knees, and stifles all at work; and, whatever his faults, he is the one his owner parts with most reluctantly, and regrets perpetu- ally. Occasional prizes have been given at our shows for walking, but, because they have not been especially exciting and attractive to the crowd, they have been generally abandoned. By all means possible, however, should proficiency be encouraged, not only for the amount of pleas- ure obtained, but through mercy for the horse, for none is so perpetually overworked, so regu- larly over-urged, as the slow, plodding, awkward walker, rarely allowed to pursue the pace because he does it so badly. The canter is rarely properly performed, and 146 THE SADDLE-HORSE one sees constantly winners in show-rings which have not really and properly cantered a yard, their nearest approach to that feat being a more or less slow gallop, in which they change their lead (if indeed they do change) by “ main strength and stupidity,” and not because they are properly educated or really proficient. Changing the lead- ’ ing leg in cantering “ figure eights” is not enough proof of a really trained “saddler.” Any horse, which is supposed to be A 1, should change his lead at his rider’s will in straight going; do it properly and cheerfully, with hind legs well under, face perpendicular, balance perfect, mouth light, and cadence exact. The collected canter is very trying, and if one lead is regularly used, the hind leg of that side is sure to finally go wrong in the hock, or at other weak points. Horses are imitative to a wonderful degree, and a youngster can have no worse mentor than a calm, sluggish “old un,” which saunters along at all paces, and is never in a hurry; while the elder’s improvement can only be accomplished by most diligent forcing into his bridle, riding him every yard by knee, calf, spur, and voice, literally “making him over again” if the job is not aban- doned in disgust before completion. 147 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE The pace of the saddle-horse at the trot can rarely be improved. His method may be vastly bettered, of course, but the pace at which he can go squarely, without hitch or skip, is pretty accu- rately measured out to him at birth, and, beyond doing his work in proper form, little improve- ment can be made. The canter, being strictly an artificial pace, may, and should be in every case, perfected to the last degree. Proper bitting, sup- pling, frequent changing of direction, riding in small circles and figure eights, backing, ‘“ passag- ing,” and the use of the pirouette, and the pirou- ette renverse in a crude form, are all necessary elements of education. What a, b,c, is to erudition, what ignorance is to knowledge, what crudity is to perfection, is ordinary horsemanship to /a haute école, and it 1s inconceivable that horsemen, amateur and profes- sional, should ignorantly sneer at this most deli- cate and most essential art; the plain truth being that but very few have the intelligence or the ability to learn or to apply it. What calis- thenics are to the imperfect man, are these gym- nastic exercises to the improperly developed horse, and that is the substance of the whole thing. Writers and teachers of this art have purposely 148 THE SADDLE-HORSE so hedged about their explanations (?) with verbi- age and mystery that the public have come to regard it as either a stupendous task, or a mere circus performance, than which nothing can be farther from the truth. The “high school” horse of circus and western production, which does a few “jig” and march steps under the powerful administration of curb-bit, spur, and whip, is as much like an adept at /a haute école, as a grub Its like a butterfly. We have never had ten thoroughly educated high-school horses in this country, nor six men who were capable either of training them, or of imparting their knowledge to others. In all forms of riding is this art most essential, and he who has it will turn a polo pony quicker, will hand a hunter over an “inthricate lep”” more successfully, will get the last ounce out of a “‘ chaser,” will skim the rails closer in a race, than his more ignorant confrere, and the rudiments of it should be imparted (as they easily are) to any beast used under the saddle. The proper signals, the proper aids in equestrianism are so absolutely a matter of plain common-sense, and so generally misunderstood or neglected, that it is a marvel that the most polite of animals does not rid him- 149 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE self of his intolerable burden oftener than he does. Stand at the entrance to the park any day, and you can see nine hacks out of ten turn the corner wrong foot first; start to trot, or (especially) to canter at signals from those on their poor old ridgepoles which mean exactly opposite to what they say, and which those patient heads and anxious hearts have, after vast effort (and many failures), learned to interpret backward, so to speak ; figuring out that a touch of the right heel (or a jab of the right spur) means “lead right” (not left, as nature diagonally intended); that a jab in the mouth and a stroke on the off-shoulder if a lady is on board; that the left rein pulled across the neck means go to the right; that the fact that one’s rider pulls the right rein, and signals to one’s hind quarters to go the »”? means ‘“‘ canter same way, must be disregarded as to the latter intimation; “ whoa’? sometimes means stand perfectly still, and then again it doesn’t; while “c’lk, clk” may mean go very fast, or walk a little quicker, but which, one can’t tell until one tries. That our saddle-horses are not as a rule more perfect in training and manners is due chiefly to that impatience, that eagerness for results, how- ever imperfect, which is so thoroughly a part of 150 THE SADDLE-HORSE the American character. Much time, patience, and money must be expended upon the animal to make him as perfect in his work as he should be, and for this scientific labor the buying public are not willing to pay prices fairly remunerative to trainers. Again, the average American equestrian is not himself sufficiently proficient to ride a really highly educated horse, as his impulsive nature will not allow him to expend the time or money necessary for competent instruction, and its ac- companying adequate practice. As a consequence his seat is generally insecure, his hands of course of the worst ; while of the proper aids to the art he has not the faintest conception, and further- more generally takes vast pride in his ignorance. Hands — that delicacy and pliability of touch which is so necessary for the proper performance of all equestrian evolutions, are absolutely depen- dent upon a secure and elastic, properly balanced seat, and to this there is no royal road but that of constant rehearsal under competent supervision. The riding schools will teach any one to “remain” upon a steady old school slave in a course of from fifteen to thirty lessons, and with this the average citizen is satisfied. 151 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE If you must buy a horse for saddle use on one qualification only, be sure he moves his hocks well, and “goes off them ” as the dealers say. A good deep slanting shoulder is valuable; a well set head, and a long neck that “ bridles,” that is, bends well, is an advantage; a strong loin and back, and well-sprung ribs a blessing; good open feet, and broad, flat bone, with no “ dishing ”’ or “toeing out,” a requisite; but when all is pos- sessed (and said and done) if the animal does not “bend his hocks” he will never give you a really good and comfortable ride ; will lose his action and elasticity with fatigue; will tire to death in deep going, and will prove the failure that any machine must be when defective in its most important (and least considered) detail. Be sure your bridle and saddle fit, and are properly put on. The universally used double bridle is too frequently short in brow band, mak- ing it lie uncomfortably about the thin skin at the ears; the bridoon is generally placed three to five holes too high, and the rings are far too small, the bit too thin and narrow. What is called a “Dexter snaffle” makes the best possible bridoon bit. If the bridoon is too high, the curb-bit is as universally too low, the port too frequently pres- 152 THE SADDLE-HORSE ent, the arms too long. Look at the tender skin on which these weapons must rest; oh, reader! figure to yourself the agony easily inflicted, and buy the largest, easiest bits you can find, seeing that they lie always well below the angles of your patient servant’s mouth. ‘The saddle, well pad- ded everywhere, should be well clear of the shoulder blades, and, if you are a heavy man, be sure your tree is long and wide, that the pressure may be well distributed. If a woman, a thick felt, girthed separately about the horse, will afford a surface for your saddle to move on, while the affixing of your stirrup-strap to a billet on the off-cantle (after going around the body) will re- duce all shifting and consequent chafing to a minimum. If you will remember, after you have been out about thirty minutes, to have your girths tight- ened one or two holes, you will do well by your beast, and save a possible fall. Upon return, if saddles are left on for a while, the girths should be tightened to compensate for the weight re- moved, not loosened as is the custom; but if plenty of cold water is well applied the pores of the skin ‘will be closed, no injury or swelling result, and the saddle may be removed at once. Les, FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE The bending, suppling, and mouthing of the horse need only patience and common-sense. The horse must yield every time, not you, and if you make a mistake and give before he does, you will have much to do to repair your error. Caress always that part that yields (or that per- forms): the jaw, the neck, the shoulders, the croup, with whatever he accomplishes your wish ; reward that part immediately by caress (never word). As a clever teacher once said to his pupil, “If your little boy pleases you, do you kiss your little girl?” and that is the whole thing in a sentence, the secret of Baucher, the essence of equestrianism, which, if you regularly practise and believe, simplifies everything about horse- manship. When the jaw, neck, etc., yield easily and pli- antly at a stand, proceed at a walk straight, in circles, figure eights, etc., and at the passage both right and left, always returning to the halt if the animal gets out of hand, always beginning and ending the ride with a moment or two of station- ary bitting. The same manceuvres at trot and canter naturally follow, and form the last stages of the training of the average hack. Never tire the horse; two lessons of thirty 154 THE SADDLE-HORSE minutes each are much better than one of an hour, although occasionally a sulky or wilful pupil may keep you even two hours. Never punish without a reason that satisfies yourself, and always punish the part that has proved recal- citrant. Remember that a horse has two ends, and that it is essential to proper locomotion that both front and rear should be signalled to, guided, and always under proper control. Two methods of advance are possible, the diagonal and the lateral. For instance, the horse may lead in the canter with his right leg, but to do this his croup must first go to the right (of his own volition, or at the intimation of your left leg). He cannot canter in any other position, and your training him, and explaining to him what your leg, spur, or heel may mean, renders it impossible for him to do other than to perform your bidding properly and promptly, changing the lead by a reversal of sig- nals. A horse in training, and afterward, must be “ridden” every step. No partnership is pos- sible; he will do it his way if you are not master (and he “sizes you up” in a moment). He is kept up to his bit, made to bend, made to yield by constant, almost unconscious signals from the 155 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE legs, reinforced, if necessary, by occasional appli- cations of the spur. He will not even stand properly, or back collectively, unless the rider’s legs are doing their part. If it is desired to teach your horse to guide by the neck, a simple crossing of the reins under the neck, that a pressure on one side may accompany a pull on the opposite of the mouth, will quickly promote it; or the western “hack-amore,” a rope around nose and through mouth, will soon accomplish it roughly. As a civilian, however, you have two hands free, and will, if you ride much, find ample employment for both of them. There is no more reason for riding with one hand than there is for always mounting on the nigh side, as a moment’s thought will show you. Never speak to your horse more than fwo ‘words: “Whoa,” and Clk.” wanditdor pray do, forget the latter, or the exasperating “‘ P-w-e-e-e-p,” so often heard, at least when in company. You have no right to ride any one’s horse but your own, and your legs should suffice for that. Your “ Whoa” should mean but one thing —dead stop—and be always quick and sharp, never drawled. Make your horse back frequently, and never be satisfied unless he will 156 THE SADDLE-HORSE do so freely, promptly, and evenly, keeping him straight with leg pressure, and being sure he is in position to do so before the first step is asked. He cannot back unless he is, it is physically im- possible. The smaller the training inclosure, within cer- tain limits, the quicker will the animal learn, and the handier will he prove. A place fifty feet square is ample, or thirty feet wide and sixty feet long; a twenty-foot box stall is sufficient for all but the trot and canter. Read all the books on equestrianism you can find, but sift out the chaff and remember that, given a few facts and a certain amount of elemen- tary instruction, all depends upon practice, com- mon-sense, and “horse” sense. The hunting man and the equestrian who “learned to ride before I could walk, and was brought up on horseback” are apt to scout the idea that the riding-school affords an arena where- in may be learned anything likely to further their accomplishments, scorning the suggestion that they are not perforce competent for all emergen- cies. The performer who “always rode with popper from the time I was so high” is generally as arrogant as he is dense. L67 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE To wander at disconnected paces round and round a dull brown parallelogram is not, per se, wildly exciting, and the sight of awkward men and “‘ soggy ’’ women flopping about on the long- suffering old riding-school slaves, jagging their poor old mouths into ribbons, is enough to make one take,in horror, to the bicycle. ‘There ares however, other grades, but the kindergarten, in all schooling, and if one really sets about it, one will be aghast to find the amount one does not know, and to learn what a lenient critic was “popper.” As workshop to the artisan, as class- room to the student, as atelier to the artist, so should be the riding-school to the equestrian; a place for study, research, practice, and ultimate skilled performance. Any man of fair physical soundness may, if he will, progress far in this fas- cinating art, finding daily new fields of pleasure opening to him, and rewarded, not only by the ex- ercise afforded and health obtained, but by the de- light found in gaining mastery over an animal so companionable and so lovable as the horse. 158 Chapter XII THE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION HE ancient ‘receipt for “jugging” hare or rabbit began with the rather useful advice, “First catch your hare;”’ and an equally important de- tail concerning the education of hunters is to first get your apparently suitable raw material. Horses which in appearance and conformation are well worthy of consideration are passed by, or put to other work, far more generally than one would suppose, because the average buyer has set up false idols of worship, has been influ- enced, consciously or insensibly, by the drawings of Leech and of Sturgis, the works of Whyte- Melville, the Badminton books, etc.; has, in fact, acquired a “false eye,” and accepted quite errone- ous impressions as to what comprises essential hunter conformation and weight-carrying ability ; demanding a bulk and height which are not only absolutely unnecessary, but possibly detrimental. 159 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE A good weight-carrying horse is an easier ani- mal to find than one would imagine, if one will but abandon the untenable argument that lofti- ness and avoirdupois have necessarily anything whatever to do with such ability. These huge brutes of sixteen hands and upward have just two solitary points in their favor, — they are more proportionate, if their bulky riders be also very tall, and they make the fences look smaller. They are not as active as the smaller animal; their own body-weight is generally an uncomfort- able impost, after hounds really run, and when the ground, —as seldom is the case in America, because of the seasons at which we hunt, — affords heavy going; their size is generally a guarantee that, close up, there is a cross of the coldest kind of blood; their clumsiness, normally objection- able, is overwhelming when exhaustion impends, and they weigh a lot when the worst has come to pass, and you are trying to keep them off your wish-bone! Again the average heavy weight is short and—well, plump; and these tall beasts are as insurmountable as a mountain range when embarkation is at hand, and about as altitudinous to fall from. They are, also, perforce, too thick through for a short and stout man to ride com- 160 ‘WYOY door) . » lie RE hi at Aim THE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION fortably; even the extra length of stirrup- leather, which his round and short thigh compels, does not afford him a secure prop; and the same arguments hold against the tall saddle-horse as against the hunter. Modifications of these characteristics are most essential if comfort is to ensue. As hunters and hacks for men are almost always selected above the needful power, so those for feminine use are usually the exact reverse. If a woman walks one hundred and forty pounds, she will ride at or near one hundred and seventy pounds; yet any sort of slack-waisted, light-tim- bered screw is chosen for this job, doubly irk- some to it because weight and balance are mostly to one side; and this “ crock” effectually “ wipes our eyes” by frequently carrying his burden safely and satisfactorily for years; referred to as a mere “lady’s horse,” yet accomplishing tasks that would be considered impossible were they appreciated. How often, too, you hear men say, “Yes, I sold Honesty ; he carried me splendidly, but he was n’t up to my weight!” How curious that is! As if the performance did not conclu- _ sively prove the ability, be size, make, and shape _ what it might. The plains pony of six hundred pounds weight carries all day and every day, 11 161 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE most of the time at a canter or jog-trot, a two- hundred-pound man, a fifty-pound saddle, blank- ets, “slicker ”’ rope, pin, etc., about one-half his own body-weight, and this on grass alone, and of that only what he can pick up at intervals; the tiny burro lugs two-thirds his own weight and often more; yet we demand twelve hundred pounds of horse, high fed and fairly bred, to carry two hundred and fifty pounds of man and equip- ments for an hour or two’s gentle ride, or for a forty-minute hand-gallop, with checks thrown in, after hounds! Is there any reason in that? Surely not, and in buying these huge horses heavy men are seeking false types, and at unnec- essary expense; while in the fortunate lighter divisions the separations into the different grades of carrying ability are purely arbitrary, and use- ful for show purposes only. Any horse that will carry one hundred and sixty pounds properly will handle one hundred and eighty pounds just as well during the brief periods of use, especially if the rider does what any thinking man will, and slips off his gallant companion’s back at every check, —a feat which the tall horse usually precludes. English types and require- ments are different from ours, and we are neg- 162 THE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION lecting and refusing every day good and cheap hunters (and hacks) because of this erroneous idea of what constitutes weight-carrying ability. When all is argued, the inevitable facts remain, that action is what carries weight; that wind is strength; that rather drooping quarters, and hocks a little “set in,” and those hocks well flexed in action, insure ability at the jumping game; that while a fine, deep, sloping shoulder is beautiful, it is by no means absolutely essen- tial, not a few excellent performers being exactly differently constructed; that the short-backed, close-coupled, close-ribbed horse not infrequently has no “ liberty” to him; that some of the best weight-carriers are slack of loin, long of back, and light of rib; that horses must have length, at least below — “stand over” much ground proportion- ately ; and that as our thoroughbreds are gen- erally ruined by over-racing at two years, we can place but little dependence upon them, but must turn to the trotting-bred animal for our recruits ; and that these are fast enough, strong enough, and more manageable for the average equestrian. While our racing stables afford but barren fields for recruiting the ranks of our hunters, for the reason that, if good, the animals of suitable 163 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE age — three and upward —are too expensive, or too unsound, to be desirable; too light-framed, or. too crazy, etc., there’ are, on the »western tracks, not a few horses running in cheap selling races that are well worth purchase, and can be bought at suitable figures. There are also in the sales occurring annually at Lexington, Kentucky, in December, a lot of barren brood mares, stallions, and various racing misfits and failures, often very thin and out of condition, but selling for the merest trifle, that are well worth looking over. They run in price from $5 to $100, and the writer has seen many rare bargains, for hunting or hacking, going for a trifle. The objection that dealers and others have hitherto had to the thoroughbred is that there has existed among buyers an unfounded prejudice against him, and one found great difficulty in disposing of him even “in the raw.” If orders were placed with any purveyor to secure a certain number at a fixed price per head, they to be of certain height, etc., quantities could be cheaply secured. If the de- mand exists it can be economically supplied. Once bought, it remains to teach the young idea how to competently perform his task, and many and various are the methods in use. One 164 | THE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION should decide at the beginning which style of leaping he prefers: the “flying,” wherein a horse goes fast at all his fences, taking off a few feet away from them, or the deliberate, wherein he goes close “under” them; “lobbing” over, and jumping from a trot when occasion serves. The latter has always seemed the best for every reason; horses are more temperate, they may be stopped at the last moment if deemed wisest (and discretion is as valuable in hunting as in other pursuits); we seldom have to jump anything with a ditch, etc., on the “take-off” side, and horses take much less out of themselves. The “flying” fencer, on the contrary, becomes a ’ “rusher” under average handling; he cannot be easily stopped or turned, and be it five inches or five feet, he goes at it thirty miles an hour, taking just that much more useless exertion. If this is the “sort” desired, it is only necessary to have a >’ “rail ’ or alittle “ cripe”’ a‘ short distance in front of every schooling fence, and to let him go along at them; he will quickly learn to “stand away’ from everything, and swing over a fair space of ground on both sides. The concluding objection, and a very strong one it is, to the “flying” leaper is that while you may at any 165 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE time hurry your deliberate horse and make a ? “flyer”? of him, it takes much patience and a good man to restrain your impetuous friend to other methods, and make of him the calm and collected patent-safety conveyance which we all prefer. The writer’s own methods of schooling, applied to hundreds of horses, and always satisfactorily, save in a few cases of broken legs and necks which could not be prevented if education was to progress (the risks being fair for both because they were mutual), were always to get on a horse, and take him out jumping, with hounds if pos- sible, but anyhow never to let the pupil imagine for a moment that the excursion was a task, but to understand that he was only doing what he saw other horses do; going where they went, and always on the way to some place. Thus it was the custom, after the horse had been kept a few days at the stable, and ridden about the roads so that he had a general idea where home was (the place where he always was cared for), to start off with a boy on a “made” jumper, ride away into the country a few miles, turn into somebody’s fieid or woodlands, and ride across country toward home, taking what chance might bring. The steady horse 166 THE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION jumped first (and he must-be a “ flippant” fencer that will not refuse or swerve; preferably one that the pupil has accompanied about the roads, and stands next to in the stable). With him well over (and waiting) it was “up to” you who had been several lengths back, that your mount might catch the idea and see how the other horse per- formed (for no horse but a steeplechaser learns anything from schooling beside, or close to, an- other). The novice of course is equipped with a plain, large snaffle, or some of the combinations of such a bit according to necessities ; no “ double- bridle”’ should ever be used at such work ; acci- dent may catch the curb-rein, or you may unintentionally hold it too short, or accidentally hang on by it, and give your tyro a jab in the mouth that he never forgets and always associates with the proximity of a fence, spoiling him at once, possibly. Now, do, please, leave at home all theories as to “‘ how to doit,” and to “assist” your horse; remember this is Ais business, and you mind your own, which is simply to remain on board until the worst comes. When close up, urge him gently to a trot—he can judge height better thus —and leave him alone to leap, scramble, or fall as best he can. If he refuses, as he rarely 167 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE will if “‘ between your legs” as he should be, just try again, and let him see now that his comrade on the other side iswalking away from him. Never speak to him,and, above all, do not clap him onneck or shoulder to reassure him ; reward follows only per- formance. Now, somehow or other, he is over the obstacle (of course you are only asking for about three feet). This is your time for caress, and as you refrained before, accord it now. Jump off and make much of him at once, and bring the other horse back to him. How has he per- formed the feat? His brain has figured out that he must use his hind-quarters. He has done it, and immediately is with his friend. The points for caressing are the brain, the hind-quarters, and loin, and don’t for one moment imagine that he doesn't understand. Never caress him if he falls or bungles; he reached his companion, which is what he was trying to do, and the fall was an acci- dent, but the first time he lands clear, do your duty, and forthwith he is half-schooled. ‘“ Now I see,” he says to himself; ‘this curious creature who has always dominated and cared for me, ex- pects me to get clean over these things, and, as I bruise my shins if I don’t, and get petted if I do, I'll do my best to save myself pain, and give him 168 THE HUNTER AND His EDUCATION returns for his kindness.” After this experience he finds that he duly reaches home, to which the only apparent way led over the fences, is made much of, and well fed upon arrival. Practically your hunter is ready for you now, and if you never ask him for extraordinary efforts in cold blood (but heed only his manners and the form in which he works), you may attempt when hounds are running, to jump anything in (or out of) reason; he will try, anyway, and that’s all any horse or man can do. You may do about the same thing with hounds, and with no preliminary schooling ; letting him see the field go on, and then following quietly after for a mile or two; leaving off, for a few times, while he is still eager and fresh; and you will generally havea surprisingly safe ride. The nov- ice always jumps big, especially after he has rapped his shins once and, if he falls, he takes the greatest care not to hurt you, and, being unterri- fied by previous disaster, will always try to get up —a thing that an old horse will not always do, especially if a bit blown; and this it is very handy to have him attempt, if he is lying on your cigars — you may want tosmoke! In fact, in a long experience of riding all sorts of horses, 169 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE over, into, through (and under) about every im- aginable fence and combination thereof, the writer has never once been seriously hurt or broken any bones, except when riding the few “ made hunt- ers” that chanced, through some infirmity of temper, to be sent to him for coercion. Contrary to general opinion, it has always seemed bad policy to deliberately try to put horses down by arranging traps for them, and making them jump fences beyond their powers. Horses must fall, but let that come in the course of events, and when the blood isup. A hunter should be as bold as possible; and any fall that hurts him will never be forgotten, nor will it always make him more careful, for he sometimes seems to, desperately, take chances thereafter, and does not half try. Moderate-sized, unbreak- able fences are the things over which he may scramble and plunge, but if they do not break he concludes nothing will, and takes care not to test them. Better far three feet six inches 1n per- fect form over stiff fences, than five feet over loose bars that can be knocked off. Your neo- phyte never forgets the last occurrence, either ; and some day, when he is rather tired, he will take a chance at a big place, fail dismally, and 170 THE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION leave you a possible job for surgeon or coroner, according to your luck. If you find that your pupil persistently “hangs his knees” — that is, folds his forelegs from the knee, but not from the shoulder and elbow — get rid of him forthwith. He can rarely be cured of the fault ; he will never be safe with it; and if he does tuck those dangling limbs cosily under a stiff toprail he will give you a smashing fall that will — well, it will break your watch- crystal, anyway. Arogue, or a headstrong horse —as some excellent hunters originally were — is often well worth expending patience upon. Their failings are but the result of misdirected energy, caused by a bold and independent spirit, that will be invaluable once their confidence is gained, To this end patience and perseverance are the only means—never punishment. Ask them to do all sorts of unexpected (but perfectly possible) things ; being sure that you have plenti- ful leisure at your disposal, and never provoking an argument you are not prepared to carry through. Turn him out of the road and through that little gap and back again, or over that ditch ; ride up that woodland road, and out of it among the trees; when about to enter the stable, turn 171 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE and ride him away for a few hundred yards; every time he wants to go a certain direction, make him go some other, or wait until he does. Just sit there, that’s all; he will give in and finally have no mind of his own, once he finds it’s use- less, and that the quickest way to get through is to comply. Remember his mind only contains one idea at atime, that he is foolish and timid; that he obeys, not because he wants to, but be- cause you deceive him into thinking he can’t help himself. Once he has competently performed he needs no more schooling, and it is surprising to find how regularly every year many hunting men put that serves but to disgust them. All that is necessary is to get the muscles used in jumping in order, and, in our short drag hunts, preliminary jumping is not called for, especially if there be a hill any- where at hand—the longer the better— up which horses can jog, trot, and canter (walking down) for an hour or so daily. Nothing better can be imagined for the purpose, and a hunter ” their horses through a “ course of sprouts that knows his business is all the more keen if he never sees a fence from the last meet of our season to the first of another. If any schooling is done 172 THE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION it should be at low and stiff fences, and always with a rider, as the balance is different when the horse is burdened ; and, as the object is to exer- cise the muscles, he will do so more perfectly if he carries a man. That the pen—the enclosed school —is useful enough to bother about may well be questioned, and a few fences made with wings that will not interfere with the lunge-rein answer just as well, if that sort of schooling is at- tempted. These obstacles should, of course, be low —not over four feet — stiff, and may be ar- ranged in a small area so that the pupil on the long rein may negotiate them in turn. The is that the subject is very apt to find too many things to > trouble with “ pens” and “ lunging’ distract his attention. If he is going to his fence, and you are going with (and on) him, he can at- tend strictly to the matter in hand. Another objection to the enclosure is that it is too handy of access and too easy for you to play with. The temptation is strong to show Tom, Dick or Harry “ how the bay horse jumps,” and, as usu- ally happens, when he does not “put up” the clean and clear performance which delighted one yesterday, one is not unlikely to keep at him un- til he does, or becomes so much worse that he is m73 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE sent away in disgust — the truth being that his unusual efforts on the previous occasion have rendered him muscle-sore and disinclined to try. Reward and caress should follow performance here as elsewhere; and remember horses as a rule hate jumping. Water of any width is not usually met with in our hunts because the dragman does not cross it. If one would have his horses jump such obstruc- tions, however, it is very easily taught them, and despite the objection said to be entertained by English horses to brooks, etc., our horses make no great to-do over them. The education of a hunter in America is vastly simplified by the fact that we have practically only two varieties of fence, post and rails, and stone walls. The wall is of all obstacles the easiest of negotiation, and in fact, where that is the general form of fence to be met with, schooling is practi- cally uncalled for. There is apparently some- thing about a wall, perhaps its apparent solidity, that makes it, whatever its height, the most ac- ceptable of fences; nor does this fact change even when the agriculturist superimposes a “ sheep- rail,” perhaps a foot or more higher. Any horse that is not a cripple, or “ricked”’ in the 174 THE HUNTER AND HIS\ EDUCATION back, is a hunter in a stone-wall country, and the boldness and cleverness there acquired stand him in good stead when rails or gates must be encountered. The writer has ridden dozens of horses (rarely the same horse twice) over a nearby country, where walls, many of them capped and two feet thick, form the chief impediments, run- ning up to formidable heights, frequently crowned with “ sheep-rails ;”” interspersed with plank fences and post and rails; and although these animals had never seen hounds, nor a jump of any sort, was always up at the finish. This is only men- tioned (with apology) to show that personal ex- perience with quantities of horses of all sizes, shapes, and kinds, has proved how practical are such methods, and how generally wrong we are in all this schooling over which we make so much fuss and flurry; we will persist in trying to make an animal, who understands himself better than we possibly can, do Ais work after our fashion. Post and rails afford a fair and easy fence to the horse which has been deceived into thinking rails unbreakable; he can see any impending ditch clearly, and can in every way allow for just what exertion is necessary. Rails have a forbid- ding appearance to those who have hunted in a 175 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE wall country, but they are no more formidable in reality, the only difference being that your novice not improbably tries to break them when he is fresh, and certainly will when tired. The post is the safest thing to aim for unless it is too high above the top rail; your horse will try hard to clear it because it seems solid, and a rail broken or carried away may split and fall so as to impale him. Gates are always highly dangerous, for if they are hit, the latch is generally so weak that the gate swings with you, and you may get an awful fall. However, no sane man will ever essay a gate on a “‘oreen”’ one, if any alternative offers. Opinions differ as to the pace to be employed at timber, but as rails are really no more formid- able than walls, the same calm and collected rate should be preserved at both, more especially at timber, if no gripe shows beyond. A deliberate horse may always be hurried, if needful, and so far as pace having any bearing on the height to be successfully cleared, we all remember Ontario, who used (at last) to turn round the edge of the wing at a walk, make perhaps three strides, and clear six feet and upward. Lord Minto and many other extraordinary high jumpers approach their fences at a hack canter. Even the rushers, 176 THE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION coming to their fences like meteors, begin to “prop” a few strides away, and “take off” like the temperate ones. Therefore as doth varieties employ at the critical moment precisely the same methods, there is no argument left in favor of ex- cessive pace, and in America the flying leaper has no advantages over the deliberate. Wire is on the increase everywhere. The huntsmen of Australia are said to ride over this fence as a regu- lar thing, and it affords about all the leaping they have. By going at the posts one has a chance at such an obstacle, but it is only a chance, and while frequently nearly invisible against certain backgrounds, it also insures a hard fall and a badly cut horse if collided with. It will never prove a popular (!) fence, certainly, among even hard riders, and should it become universal, as apparently it must, hunting will be doomed. Neither “full bridles’’ nor spurs should be employed in schooling, nor (if rowelled) should the latter be used in hunting. They are thought to “ look well” because we are used to thinking that they set off a top-boot, but only one man in fifty knows how and when to use them, — and that individual leaves them at home. More Iz i | FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE refusers, worse rushers, more rogues and cowards have been made by these contrivances than by all others put together; and if you see a man down, and down hard, take another look and see if he isn’t wearing spurs, with which he has just done some foolish thing, or reminded his sprawling steed that he had before been ripped up at a sim- ilar place, insuring a scrambling jump and ensu- ing grief. Any horse that needs spurs to make him jump is no hunter, and no horse, properly educated, requires them, anyway. What a re- proach to a rider, on dismounting after a good run, to find his horse’s sides and shoulders punc- tured and bleeding, his spurs and boots blood- stained! half of the damage having been caused inadvertently, it is true, but not the less shocking for that. It has been well said that, with differ- ent combinations of the snaffle-bit, one can hold any horse. Leather or rubber-covered, four- ringed, nose-banded, gag-reined, running-reined, chain, twisted, double and single-reined, martin- gale or free, etc., the statement is very nearly true. Very few men are competent to handle prop- erly the double-reined bit and bridoon bridle, and it has had a recent vogue which is by no means 178 SHE HUNTER AND HIS EDUCATION itsdue. It is used, not for any special and intelli- gent reason, but because the saddler and other ad- visers recommend it. The simpler arrangements, relegated to the groom’s use, are just as appro- priate to the master’s, and if the latter is possessed of the fine and delicate “hands” which he will not allow that the menial possesses, he should be able to make his horses bend and carry themselves just so much better, with the same tools, than the servant. Experiment will prove what form is suitable to the mouth and to your hand, for the trouble may, and does more often, lie at your door than at the horse’s. Some of the arguments used, and of the meth- ods advised, may meet with scant favor. That, however, is not the point, and they are simply given as having proved useful in practise. We all have our own ideas about the best ways of accomplishing such feats, and as the main issue is the crossing of a country with safety and ease, and after as little preliminary trouble as possible, perhaps the plans recommended may at least be accorded a trial, results being left to speak for themselves. 179 Chapter XIII THE STEEPLECHASER AND HIS SCHOOLING i WENTY years ago,” as the old man in. * Adonis” -used to say, tie writer was once commissioned by a sporting friend to look out for a thoroughbred suitable for making into a steeple- chase horse. After diligent inspection of various winners, etc., the would-be purchaser was in- formed that there was nothing among the success- ful horses (on the flat) that “looked the part ” for the cross-country game, and the reply has never been forgotten, for wisdom and conciseness quite unique. “ You are watching the wrong end of the races,” it ran. ‘ Never mind the winners on the flat; see what is in front —and stops —at four furlongs. If he gallops rather high, and seems to give up because he can’t carry that action at the pace, buy him.” This epitome has since proved almost invariably true. 180 “adA T, ASVHOATdIIALS V DHE? SPEEPLECHASER “ Action carries weight.” ‘ Wind is strength.” “The best stayer is the sprinter, which only gallops while others race.” These three maxims really contain the essence of truth, so far, at least, as selecting cross-country material is con- cerned; and he who would go a-shopping would do well to bear them in mind. Countless have been the efforts to make over high-class flat- racers into crack steeplechasers, and in nearly every case the result has been dire failure. Years ago, in the late sixties, R. B. Connolly was fair at both games; later on, Post-Guard (General Phillips), and Resolute (Mart Jordan), and Day Star performed fairly well, but in these three cases it should be remembered that fences were all very small, and that horses of no reputation on the flat were beating all three of them in the turns that our pernicious handicap system as- sured. More recently Dr. Catlett, quite a good flat race-horse, ran successfully over the “ sticks,” but he generally beat nothing much, and was apt to fall if hurried. Howard Mann, winner of the Brooklyn Handicap, was put to jumping, and was big enough and strong enough, had such qualities been useful factors, to carry any weights ; but a trumpery hurdle-race or two was the best 181 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE he could annex. Fast horses (on the flat) have done well over hurdles, but practically never “through the field,” and have been regularly and signally beaten by horses which could not (over the flat) “see which way they went.” There is a reason for all things, as for this; but what is it? It has always seemed that the action was different was higher and rounder in the successful cross-country horse. Whether this makes to his advantage over grass, or in jumping, or at both tasks, has never been conclusively and logically explained. Certainly, however, it seems that somehow, and “some why,” this sort of action is essential to the suc- cessful -jumper; nor is the mere sprinting, fast horse any more likely than any other to prove a good performer, unless he is classed as a sprinter, for the reason that he cannot carry his high action at speed for any distance without tiring and stop- ping. This explanation is doubly logical because the gist of it is that the possession of speed proves the animal a high-class horse; and his zufrmity of excessive action, which causes exhaustion at top speed, prevents his taking the position, on the flat, which is his by right of ability. Handi- capped by this shortcoming, he, at other tasks, 182 THES PE RPLECHASER and at a slower rate of speed, finds his opportu- nity and develops into the crack ’chaser we ail admire. In other words, he 7s a high-class horse ; but even as a colt can hardly win the Futurity if he has but three legs, so the animal in question can only go a certain distance at top speed, be- fore fatigue compels him to give up, and he is calledsa“auitter:/and.,a “mete sprinter.” df such a horse turns out well over jumps, we pro- claim ourselves as wizards for selecting him; but we are blind to the fact that, if put at the same tasks on the flat—racing over a distance of two miles or more—he might have developed pre- cisely similar ability; and if we give him the chance, and the needful preparation, we not im- probably find that our ’chaser is fairly shifty at the “legitimate” game. It would be interesting to see one of our best cross-country horses spec- ially prepared for one of the fall long-distance flat races; he would, not improbably, give a re- markably good account of himself. Was it Whyte-Melville who called attention to the fact that in every case, after a long and exhausting run with hounds, the men “ present or accounted for’’ were invariably mounted upon little horses, old horses, and thoroughbred horses ? 183 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE The “ thoroughbred” and the ‘‘old” are quite matter-of-course, since no mongrel and no baby can do a well-bred man’s work; but there is ” much significance in the “little” part of it, — probably under 15.2 in contradistinction to the huge beasts that buyers will seek for, whether for hacking, hunting, or steeplechasing. What is there about a big horse that is so valuable? Does the elephant carry weight proportionate to his bulk and tallness? Surely not. And does not the flea jump many times his own height? The big horse has generally proved a failure at steeplechasing ; our cramped and almost circular courses are all against him and his long stride, and the fences come too close together. Again, if he hits one of them —at the pace our cross- country events are run—he jars himself to pieces, and if once off his stride, he is apt to drop right out of it. He is also harder on his legs, and consequently more difficult to get thoroughly fit than a smaller animal; he does not carry weight any better; he adds to his prospective handicap imposts because the handicapper cannot forget that he looks big and able; he doesn’t make the fences look smaller, because some of them are of miniature proportions now; he de- 184 | THE STEEPLECHASER velops and comes to his full powers much later ; he is dearer to buy; he eats (or let’s hope he does) more than’ the “little un;°” he weighs more when he rolls over you; he has everything against him, and nothing in his favor, except the fact that he “looks the part;” but how many failures do that, and how many “cracks” do not? These characteristics an embryo ’chaser must have: he must gallop rather high; he must flex his hocks ; he should have a fairly good shoulder ; and that extra length in back, and freedom in loin which is so generally decried and rejected, and without which no horse has the requisite liberty and length to properly “use himself” at the task. Long below and short above is all very well, but get the length, anyway. With a long hill (the longer and steeper the better), a fence, and a ditch you can condition any horse that is passing sound, and if he hath in- firmities the more does this afford appropriate environment. Trot up and walk back; canter up and walk down ; thighs, loins, all the jumping and galloping muscles developing at every stride, and wind and heart gaining strength steadily. Take a horse, so trained, to one of our steeple- chase courses and he will show a performance un- 185 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE expectedly good ; and whatever puts him down, it will not be weak or tired jumping muscles. We eternally exercise and gallop horses, under light weights, over dead flat roads and race tracks, and then marvel that they fall or are beaten off in their races ; nothing so confuses true “ form”’ in ’chasing as this fact. If one has not a hill, an ordinary horse power, such as is used for thresh- ing machines, is excellent; and any horse will go kindly in (and out) of it if he is fed init a few times before it is started up, and then moved slowly at first. An hour or so daily at this work will do wonders in developing muscles one never realized a horse had. It is an excellent arrangement, if schooling fences can be so placed that a horse jumps them as a matter of course on his return from his work, and thus clears from four to six fences unaware that he is being educated. Of course you can handle him like a hunter — and hunt him as well —if convenient; but the dwelling style of a good hunter is the last habit you want your tyro to acquire, and the trick may recur to him some fine day when the “money is down,” and he thus loses the all-important length or two, too near home to again make it up. You do not want 186 | THE STEEPLECHASER him to jump clear over anything, either, as that entails waste of power, but to “hear his feet rattle’ at every fence, as an assurance that not an inch too much is essayed. All his leaps will be regulation fences — banks, brush, water, and that idiotic “ Liverpool,” the most senseless, useless, trifling, un-American contraption ever incorpo- rated in requirements. Of these he will find cer- tainly ten inches flimsy brush, so that if he clearly and with certainty jumps three feet six inches the fence is not built on American courses that will put him down, nor is there anything to be gained by asking him to jump higher, by more than an inch or two. Some of our ’chasing enthusiasts perpetually school their horses over larger fences ; but the returns do not show that they profit by it— either owners or charges— but rather the reverse ; nothing is more irksome than rehearsal when the actor knows himself letter perfect ; some of these everlasting schoolmasters kill and maim not a few of their animals, while the balance of them fall about as often as those more leniently treated. The variety of jumps advised and legalized by the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association is sparse, and the obstacles are not those which, 187 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE in this country, are ever met with in the hunting field. || As “hunters ”’ are, /by “use (ofa) pigns fiction, supposed to race over these courses, they are described as “ fair hunting country ’’ — than which nothing wider from the truth and the actual facts can be imagined. Not only are our steeple- chase fences unfair, in that they do not in the very remotest degree resemble any American fence, but they are practically rarely built in accordance with the instructions issued by the N.S. & Hs AY They’ are: principally banks; brush jumps, anda so-called ‘‘ Liverpool.” This latter is neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, and is, even in the country of its origin (England), held up to daily vituperation alike by public, press, owners, and riders. Over it a shocking number of horses have been fatally injured, although it must be owned that such results have not so regularly ob- tained here, wherefore this criticism is restricted to condemnation of it as absurd and useless because it is not of national character. Rails, walls, slat- fences, brooks, board fences, etc., are legitimate obstacles, and those to be met with in riding across any American country. To these ab- solutely should our jumps be restricted; nor is there any reason for the adoption of other styles, 188 THE STEEPLECHASER and imitation of what is English. Our water jumps are as trifling as the other obstacles, and contain hardly enough liquid to make a splash when a horse lands in them. Again, from the circular nature of our courses, the field is always bunched close to the inside flags, and one can hardly find a footprint twenty feet out from them; thus making the going not unusually cuppy and rough on the inside of the course, and rendering the higher action more useful, in fact essential, than the “ daisy cutting.” Whatever hunting a horse may have done— and at whatever pace he may have been ridden — you find, when it comes to steeplechasing, that it has not advanced his preparation to any great extent. This is assuming that the runs have been at the usual hunting pace ; for, of course, if the drag is laid so that hounds get through bar-ways, etc., and if they are fast, the hunt will present all the incidents of a ‘chase; and a horse may fly his fences, and charge them at full speed, perforce gaining thereby the finest kind of experience. At the hunting game, however, he learns only to be clever, and too suspicious and careful — the very virtues (in your hunter) which are the most objectionable of faults (in your steeplechaser). 189 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE Your ’chaser cannot be too bold, nor too rash; he should never (if you can help it) think he can fall, and be willing to go anywhere that he is headed without hesitation, and to take any and every chance ; for with our fields always crowded at the fences, and the patrol judges and stewards overlooking much jostling, a cowardly horse has no chance, and the first bump puts him out of the game. For this reason the horse that leads the pupil in his work must be as bold as a lion at all times, and go flying at everything without hesitation. A shifty, dodging, propping old rascal that begins to hang and swerve the moment a fence heaves in view is the last schoolmaster the youngster should follow; and, in fact, the young ’chaser should always jump his fences either lapped on, or head and head with, his mates ; head and head at first, because, if half a length or more back, the green one will take off when the horse in front does (possibly) have just that much farther to spring and get a bad fall in consequence. This jumping in company is most essential, because it makes the pupil look out for himself and get used to the rush and turmoil of horses all about (and upon) him, and teaches him to time his eye and his muscles to act indepen- 190 THE STEEPLECHASER dently of others. How often you see two horses ina chase come to a fence, and the one not quite up — half a length or so back — come a “ regular buster,” because he gets confused and takes off when the other does. The novice should always wear the very easiest bit that will restrain and guide him; and the vari- ous combinations of the snaffle-bit are most use- ful, as anything like a curb has the tendency to make him fight it and gallop too high. A rail should be put down in front of every schooling jump, which will make him “stand away”? at his fences, and if this imitates the guard-rail of the “ Liverpool” he will jump that monstrosity the first time he ever sees it, and quite as a matter of course. He should never be schooled over this fence (that is, ‘ Liverpool’’), however, for, if con- structed according to the rules, it has an awesome aspect, and many a promising young horse has been ruined for the job by allowing him to get frightened at a fence he never should have seen until his blood was up and he went to it in com- pany with other horses in a race. If the guard- rail is down in front of every fence, he treats them all alike, and one has no more trouble with him at the ditch than at any other fence. Horses IgI FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE need little or no schooling at water-jumps, either. A green horse may “prop” a little before a water-jump in a race, but he is going too fast to stop, and is over before he knows. If he learns to refuse in his preliminary work, however, he can never be depended upon, and he can, if scien- tific, come at his fence at a tremendous rate, and still stop dead, or whip ’round. The long-hill trots and canters are the things, and if he can wind up by jumping a few fences on his way to the stable, he is learning his business and getting fit to perform it at one and the same time, and with the best will in the world. The thoroughbred novice will generally prove, or seem to prove, himself rather timorous at first. Of course, as a matter of fact, he is exactly the reverse, but all his preliminary education, if com- ing from a flat-racing stable, has taught him the wisdom of doing as little as he possibly can when outdoors. His carelessness and indifference re- sult generally from that fact, and also from the superior intelligence which leads him to be suspi- cious of novelties and cautious toa fault. Gener- ally, he is a shockingly bad performer at all paces except full speed ; he misunderstands the position of your hands when you start to canter, as a sig- 192 ; THE STEEPLECHASER nal to “go along” (as it was in racing days), and takes an awkward hold of you; heusually has one side to his mouth; he “goes about” with the deliberation of a line-of-battle ship, and needs as much sea room; he kicks up every pebble, and stubs his toe on every straw and cigarette butt in the road. All this he must give up; and riding him over all sorts of rough ground helps action and agility, as suitable bitting and riding into his bridle improves mouth and paces. Your gawky, shambling, three or four year old learns deport- ment quickly, and is vastly more adaptable to changed conditions, because of superior intelli- gence, than a colder-blooded horse. He should always be well bandaged when schooling, and there should be no stubs nor any- thing likely to scratch his thin skin in your school- ing fences, and he should always go to the “left about” over them, as all our ’chases are run that way. He will prove most probably a “shy” doer when he gets really into work, and his fickle appetite must be tempted in the peculiar ways that suit him best, and which only experience will determine. At best the thoroughbred rarely eats as much as other horses. He may love compan- ionship, and to see other horses at all times in oe 193 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the stable; he may prefer solitude, being of mis- anthropic temperament; he may be a “ night- feeder,” or prefer to steal his grain, finding a few handfuls here and there in the straw of his box; he may have a thousand fancies, but if he is to prove a good horse they must be divined and provided for. ‘These little things make all the difference. If walking, galloping, scraping, and schooling were the essentials, training would be too easy. When asked how he trained his won- derfully successful string, the very excellent hand- ler laconically replied, “In the stable;”’ and that is about four-fifths of the whole business. There are many high-strung horses which fear the crowd of a race-track, and fret away to noth- ing during the twenty minutes or so they are in the paddock. They will outgrow it if taken to that enclosure every day, and kept walking there for an hour or so. They fear, not the people, but the race which has always proved an accompani- ment, and their dread disappears with familiarity. Such horses ought to be stabled away from the track, and will rarely bear, undisturbed, any pre- liminaries in the way of “setting short” before a race, but are best left to run without preliminary “‘ readying.” 194 DME St EE PEE CHASER If every thoroughbred yearling were broken to harness, and exercised “in leather,” as a general thing it is quite sure that there would be better results, and that they would keep sound longer. For one thing they would be vastly better mouthed and mannered, because they would be handled by men, and not by mischievous boys; for another, because they would be kept on the roads, and away from the deadly monotony of eternal track and shed work; for a third, because they would do their work more calmly and collectedly, and would use different sets of muscles; for a fourth, because they are more salable afterwards (and a thoroughbred’s road-horse qualities, though first class, are totally ignored); and, for lots of other reasons, every venture in this line has proved highly successful. Horses hold their flesh much better — important in this trying climate — and steeplechasers as a general thing need vastly more flesh than they are allowed to carry, and are more often too light than the reverse. With plenty of hill and road work, a cross- country horse needs very few fast gallops over a distance of ground. A few spins at four furlongs or so, to make sure he has his speed on edge, is enough, unless he is a very gross horse; and if he 125) FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE handles himself ably against the watch, is nicely schooled, hard and full muscled, bright, and eat- ing and doing well, he is as good as hands can probably make him, and ready to appear under silk. He may fall, or “run green,” and he will probably have to learn the “tricks of the trade”’ generally, before he becomes a safe betting propo- sition; but, beaten or not, he will have a better foundation for future operations than many of his seemingly formidable competitors. 196 Chapter XLV. RIDING FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN HE woman’s saddle-horse must be good-looking, — the mere fact that he is so generally proves him pos- sessed of a harmony of parts which insures his being able-bodied and suitable for work ; he must be active, good-natured ; he must bend his hocks well — as must any saddle-horse, in order to insure ease and pleasure in riding at the trot; he must “ bridle well,” that is, bend his neck, and carry his head perpendicularly; he must have a nice oblique shoulder; bold and high withers ; should be a trifle long in the back, —longer than is generally acceptable in a man’s riding horse — in order that additional elasticity may be insured, and that there may be that extra length, which the long and broad woman’s saddle renders necessary for appearance and for utility. He should walk fast and square; trot freely and level ; and canter — always right foot first — at =) FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE a touch of the rider’s heel; or its effect may be transferred to a tap of the whip on the off-shoulder, and the signal prove equally intel- ligible after a little practice. Light colors (grays or roans) are bad, because the hairs show on a dark habit; and a horse with few white mark- ings, or none, is also less conspicuous and more “Pentel. No horse is safe for a woman to ride unless he will stand still and allow her to mount from. the ground without assistance ; and no woman should ever be allowed to ride alone until she can per- form this very simple feat; can put on, or read- just, her own saddle and bridle, and know when others have placed and fitted them properly. As she aspires to be independent, so must she be prepared, in every way, to take care of herself; and upon the heads of her male relatives be it if she is not properly instructed and taught how to perform the simple duties needed. Every horse shrinks after an hour or so at exercise, and the saddle may turn at any moment in consequence, thereby endangering others, possibly, as well as the rider. An ounce of prevention is most valuable here, and the equestrienne should know how to re- girth and arrange her saddle if necessity arises. 198 | ‘sSNYI]T, AOOD NO RIDING FOR WOMEN Preserve us from the self-sufficient female who “ knows it all,” who “ Always rode with popper from the time I could walk.” “ Popper” prob- ably was one of the vast army whose equine experiences and knowledge of equestrianism were of the vaguest, and as long as Maude neither broke her neck, nor killed anybody else, he was more than satisfied — and had better reasons so to be than probably he appreciated! Anything that is worth doing is worth taking pains to per- form to the best advantage, and to nothing does this so much apply as to feminine equestrianism and the general carriage and attitude. A woman is accepted by the public as a good or bad per- former solely upon her appearance. She may be a perfect horsewoman, but if she looks shiftless, sits carelessly, dresses haphazard, she will never class among the experts as will her smart, neat, correct sister, who cannot really ride at all — but ’ who “ looks the part.” Riding schools and compe- tent instructors are to be found everywhere now- adays, and no woman has any excuse for appear- ing other than at her very best upon horseback, and nowhere when properly, snugly, and neatly “turned out,” does she seem more attractive. Proper costume, equipment, and other details 199 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE would afford material for a book, and there is space here to touch but upon the merest out- lines of the fascinating art. Hair should be tightly confined; derby or sailor hat securely fitted and fastened; corsets loose ; riding knickerbockers roomy, but snug at knees ; better kept down by a band going under the foot (inside the boot) which does away with all buttons. The habit should be very smart, and no matter what else you economize on, go to a first-class maker for it, or for the skirt, any- how. A high collar and plain tie; large, loose gloves; boots or gaiters; no flowers, ribbons, or anything superfluous; a useful straight whip, and not a useless crop, and you are ready. Your saddle should be flat-seated, and you cannot —if it is of this shape — get it too long; it will fit any one else, tall or short. No saddle should ever be made any other shape, and would not be if the public would insist. There is more money in it for saddlers, if the model is such that each person must be fitted and refitted with increasing stature and weight. A child, and a tall, stout woman can use the same saddle, if the seat is flat. Any one can put you on your horse, but learn 200 RIDING FOR WOMEN to get up yourself from the ground, not off a chair or fence. Your stirrup girth should go round the horse and buckle to a strap affixed to the cantle (the back) upon the off side, so that you can, when mounted, reach it with your right hand, and lengthen or shorten it at pleasure. Let it down now six or eight holes so that you can, when standing, put your left foot in the stirrup. Grasp the pommel in the left hand, the cantle in right; swing up, and, as you stand in the stirrup, shift right hand to pommel, twist your body to face the horse’s ears, and sit down; put your right knee over pommel, take up your stirrup strap to proper place, put the elastic over your right heel, etc., to keep skirt down, and pull that nicely straight, and you are ready to proceed. Practise this until you can do it with celerity ; when dismounting, clear elastics from heels and skirt from pommel, swing to the left face, take pommel in right hand, and slide off. Remember that nature gave you two hands, and be quite sure that, if you ride much, you will at times need them both and probably wish for a few more. Don’t hold your reins in one hand — you are neither military, nor paralyzed in the right; reins held in each hand insure the 201 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE shoulders being square; in one, their being crooked, and the seat askew, after the muscles tire. [ake the reins in both hands, therefore, and if you are a beginner have only one rein, and that attached to a large and easy leather or snaffle-bit. You are going to prove an awful nuisance to your mount for the next ten days — make him as comfortable as you can. Let this rein come through the whole hand from outside the little fingers; shut your thumb on it where it goes over the first fingers; close ‘your fists, and learn to keep them closed, not by hauling upon the reins, but by using the muscles given for the purpose of shutting your hand. When you can ride for thirty minutes and keep your reins in their places, you have made a big advance, and one most people never make in a lifetime. Take the pommel exactly in the bend of the right knee. Have your stirrup at a height that allows three fingers, or two inches, between your left knee and the leaping horn; carry your left foot back and keep your heel down; bring your right heel also back against the left shin, and cultivate with care this position at every pace, for upon it depends your security. This constitutes your seat, yet few women have it correctly and 202 RIDING FOR WOMEN the right foot sticks out like a bowsprit on a ship, generally forced to this attitude because the saddle is too short; the knee plays over the right pommel instead of holding it exactly and firmly in the angle for the same reason; and be- cause the pupil does not sit up, with hollowed waist, as she should. If you have the true seat you can — without stirrups —rise at the trot ; or leap, etc., and be (unless the saddle chance to turn) infinitely more secure than a man. You should proceed at a walk only for two or three days; and for only thirty minutes or so at each time, during which practise lying flat down on the horse’s back, both when standing and moving, bending far over to each side forward and backward, gaining all the contidence possible. When beginning to trot, ride “close seat”’ (that is, do not rise) at least for a week, and pay great attention to sitting square, hollowing the waist, and inclining to the right (always be able to see the horse’s right foot). Never allow more than the weight of the foot in the stirrup. When ready to learn to rise take the reins in the left hand, the off-pommel in the right; leana little forward from the waist ; when the horse gets trotting steadily begin to count, or have a friend 203 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE to say, “ One, two, three,” one count at each step or cadence, and as you feel the impulse upward press in the stirrup with the left foot; on the off-pommel with the hand; and use the right knee as a fulcrum —as if the thigh were a jackknife blade that hinged at the pommel of the saddle. By these means and by this counting — each count (as “ one’) marking the rise, and return, in readiness for the next cadence — the “posting” is very easy to acquire, and in three or four trials you will rise steadily and without effort at the trot. Always remember to lean well to the right, watch your horse’s off forefoot and re- member that your knee on the pommel, and not your foot in the stirrup, must be regarded as the lever which enables you to thus rise and fall. Do not try to begin to rise the moment the horse starts to trot; “sit close” until he is underway and stepping evenly; do not try too hard to rise, but let the horse put you up; “sit close” again a few strides before he comes back to a walk. In pulling up lean back from the waist and never forward over your hands, as so many do. To canter, sit still and erect; raise your left heel, until your left knee is up snugly under the 204 | RIDING FOR WOMEN leaping horn, and both horns in the grasp of your two knees ; lean over the horse’s right shoulder, and as you thus sway, bring your left foot against his ribs, and just move the bits in his mouth; or you may touch him down the off-shoulder with your whip so that he may associate the signal of heel and stick, and canter finally from the whip- tap alone. He should lead with his right, and if he does not you will immediately notice it; pull up and start again. Keep him up to the bit, that he may bend and collect himself, as he must to canter comfortably for you, and do not let him go so fast that he gallops. It will be hard for you to make him nicely perform this pace until equipped with the “ full bridle,” that is, bit and bridoon, and in two weeks from your beginning you may probably be promoted to this combina- tion of bits and reins. Most people hold the curb reins inside, and the snaffle outside the little finger (that is, in two- handed riding; the writer neither advocates nor will describe one-handed riding, which is utterly unnecessary, and an absurd affectation in civilian equestrianism). The writer holds the curb out- side the little finger of each hand ; the snaffle (or bridoon) between that finger and the third; all 205 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE reins going through the hands, over the first finger, and being firmly held there by the thumbs. Thus arranged, knuckles up, the bridoon is chiefly operative, and the horse faces that as he should, except when cantering ; a mere turn of the wrist to thumbs up, however, and the curb (the bit) comes into play through holding the knuckles perpendicular, and the manipulation of either hand and any rein is independent. The writer does not attempt to say which method is right, but gives his own and the reasons for its preference. Leaping will not be treated of here ; that is ex- clusively the affair of the girl and her male rela- tives. If they can, after looking at a side-saddle, view with equanimity the possibility of a fallen animal caparisoned with those formidable pom- mels, rolling upon the prostrate form of wife or sister, 1t is their privilege to allow the casualty to be tempted. Ride your horse with hand, whip, and heel, and except for the “ whoa!” which should mean in- stant stop and stand, never speak to him. People who do that sort of thing are a nuisance and a menace; their eternal chirping is affecting every horse in hearing. In the same way practise stop- ping your horse, and making him stand still any- 206 . RIDING FOR WOMEN where, not by soothing (?) words, etc., but by hand manipulation of the mouth. Can you do this? Try and see, and if not, why do you fail? Remember your escort, and when he dismounts to make some change, etc., in your equipment, do not have him running after you all over the street while you vainly try to stand still and wait for him. Rehearse this most essential accomp- lishment. Make your horse back properly ; practise opening gates, barways, etc., from his back; in short, equip yourself in all methods to be a companion to those who ride with you, and not a burden, and neglect no details that will make you independent of any escort or assistance. Children, boys and girls alike, should all learn to ride astride, and the day is coming when the ridiculous, unwieldy, and unworkmanlike side- saddle will be as much a curiosity as is that of “Good Queen Bess” in the British Museum. Women of all ages should ride astride; it is practical, modest, graceful, and safe, although it is not probable that for the average equestrienne the ordinary man’s saddle will meet every require- ment of comfort and safety, and it is upon this feeling of assurance that the adoption of the 207 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE fashion largely depends. For riding astride, a woman’s saddle should have a good roll to the knee-pad, and probably another behind the thigh would be a help. Some modification of the Aus- tralian “ bush”’ saddle would seem best to meet the requirements, and it is likely that, as the change finds general favor, such a saddle will be used. It is like the ordinary English shape, save that it has large pads in just the proper places for feminine needs, these cushions being useful in sit- ting the “ buck-jumpers”’ abundant in that coun- try. The pony should be thin through between the knees of the rider, if the child begins very young, as he should not, seven being quite young enough. A pad of steam felting, cut saddle-shape, and girthed on with a plain surcingle, is the best arrangement for juvenile beginners, as it gives the little legs a chance to get close to the animal’s sides. The small ponies are generally such little pigs, mentally and physically, that nothing is to be gained from their use, and the small and narrow horse of 14.2 or so is better, gent- ler, and safer. After a few weeks of the pad, with easy bit, etc., for the horse (special attention being paid to square shoulders, and the natural 208 RIDING FOR WOMEN erect carriage which the hollowed waist insures), the child may advance to a saddle without stir- rups (and finally with), and these should always be open, large, and heavy, and the child’s foot carried “home” in them, that is, through to the instep. The reason for this is that if the stirrup is held at the ball of the foot, and any accident happens, the foot may go either way, probably through; but if it is worn “ home,” the jar and twitch in falling will almost surely throw it out. No jockeys or huntsmen, always riding “ home,” are ever hung up and dragged; soldiers and civilians who insert only the toe and the ball of the foot, are frequently so caught. This point is most important, and worthy careful investigation. Children should always be superintended in their rides. They are mischievous, and when the novelty palls, attempt all sorts of strange experiments with their mounts which may cause bad accidents, or they may bully and punish their charges toacruel extent. A finished saddle-horse is not needed in learning equestrianism ; in fact, if one begins with a rough gaited animal, and gets along fairly well with him, further advance will be rendered much easier when promoted to the handling of an accomplished hack. The a 209 FIRST-HAND BITS ‘OF STABLE, LORE pupil who rides all sorts, takes them as they come, and strives to make the best of them, will learn vastly more of practical equestrianism in twenty lessons than she who rides the same perfectly trained steed every day for a year. 210 Chap ter XV FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING F one listen to the average instructor in the art of driving four-in-hand, or if he read the books and articles written upon the subject, he will become firmly imbued with the mistaken idea that this accomplishment is most difficult to acquire, and most complicated to apply, whereas it is one of the very simplest feats known to equestrianism. Professionals, however expert, are generally inapt at explaining lucidly the “ whys” and “ wherefores,” the “ wrong” and the “right” of the undertaking, and naturally, since they have their living to make by such in- struction, it follows that there is no effort made at undue haste, the object being to carry the pupil along as slowly as possible, and always to leave some further points for experiment in order that the course of lessons may run to as great a length as possible. Again, the average “ pro” has been taught by rule of thumb, and has neither inclination nor 211 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE much opportunity to inquire into, or practise other methods. He has been made to do thus and so because —well, because that was “the right way to do it,” and his teachings run along similar lines. He also fears ridicule if he depart from the narrow limits of established usage, and so do his pupils; hence they are as keen as is he in the matter of discouraging any innovations. Books and articles upon four-horse and tandem driving err in the same way; instead of setting forth fairly the advantages and disadvantages of different methods, they one and all follow the dead level of what the ancient road-coach chario- teers are supposed to have done; and there is no spark of originality to any of their recommenda- tions. They may all be right, but why are they so? And why is any other fashion wrong? The limits afforded here are narrow for what might well be made an elaborate treatise with diagrams, etc., but if one will experiment, one will find that there are more ways than one to hold reins, arrange loops and points, catch thongs, etc., and ” realize that the term “correct form” is purely arbitrary, and that it is quite possible to achieve results in various ways, and yet to appear “cor- rect”? so far as workmanlike performance goes. PR Yo. “unOFT NV Sa TITY NAILYNOY FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING Why not be independent and original in all things, thinking and acting for one’s self, heeding advice when found good, but following only that which common-sense and unbiased experiment prove to be most natural and most practical ? The main thing about driving four-in-hand is to get up and drive four horses, learning by ex- perience and profiting by mistakes. The man who does this and persistently keeps at it, with all kinds of teams, will make a far more genu- inely good coachman than he of rule-of-thumb methods and so-called scientific theories and fancy touches. There is just so much good material to every dress; the rest is trimmings, frills, and fallals, like the absurd “ opposition loops” on thumb, finger, and wrist, which so many of our “flash”’ amateur and professional whips essay. These gentry go through as many manceuvres in turning a corner as if they were playing a fiddle in a street band, though it will be noticed that they generally take to such antics only when the team is very “unanimous ” and knows the way, and the driver knows the way and knows the horses know “ the way.” Other- wise, like the poor girl in the song, whose “ shoes were full of feet,” the steersman’s “ hands will be a: FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE full of reins” at the last moment, and he wiil not improbably regret that he has not at liberty three pairs (of hands), a set of feet, and a mouth- ful of teeth to keep him out of trouble and steer him away from the impending curbstone and lamp post. Holding the reins over four horses and escap- ing calamity by the aid of good luck is not driving four-in-hand, by a long way, however much your instructor and your vanity may strive to persuade to the contrary; nor is handling always the same steady, quiet team likely to ad- vance you very far, as the first “raw” lot you chance to take hold of will prove. There is nothing to be said for and much to be argued against the keeping of a regular team. Horses, if they suit each other and are properly “ put to,” will go as well the first time they ever see each other as they will afterward; and constant change affords incessant practice. A real coachman can get along with anything, and however queer, they “all look alike to” him. As proper “ put- ting to” is a matter of practice for each individ- ual combination of horses and driver, we may pass over that part of it, only pausing to remark that all teams, once started, should be given time 214 FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING to settle and to show you possibly how they like things; they may have reasons which you don’t appreciate (and be right at that). Above all things, don’t be eternally changing couplings, bittings, and bits. One very well-known ama- teur carries in his coach a bag of all sorts of bits, and the occasion that does not find him changing them two or three times all round is marked as a day lost. If horses drive pleasantly in simple combination, let it go at that, and never provoke trouble that you could have avoided, or tamper with mouths already amenable. The horses “ put to,” wheelers well poled up, and both pairs coupled close (for a beginner, as they turn and stop more easily), we come to the reins and their manipulation. The conven- tional method, acceptably correct, is to place the near lead over the left forefinger, the off lead between the first and second fingers; the nigh wheel between the same two fingers, and below the off lead, and the off wheel between the sec- ond and third fingers. The only advantage of this method is that you may take either pair back a trifle more easily than in any other way, but only a very trifle, and an immaterial one. The loopings are made by taking the desired rein in 215 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the right hand, and drawing it back, making the rein thereby short enough to accomplish the intended turn, and confining it between the thumb and finger or the other fingers, according to which rein you Joop. ‘This loop is let gradu- ally slip as your curve is made, and you desire your team to resume straight going. ‘ Opposi- tion loops”’ are similarly made upon the opposite wheel rein in order to keep your wheelers in their place, to prevent their following the leaders too directly, and to insure describing the graceful curve you aim to accomplish. These loopings, direct point and opposition, are made in the same way when the reins are held in any one of the several other methods. In one of these the nigh lead goes over the forefinger; the nigh wheel and the off wheel between the first and second fingers, the nigh rein on top, and the off lead between the second and third fingers. This method separates the two lead reins by a wide margin, and quite sharp angles can be made and corners turned without any looping, or touching the reins with the right, if the wrist is carried right or left, and the knuckles or the palm turned up or down, as the case demands. The off-lead rein crosses the off-wheel rein close to the toe- 216 FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING board, but this is rather an advantage, as, witha pulling team, a turn of the wrist gives one when going straight an extra purchase by the slight binding of the reins. Another method separates all the reins with a finger between each; and still another separates the two wheel reins by the second finger, while the nigh lead comes over the forefinger as usual, but the off comes in outside of the little finger, and through the “whole hand.”’ ‘This makes looping difficult, but gives such scope to wrist turn and movement that prac- tically loops are almost unnecessary. Still an- other method treats the wheel reins like the lead, in the case just cited, while the wheel reins “ come home” as do the lead in the same case. Orrigi- nally it is said that the wheel reins were made just long enough to reach the hand, and that their loop was taken in the “ full hand,” the op- position being made by sliding the hand either way. A not improbable objection to this was said to be the fact that, if a wheeler fell he pulled the Jehu off his box, which result certainly had its drawbacks, especially if the “ monkey on a stick” attitude, so fashionable on the box to-day, was accepted as correct then. With all its dis- advantages it was found very difficult to make 217 FIRST-HAND BITS OF SEABLE LORE the jeunesse dorée of those days abandon this method, showing that fad is not entirely a modern development. The second and third plans are most useful if reins are to be taken in both hands, as occasionally they must be, since they are so placed that separation into rights and lefts is easy. However, perhaps that consideration is immaterial, as while we ridicule an equestrian who does not ride his one horse with two hands, we jeer more loudly at the charioteer who does not drive four horses with one hand. Which method you elect to use is for your personal preference to decide. They all have advantages and drawbacks ; they are all practical and proper. “Opposition” looping is a delusion and a snare. The best opposition is a turn of the wrist, and the carrying of it right or left if your wheelers are mouthed and mannerly; if not a touch of the thong on the proper wheeler’s shoul- der prevents all trouble, or your right hand may come to your assistance if needed. You have two hands, why not use them? or you may “ oppose”’ with the toe of your boot if you like; undoubt- edly the old-timers did, for with their thick reins and low-grade, generally worn-out horses, no other “opposition” but that of whip and main 218 FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING ” strength was possible. Leave the fancy “ stunts to those who drive for “the gallery,” and be sure that a genuine heavy-headed, tired, or awkward western “bull” will play havoc with the most scientific “opposition’’ loops ever constructed. If you wish to play with these toys, you may “put them on” either between the fingers, caught over the thumb, or round the wrist according to what you guess the resistance will be; but noth- ing will be said of the details here, as they are not practically useful, but merely tricks; you had as well practise “‘ opposing” round your own neck or the box-seat’s off ear. There are many different ways to catch your thong; the main thing is to catch it every time, and without effort. Keep it always soft and pliant, or it is a nuisance. If you’ve never prac- tised it, just take a whip, balance it nicely, the end of the thong in your hand; don’t look at it and make as if to throw your whip away to the right, but stop it suddenly as about to leave your hand — probably the thong is there when you look. Never “meet” it with the stick, as you will if you look at it, but throw the thong to that. A few turns the reverse way before you throw it will put a few wraps on the handle, and a kink in 219 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE the thong that will make it twist and bind better ; a few knobs on the stick will make it “catch and ’ keep” well. Practise from a horseless coach un- til you can hit an imaginary leader (off side or near), and always under the bars or on the shoul- der in front of the pad, nine times out of ten, and always “ bring the thong home” with a twist of the wrist that will land the end across your chest, whence it can be picked off by the fingers, and the thong replaced on the stick; or you may, when b expert, “draw” the end direct to your fingers. When you hit any horse, hit him “for keeps,” and, if necessary, several times; if emergency arises, and you have, some day, barely time to touch him, he will not have forgotten what fol- lowed on other occasions, and may prevent acci- dent by quick response. Under trees, or in traffic it is sometimes handy to put on a “ reverse ’ thong,” and that is done by simply chopping into the loop as it hangs, throwing the stick to the loop. This method is not considered “good form,” but as results and appearance are the same there is no reason for condemnation. The brake is regarded by some drivers — we can hardly call them coachmen, for no man can be who jeopardizes the safety of others — as a con- 220 FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING trivance to be used only at a pinch, as when the load is getting, or has obtained, the best of the wheelers on a down grade. ‘They will not use it otherwise, but jar the wheel horses to pieces in their efforts to hold back a huge load by their necks (the breastplates being half the time too loose to afford any help), and yet maintain the brisk pace demanded; nor will they apply it after pulling up. Surely it was meant for use, and certainly it is a labor-saver and a safeguard. The “ old-timers ” didn’t have it, we will allow, but there were several things they lacked, includ- ing ingenuity. Pray do not be led astray by such arguments. There has never seemed any good reason for working it by hand, except that no one likes to incur ridicule through manipula- ting it by the foot. The hand lever is in the way ; it may entail operation when the hand has plenty of other things to attend to, and if it “ pushes” (instead of “ pulls” ) one must throw his weight forward at the very instant when, through some emergency, he needs to throw it backward in pulling up his team. Is this ordi- narily practical ? When ready to mount the box, place the reins in your left hand, as you are accustomed to hold 221 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE them ; take each one back separately until you just feel your horses’ mouths; with your right grasp the two off-reins, and carry your off-wheel coupling-buckle up to the nigh coupling-buckle, letting the off-reins slip through your left hand for that purpose. Mount your box and all reins will be even, and all horses “in hand.” Sit down deep and square on the cushion, and put your feet fairly forward in an easy position, not cramped back against the riser. Give your team “the office”’ to move, and if you suspect either wheel- horse of being ungenerous, swing the wheelers a step, so that the free horse feels his collar first. Many a rogue which has made up his mind to either balk, plunge away, or throw himself, is so disconcerted by this move that he is underway and in his collar before he has time to realize what he is doing. Leaders of course never start a coach, unless the load is so heavy that all four must act. If your road is long, and the team getting tired, watch your chances to pick the best places, and if a horse drops out of his collar for a few strides, let him have his “easy” and get a long breath or two; ease them all round if you can manage it. Although, theoretically every horse should be in his place and “up and doing” 222 FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING all the way, in practice you will find that it pays to nurse them along now and then, especially in warm weather, and do not be too persistent with thong and voice with an animal that hangs out distress signals. Nor is there need to trot eter- nally, or to change only by galloping. Walking a team gives lots of good practice, and is much harder to perform properly than any novice would believe. Galloping a team is great fun for you, but is not a feat for a light or weak man to at- tempt. Horses at speed must “take hold” a little to steady themselves, and only weight and strength can long stand the strain. The chief precaution necessary is to keep the wheel-horses galloping in stride; or, if one strides the shorter, make him by a touch of the thong frequently change his stride and “get in” with the other horse for a stride or two to steady the coach, or you will get it swinging and may turn it over. Be sure horses are not too fresh when you attempt this feat, or they may get away with you, and a runa- way four makes nasty handling, as personal ex- perience with several has proved. The best way to bit a puller is to let somebody else bit him, and own him. Still he may be cir- cumvented in various ways. The all-round nose- ahs) FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE band, a strap with a buckle on one side to shorten it, and a few links of curb-chain on each end, should always be on the coach. Hook a link in the curb-hook of one side, pass it across the chin and round the nose, inside the face-pieces ; cross the chin again and hook it on the other curb-hook, taking up snugly with the buckle. This closes the mouth, and with a dropped-bit or a port-bit, if needed, is severe. The jaw-strap, a strap finger- wide, long enough to go through the mouth, and having half a dozen curb-links on each end, is excellent for a few times. Hook as before, run across chin, through the mouth, and across chin again, and hook on the opposite curb-hook. These two straps are invaluable. Various ways of using cords, etc., savor of the “gyp ” dealer, and will not be quoted. The much-abused burr is invaluable at times, and on certain heavy-headed, one-sided, bolting, plunging horses will keep one out of many a shop window and off of many a sidewalk. Driving tandem has always seemed like putting two horses in line to accomplish a task which they could perform much better abreast. In olden times it was doubtless a handy method of getting one’s hunter to a meet, but its pursuit seems 224 | FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING otherwise to possess slight merit. It presents all the difficulties and enhances all the dangers attend- ant upon driving four, and yet has little of the interest attaching to that undertaking. Probably no man more surely tempts fate than he who thus “takes the air,’ and may his temerity do him that much good. Two four-in-hand leaders rarely decide upon the same mode of procedure if disposed to be light-hearted, but help keep each other straight. Your tandem advance guard, however, is open for any kind of deviltry. How on earth they ever do manage to lead properly is a wonder, and the feel of the traces as they hang must in a way act asa guide as to where the wheeler is, and which way he means to go, for half the time the lead reins are slack. “That was a wise nagsman indeed, who, asked as he drove out of the archway which way he was going, up or down, replied: ‘“ Blowed if I know till I get into the street;”’ and that’s the worst of tandem driving, one “can’t pretty much always tell’? what will befall the next moment. If tandems must be driven it is to be hoped that the fad will change and allow breechings to be worn on wheel harness. To ask a poor brute to hold back by his tail and withers a thousand-pound cart carrying possibly Te 225 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE eight hundred pounds of human beings (if four ride), and that down hills and with a leader to possibly snatch him onto his knees, is inhuman, and the S. P. C. A. might well take a hand. If through any of these reasons your wheeler does chance to fall, you will certainly find the landing on your head and knees on stones or macadam most unpleasant, and that is where you must bring up. Undeterred by these prospects and difficulties, it is a curious fact that pretty well any one will get up and try to drive a tandem, where- as if a four is offered they respectfully decline ; the latter task being infinitely more easy of ac- complishment. There are many performances which one may go through with by himself, or with a friend to prompt, that will forward him vastly in the art of driving a team. Driving figure eights at a walk and trot (finally holding the reins in one hand only, and making all turns by moving the fore- arm and turning the wrist and hand) is splendid practice if a broad road or field can be had; pull- ing up at all sorts of unexpected places, upon signal from a friend or servant on the coach; backing round in narrow lanes and yards, driving through pegs and posts with many sharp turns in 226 FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING thecourse, etc., are excellent manceuvres, and make a man a better coachman in thirty days than are half the “regulars” who have always driven only on the roads. Rough horses, all kinds, are the sort for learning from, and the meaner the better, provided you don’t set too much store by paint and varnish, which can always be renewed. Practice is the only useful way to make perfect, and independence and sensible appreciation of the real issues are the desirable qualifications; com- petent performance is the criterion of individual merit. The driving of one horse is nowadays, with most of us, an acquisition of youthful days, and usually performed in very slovenly style. The American fashion of holding a rein in either hand obviously does not tend to that delicacy of manipulation which is so essential to competent performance, and the fashion of one-hand driving is gaining ground everywhere. The attitude has much to do with proper performance, and the slouchy charioteer is generally not driving his horse, but “being taken to ride” behind him. Proper bitting has as much to do with comfort in handling one as four horses, and is a detail generally disregarded, nor do we appreciate the 227 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE necessity of it. Loopings, as with four may be used, and the practice is excellent. The whip is not merely an ornament, but an instrument in- tended to play its important part in the guidance of the quadruped, and its manipulation should be carefully studied. Driving a well-mated and coupled pair is as easy as driving one, and the whole secret consists that they mu- »” in so “ putting them together tually assist, and do not obstruct each other at their work. Bits, harness, couplings, traces, pole- pieces must all be rightly fitted and arranged ; the horses must be comfortable to make the driver at ease. Just as one hand is more sym- pathetic with the single horse, so are two hands with a pair, and most pairs are virtually so driven, the right hand being always near the left, ready for use, and frequently in use. As much good practice may be gained by driving at a walk as at a trot, and it is no easy matter to keep a pair properly in their places at this gait. Judgment of distance is an essential to be developed by practising at driving between pegs, and nothing looks worse than to see a driver craning his neck, and taking his horses back to a slow pace to pass a vehicle, or enter a gate where practice should 228 | FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING show him that ample space was at his disposal. No man is driving who is not ready to turn right or left, at any angle, instantly to pull up, and promptly to increase his speed, and he is no coachman until he can perform these feats easily and gracefully, his hands in their proper place, about opposite the fourth button of his waistcoat, and not his chin nor his lap; his arms hanging naturally from the shoulders, his position erect, and his attitude easy. Study the methods of an amateur accepted as proficient, and bear in mind that your appearance has as much to do with your reputation as a whip as your actual performance. Space forbids extended commentary on this art, which would by itself fill a book; and anyway, given the few rudiments, there is no royal road to success but practice, diligent and incessant, and with all kinds of horses. 229 Chapter XVI COACHING AND ITS ACCOMPANIMENTS ‘*Here’s to the hand that can hold them when gone, Still to a gallop inclined, sirs; Heads to the front, with no bearing-reins on, Tails with no cruppers behind, sirs.”’ Old Song. T is a very curious thing that coaching, in its most sporting development (as the public), or in its more individual and ex- clusive (as the private) form has not made greater advances in popular favor. Polo, hunt- ing, road driving, etc., all have their adherents and furnish enthusiasts in quantity; but the use of four horses before an appropriate vehicle — coach, drag, or brake —while not necessarily more expensive than the other undertakings, ad- vances in popularity with slow and faltering strides. So far as cost goes, indeed, coaching may easily entail the smallest outlay of the lot. Of course if one is to purchase a new coach at $2,500 to $3,000, ditto harness at $300 to $500, 230 $2? «© CoacH, GENTLEMEN ! COACHING horses at $500 each, liveries, etc., at high rates, figures may run to huge proportions. This expenditure is quite unnecessary, how- ever, and a second-hand vehicle at $400 to $700, harness at $100 to $150, and horses at $100 to $250, liveries, etc., those on hand (or even stable clothes if desired), will afford quite as much en- joyment and be just as practically useful, while one’s lead harness answers perfectly for pair-horse work, as will the wheel ata pinch; or if one has two sets of double harness, one set can be easily arranged with the proper spare lead terrets for pad and bridle, and the others provided with an extra set of traces with cockeyes, etc., for lead work. The horses may be four odd ones (two pairs, or the carriages-horses at wheel, and the saddle horses as leaders). One’s vehicle also will bring at any time, and in any reasonably fair condition, about what it cost; $500 or thereabouts being a staple buying or selling price for a second-hand coach or break, and readily obtainable in any market. How much polo or hunting can one enjoy for the same, or less, money? and again, while these two, or the road driving of fast horses, are purely selfish amusements, a four-in-hand enables from one to twelve others to enjoy most agreeable out- 231 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE ings, and their presence really adds to the pleasure of the owner. We have the roads and the object points of romantic, picturesque, or historical inter- est in most localities; we have the vehicles, horses, etc., obtainable at trifling outlay, and we lack simply the enterprise and the appreciation necessary to make the pleasure vehicle drawn by four horses as common on our thoroughfares as the private or public equipage of any other type. Perhaps, in its private form, coaching has for competitors too many other attractive and rather costly sports for it to be more generally popular ; and again, the driving of four horses has been, through lack of enterprise, and the machinations of professional teachers, who strive for private ends to encourage the belief that it is an accom- plishment most difficult of acquirement, held as a most serious and dangerous undertaking, whereas it is the acme of simplicity for any one who can successfully navigate one or a pair, and infinitely easier than driving tandem, which few aspiring Jehus hesitate to attempt. Four horses, in a way, combine to keep each other in the straight and narrow paths of rectitude, and even the “rawest ” green one finds plenty to attend to at such work, and has little opportunity for sky- 232 | COACHING larking. Moreover, the unpretentious amateur, indifferent to the “appointment fad”’ and its at- tending eternal bother and fuss, has all the best of it, so far as real enjoyment goes, and may pro- ceed gayly on his daily drives, serenely indifferent to the gibes of captious spectators, taking his pleasure in his own way, and giving full sway to the hardy individuality which should be and gen- erally is his birthright. When the cost of a coach-and-four has seemed prohibitive to the individual, it appears that a “neighborhood coach” might be both practical and practicable ; that is, that a syndicate of neighbors could arrange to assume each a certaincpart of the expense of purchasing and maintaining such an equipage; he who provided one, two, or more horses thus standing upon the same footing as the man who paid as great an equivalent toward the purchase of the vehicle, harness, etc. These subscribers then might have a well appointed drag ready “turned out”’ for each of them on a certain day, or days, each week; and in no way can more pleasure be afforded to so many people at so reasonable a cost. For the necessary attendants each man’s servant (carried inside if preferred) would suffice. Plenty 233 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE of good grooms can blow a “ call” or two on the horn, and if not an amateur can very easily learn to perform— it is all part of the fun. If a team is kept especially for the coach, four animals quite good enough may be put together for about $100 each, practically sound, good-looking, free, and pleasant drivers, so that after an original outlay of, say, $1,200 for the whole outfit, an expense of $4 per day for keep, and a trifle for shoeing and repairs, will furnish a “ neighborhood” with means for six weekly outings at a really trifling individual cost. Of course, it must be agreed that these daily drives are limited to a certain dis- tance within the powers of the animals, and it should be understood that any one making longer trips must provide his own horses. ‘Therefore, for about $20 per month any subscriber may once a week take out for a drive of say ten miles a party of eight to twelve friends, enjoying with them a most unique pleasure. Public road coaching as an amusement has made a surprisingly slight advance in the affec- tions of Americans, and its perpetuation is nowa- days seemingly confined to New York, the locality of its inception more years ago than one cares to look back upon. “0% COACHING These undertakings have almost invariably been conducted upon non-practical and most expensive lines, with the natural result of aband- onment by the backers who found the debit side too extensive to face with equanimity, and of lack of support from a public which objected to paying heavily for a ride to a private club wherein they were tolerated but not encouraged; or to nearby road-houses where the company was not unlikely to prove miscellaneous, to say the least, and the nourishment simply awful. Practically managed, the sport is not necessarily expensive, and with a more general understanding of this fact, it seems certain that the sound of the horn and the “ chatter” generally heard upon the splendid roads which of the bars would be very lead from all our cities to nearby places of interesting environment. If one wishes to learn the art of “charioteering” from the “ground up,” to acquire a practical and speedy knowledge of horse flesh, its capabilities, limitations, its management and preservation in health and soundness, to secure health-giving exercise in the open air, to afford vast pleasure to hosts of friends and acquaintances, there is no way he may so speedily and easily accomplish 235 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE these various ends as by taking up road-coaching actively; not as a fad, but as a live issue, not in a desultory manner for a few weeks, but resolutely and for extended periods, — for our lovely springs, glorious summers, and superbautumns are equalled as a whole hardly anywhere on earth, and should all be liberally utilized. To be sure, at first, expenses will exceed re- ceipts, but knowledge comes quickly, and with the personal attention all undertakings demand and should receive, there is no need for heavy outlay of any sort; while increasing reputation for owning good and well-mannered horse-flesh will meet its due reward in frequent private or public sales, insuring a handsome percentage of profit upon the investment. The trouble with most of these undertakings has been that horses were extravagantly bought, badly managed, improperly handled, and speedily used up, while at the annual sale the anticipated huge profits failed to materialize in consequence. The amateur owner’s “geese are all swans” generally, and he scorns the “nimble nine- pence” of profit which he should welcome with eagerness. | Perhaps a few hints of ways and means to in- 236 | COACHING sure profit, or at all events help in preventing loss may be of interest. Regarding the coach and harness: one cannot go wrong if he applies to any of the leading dealers, either at home or abroad. For horses, one may go West or East if he prefers, but in New York he can find the raw material better broken, more nearly conditioned, and cheaper than anywhere in the country, for the reason that farmers nowadays know all about market prices, which are always well kept up at Western points, while New York is the “jumping-off place”’ for horse-flesh, and by auction or private sale a coach can be horsed more cheaply and quickly there than anywhere else, while the material offered is sure to be the best in the country or it would not be there. As a rule, one makes a mistake in expecting to get (or in giving, if one is a buyer) fancy prices for any animals which have been regularly work- ing a coach. Such horses have generally one- sided mouths, and have banged their legs about more than a bit; if they have been the slow ones of their team they have either been kept hopping and skipping to keep up, until that unsightly mode of progression has become a habit, or else 237 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE they have galloped most of the trip; not a few of them are arch scoundrels at “soldiering” their work ; that is, they will not do their share, but shoulder the pole and their luckless mate, or learn the art of just keeping their traces straight and not really working at all. A public coach-horse has been not inaptly described as “an animal which has seen an unusual amount of grief in an uncommonly short while,” and most of them fit the description. Therefore, the low cost horse, — not the one which is dear at $100, but the beast that is cheap at (or near) that figure —is the one likely to afford most general ultimate satisfaction. In a collection of expensive horses one is sure to acquire several gigantic and costly failures, while from a similar bunch of low priced material it is not unusual to develop a few really high class and valuable animals. In event also of the inevitable accidents, the loss in the first case is very heavy, and must be charged up against the remainder. Horses of 16 hands should be the limit, and 15.214 will generally be found more satisfactory. A “thick horse,” long and low, good fronted, well-shouldered, deep hearted, long ribbed, closely coupled, deep quartered, short above and long below, standing square on all his legs, and mov- 238 COACHING ing true in all paces— ‘good to meet and good to follow”? —is the sort, and beware the beast who “dishes,” for he will either tire quickly or cut himself to pieces. Refuse the dull horse, for he will never last the season, and his faint heart will cause endless trouble. We have grown into the fashion of having our road-coach leaders of a rather slighter, more “rangey”’ and “ breedy ” shape than our wheelers, but it is un- doubtedly the case that, when the coach was the only means of public conveyance, our forefathers — whom we essay to imitate— made no such error, nor would our light leaders have long en- dured the heavy everyday work of big loads and heavy roads. Practically it is far more economi- cal to have your Jeaders more nearly of wheel- horse type than is usual, so that an animal may work anywhere in a team, at a pinch, and still “mate up” fairly well. By this means, with five horses at a changing station, every one gets a day off in six besides his Sunday, and all hands work “all round the team”’ to the ensuing 1m- provement of their legs, mouths, tempers, and condition ; whereas, otherwise, if you keep spare horses, you must always arrange to provide a change leader and a wheeler. Again, if you have 239 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE on hand say twenty or thirty animals, any two of which will make a pair, the value of your whole stud is increased, both for use and for sale purposes. An additionally practical reason for this ability to work a horse anywhere is that one may constantly arrange new combinations, secur- ing thereby practically different teams to the furtherance of his own enjoyment and practice. Let all your stud be good-necked and up-headed, running up to 15.3) average.’ A: | horse Jen about that height is always salable, whereas the demand is limited for the one an inch or two smaller. Colors may be anything, and always try for a few odd-colored or flash-marked ones, leaving out “ soft”’ bays. Having secured your “ gee-gees,” put them through physic, trim them up, and pair them off. Two mild doses of physic are better than a severe one, and ten days should intervene. A quart of Carron oil is excellent, or four drachms of aloes. When you “pair” them off, mate them by mouths and manners, rather than by exact heights and precisely similar appearance, if you want to drive comfortably; but of course secure as much similarity of make and shape as possible. Not half the preliminary work that is usually done 240 COACHING with them is necessary, and “ fresh” horses should go on the road after three weeks’ handling; they will fall away a little, but they will quickly get their flesh back. By the way, be sure that all collars are especially fitted, and that they set very snugly at first, as horses’ necks and shoulders are bound to shrink. A public coach-horse cannot wear too little harness: bridle, collar and hames for leaders (with or without trace-bearers, for they do not do much good), wheelers the same, with the addition of pads and breastplates. No cruppers need be used at wheel if the pads are provided with very thick, broad, and long housings of the heaviest felt. This will prevent the pad from cutting the withers when tipped forward by the up-draft of the reins to the hands; and in fact it will not so “tip up” if properly girthed, unless by chance some leader pull hard, not usually a permanent feature of a hard working, properly bitted horse. This reduces your trappings to first principles, indeed, and with a spare check-rein or two, an odd port bit, an “all round nose” band, and a jaw strap, etc., you are fairly well provided so far as essentials go; rein and trace-splices, spare reins, etc., of course you will have also. A leader 16 241 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE which hugs its tail, or kicks when it gets the rein under, may be circumvented by fastening (tempo- rarily or permanently) a ring a foot or two behind the coupling buckle on the other horse, and run- ning the awkward horse’s rein through this ring, both reins leading thence inside the wheelers’ bridles (not out). “* Putting horses together,” by which is meant proper regulation of the harness, reins, and bits to each individual requirement to the subsequent general advantage, and the appropriate placing of each horse in the team, is a matter of observa- tion and experiment, and a vitally important detail. Four horses comprise a team, but they do not necessarily make a team, by a long way. The alteration of a hole or two in couplings, dropping or raising a bit, “roughing” or smoothing, loos- ening or tightening of curb chains, taking up or letting out pole pieces, low-headed horses always underneath in coupling; the whole team com- pact — wheelers and leaders close to their work ; lead traces always crossed (to opposite bars), for nothing so puts together a slug and a free-goer, as any ploughman or teamster knows. (This may not be “early English,” but it is practical and has no drawback, except allowing the bars to 242 | COACHING swing awkwardly sometimes at the gallop.) Pole pieces should be loose and coupling free for wheel horses, closer for leaders; and awkward leaders may sometimes be “ throat-lashed,” as it is called, as well, which puts their heads close together if inclined to pull. _Nosebands and jaw- straps are always useful and often necessary. The mere compulsory closing of a puller’s mouth often renders him as light and pliant as any. Watch especially the top of the neck and the shoulders, under the hames drafts, for chafing, and be sure that the sweating shoulders are im- mediately well sponged with cold water, which will close the pores. Let every horse’s bridle fit him (especially the wheelers), and every one’s bit be of the make, shape, and width which suits him best. Browbands, especially, are often too small, too sharp-edged; blinkers set too close ; throat lashes are too short, or the whole bridle moves or chafes when the lead reins play. Your horses must work hard, make them comfortable every way you can think of, and don’t “ pooh- pooh” anything you have not tried. Never economize on stable help, and always arrange to drop in on them at all sorts of un- expected hours, day or night. Many a road 243 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE coach horse spends his “ leisure’’ (?) time in work of various kinds, from which lis care-taker profits, and the constant eye of the owner, or some capable representative, is the only thing to keep horses and men up to the mark. A team running on a local coach was found to be very thin, whereas all the other horses on the road held their flesh. Not until after the sale was it found that the poor brutes had never been fed in the middle of the day, the grooms at each end of their stage “supposing” that the others had fed them while the master knew nothing about it personally, but left all to chance. Teams should never be changed at their stables, but the fresh “change” led out at least half a mile, so that they may be well “ on their feet”? and ready; while the old team so thor- oughly “cools out” and tranquillizes heart and respiration in its walk home, that no harm can come to it. Grooms may object, but that 1s of little moment, and many a possibly damaged horse will be saved. With a “long ground,” that is, a stage which a fresh team works each way, to change the teams to every few weeks, horses last much longer. No cold-blooded horse can long endure being thor- 24.4 COACHING oughly exhausted, and regularly “ done up” twice each day, as he must be in the ordinary stages where he works both ways; and a change to the “long ground,” which he travels but once (al- though over a longer distance), will do him as much good as having the spare wheeler or leader to work “turn about” on the double-trip system. Four horses managed thus will do better than five worked in the ordinary manner. Horses should be kept naturally also, and the swaddling process of heavy blankets and closed windows, which the average groom insists upon, be sternly forbidden. When in rugged health a horse needs and will endure great apparent ex- posure, and once he is thoroughly “ cooled out”’ clear through, vitals and all, he cannot have too much air and too few clothes, which means none at all. Learn of the trainers of thoroughbred race horses on this point, and keep your animals naturally cool, airy, well bedded, and well fed, plenty of hay and all the water (at temperature of air) they can drink whenever they want it. No horse can eat well and do well if he does n’t drink well, and don’t imagine that he is not to have it when he is warm. You do yourself, and you need n’t fear for him, providing circula- 245 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE tion and respiration are tranquil and the water has the chill off. In fact,in all dealings with horses disregard tradition and hearsay, and be governed by common-sense and ordinary intelligence. Toward the securing of first-class “ condition ” nothing is more essential than properly cared for teeth and regularly assimilated food and drink; toward its maintenance nothing is more indispen- sable, if the season is long, the roads and loads heavy, and the drivers changeable and not crack performers, than the proper use of powerful tonics like quinine and arsenic, especially quinine. This will cause expressions of indignation, perhaps ; but if so, it will come from people who have never had to keep low-bred horses on their feet and in good condition throughout hot weather at this most exhausting work; or who, if they have done so successfully, have profited by the use of tonics administered without their knowledge. Properly used (mark “ properly used’’), no drugs are more generally and directly beneficial or more harmless. Horses need change of scene and the oftener the better. However, every coachman quickly finds this out, for there is nothing more monoto- nous than driving teams that know their run to an inch, cutting all corners and quickening or 246 | COACHING slowing their pace like machines. Horses gain spirit and flesh at once when changed about, and a general shift every two weeks greatly enlivens matters. Above all, a road-coach should go, must go, a good pace, and nothing is more tiresome or less sporting, than the funereal progress pursued by the average public conveyance. As “ speed,” “‘ speed,” and “more speed” are the essentials for a race-horse, so are they for a successful coach, and if this is not to be the characteristic, the whole enterprise is best left alone. Better five miles at a clipping pace with one than twenty with three or four teams at a jog trot; just fast enough to eat your own dust, and the freight praying for the (and your) end. Perhaps an approximate table of expenses for running a road-coach for a short season, using three changes (four teams), may be interesting, and the monthly sheet would figure about as follows : Keep twenty horses @ $1.00 . . . . $600.00 SHGSING MeCN Sh Aik ales! cts ura ak LON OL OO Ewe: craoms: (FAO is 2h) Veli be op le) 4 BOSOO Grarde tare tel Meet etee Vea, ire. Sw iuke ate NG ROO Repairs and incidentals, 5) 22) 4°.) 4/21)" 82500 $800.00 247 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE To this must be added about $60 if a super- intendent is employed; about $40 for “ cock- horse boy,” if one is used, and other needless items may run it up to $800 or more per month. If, however, the promoter’s heart be in the under- taking, he will act as his own superintendent, hire cheap stabling, feed his own horses, shoe them with tips, and economize vigorously and wisely everywhere, his sheet running about thus : Feed and care twenty horses@.50 . $300.00 Stall-room @ $4 per month, per horse . . 80.00 SHOES piel den Weal Tet ire etic ds) hi aes aOR ers EEE ds POU AMR ETP RGBIR ceapinroms tele, ap be rie eni i sgemnsma (<3 (6 () FREDAIIS | ci ( his 14. cuiht atharsi® gegen ue) eth, Tail) etal $460.00 This assumes that he also keeps his horses in such condition that little or no veterinary at- tendance is required. His horses ought not to cost him over $100 per head, and if he will ‘take ’em as they come,” as a road-coach should, he will find no trouble in securing free-going, easy-driving teams, whose occasional infirmities of temper it will prove both amusing and in- structive to combat. If horses are sold at pri- vate sale out of the different teams, it will also 24.8 ) COACHING prove more generally remunerative than an auction, and useful horses in hard condition are always in demand at fair prices. Such fig- ures are all that the proprietor should strive to secure as a general thing, although occasionally he can mate up a pair that will bring him excellent returns. He should also be able to secure concessions (in the way of keep, percentage, etc.) from the hotels whence he starts and where he finishes. It is all business, and if he brings trade to various hostelries, he should claim his share, especially as his freight generally spends money freely. To popularize his route, he will do well to reduce prices of transportation to the lowest limit, compatible with earning a fair profit on his outlay of time and money. The average prices are excessive, and the expenses of two persons in a coach trip to-day will draw heavily upon a twenty-dollar bill, while were the cost $10.00 or less many more would take passage. The average party also finds a good road house or hotel far more agreeable as a destination than a private club wherein they do not feel at home, must submit to certain restrictions, and figure neither as active members nor priv- 249 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE ileged guests. The existence of these condi- tions has greatly affected the popularity of this glorious sport, and the average “ public” is masquerading under a false title, and is such in name only. 250 Chapter XVII MANAGEMENT OF A PACK OF HOUNDS * HUNTING we will go,” as runs the old English roundelay, can hardly be read by even the most phlegmatic without a stirring of the pulse, and an indefinite wish that one had, “when all the world was young, boys,” turned more attention to the joys and perils, the tri- umphs and the vicissitudes of such outdoor pursuits. Involuntarily one straightens the droop- ing shoulders, and expands the chest which, all too seldom, rejoice in such novel sensations ; and a sigh of regret at opportunities lost, dis- misses an idea which might, under proper culti- vation, result in endless benefit to even the man of middle age, or worse, would he but cast aside the clogging fetters of indolence, and, accepting the goods the gods provide, fare him forth to undertakings which would prove as healthful as inexpensive, and as fatal to his increasing girth 251 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE and advancing decrepitude as they would be beneficial to his welfare. To such an one, as to those in the flush of youth and vigor, any and all methods and means of securing outdoor exer- cise should be welcome, and would be so did they but realize the possibilities at their hands in this great country of ours. ‘The man on horseback rules,” as some wise tactician has sensibly re- marked ; and what is true of nations applies as well to individuals. ‘ There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man,” as Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes so wittily and pithily put it, and he who takes the prescription will surely endorse it. To the noy- ice —and these articles are meant to interest the “ new hand” — and the neophyte who is recom- mended horseback exercise ; or to the faddist who takes it up as a caprice, the humdrum monotony of riding-school and bridle-path equestrianism 1s as dull as a sermon with fourteen sub-heads. Once enlisted at this branch of sport, the recruit must be kept interested, or he returns quickly to his shell, never again to be tempted forth. To such, as to the adept, drag hunting over a coun- try that is fair, and rideable for the moderate per- former, affords a mode of delightful enjoyment 2 . j Usa 40 TIV | dN WV” >> ce THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS that is as little appreciated as it is rarely adopted ; while, that the ladies, the children, and the ’ ‘‘road delegation’? may be provided for, the course may always be laid parallel to, or con- stantly crossing, various roads, that the spectacle may be visible to all. Such gallops need occupy but a trifle of time, from forty to sixty minutes, and it is perfectly possible to so arrange matters that within those times hounds may have covered a fair space of country, and at a rate of speed which changes the usual afternoon or morning trot and canter into a delightful brisk hand gal- lop, as beneficial to beast as exhilerating to man. Suitable country for such undertakings abounds everywhere in America, and may often be found close to, or inside of, the limits of even large cities. Farmers, as a rule, never object, especially where the hunt carefully and immediately repairs all smashed fences, but enjoy with their families the novel and picturesque sights such runs afford. Wire may always be dodged in such hunting, and if it is very prevalent, arrangements can always be made to substitute a panel or two of negotiable rails here and there in the line which is to be followed, while purchase of hay, grain, and other commodities, even at slightly better 253 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE than market rates, will do much to cement good feeling, and may be considered as return in part for the privileges which the hunt enjoys. Of course, gardens, new seeding, grain fields, etc., must be sacred; but here again the “ dragman”’ can easily arrange his journey so that no harm shall ensue, and pasture, meadow, and lane only be encroached upon. Wholly false ideas are entertained regarding the cost of such undertakings, the original outlay necessary, and the expense of maintenance. The whole matter need run to but small figures, and the spring, and fall (and summer’s) hunting entails but a mere bagatelle of outlay. If puppies are to be bred and “ walked,” if high-cost horses are kept, high-class servants employed, and costly kennels built, money to any amount may be “ chucked” away ; but no such plans are contemplated here — merely a rough-and-ready establishment, which shall provide the maximum of fun at the mini- mum of expense, unpretentious, amateurish, and the more amusing for that reason. Hound pups are most difficult to rear, because of distemper, and the mortality is always enormous among them, while many which survive the disease are either crippled or worthless ; cheap hunters, that 254 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS can do other “ slave” harness-and-saddle work at any time are indicated, and will provide as much sport as the expensive sort; while, if accident occur, the loss is small. Servants need be few in number ; in fact, one man who lays the drag, feeds the hounds, cares for the hunt-horses, etc., is all sufficient, assisted, if an amateur does not “whip-in” to the amateur master, by a light lad, who can ride a little, and help about the stables and kennels. One man will, however, do all the work, — the three or four hunt-horses, the six to ten couple of hounds, etc., — and, if an active and lively fellow, as any servant should be, do it well. Horses may be picked up at all sorts of prices, but it is very easy to obtain in the auction marts (of the east, at least) any quantity of good, safe, useful “ gee-gees,” able and trained to jump well, gallop fairly, work in harness, etc., perhaps not all clear and clean in their legs, but bearing J “honorable” scars only, emblematic of disaster in flood and field, and fully competent for the work in hand. Such animals run all the way from $50 to $150, although if a man is very heavy he may have to pay rather more for some- thing up to his weight. The light and the 255 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE middle weight (lucky men!) may easily mount themselves for about these figures ; but of course when they promote themselves to a fast pace and a big jumping country, they must expect to pay accordingly. We are not now considering those matters, but providing for a line where fences do not run (or weed not run) over three feet six inches to four feet, as a general thing, that be- ginners may be encouraged, and not dismayed or hurt by celerity of progress or altitude of obstacle. “ Draft hounds” may be procured from any established pack for next to nothing, often two or three dollars each, especially if several couple are taken, and, for a beginning, almost “any old thing” that will gallop and hunt will answer. “‘Babblers,” “skirters,” non-hunters (so that they go along with the rest), anything will do at first, and as experience teaches and knowledge increases, so the pack may be re-drafted and improved along reasonable, sensible, and economical lines. Eng- lish hounds are always to be preferred for such work, and for the handling of the neophyte master, as, both by inheritance and education, they “pack” better, are more manageable on road and in kennel, more picturesque 1n appear- 266 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS ance and more easy to obtain. They do not give tongue like the American hounds, but they make music enough, and as your drag need not run through large woodlands, the field is in no danger of losing them if they keep anywhere near at hand. The American hound will stand no knocking about; a whip crack or a harsh “rate. and he is of, home; he can rarely, be handled on the roads unless coupled, and, once the run is over, will march away to kennel by himself, while, if the whip tries to “turn him to” the master, he is lucky if he gets to him within the limits of the county. In kennel, also, they are shy and discontented. After our wild foxes the American hound, with his wonderful nose, his patience, his pace, and his conversational powers, is unapproachable, but he insists upon handling the job his own way, and, be you ever so intimate with him, resents your interference with his business firmly and immediately, nor, once he has left off through your officiousness, will he begin again, that day at least. English hounds may be “ rated,” thrashed, ridden over, “lifted,”’ cast and banged about any way you like, once get them on the line again and they go cheerfully on their way, “’owling ’orribly,” as the ‘ 25/ FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE nervous old lady said, but plugging along to the end, where six pounds of a bullock’s neck seems to afford them as much gratification and amuse- ment as if they had run into the “little red rover” himself. A mixture of the two kinds never proves satisfactory, and provides a pack which spreads over a forty-acre field, some on the line, and some yards and furlongs down-wind of it. Of course, after a time some (the majority) of your “ mottled darlings ” will lose interest in hunting, and will become quite worthless, save as an addition to numbers. Generally these old stagers are incorrigible, but occasionally (if thought worth while) they may “come again” if loaned to some sportsman for the winter who shoots rabbits, etc. Worked on the “ bunnies,” and allowed to kill and to taste fresh blood, some of them will become keen again, but draft hounds are so cheap and plentiful that it is rarely worth while to bother. It is often possible to thus lend your hounds, or some of them, to various farmers who employ their leisure time in winter in shoot- ing, and thereby the expense of keeping them is saved to you, while, as you only run a drag, it is quite immaterial what your charges fancy as long as they leave sheep, calves, and chickens alone. 258 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS A drag pack of six couple is plenty large enough for ordinary occasions ; holidays and féte days you may turn out the whole lot of ten couple or thereabout. A big lot of such hounds, which is bound to contain some stragglers, gets under horses’ feet at the fences, and is a nuisance generally, and besides it is far easier to get a small lot to “ pack ”’ well and run properly than a large one, and as galloping and jumping is the main issue, superfluous hounds should be avoided. There is nothing to be gained by a big pack, and ten couple will easily give you a working detail of six or seven couple for three days a week, or more if you have time, for after all, there was something in the oft-quoted remark of the hard- riding English lordling, after a “lark home” fol- lowing a blank day: “ There! you see what fun we might have if it wasn’t for those d—d hounds!” For, of course, in America, hounds must be but the material means to the end of a good gallop, that being, alas! about all we, most of us, have either time, inclination, or opportunity to accomplish, nor would the average impetuous national character have patience to potter about all day. As to kennels, hounds do well in very rough- 259 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE and-ready quarters, so long as they are reasonably cool in summer, and free from damp in winter. Stone structures are distinctly to be avoided, at least for winter use, and any hovel which has a good height of roof and does not leak will answer all purposes. It should, of course, have at least one, and preferably two, shady yards of fair size, and the building itself should be divided into two rooms, a feeding and a sleeping apartment, the latter provided with slatted benches, about two feet from the ground, which will either fold up against the wall or take out entirely, so that per- fect cleanliness and disinfection may be assured. While washing down and sweeping will work well for at least seven months in the year, any damp- ness is very bad, in winter, at least, in the sleep- ing quarters, and the disinfected sawdust which may be obtained in barrels answers all purposes better if it is liberally used, and swept out with a very stiff broom daily. Hounds are fairly tidy if given constant access to a yard, but some are incorrigible offenders and defile everything. For this reason the drinking water should be renewed several times daily, and preferably arranged so that the animals must stand on their hind legs to reach it. Straw makes an excellent bedding to 260 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS scatter over the benches, but it should be fresh- ened daily and renewed entirely every few days, while by body dressing and the use of insecticides, constant warfare must be waged upon fleas. The feeding room will need the same treatment, only that its floor and troughs must be kept scoured, and the troughs always set out in the sun daily and never allowed to sour. Everything about kennels should be, and can be, as sweet as a rose, and any offensive odors pay eloquent tribute to negligence and want of care, not only from the kennel man, but from the master. Any man who takes animals in his charge, and does not properly care for them, is worse than a beast himself. The extraordinary odors emanating from the kennel and cook-room (and hounds themselves) of some very pretentious packs are an insult not only to the defenceless animals, but to all the members of the hunt whom the master thus wil- fully neglects. Hounds bearing traces of mange and other skin disease, blear-eyed and rough- coated, are also by no means uncommon. Every one should receive a body dressing with a rough- ish brush and a cloth “swipe’’ every day of his life, and will learn to enjoy it as much as a horse, while by this means every little abrasion of skin, 261 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE etc., is noticed and may be at once attended to. A large pail should be kept in the kennel containing the following mixture and provided with a good big stiff paint brush to rub the dress- ing on and in: Crude petroleum y ia cay ei sivel Voll phe tnctpn eee leames Oilsofetan esi oie ar vette (att er vag apUTTES Flowers of sulphur.) .))).. 2 2\))= . <4 pounds Manpentine 5. DNA. 6 ON ariel: uaimieliih fe ate apne Use this whenever there is any redness of the skin, or cuts; it will make the victim sing out for a few moments, but it will cure anything from mange down. In dry, hot weather, hounds are very apt to get tender-footed as their pads wear pretty thin, and a pickle of strong brine, in which their feet may be placed for a few moments daily is excel- lent. A shallow trough that will hold an inch of the fluid is all that is necessary, and if it is placed in a passage-way so that they must walk through it, will be just the proper arrangement; while if there is a door at each end of the passage, the whole pack may be shut in, on returning from exercise or from hunting, and left for a few min- utes. Occasionally, too, in the early fall, certain 262 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS of them seem to be affected sometimes by a sort of hay fever, due either to dust or the pollen from some weeds, and a weakness and running of the eyes ensues, which may be alleviated by any of the washes used for such things on the human subject, and the kennel may be kept dark- ened as in summer, at all events on bright days. For this reason, if any whitewash is used (as it never should be, however cleansing, because hounds’ coats get full of it, unless plenty of glue (sizing) is mixed with it), it should have some lamp-black mingled with it, in order to give a dull gray, and not a glaring white, effect. The proper feeding of hounds in this climate is not generally understood, because usually Exglish servants have them in charge, and masters leave all such details to them. It is to the heavy flesh- feeding that much of the disagreeable (doggy) smell may be attributed, and such strong food as horse meat is never needed, at all events with the “‘ dragmen,” nor raw meat of any kind, save that ’ provided by the “ worry” which they will enjoy the more and work the keener for, if they taste it only then. In fact this plan works wonders sometimes in the energy of a pack, once they un- derstand that they will get blood at the end of a 263 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE run, and at no other time. Broths and soups may be made of various odds and ends of cheap and refuse meats, and at least once a week they should be “ drawn ” off into a yard two or three couples at a time, and given some good big bones to gnaw at, polish their teeth with, and growl over. Always have some one with them at these times, for the best of bench bed-fellows will fall out over a bone, and in a moment the whole lot will be at it. And never go among hounds without a good lashed crop; you never can tell, and when one gets nasty the others sometimes back him up —trousers are expensive, and it’s bother- some to eat meals from the mantel-shelf. Stale bread, etc., may be bought at any baker’s very cheap, about fifty cents a sugar (not flour) bar- rel full, and, either broken up and sopped in broth, or fed occasionally in large pieces, dry, it makes an excellent food. Oatmeal “ puddings”’ may be used in cold weather, but it is a very heating food and sure to make skin trouble with (man or) hounds if fed regularly and liberally. Cornmeal pudding, or a rough sort of corn bread, made and baked in large tins, is excellent, as is rye mush sometimes, while occasionally a regular vegetable soup, or broth, affords a welcome 264 | THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS change. ‘“ Puddings” are made by boiling the meal until it is cooked, and then turning it off into large tins, which will hold five to ten quarts each. Once a week in winter, and twice in sum- mer (if the pudding is kept in a cold place) will be often enough to cook, and will keep all sweet and savory, while this material may be then taken as wanted, and either mixed with broth and scraps of well-cooked meat, or fed alone. The hearty “doers ” will get along well on but little broth or meat food, but the shy, light, dainty feeders need a lot of coaxing sometimes (yet are frequently the best hounds in the pack), and generally must have their handful or two of meat extra and other little attentions. No two are alike, and the man who feeds his hounds like swine will find they work like pigs. The dainty ones must never see a full trough, either; just a little, and, if that is eaten, a little more, and so on, winding up, as necessities direct, with a few bits of meat, and then “ calling over” the next hound, before turn- ing the dainty feeder into the yard, when Mr. Fastidious will generally pick a bit more just to spite the newcomer. On these trifles and this “infinite capacity for taking pains” depends suc- cess in all undertakings in life, and he who pooh- 265 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE poohs them as insignificant has no business with animals as a charge. Hounds should always be drawn one at a time for feeding, and that by name, no animal being allowed to stir out of his turn, nor should the same order ever be preserved, as otherwise they get very cunning and answer, not to their names, but to the turn which they feel has arrived. By this means discipline is preserved, both indoors and out, and the dog eats his fill slowly and un- disturbed, while meantime one has a chance to look him over, and “ have a word with him”’ all alone, as enjoyable to him as to you, if you have the real instinct of dog love and dog sense. No hound should move from his’ bench until called, and any misbehavior must be punished by a sharp rate or whip-crack, and by being left until the last. Properly drilled, not a hound will stir until called. When troughs are filled, open the connecting door and give the order, “ Bench up, all of you, bench up!” As soon as all are up and waiting, draw one by name, as, “ Prattler, come over!” speaking the dog’s name very clearly. Some timid or cowed ones will show that they have been cruelly flogged by previous feeders, but one can soon get them to bound at 266 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS the word. Shut the door, and when Prattler is through, fondle him a bit and turn him out into the yard. Thus draw over, one at a time, until all are fed, when the door from the other room into the yard may be opened, and they may return to their sleeping quarters. Hounds should be fed twice daily, some light ’ broth or “ lap ” in the morning ,— skim milk may sometimes be had very cheap, — but the hearty meal always at night. It does no harm, after hunting, to have an old broom in your hand when hounds are feeding, and to dip this in the broth and sprinkle them well with it. When they return to bench they will then set to and lick themselves and each other all over, the warm tongues forming the best kind of a fomentation for any cuts or bruises they may have sustained. The “ sing-song ” in which they love to indulge, especially on a frosty, moonlight night, should never be checked, unless too long prolonged, and has always seemed too much of a hymn of thanksgiving for full belly and comfortable bed to be interfered with; in fact, when they thus “sing” they are doing pretty well bodily. When working, of course, they must be closely watched, and those which are shrinking too fast, worked 267 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE less and fed most nourishing food. Very fast hounds may be made to “ pack” better by keep- ing them high in flesh, while the slow ones must be fitted like race-horses if they are to be literally “in the hunt.’ A capable feeder, who has op- portunities to see hounds work, can make a vast difference in any pack. When hunting is going on hounds need little horse exercise. What they get in their yards and an airing once daily with a man on foot, who takes them to a big field where they may knock about a bit, will keep them hearty and reg- ular, and amount to about the equal of a four- mile jog if they are out for an hour. Always keep them interested and make much of them, and have a few bits of biscuit, etc., to toss to them, but as soon as they begin to get ranging about, either take them in, or couple them, or they may get into mischief. When horse exer- cise is’ on, it had better be done in) the ‘early, morning for the fresh air and the dew, and at a brisk pace. A moderate distance at a fair pace is better than dawdling along for miles, and condition comes quicker thus. Keep them well packed at all such times, and have your whip at- tend to his business, or your neighborhood will be 268 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS ” “shy ” sundry pet bow-wows, cats, and chickens. The rascals will continually try you to see just how far they may go, and any insubordination must be nipped in the bud. If they get muddy when out wipe them off before they go to their benches, and do not leave them to shiver and dry themselves as best they may. A _ properly handled pack will heed every low-spoken word, and such a thing as a flogging is soon totally unnecessary ; but when it is, make no mistake about it, and be sure the individual understands what it is for, and receives it promptly, or he will go further next time. When the time arrives for taking the field every effort should be made to simulate, as far as possible, the “real thing” in hunting; and on holidays, or on other occasions, where time is plenty, two or three covers may be drawn before hounds are really “laid on” to the drag. This not only makes them more keen, but it affords an opportunity for the field to see the pack at work, and is also capital schooling for the tyro master, who, of course, will also hunt his hounds. The dragsman may be instructed to visit a grove or two, and therein to let his cane touch the ground in a few places, that hounds may be en- 269 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE couraged to work, and to really draw through such coverts. If a fox or two can be kept ken- nelled, the litter will afford the best material for a drag, but in its default, anise-seed, or any of the other combinations used, answer about as well. The dragsman takes a small vial in his pocket, and, armed with a walking-stick which has a rag wrapped around the end, he pursues his way over the selected course, touching the ground at every step or two, as one would handle a cane, and re- moistening the rag occasionally from his vial. In dry weather he may find it better to drag his stick along, as scent is apt to quickly evaporate under these conditions, and due attention must always be paid to such details, and also as to the direction of the wind. Hounds do better “up wind” on hot or muggy days, or, at all events, across it; down wind they get very much dis- tressed, and it is also hard on horses and riders. This, of course, has special reference to summer hunting, which is as possible with drag hounds as that at any other period of the year, checks with more frequency being necessary, and fences, made blind from thick foliage, being avoided when possible. The dotting of the stick in spaces a few feet apart makes hounds “ pack” and work | 270 | THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS better. With the old-fashioned bag they might run a field ‘‘down wind” of the line, and still carry the scent breast high; in fact, the field could smell it themselves. This is what spoils drag hounds and makes them so careless that, finally, they will own nothing less rank, so spoiled are their noses. The drag should also end near a grove, wall, or some such place, as if the quarry had escaped, and not, as generally the case, in the middle of a big field, where hounds check, stare about, and finally act as if they fully real- ized how they had been fooled. The checks should be arranged in the same way, and if pos- sible (especially in summer) occur at or near a river, brook, or spring, where the exhausted brutes can lap a little water and wallow a few minutes, to cool their over-heated bodies. Many a fit and case of over-exhaustion will thereby be frustrated, and then again, any fox might have thrown them off there. If stone walls are plenti- ful, or fences are close-made, order the dragsman to always take his drag through or near to bar- ways and gaps. Hounds are thus saved much useless labor in jumping, and your object must be, with the small pack at your disposal, to keep them as fresh as possible, and to avoid all unnec- 271 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE essary work. For the same reason an old wagon or van is useful to take them on, and bring them home, if the meets are far from the kennels. Ten couple handled thus will do as much work as twice the number that are slammed about and neither properly cared for nor favored in all the little details that go to “make the difference.” It is beautiful to see hounds going to cover and coming home, but it means just so many extra miles, and you may have large distances to get over. When at the meet let the whip keep a watchful eye for stragglers, and by throwing to them a few scraps of biscuit, etc., from your hand, talking to them and keeping them inter- ested, they will cause no trouble until you are ready to move. Be careful that your drag does not start too near the meet, for the wind may bring the savor to the pack, and if so, the run is on ina minute. Always draw “down” the wind onto your starting point, and not “up” for the same reason. When time is up jog quietly off, making sure that your whip — we will assume you have only one — keeps the field off the hounds, and insures them room enough; nothing makes them wilder than the ever-present fear of being ridden over, and you, as master, can and should 272 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS prevent it, for as such you are autocratic, and may even declare the run off, and go straight home, should your field prove recalcitrant. Ex- plain to them that their fun depends, now and in future, on giving hounds plenty of room on road or in field. When they find and “go away,” go on with the leaders and leave it to your whip to get any stragglers away. English hounds will be the better for a scream or two at this juncture, and the tail hounds will fly to it. Ride your own line and set your field an example in this respect, taking the bitter with the sweet, and giving your pets plenty of room by riding to one side of them. A live fox generally turns “ down wind,” but your drag hounds need not be thus considered, for you will, as often as not, have the scent laid the other way. Give them room, therefore, and let them alone, save a word of encouragement to those not hunting keenly ; and be very careful how you encourage the lead- ing hounds, the keenest and fastest, too extrava- gantly. It is hard to refrain from cheering honest old Bachelor, who is working every yard, and carrying the head like the game old dog heis; but that arch scoundrel, Furious, may awaken to his duties if you can really get him in conceit with FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE himself, so “‘ talk him along,” and try to get him and that shy old bitch, Rarity, and that star-gaz- ing, babbling old villain, Guardsmen, into the game, leaving Bachelor and Prattler, Honesty, Rapture, and the rest to meet their reward at the end of the run in plentiful caress of voice and hand. If cattle, sheep, or colts are on the line try to get your whip up to you; you may need him, and it is bothersome to have to whip and rate your own hounds. These obstructionists may foil the line and bring about a check you had not anticipated, and if so let hounds alone, until they begin to get their heads up and “ chuck it,” when you may take them in hand, as they plainly show themselves ready for assistance, as much as to say, “‘ Boss, we give it up! Where did he go?”” Have a wary eye to the real hunt- ers at such times, for wise old Bachelor may make a cast forward on his own account, and if you have let him get too far away from the main body and yourself he may suddenly “ own it” with a joyous note, and be off before you and the rest can get to him. Keep your field back at such is their ’ times. ‘“ Away back and sit down’ place. Arriving at your prearranged check, when lise THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS hounds all “throw up” and quit, have your whip put them to you (after jumping off your good horse for a moment or two, if the pace has been fast or the going deep, and waiting for your field to catch up); cast them quietly, zigzag- ging along up to your new point of departure, and encouraging them to hunt all the way, using up time according to the weather and your own haste. When they “own it” again, cheer them away and go on as before, save that at the very last you may really cap them along, as the scent grows stronger (because it is fresher) and they seem to be “running into him.” Arrived at the “finish,” take your six or eight pounds of meat — a steer’s or bull’s neck makes the best material, as it is tough and they must “worry” it well before it will come to pieces; if “gamey”’ it is all the better. Get them about you, encouraging the shy ones all you can; hold it well above your head, that they may see it, and throw it to them, urging them to worry and tear it to frag- ments, that all may get a taste, and preventing any hound from getting too large a piece. If the weather is hot get them to water somehow, either to a nearby brook, etc., or hire some lad to bring a bucket. Water them yourself (in fact, they aie) FIRST-HAND BIFS OF STABLE: LORE should look to you for everything), and see that all are attended. Couple up those that road best so confined, and shack off home, treating them on arrival as described in earlier pages. As to hound language, you will soon pick it up. Very little is really needed, nor is it easily put in print. The whip’s rate should always include the name of the hound, clearly and twice repeated, if he addresses an individual, as, “ Curious! Get forrard! Curious!” the first word attracting the desired hound’s attention, and the repetition enforcing the order. To a would-be investigator of passing dogs, etc., he may say, “ Bachelor! Leave it! Bachelor!” or, “ Druid! ’Ware sheep! Druid!” etc., while the pack may be rated, “ 4// of yer! Get for’rard ! All of yer!” or, “Turn over to him,. if ‘they straggle. Your own commands may run as fol- lows: at starting, “Coop! puppies, Coop! come away, l-a-a-ds!”; on finding, a sort of treble scream, like ‘‘ Yo-o-o-0-i! for’rard! for’rard ! Go-o-ne away,” as loud as you can yell, accom- panied by a cheer to the hound that owns it, as, “ Prattler, hoick! Hoick, Prattler!” and when they are drawing, “ Yeo! ¢ry for it! Ye-o-o, rouse him out! Yeoo, work for him, puppies!” 276 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS Many huntsmen keep up a running fire of falsetto encouragement to their hounds, but it has never seemed productive of good results and has a tendency to distract their attention. They know their business, and if you can catch a fox yourself, why go ahead and doit! It makes them indifferent also, when a crisis really arrives, and if they have been rarely interfered with, your voice then brings energetic response, and eager work. If they “ kennel-know ” you and love you, they will try all they can, anyhow. When the “kill’’ comes, call them by name, as, “ Bachelor, here! Music / Van- ity, old woman !”’ etc., and after the “ who-o-op!” which has announced the finish, cry, “ Worry, worry, worry! Tear him and eat him!” and so on. To make hounds drink, the words “ Suss, suss!’? are used. There are numerous other rates, cheers, and calls, but every huntsman has his pet vocabulary, and you will by degrees acquire one of your own. Readers will pardon these details, which are feebly and incompletely set forth, as well as matter-of-course to all who have hunted, but this is intended for those who have not, and only as a general guide at that. No details of the management of bag-foxes and their destruction, if hounds can be induced to a) FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE touch the poor brutes, which sometimes they will not, will be given here, and if your sport (?) is not complete without this feature, then may your undertakings in the hunting line prove dismal failures! How any collection of ordinarily civi- lized beings can find their pleasure enhanced by the killing of a poor little wretch which is turned out in a strange locality, too feeble from long confinement to run any distance, too bewildered to seek any sanctuary, or to know where such may be found, is as much a mystery as its perpe- tration is an inhuman outrage on decency. The flimsy excuse that hounds “ need blood”’ is ridic- ulous and untrue; there are successful packs in all countries that never kill, and do not even taste raw meat at the “finish.” That a “bagman”’ is highly distasteful to hounds, anyway, is proven by the fact that if they do kill him, they often refuse to either “ break him up,” or eat him. Oneview of the wretched, hunted creature, probably a cub, tongue out, brush dragging as he struggles hope- lessly along, is enough to make one’s blood run cold; and it is safe to say that, had the bulk of the field any opportunity to view such a spectacle they would promptly demand its abolition, or abandon hunting entirely. A wild fox at large in 278 | THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS his own country, all holes (or earths) unstopped, has a fair chance, if he gets away with a decent start, and he is probably a chicken-stealing rogue, which deserves extermination. Your rotten little mangy bagman, however, has no such chance, but runs aimlessly on until he is caught, or drops from sheer exhaustion, or else seeks the nearest fence corner, where he stops and faces his foes, dying like the hopeless little desperado he is. There are wild foxes in certain localities, nota- bly about Philadelphia, which .have been hunted time and again, and which really seem to enjoy the outing, affording good runs sometimes for years, and then dying peacefully of old age; but such cases are few, and as, sooner or later, all American hunting must be after the drag, let that be the legitimate object of pursuit, and for human- ity’s sake, leave out the bag-fox features. Tame deer have been used a little in this coun- try for pursuit, and have afforded good sport, their tendency to take to the roads, and to “soil ” obstinately in water when pressed, presenting the chief drawbacks to theiremployment. Of course they are never killed, and equally, of course, the master and whips must be well up, or they may be, but it takes a mighty fast pack to catch a deer 219 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE that has fair ‘‘law”’ and means going. Nota few of these old-stagers seem to enjoy the chase, and will keep just far enough in front to make hounds do their best, until nearing the finish, when they really “set sail” for the box-stall that awaits them, to which they unerringly return. They are a bother to procure and keep, however, and should not be seriously considered. The farmers, over whose lands one hunts, must be cared for properly, and made to realize, by purchase of supplies from them when possi- ble, and by prompt settlement of any reasonable damage claims, that hunting is to their interest. Picnics, dances, etc., should feature each season, once at least; growing crops, new meadows, etc., should be shunned; smashed rails should be at once replaced, the dragsman going over the course the very next morning with spare rails, boards, etc., stamped with the club stencil, so that there may be no question about it, and making good all damages; claims for stock getting out, etc., should be courteously considered, and promptly settled ;-ask permission of all land-owners first, and shun carefully the premises of all who ob- ject; their number will be few if they are prop- erly approached, and the objects clearly explained. 280 . THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS As your sport is possible only on their sufferance, let them understand that you appreciate it, and will requite the courtesy in kind. Hounds are quite subject to fits in hot weather, if hunted, and periods between checks should be brief for that reason; the scent rather lightly laid, that the pace may not be too fast. Checking near water is best for this reason, and if any show signs of exhaustion the time at check may be prolonged until recovery is made. Occasionally one must be bled, but this is so rare as hardly to merit consideration. If you must act you may scarify the roof of the mouth, or may bleed from the jugular, taking care to makeall safe afterward by running a pin through the edges of the cut and twisting about it a few hairs from your horse’s mane; his tail will afford none long enough, now that this infernal fashion of docking prevails. Your kennel needs in the medical line will be few; an occasional dose of physic (as castor oil and syrup of buckthorn), a blue pill for a slug- gish liver, etc., will about complete the list unless you undertake to raise puppies and breed your own hounds. As most masters finally essay this disappointing undertaking, however, they should 281 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE have at hand some of the works upon diseases of dogs, and will find plenty of opportunity to practise. Distemper will rarely trouble you if you buy drafts of full age for such purposes as the average drag pack requires. It is the height of folly to try to breed, although handling puppies, training them, and watching them learn to work is great fun. If you successfully raise six couple out of twenty pups you are doing wonders; and if two couple out of the six are any account you are in great luck. The game is not worth the candle, save as a side issue. A number of true and tried receipts for various ailments are appended, and it is hoped that these rambling and imperfect notes may urge you to actively take up this most interesting sport, and derive from it the health and the unlimited en- joyment that such outdoor recreation, and its attendant intimate association with dumb animals, has procured for the writer. VERMIFUGE 25 grains areca-nut 2 grains santonine Follow in two hours with tablespoon castor oil. Repeat in three days. Withhold food twenty-four hours previous. Pups, half quantity. 282 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS Cuorea (Following Distemper) ¥ grain strychnine y dram extract gentian Q grains quinine ¥% dram Barbadoes aloes 3 grains extr. belladonna Make 36 pills ; one twice daily before food. VERMIFUGE 20 drops oil male fern 30 drops oil turpentine 60 drops ether Beat up with egg. One dose. Canker (Ears, etc.) 6 grains nitrate of silver I ounce water Use twice daily. Fever Mixture 1 dram powdered nitre 1 dram wine of antimony ¥% ounce sweet nitre 4 ounces water 11% ounce minderous spirit Tablespoonful in gruel every four hours. Disr—EMPER Mixture 2 drams chlorate potash 2 drams tincture of henbane } ounce minderous spirit 2% ounces water 2 drams sweet nitre Dissolve potash in water; add rest. ‘Teaspoonful to table- spoonful twice daily, according to size of dog. 283 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE StomacH STIMULANT 1 dram extract gentian 36 grains powdered rhubarb 12 grains carbonate of soda Make 12 pills; three daily. FLeEas Strong solution quassia chips Poor FEEDER One grain sulphate quinine daily, in powder. What, then, may we count upon as the approx- imate cost of an unpretentious establishment, such as described, hunted and whipped by amateurs, and cheaply handled in every way, to afford runs of three days per week? Such amateurs as are able to enter actively into this sport, and to give the necessary time to it, can well afford to horse themselves, and should do so; but for the sake of argument we will assume that the club decides to provide their horses. Animals such as will do the work can be procured at auctions, etc., ready schooled, for very little money, and many useful screws are noticed at such sales selling for fifty: dollars and less. Of course, heavy men must usually pay more, but for drag hunting there is no occasion for a welterweight being horsed as he would be for a whole day with hounds. 284 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS Most horses, up to one hundred and seventy-five pounds, will carry two hundred pounds perfectly well for an hour or two, and bulk in the quad- ruped by no means insures safety to the biped. Action is what carries weight — level, true, effort- less, galloping action — and little horses are often as competent for the undertaking as the big, robust brutes generally selected. A tall horse makes fences look smaller; he has no other merit of any kind. This, then, is the schedule for the year, the club furnishing kennel room and stall room free : OricinaL OutTLay Four horses @yeroagyey iss ia.) ys .\"$400.00 Fen coupleshoundss@<$10) 4) 4 05. sreo.00 Sdadlessoridlessrerey)-s0l) 5°52) cyl ae 1O0:00 CAE H Re co ply hh EY end cots tani WN on au pe OLOO $680.00 Cosr or Keesp, etc., Per Montu Feed. \ctc.,, tour horses @ $123) 5). ($48.00 SROCII CER aren AT Set eat ae. ra) aa hey A UGE Ge Nictanisdbyeyete route vos hiatal ts iba. Jt Jat bEOO Drassmian ren ys) an ok Wied ald dE wd | 1 ROSOO Kennelmanvand.groom, . 9. 4... « «50,00 eed ce ROUBG Sz iia) suis, 13 us oA 0200 Sundry Me gie: Ne “2.5500 Fence repairs, damages, etc. (?) $226.00 285 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE The saddles, bridles, clothing, coats, etc., as with the horses, would probably be provided by the amateur officials. Hounds may often be pur- chased for much less than the price named — $5 per head. The amount named for feeding the horses is ample for any locality ; in many sections they can be well done for half the money. Shoeing, at $2 a set, averages rather high, and, if tips are used, expense is halved. Veterinary should hardly be -needed, but may be occasionally. The kennel- man, if he also “ does”’ the horses, some of them, and is competent, is worth $60 if he boards himself; if the club gives that, he should get about $35, and presents, etc., at Christmas will help out nicely. The dragsman, if regularly employed, may also help about horses and ken- nels, and work “by the run” (at $5); or for so much per month, or the kennelman may also lay drag, and will be glad of the chance, if an active fellow, as he must be. A lad at $10 a month and board can help about kennels, etc., if necessary. Asa matter of fact, the writer has always found it possible to get one man to do the whole job, hounds, horses, drag, and ll, and never paid over $60 to a man (who also 286 THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS boarded himself). Christmas, however, brought in at least $75 more, and other tips were fre- quent. While the work is hard, for a few months, it is easy the balance of the year, and the wage drops correspondingly, as do the expenses of keep- ing the animals. Hounds may be well fed at $2 each per month, when in work. The expense of repairs and damages will be light, if farmers are favorably disposed to begin with, and are prop- erly approached for the privileges desired. The writer never had to pay a penny for anything during three years in one country, and but a few dollars in another for a calf and a few hens de- stroyed by straggling hounds. All told, then, five months’ hunting, spring, six weeks, and late summer and fall, three months or more, may be enjoyed for an outside expense of about $1,500, and probably for very much less, which, if the club has twenty members or so, entails a very slight individual outlay per month. The season over, all horses and hounds may be sold, and a fresh start made when time approaches for again beginning. 287 Chapter XVIII SHOWING HORSES O successfully handle horses in the show ring implies a contest of intelli- gence between judges and exhibitors, in which the officials make every effort to discover imperfections of manners, gait, etc., while the “nagsmen”’ try their best not only to display their charges to advantage, but to conceal or modify all short-comings. Amateurs to this extent, strive to emulate professionals, and adopt methods which, in their own investiga- tions as purchasers, they are prone to resent upon the part of the purveyors, and to consider proper in the arena, artifices which they denounce in the sale stable. 4s this is proper — or #f this is allowable—in the former case, it certainly should not be condemned in the latter, and if attempts to hoodwink the judicial eye are toler- ated, the hackneyed motto “ Caveat emptor” de- mands equal respect. As showman or salesman, 288 *“Sdd XT, aoor) SHOWING HORSES all goods should be displayed to the best advan- tage, if satisfactory results are to follow, and we have many amateurs who are as alive to every “trick of the trade’’ in showing a horse as the best professional. To make the best possible impression upon show functionaries every detail of equipage must be just right. This does not mean that the absurd appointment fad must be exactly copied, but that the eternal fitness of things must be plainly evidenced in the conformation, action, and qualities of the animals, — grace and appro- priateness in size and variety of the vehicle, and neatness, snugness, and good fashion and fit of harness, or of saddle and bridle. An absurdly short dock, an unkempt and crooked tail, shaggy mane and fetlocks, dirty vehicle and trappings, — all affect results; and while it is true that a horse should win on his merits, his entourage has its proper effect on the outcome, and very justly. If pains are not taken to please the official eye, the offender has but his own neglect to blame if passed over. The great trouble with the average amateur is self-consciousness, and the fact that through it he works himself into a state of nervousness which fe 289 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE affects his horse the moment he takes up his reins. That “ wireless telegraph” is instantly in action, and the animal is disconcerted before the time for action arrives, — half beaten before the battle begins. Again, he has watched profes- sionals “nagging”’ their horses with bit, whip, and voice to make them display the action and carriage necessary, and he makes efforts to emu- late them which result only in confusing and up- setting his charge, forgetting, or not appreciating, that half their performance is “gallery work” only, and that, through incessant practice, they intuitively understand just how far to go, and just when to stop, or to change methods. Almost any horse that is up to show form, performs at his best when handled quietly, and allowed to display himself in his own way. ‘There are some sluggards, and regular winners at that, which have to be waked up (outside the ring) with stimulants and bale-stick, and to be flogged, jerked, “ fished,” and lifted when contesting, as if in the last strides of a race, but these are not the sort the tyro will wish either to own or to handle, if he is the good sportsman we all ad- mire, and with a soul above mere mug-and-rib- bon-hunting. Ladies usually accomplish wonders 290 SHOWING HORSES in such competitions, because they are not so assertive as the sterner sex, and being willing that the animals should do their best in their own way do not hamper them by misdirected efforts to better the performance ; their hands are lighter and more firm, and they are usually more self- possessed. Most people entirely misconstrue the phrase “good hands,” and the people who pride them- selves upon these possessions will be generally found not to send their horses up to their bits ; instead of the “ give and take,” their method is all “give.” Nor is manipulation the only requi- site of this accomplishment. It must include the intuitive knowledge of what a horse is about to do; how he is about to do it; and the instant frustration of any outbreak or mistake in just the proper degree, which is so instinctive that it becomes automatic. ‘‘ Horse sense”’ and sym- pathetic intelligence are essentials which may de- velop through association, but are usually a matter of personality alone. The very best “hands” often appear rough, and are when re- sistance demands coercion, for the definition of “hands,” roughly put, is ‘the faculty of making a horse do what we want in the way we want it, 2gI FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE and with advantage to himself.” He who affects this unerringly, be attitude and methods what they may, indisputably possesses “hands” in their finest development. On the first appearance of a class, judges do not want, nor do they regard favorably any sen- sational performances. At this stage their efforts are directed toward culling out the unfit, and any excessive display upon the part of your horse will go for nothing so far as results are concerned. If you have even an outside chance you will be duly “lined up” among the elect: all energy should be reserved for the struggle which is to come later. Go carefully into all the corners of the ring, therefore, taking the longest way round that your steed may get the utmost benefit from the straight sides, and not be perpetually on the turn, or in an unbalanced attitude. He will, if he has had no preliminary experience in an en- closure, be at a huge disadvantage anyhow as compared with those who have enjoyed this re- hearsal. Let the racers race, and the hustlers strive, a dignified and quiet progress is all you should attempt, although once, when they have begun to choose the eligibles, you may make one “parade” just to clinch things with the judges. 292 SHOWING HORSES When coming into line at the call of the ring- master, it does no harm, if your horse is au fait in such accomplishments, to go a length or two beyond your place, and then, after pulling up, to back into position,especially if a judge is looking. You prove good manners at once. If your horse is quiet, you may now, by your apparent disre- gard of him, emphasize his merits in the way of quietness when standing, and should always, if possible, uncheck him while in repose, the long waits proving very fatiguing to cramped and twisted neck-muscles. Keep him square on his legs, and light in hand, and if the judges ask you to back, do not make the common error of at once trying to haul him back, but be sure that he is “on his feet,’ and so placed that it is physically possible for him to comply. One some- times sees exhibitors trying vainly to perform this simplest of manceuvres with horses whose atti- tude precludes the possibility of their obedience. Never try to overdo it, or back one step after the judge’s gesture shows that he is satisfied, for your horse may turn restive from any cause, and suddenly rebel. ‘Let well enough alone” in all such undertakings. Called upon for a second display, it is probably 293 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE your last chance, for ribbons may come any time now. If you can manage to lead off you are lucky, as you can turn the way about the arena which your horse prefers, and in the direction he shows best, for all horses have preferences this way. By being in front you may also regulate the pace, for a few turns at least, to that which fits your charge’s ability, displaying fast pace, if allowed, to the detriment of others, or retarding it if yours is a flash mover at the slower rate (and others may be inconvenienced thereby). You should still go well into the corners, and be sure the judges will appreciate your reasons, and award you due consideration for your care. If you are deficient in pace, this manceuvre will puzzle them as to just how much your horse lacks in this respect, inasmuch as you are going a longer way round than any one, and would naturally lose ground. If you can detect the dangerous horse, and do not fear, or would challenge, comparison, get be- hind him if possible, where you can observe, and copy all his tactics, if imitation seems best; if not, you may offer the proper contrast, and beat him then and there. Above all things do not try to pass any horse on the turns, and be careful of the 294 SHOWING HORSES rights of others in that you attempt no cutting off of contending horses, by pulling across them, and forcing them to shorten stride, or to pull up altogether. A number of professional tricks have been adopted by some of our amateurs, and no good can come of it. A saddle class makes its appearance at a walk, as should all others, but that we have fallen into the error of disregarding, officially, a horse’s abil- ities at this, the most important pace he employs. The bold, free, upheaded, flat-footed walker, is as hard to beat as he is to find. Ride your horse every yard, and keep one eye on the judges, if he is a slack walker, ready to seize the opportu- nity to jog a few steps up to your leader, and re- gain the ground you have lost. When told to trot, take a nice collected park pace, such as your animal can exhibit without hopping or hitching, and stick to it, going closely into the corners, and making your mount bend himself nicely ; at the canter —and never let that pace degenerate into the gallop, — go calmly and collectedly, changing your lead in straight going if you can (and if a judge 1s looking), as evidence of handiness. On lining up, take room for yourself, and give it to others, and after your mount has stretched his 295 FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE neck and shifted his bits, keep him lightly in hand ready to obey the judges’ directions at a moment’s notice; do not expect them to wait while you sort out your reins, fix your hat and stirrups, and when ordered, gradually get under way. The same methods apply in a way to hunting classes, and the principal requirement is to go a fair hunting pace all the way, and not to be pull- ing up to a walk and starting again at a gallop at every fence. Select stabling that is the quietest in the build- ing, or preferably stable outside. The bustle and the bad air will put many a horse completely off his feed if kept in the building, and unless you are dealing there is no advantage in stabling there ; while your vehicles inevitably get badly banged about in such places, your harness scratched, and your smaller valuables hypothecated. Always be ready long before the call, and do not annoy the management, and get the judges down on you by causing delay either through carelessness, or through a desire to make a sensational, if tardy, entry and set the crowd to asking, ‘Who is that?”’ Such cheap methods of advertising are beneath you. 296 SHOWING HORSES Horses travel best by express, and should always be well bandaged, and protected, as to the crown of the head, from bruises, by placing a pad over the brow, while the tail should be carefully bandaged that it may not be disfigured by rub- bing or chafing. Watch your men carefully, that not only may they do their work properly, but that they may give no cause to public or officials for complaint. You are responsible for the appearance and man- ners of your servants, and should carefully arrange that they are beyond reproach. Above all things, never expect to win, but treat losing as an essential of thegame. Anybody can win gracefully. If thus prepared for defeat your occasional successes will prove doubly grate- ful; if the reverse obtains, your losses will be hard to bear, your winnings never compensatory, you will find the amusement an irksome task, and quickly degenerate into a leading member of that huge body of hard losers and “ chronic kickers ”’ which no sport has so ably developed as the in- adequately expensive game of horse showing. 297 hi iy i Tie The Private Stable Its Establishment, Management, and Appointments By JAMES A. GARLAND & & & NEW EDITION. WITH ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS, FULLY ILLUSTRATED. 8vo. CLOTH, $5.00 net R. GARLAND’S valuable book has been for some time out of print. The new chapters in this edition are: “Hunters and Hunting,” by Harry W. Smith, one of the leading riders in America; “Exhibiting,” by Francis M. Ware, manager of the American Horse Exchange, New York; “Riding for Women,” by Belle Beach, the expert woman rider; “Four- in-Hand Driving,” by Frederick Ashenden, the leading profes- sional whip, with additional suggestions as to the handling of reins in driving a single, pair, or four-in-hand ; and “ Notes on Riding,’’ by T.C. P. of Toronto. The new edition has additional illustra- tions and will be found of greater value than ever to all interested in horses and stables. & FF OPINIONS REGARDING THE FIRST EDITION We heartily indorse the work as one of the best that has come to our attention. — Rider and Driver. Everything that needs to be known for the successful establishment and man- agement of a private stable seems to be contained between the covers of this excellent manual. — Review of Reviews. It is a treasure-house of valuable and accurate information. — New York World. The touch of the master of his subject is discernable on every page of this book. — N. Y. Mail and Express. LITTLE, BROWN, & COMPANY, Publishers 254 WASHINGTON STREET: BOSTON, MASS. nM Ve UNCON