| L S96 ne COO O SSSYONOD SO ANVHAIT ae 7 7 fh A 7 " idl uf vf ty , i , bit (7 iY 4 ' iv D o¢ ‘ We aan) re a ¥ way fi al J - 2 Mam Oe i et SA hiy ALY : ‘ | Ba © vn a a ade ' Bi oi : ae i ya re a T yh Te " 4 he 7 ¢ * aa Yj * 6 Tate vy) | 7 oa ny TRE HORSE DHECAUTDHOR THE HORSE WILLIAM S. TEVIS, Jr. ‘4 Privately Printed SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA December, 1922 SF 304 Copyright 1922 By William 8S. Tevis, Jr. MAY 22 ’23 ©c1a704934 To MY FRIEND Whose interest and help made possible this little book CONTENTS PSTEROCUICEROLD | rotsihis cs sts ar eke cael Gender crab late arene Gare OG abd etaualeta ain creas CHAPTER I. How to approach a horse—Bridling—Saddling—Mounting —Dismounting—An episode near Lake Tahoe......... CHAPTER II. Balance—How to keep it—Experience with bucking horses —Correct length of stirrup—Grip—How it counteracts inertia—European cavalry man’s experiment—Seat— What it means in the saddle—‘‘The End of the Trail.’’ CHAPTER III. How the rider controls his horse—Bits, and how they work —The Martinzale—Spurs—Whips—Balance—How to start and stop a horse—How to make a horse slide— Backing a horse—Changing direction—Changing leads at a gallop—Teaching the horse to trot and to walk Pe REIN) WONCIEOUVE ‘LORS a sais wiles a leicle a4 ole lass Aa nie Sueiw wet ataveene CHAPTER IV. Reining a horse—Use of different bits—How his mouth is made—The natural gaits—The walk, the trot and the canter—Natural gaits more useful than acquired gaits —Popularity of five-zaited horses for show purposes— APIS) ATGY SWIMMING crate lacy cu aielercalslerde stalcravele el eve CHAPTER V. Riding up and down hill or on a pavement—The right and wrong ways of doing so—Xenophon’s comments about ancient hill riders—Opening a gate when on horseback —Talking to horses—Efcacy of a well-spoken word— The art of falling off—How best to escape injury—A midnight runaway and a drop in the darkness.......... CHAPTER VI. Racing and race horses—Early training—Reasons for the light bit and the short stirrup—Use and misuse of the whip in racing—Horse show ethics—Looks are every- thing—Satisfy the judge—Importance of etiquette— Polo ponies—They just happen and are not bred— Difficulty of finding them—Amenities of the polo pony trade—What constitutes a perfect polo pony..:...... 11 19 26 34 42 CHAPTER VII. Page Habits of the horse, natural and acquired—Getting up and Lying down—Balking—A useful method of treating it —Rolling—How to prevent it—Pawing—Rearing— Striking—Kicking—Biting—Cinch Binding—Shying— How to make a shying horse go past the object of his terror — Stumbling — Falling — Prancing — Plunzing— Crow-hopping—Bucking, buck jumpers and how to ride them—Some general remarks about equine idio- SVFICEASLES. | sic .r: 8 ' a, LE: a> seen that long stirrups would be disadvanta- geous to a rider in such circumstances. Most persons, who give the matter consid- eration at all, prefer to fall from the left side of a horse, since it gives greater scope for agility. The most important principle to be observed in falling from a horse with the minimum risk of injury to the rider, is that of allowing one’s muscles to relax, and rolling as far as possible, either as a result of the impetus given to the rider by the animal, or by the use of the rider’s own energy. If possible, the rider should let himself slip down slowly at first, until his body is near the ground, and then throw him- self with all his force for the purpose of rolling. In this way injury from the horse’s hoofs or falling body can best be avoided. If the horse falls over backward, the rider should jump forward on the left side from his near stirrup at the moment of the horse irrevo- cably losing its balance. If the horse falls on his head, the rider, without resistance, should allow himself to be projected forward out of the saddle, and add in any way possible to the natural impetus the horse has given him towards rolling. If the horse falls on his right side, the right leg from the knee to the heel should be thrown upward and toward the back of the horse. The 47 DS ie ep Oy ee er rider’s leg will not be injured unless the horse turns a complete somersault, which is very improbable. A fall of the horse on his left side is probably least dangerous to the rider, as the left leg from heel to knee can be raised more quickly than in the case of the right leg, while the right leg makes its normal swing as in dismounting. The rider, freeing himself from a falling horse, should do so on the side toward which the horse is falling, thus avoiding being kicked by the legs of the probably struggling animal. One night, while riding home from Bakers- field to a neighboring ranch, at a walking gait, I fell asleep on my horse. My mount was a notorious runaway, and my dreams were dis- turbed in the following manner: The horse, frightened, I believe, by a chained dog, jumped forward and in a moment was away at the top of his stride. His first jump threw me back- ward over the cantle of the saddle between which and the horse’s tail I hung suspended. The reins had been jerked out of my hands. Instinctively I grasped the cantle at the mo- ment of awakening. My situation was not enviable. Pitch blackness all around. The tracing hoofbeats in my ears. What to do now was the vital question. To continue in the position I held was but to postpone the inevitable. Barbed wire fences and trees loomed ominously ahead. To crawl forward 48 ASD an Ur @ a 5 ae 2) over the cantle would mean certain death should, at that moment, a collision occur. This is what I did: I jumped a few inches upward from the horse’s back, allowing the animal to pass out from under me. Although I received a very hard fall, it was the only way I could have escaped a greater injury. 49 CHAPTER VI. Racing and race horses—Early training—Reasons for the light bit and the short stirrup—Use and misuse of the whip in racing—Horse show ethics—Looks are everything—Satisty the judge—Importance of etiquette—Polo ponies—They just happen and are not bred—Difficulty of finding them—Ameni- ties of the polo pony trade—What constitutes a perfect polo pony. Racing.—The race horse is usually halter- broken when it is a few months old. From the time of its birth it is constantly handled by man, so that even from colthood it is a very domestic kind of animal. Its training begins when it is a yearling. The lightest possible rider is found in order that the minimum risk may be taken of injuring the animal’s legs, which are naturally very subject to injury at this time. Many of the most important races in the history of a horse are run when he is but two years old. Horses of this age, and under, generally are “breezed” (exercised) about an eighth of a mile once or twice a week. To determine the possibility a horse has of Winning a given race, the weight carried and the length of the race must be known, the horse’s staying qualities, its breeding and past performance borne in mind, and its probable behavior at the line-up taken into considera- tion, so that some idea may be had of what kind of a start is to be expected. The method adopted in racing a horse and 50 T H E -%- H O R Ss} E getting the greatest speed out of him consists, first, in the proper use of a very light bit, and taking a steady pressure on the horse’s mouth, so that the horse in turn will take a steady pressure on the bit and will pull against the hold of his rider. This kind of treatment will obtain from a horse far more consistent speed than a loose rein will produce, since the horse, once taking hold of the racing snaffle, will tend to keep the same pressure against the bit, no matter how exhausted he may feel. Very short stirrups and the rider’s weight placed above the shoulders of a horse allow him the maximum employment of his hind legs and muscles which are the chief factors in propulsion. A whip, when applied at the right moment, has a stimulating effect, and will give a horse the desire to run with the greatest possible speed. If applied at the wrong moment, it has the opposite effect, and will often make the horse “dog it.” Experience and knowledge of the individual horse alone can indicate the proper moment for the use of the whip. A horse that is doing its utmost, if whipped beyond a certain point, will react with resent- ment or give up. A whip can be used advan- tageously for a quick break away. A sting of the whip at the right moment will sometimes make the co-ordination between the mind and muscles of a lagging horse more taut. 51 Re eat TR Re he At the Horse Show.—Appearance is the most important factor at a horse show, and a well-groomed horse will have a great advant- age in the ring over another animal whose intrinsic worth may be the same, but who has not had the same care. Since the winning of prizes depends entirely upon the decision of the judge, the personal equation is most important. To satisfy the judge should be the primary object of each contestant. No two judges have quite the same thought about a horse, and if the identity of the presiding judge is known before the show, it will facilitate a contestant, who has a number of horses from which to select, to choose the ones that would have the greatest chance of winning. Some horses, especially those of the phleg- matic type, show to a better advantage in the ring, than at any other time. The music, and commotion incident to a large number of per- sons assembled together, stimulate the animal. On the other hand, a horse inclined to be ex- citable, although for general use he may fulfill the work required of him in an efficient way, in the ring will become nervous and give a poor performance. Etiquette is an important thing. It is cus- tomary for those winning premiums to place the ribbon in the mouth, and ride once around the ring. The exit from the ring, through 52 eee a se A Oo Roe Se cE which horses are led out, sometimes of itself gives rise to the horse acting badly. Care should be taken when the animal is passing such a place instantly to counteract any in- clination he might have to leave the ring. Polo.—Polo ponies happen—they are not bred, at least to no greater extent than apti- tude can be inherited. The chief factors per- taining to a polo pony are speed, staying qual- ity, and a good mouth, which will continue sensitive no matter how winded the animal may become. (A mouth that becomes dry, and loses its saliva, will invariably lose its sensitiveness. Therefore some idea can be had, by looking at a horse’s mouth after he has been through violent exercise, whether his mouth is sensitive or not.) A well-reined horse, without any habits of shying off a mallet, or off other horses, is necessary. The horse should be able to jump forward quickly, and accelerate his speed so that in a few lengths he has his full stride. A horse that is about fifteen hands in height and runs low to the ground is perhaps the best for this purpose, when the length and weight of the average polo mallet are considered. Fine polo ponies are often found on the big cow ranches in the western part of North America. I have had ten years’ experience buying and selling these animals. It is diffi- cult to tell, with any certainty, whether a horse 53 De Bo sea RS oni will make a fine polo pony or not, unless he has actually been taken and played on the polo field. To go polo pony hunting through the cattle ranches is very interesting. The polo pony buyer is confronted with a number of animals; anything from a Shetland pony to a shire horse. If he is not personally acquainted with the owners, he will do well to be ready for any kind of a ride, since a bucking horse or two may be among those shown. This is a kind of Western humor that is irrepressible. A horse that shows breeding, has saddle marks, a hackamore nose, and a sleepy look in its eye, is likely to prove interesting to the polo man. Such a horse having been saddled, the buyer mounts and works him in circles, figure eights, and races him up and down, taking note of the horse’s staying qualities, the resiliency of mouth, and how he handles his hind legs when suddenly brought to a stop from a fast gallop. The buyer watches the faces of the horse owners and continues this exercise as long as they seem willing to have it progress, because to get any idea of the value a horse may have for polo, he must be worked fast up and down for quite a long time. Such a horse, that will continue to respond quickly to every demand of his rider will prob- ably make a good polo pony. A good polo pony will always stake race 94 ANG DOOD SIRIUS EIN Tae Rt, © Re a well, but a good stake horse will not neces- sarily play polo well. The reason for this is that a stake race only involves one turn, and a period of polo involves many turns and the continual pulling and mauling of the animal’s mouth. Some horses will make one or two quick turns and then lose sensitiveness in the mouth. Such horses will be useless for polo. Sometimes a polo horse buyer is able to pur- chase an animal for around a hundred dollars, and after keeping him for a few months may sell him for two or three thousand dollars. On first thought this would seem to include a profit beyond all reason, which would involve “stealing” him in the first place and his sale at an exorbitant figure a few months later. An opportunity of this sort, however, occurs very rarely. If we take into consideration the fact that such a horse, for the purposes of his original owner, could probably be duplicated for less than a hundred dollars, and that the polo man has bought from fifty to one hundred head of horses that he has had to sell at a loss in order to obtain a single really good one, the profit will not seem so excessive. Also it must be remembered that the polo buyer can never be sure that he has secured a very fine polo pony until it has actually played a month or two. 55 CHAPTER VII. Habits of the horse, natural and acquired—Getting up and lying down—Balking—A useful method of treating it—Roll- ing—How to prevent it—Pawing—Rearing—Striking—Kicking —Biting—Cinch Binding—Shying—How to make aé_ shying horse go past the object of his terror—Stumbling—Falling— Prancing—Plunging —Crow-hopping—Bucking, buck jumpers and how to ride them—Some general remarks about equine idiosyncrasies. Getting Up and Lying Down.—A horse rising from a lying position on the ground will straighten out his forelegs first, raising the forepart of his body until he is almost in a sitting position, and then, by a contrac- tion of the muscles, bring his hind legs under his body, and raise his hindquarters from the ground. When preparing to lie down, a horse will often first go to his knees, and will always nearly touch the ground with his nose, letting the forepart of his body rest on the ground first. Balking.—Balking, ordinarily, is the pre- rogative of the mule. It is an unfortunate inhibition on the part of an animal and dis- turbs the less philosophical rider. The ani- mal in this case stands perfectly still and refuses to move in any direction. Some well-meaning persons advise as a cure the building of a fire under the balking ani- mal, or some other measure equally drastic. Such treatment, however, is not be be en- couraged, because although it will undoubt- 56 eee. ie ake te Eko ON ER Be ie edly eliminate from the animal’s mind the desire to balk, it will anger or pain him to such a degree that he will probably run madly away and cause the ill-advised person injury of some sort. Balking is a habit that is usually produced by bad management, and is more prevalent in old and long-suffering animals than in others. If a horse, who is predisposed in this way, sees in front of him a steep hill, and is allowed to stand for a few moments contemplating it, he will probably become discouraged and balk. A deep river or heavy sand will often produce the same effect. To prevent a horse from balking, the rider should hurry him up or through these places, so that but a moment of time is allowed the animal for meditation. In the middle of Taylor Creek it was my misfortune at one time to find myself seated upon an animal which assumed a balking position. The art to be employed in dis- couraging a horse from balking depends upon some method of annoying the beast, by de- grees, so that he becomes disgusted with himself and is willing to cease. Finding my- self in this position in midstream, I took off my hat and filled it with water, which I slowly poured into the animal’s ears, taking care to allow only a very fine stream to enter. The animal gave evidence of being displeased, 57 Te RR Bh ei ECR and, being unable to make me aware of his displeasure by continuing in a stationary attitude, he, after the first application of water, shook his head violently and rushed from the stream. Where there is no water, the best way to get a balking horse in motion is to take a whip and hit him gently and frequently upon one front leg until it moves, and then upon the other. I say front leg, because a horse associates a front leg almost entirely with forward movement but is apt to think of kicking when having his attention called forcibly to a hind leg. I have never seen the above treatment fail, if continued a reason- able length of time. Rolling.—A horse usually rolls for the purpose of rubbing his back. Horses have been known to roll in order to rid them- selves of their riders, but this is very rare. Some horses have an unfortunate inclination to roll when crossing a shallow stream or a very muddy place. The rider will do well, the moment the animal has assumed a stand- ing position in a place of this sort, with head down and knees slightly bent, to urge him vigorously ahead with whip or spur, since it often takes drastic measures to overcome this desire of the horse. A horse before rolling will nearly always try and stand still for a few moments, and 58 eer ja ese) RE OO Ro Ss) will shift his weight from one front leg to the other, with lowered head. A rider ob- serving these symptoms should act at once. Pawing.—Pawing is a nervous movement made by the horse, particularly when being restrained in his desire to move forward. In the act of pawing, the horse stretches one front leg forward, strikes the ground with its hoof, toe pointed downward, and carries the hoof back and up toward the girth. Most horses at some time paw. The habit is not serious. Rearing.—In rearing, the horse has the tendency to stand straight up on his hind legs. Bad handling will often cause a horse to do this. Cinch-binding is also a cause. It is said that a bottle of charged water broken upon the horse’s head, between his ears, in such a way that its contents will run down the face of the animal, will eradicate the horse’s desire to rear. This may, in part, be true, as a blow of sufficient force adminis- tered to the head will act as a kind of panacea and will eradicate the desire to rear, as well as all other natural instincts to which the horse is heir. However, this method is self- evidently foolish. The best preventive method is to avoid any sudden pull upon the reins, especially when the horse is standing still, because it is at this time he will most likely rear. 59 To Ha Se A SO ee Striking—When a horse kicks with his forelegs it is called striking. To do this he rears on his hind legs and can only be really dangerous on the downward and outward stroke of his forelegs. A man does not need to stand directly in front of such a horse to receive a blow from his forelegs, because in rearing to strike he will often pivot on his hind legs in order to get in line with his target. When the horse rears to strike, real presence of mind will usually enable a per- son, within the radius of his forelegs, to jump backward before the horse can com- plete the downward stroke. A horse can only strike from a standing position, and having struck once, independent of hitting his target, will hardly ever strike a second time in rapid succession. Kicking.—A horse can kick in almost any direction with his hind legs. The target, however, that appeals most to the horse is at a point about two feet from and directly be- hind them. This preference aside, however, the horse with his hind legs can kick effec- tively forward and sideways. This last is called cow-kicking, because the cow is espe- cially apt in this form of exercise. A person seated on a clever kicking horse is not neces- sarily placed beyond the animal’s reach. I remember once having the shank of my spur kicked off when riding upon such an animal. 60 ee EG see ORE Oo OR OSE A vicious horse will often kick at his rider’s stirrups when bucking, because when in the air his legs are not needed to keep balance. A person who stands right up against the horse’s hind legs will suffer far less injury from a kick than one who stands a foot or two away. However, neither position is to be recommended when working near a vicious horse. Biting.—Untamed horses will nearly al- ways use their teeth as a weapon of defense. Even gentle horses will sometimes bite under provocative circumstances. Cinch tightly an old horse, so disposed, and leave his head loose, and he will probably take a piece out of the would-be rider’s left arm. Fore- thought will very easily eliminate the pos- sibility of this. The rider need only take the near cheekpiece, directly above the bit, in his left hand, and, placing his knuckles against the cheek of the horse, cinch with his right hand. If the horse tries to turn his head to bite, a poke with the knuckles will discourage him. Vicious stallions and mares show a great partiality toward biting. If one must work within reach of the teeth of such a horse, the judicious use of a small club, or the butt end of a whip, will help keep the animal’s mouth where it belongs. I once saw, between the Rattlesnake Moun- tains and Carson Sink, on a desolate alkali 61 rt BH & -+ “8 2: £2 eee waste, a veritable battle of the stallions. One day when we were returning to camp near the Walker River, while hunting Fuzztail, the wild horse of Nevada, we halted at the edge of a rock barrier, and there, several hundred yards before us, were two great stallions, leaders of rival bands, engaged in a battle to the death, as it shortly proved. With screams of rage and ripping teeth they fought until one, gashed in the throat, was left convulsed in its death struggles on the alkali waste that it long had called its own. The big Jacks of the mule-breeding ranches are more terrible with their teeth than the horse. They have the tenacity of the bulldog in combat, and fortunate is the fighting stallion that has steered clear from such an issue. Cinch-binding.—Cinch-binding is a habit generally founded upon predisposition. It is manifested by the horse cringing when cinched and rearing with legs stiff. Un- usually fine hair and delicate skin are the commonest causes of this habit. If a horse is inclined this way he should be cinched carefully, the cinch being tight- ened by degrees, and then the animal should be led around several steps before being mounted. Many cinch-binders have fallen over backward with a too-impatient rider. 62 eee a ete OR OD OR. '§& | E Bad cinch-binders will always fall over backward if mounted and started off too quickly. Shying.—Shying is a common habit of the horse and is often caused by defective eye- sight. It usually manifests itself by his dancing away from an object, or suddenly stopping dead in his tracks. Often, too, a horse in shying spins away from the source of fright. Fluttering paper, or almost any other unusual object, will cause him to shy. Understanding well the nature of a horse, and being able to anticipate what will frighten him, will enable the rider to throw his balance so that it will be more in har- mony with the shying horse. If it is de- sired to take him up to the object at which he shies, infinite patience should be used, so that, by degrees, the horse will accustom himself to the object and see for himself that it should give him no occasion for alarm. Urge him forward at the object, then, if he shies away, ride him a little further away from it than shying would naturally take him, and start him back again toward the point of fear. The fact that he finds himself actually going forward toward something of which he is inclined to be afraid helps give the animal confidence. Xenophon’s observa- tions in this matter are undoubtedly true: “As to those who force horses forward with 63 T BH & = "oH .9 2) ae blows, in such a case, they only inspire them with greater terror; for they imagine, when they suffer any pain at such a time, that what they look upon with alarm is in some way the cause of it.” Some years ago, near Lake Tahoe, I rode a horse toward Taylor Creek. My objective was on the other side of the stream. About two or three hundred feet from the bridge my horse began to shy and at first refused to go closer. The melting snow of spring was no great inducement to me to try and swim the river, although it was necessary for me to get to the other side. The horse I rode was an inveterate shyer. I was in a hurry so I used the following expedient. Quite a distance from the bridge I started the horse toward it, hoping that the force of his momentum would carry him well into the shying zone before he could succeed in stopping his for- ward movement. If a horse can be induced, by subterfuge or otherwise, to arrive in the middle of a place of which he is afraid, he will undoubtedly shy, but he will be willing to shy in almost any direction so that only a little persuasion from the rider will deter- mine the direction. In this instance my horse so handled his legs that he stopped on the outskirts of his shying zone in such an able manner that he nearly precipitated me over his head. I resorted then to the next &4 Pe eee em ew Oe Re & EB trick in my repertory. Facing the unwilling beast around so that he presented his tail to the bridge, I succeeded in backing him up until he was upon the bridge before he realized it. Thus I was able to persuade him to shy off the bridge’s other end, which brought me in good time to my destination. Stumbling.—Stumbling is a kind of habit with many horses. Horses that keep their hoofs close to the ground are predisposed to stumble. Phlegmatic and careless horses are apt to stumble. Faulty conformation is often acause. If sucha horse is to be taken over an uneven piece of ground, it is well, with the use of a whip or other aid, to keep him in an excited condition. When excited, he will be more on the alert and more apt to lift his feet high from the ground than he would be in ordinary circumstances. Falling—Some horses throw themselves purposely, but this is very rare. A bad rider, in saving his own balance, often pulls over backward a horse that is inclined to rear. The usual cause of falling, however, is a per- fectly normal one, and is merely produced by the horse slipping, or crossing his legs, which is the result of slipping. To turn when gal- loping in excess of a certain rate of speed on a slippery place or an uneven piece of ground is a very common cause of a horse’s falling. A stumbling horse will often fall, but usually 65 TB Bee Ste OR) Oe only to his knees, which is hard on the knees, but not so serious to the rider. Prancing.—Prancing is a harmless form of activity often indulged in by a high-strung horse. It consists merely in a kind of hop- ping up and down, and occasions a rider with a poor seat discomfiture, since he finds it dif- ficult in keeping in rhythm with the action of* the horse. Hard and long rides have a seda- tive effect in this regard upon the horse and lessen his desire to jump up and down. Plunging.—Plunging is a kind of exagger- ated prancing. A plunging horse will easily turn into a runaway. Crow-hopping.—Crow-hopping is a mild form of bucking, in which the fore feet and the hind feet of a horse leave and return to the ground alternately. This motion of a horse should not occasion a good rider any discomfort. An old horse that has passed its bucking sage will often crow-hop as a result of a tight cinch and a cold back. Bucking.—Of the many annoyances that a horse can occasion his rider, bucking is by far the worst. The best rider in the world will some time find a horse that will buck him off, and the most terrific bucking horse will some time find a rider that he cannot throw. Most horses on the American and Aus- tralian continents have been allowed to run wild from colthood. These will instinctively buck the first time they are ridden, unless 66 ea nee ea EE OR Be great care is taken in getting them gradually accustomed to the feel of the saddle and the ways of man. Bucking with all really wild horses is con- genital, being part of the strongest instinct, self-preservation. The horse in its evolution was ever subject to attacks by beasts of prey, and the great cats of prehistoric times were probably the first living creatures to try riding upon the back of a horse in order to kill from this point of vantage. Thus it has become instinctive with the horse to try and throw the thing that may have obtained a lodging upon its back. Experience taught him that bucking was most effective, and sometimes it does not take so very much provocation to make the present-day horse revert to the defensive measures used by its ancestors. If a rider can stay on the back of a horse for the first ten bucks he is not likely to be dislodged, since most horses perceptibly tire from that time on. The ordinary horse will rarely make more than twenty or thirty bucks at one time. Bucking is performed by the horse placing its head between its front legs and catapulting itself into the air, leaving the ground usually with its front feet first. To prevent a horse from bucking, the rider should, by a succession of jerks on one rein, try to keep him from putting down his head. By pulling on one side in this manner, the 67 To) RR Rs ote ED oe ee rider makes it less easy for the horse to give free play to his muscles, also a semblance of control is maintained, which psychologically helps to discourage the animal from its at- tempts to throw its rider. To stay on the back of a bucking horse large and dull Mexican spurs may be used to advantage. The rider can either hook the cinch with the spurs, or the horse’s flanks. It is not well, however, to hook the horse’s flanks until, in the vernacular, “he is going high and crooked,” because it would be like touching a match to a keg of dynamite when an explosion might have been averted. The explosion, however, having once taken place, it is safe to suppose that the horse is exert- ing himself to his utmost, and that no form of grip the rider may take will cause a greater exertion on the part of the animal. At this time the reins, gripped firmly in the left hand, will assist greatly in keeping the rider in the saddle, and his right hand swinging free will assist in maintaining his balance. General Remarks.—Bad habits in a horse and innate viciousness, in a general way, are best overcome by gradually making the animal realize that opposition is futile. Make him understand that no harm, un- reasonable annoyance or hardship is in- tended. His resentment and desire to forcibly rid himself of the discomfort and fright occasioned by man will then cease. 68 CHAPTER VIII. Running Away—A dangerous habit and difficult to cure— Story of an incorrigible runaway and his fate. Running Away.—This is usually the mani- festation of panic in a horse. He is con- fronted suddenly with an unreasoning fear and runs wildly, expending energy so power- fully generated that it requires an outlet of this kind. Blind fear will usually make a horse run wildly. When he is madly running away, it is far more difficult to stop him than it would have been to prevent him from start- ing in the beginning. A horse running away becomes entirely obsessed with the idea of running. It is a kind of inertia that carries him along and usually ends only with ex- haustion. Even though a horse has a good mouth, fear and the terrific strain of the muscles of his body will make that mouth rapidly lose sensitiveness until it becomes entirely impervious to even the action of a very severe bit. An excitable horse will more readily run away, Since its excitability will quickly turn to fear. Also a hard mouth shows a pre- disposition to running away, because a horse being so equipped will not readily feel the restraining influence of the bit, and, perhaps, will get his full stride before he can be made to feel any attempt at control. 69 PB 0 ee In riding a horse that is predisposed toward running away the rider should always keep a firm hold of the reins in order to be able, at any moment, to counteract his first forward jump. The safest way to impede a horse when he is actually running away is to seize one rein with two hands, and with a succession of yanks, with short intervals be- tween, bring his head around to one side. In this position it is physically impossible for the horse to run so fast, and the position of his head will give him the tendency to circle in the direction toward which his head is pointed. In this way some sort of control is obtained, and any control, no matter how slight, is advantageous, because the psychol- ogy of the horse is such that, as soon as any sense of restraint is recognized, the animal is inclined to resume making concessions to the will of his rider. In the spring of 1912 or thereabouts, the Rancho Del Paso, which for a long time had belonged to the Haggin Estate, was sold, and the remnants of the thoroughbred horses there were shipped to the Stockdale Ranch at Bakersfield. In their veins ran the blood of Salvator and of many other famous race horses that for long years on the American turf had car- ried the Haggin colors to victory. The younger horses of this shipment ran 70 ONS IRE) SRI te gee ce Ok O nie» Se Re wild for a number of years at Stockdale, and then several of them were broken by the cow- boys on the ranch. I undertook the breaking of one of these colts, and rode him two or three times in a large corral. In order to mount the horse it had to be thrown on the ground and held. After several of these les- sons, I decided it was time to give the animal a saunter in one of the lanes leading through the ranch, and asked the nearest cowboy to herd for me with a riata. The gate of the corral was thrown open. The horse, seeing freedom ahead, made a wild rush for the lane. The cowboy, instead of keeping my horse at a few feet distance from his own, by taking proper turns on his pommel, threw away his slack, tying only the end of his rope to his saddle. The horse, dashing through the gate at a terrific pace, was thrown to the ground with great force as soon as the rope tautened. Having the fraction of a moment to contem- plate the unfortunate incident that was about to occur, I braced myself and was still on the back of the horse when he regained his feet. The next day I decided to start my ride from the middle of the lane. The horse was held down with blinds over his eyes by two wranglers. Before I quite managed to get my seat he reared high in the air, knocking down one of the men. The other man let the ropes loose and dodged. With the blinds 71 Ty BE BR ete RE) a aS over his eyes he ran madly away, heading for a hay wagon. Without an attempt at direc- tion he would probably have hit the wagon at an angle and would have broken my leg. I knew I could not pull him clear of the wagon, but by employing all my strength directed him head on, and the collision occurred in this position. The horse re- bounded over backward. Two planks were smashed to splinters on the floor of the wagon, and a gash across the horse’s chest left upon him a mark that never diappeared. On my next ride, hoping the animal had some sense knocked into him, I managed to start out at a moderate gait. In a few mo- ments, however, he started bucking, rapidly increasing his pace so that the bucks finally flattened out into the tearing stride of a run- away horse. A single tree was directly in the path, and, pull as I would, I saw that a collision could not be averted. This supple tree, being struck, was the cause of the animal’s rebound- ing several feet in the direction whence he came and assuming a position upon his back with legs extended upward. During this occurrence I rolled off, but remounted the animal before he had regained his wind. I realized, however, that this was an incor- rigible runaway. Having a friend, one Ramon Felis, bucka- 72 oR NAMEN CRE ES eo ar © Ie a ae roo foreman of San Emidio Ranch, and knowing he was in want of a horse, I nat- urally had him in mind, and sent the animal to him without delay. In order to keep the ranch records balanced, it was his privilege to return a horse to me for the one I had sent, and, it is true, a great deal of disturb- ance was caused by the -hard-bucking animal which I received from Ramon, one of the cowboys having a leg broken as the result of its advent at Stockdale. Except for the courteous expression of gratitude for the horse I sent him, I heard nothing for many months as to how the animal fared in San Emidio’s remuda. Long afterward I chanced to hear two men dis- cussing the loss of a very good saddle. It appeared that Ramon had received as a pres- ent a fine looking horse, and that he took the precaution, which is the usual wont of com- petent foremen, to order one of his men to bestride the newly arrived animal, before mounting it himself. The animal being un- able to buck very hard, and ridden in a corral, did not have a fair chance to show off his real paces, so Ramon, encouraged in this manner, subsequently bestrode the animal and led his cowboys to a round-up in the hills. Before reaching their destination, to the marvel of the assembled men, Ramon dis- appeared at break-neck speed over an ad- 73 A GA Ue a ei RRA A aA jacent bluff. The cowboys, accustomed to feats of horsemanship, thought no more of the matter and went about their business. The next morning, however, when a certain concern for Ramon’s health was beginning to be felt, his much-bedraggled figure ap- peared at the bunk house. It was nearly a week before the cowboys succeeded in find- ing the horse which had last carried Ramon, and several weeks afterward a few remnants of the saddle were found where they had been left by the coyotes. 74 CHAPTER IX. Breaking a colt to the saddle—A short method of taming and training—How the colt is taught to tolerate handling— How he is saddled and cinched the first time—How he is ridden. A number of horses are running wild ina pasture, perhaps several of them are from two to five years of age. Four years of age is the best time at which to break a horse, because at that age he is young enough to be tractable, while his bone and tendon are so adequately developed as not easily to be in- jured. These horses may never have felt restraint of any kind save that of the fence that bounds the pasture, nor have known any laws other than those that nature taught them. Of course, wherever there are horses now- adays, man also is near. But the unbroken colt’s knowledge of the human being is limited to an occasional glimpse at one and that vague hereditary fear which most wild things feel toward man. One of these horses in our pasture has the appearance of being fast and intelligent, and of having excellent action. It is decided to make of him a riding horse, to change this raw material into the finished product—a perfectly broken saddle animal. Several men on horseback enter the pasture 75 TY Boy, se ERS where the horses are and drive them some- where to a corral. A round corral is best when horses are to be handled because in such a corral there are no projections that might be the means of crippling animals that, in the circumstances, would be restive and trying to find a way out. All the horses, except the good looking animal we have spoken of, having been cor- ralled, are allowed to pass out through the gate. The selected horse, however, is roped, or, preferably, is driven into an adjacent chute and there haltered. In the event of the horse being roped, the halter must be put on him at the first pos- sible moment. This must be done so as to minimize the risk of straining or choking the animal by the tightening noose of the rope around his neck. An upright pole should be planted firmly in the ground in the center of the corral, and the latter should be about fifty or sixty feet in diameter. If the horse has been driven into a chute adjoining the corral the matter of haltering him is simpler. It is done by standing above the animal on the near side, the horse- breaker holding the halter in his right hand by the end of the long headpiece, throwing this over the animal’s head and catching the short strap buckle in the left hand when the 76 (ASE SAT RNS SC Caney 7 GN Ree @ Renan! Cans ~ aan © horse’s struggles have ceased sufficiently to permit of doing so. Then the horse-breaker slowly works the opening of the halter up- ward and forward towards the animal’s nose, pulling it over the nose, and snapping the buckle behind the near ear. A rope at least thirty feet long, preferably of hemp, and an inch in diameter, should be attached to the halter. The horse-breaker opens the gate of the chute, lets the animal come back into the corral, and takes his posi- tion near the center of the ring. If the horse has been roped, the horse- breaker should take about a turn and a half of the rope around the post in the center of the corral, and let the horse tire himself fairly well out in his struggles to get free, the horse-breaker in the meanwhile being careful to give the animal as few short “check ups” as possible by keeping the rope taut. When the horse is sufficiently tired, the man, after two or three attempts, if he is without a helper, keeping several turns of the rope around the post mentioned, goes toward the horse along the rope, holding its loose end in the left hand, being careful to be on that side of the rope which will bring him to the near side of the horse, which, if the rope is taut, is facing him. He should ad- 77 T Bo BS) 8.8220) ae vance rather rapidly with the right hand ex- tended toward the animal’s nose. As the man nears the horse he must be careful to approach from the side as well as the front, because there is always danger of the horse striking and plunging forward. The moment the horse can be touched on the side of the neck, the halter can probably be adjusted in more or less the same manner described in haltering the horse in the chute. The next step after the horse is haltered is to take off the lariat rope and take a turn and a half around the pole in the center of the corral with the loose end of the halter rope. Flagging is next. For this purpose several sacks, or part of a blanket, attached to a pole, are useful. The colt, held tied to the pole in the middle of the corral, is generally facing the man in the center, because the rope being attached to the under part of the halter, has the tendency to jerk the head of the struggling animal towards the hitching post, leaving him with outstretched legs pulling back on his haunches. The horse- breaker, keeping several turns of the rope on the hitching pole, again approaches the horse from the front, and extending the flag projecting on the pole toward the horse’s head and back, he allows it to pass over the animal’s ears and neck, and eventually rubs 78 meee) Se ate EE Oe Ro So EB the horse all over his back. The pole should be long enough to allow a safe distance from the heels of the animal. After a while, the horse, finding he is un- able to escape from this rather novel massage, reconciles himself to these manipulations, and allows the flag to be passed all over his body without protesting. Slap the horse on the neck and back with the flag after it has been removed from the pole, and also rub it on his neck and withers. This will gradually accustom the animal to being touched all over. Next he should put the noose of the lariat rope around the body of the horse at withers and girth. This is easily done by placing the loop over the horse’s back and letting him back his hind legs through it, or letting him pass through the loop in front; then, stand- ing out of reach of the horse’s heels, the breaker should pull the noose tight, which will usually cause a number of rapid gyra- tions from the surprised animal. The pur- pose of this last exercise is to accustom the horse to the tightening of the cinch when the saddle is to be placed on his back. When only the loop of the lariat is tight- ened around the body of the horse, in the way we have described, he can fall forward or backward and kick out in all directions without doing much harm. After the animal 79 T H SBS. = B20 | 2 eee has become accustomed to being cinched in this manner, the blanket may be brought, and this the horse-breaker uses as he has pre- viously done the flag until he feels the ani- mal is calm enough to allow the blanket to be placed on his back. The bridle is then brought, preferably a strong head stall with a snaffle bit, and long, thick reins having the ends buckled. These reins should be slipped over the horse’s head first and then the head stall placed on the head of the horse in very much the same manner as described for placing the halter, only that by putting the left hand in the corner of the near side of the horse’s mouth, the jaws of the horse are forced open, and in this way the bit is directed into the mouth, while the remainder of the bridle is slipped over the head. The reins should now be pulled tight on the right side, brought over the horse’s head behind his ears, carried down the left side of his face, and then under the jaw and looped over the right rein as it starts from the bit. The left rein is also pulled tight and has been made part of this loop. A knot is then tied of a sufficient size to prevent the ends of the reins from protruding too far and in any way becoming tangled with the horse. The saddle is then brought (Mexican), 80 eee Ve) ete OM, OY oR 8. which is held by the pommel in the right hand with its right side toward the near side of the horse. The right stirrup is fastened over the saddle horn and the cinching para- phernalia is brought from the right side over the back of the saddle and allowed to hang on its left side. The saddle is then moved forward toward the horse, until it touches him at a point in the neighborhood of the shoulder, and is moved rapidly away again before the horse has time to resent its approach. As the horse becomes used to the saddle touching him on the shoulder, the horse-breaker contrives to slip it onto his back at a point above the withers and takes hold of the left girth strap with the right hand. The saddle is allowed to overbalance a little on the right side, so that if the horse takes a sudden jump or kicks, the equilibrium of the saddle may be maintained by keeping a certain pull on the left cinch strap. When it is evident that the horse will stand still, allowing the saddle to sit in this way upon his back, the cinch ring can be slipped over the saddle horn, which permits the cinch rigging to fall on the off side. The problem is now to bring the cinch from the right side up under the girth of the horse and buckle it on the near side. It is usually risky to try and reach this cinch 81 ae 0 Oh ee under the stomach of the horse with the hand. The best way is to hold the end of the near side cinch strap in the right hand, letting the rest of it hang in a loop toward the ground. Swing this loop slowly back- ward and forward under the stomach of the horse until the cinch strap catches the cinch ring in its loop. The horse-breaker should now pull this cinch, which is caught in the loop, under the girth of the horse, slowly toward him, and catch the cinch ring in his right hand, directing the ring to its buckle, then draw the cinch tight enough to make the saddle firm on the back of the horse, and release the right stirrup from the saddle horn. Unwinding the rope from the pole in the middle of the corral, the horse-breaker holds it firmly with his hand, and lets the horse have a little slack, at the same time urging the animal to move. The horse will probably make a few kicks or bucks as he starts forward around the edge of the corral, meanwhile the horse-breaker should pull the animal’s head toward him, quieting the horse as soon as possible, and, holding the rope taut, should approach the animal’s neck, always taking care to be on the near side. Now, untying the reins from under the animal’s jaw, he should bring the right rein over the horse’s head down toward the left side of the bit, and seize this rein at that 82 eye mee ee MO Re point with his left hand. Holding, also in his left hand, the left rein at its starting point from the bit, and the left cheek piece of the head stall as it starts from the bit, he should take the left stirrup in his right hand. Taking care not to let more than the tip of his boot pass through, he should place his left foot in the stirrup, and raise his weight on to the stirrup, keeping his left arm taut, which is holding the horse at a point near the bit. If the horse tries to whirl away from the rider in this position, the grip of the left hand on the cheek piece may be brought to bear with such force that it will keep the horse’s head toward the man, who at this time is balanced standing on the left stirrup. If, on the other hand, the horse turns to the near side to grip the man’s arm or leg with his teeth, the knuckles of the left hand are shoved under the cheek piece into the jaw of the horse, which in this way can be kept at a safe distance. If the horse now rears, tries to fall over backward, bucks, or looks like turning a forward somersault, the rider should leap off his left foot several feet back from the near side of the horse into safety, and when the horse has subsided he must try the same manuevers again. Then, if the horse stands sufficiently quiet, the rider may slowly raise 83 OE EB VIB eS a his right leg over the cantle of the saddle and find the stirrup on the right side. Now he may release the cheek piece with his left hand, continuing, however, to hold the reins, and bringing that hand up toward the cantle let the left rein slip through it until it is in its proper place in front of the cantle. The right rein, which will be left with too much slack, can be taken with the right hand and pulled even with the left rein. If there are any fireworks left in the horse, this is the time for the demonstration. The one object now is for the rider to keep the horse under him until he is ready, of his own accord, to dismount. For twenty minutes or half an hour, the horse may be urged slowly around the corral, and in order to get some sort of direction, the rein on the side on which it is desired to progress should be pulled, and the other rein allowed loose. To accustom the horse to all that in after days may be required of him, the rider at this time should slap the horse on its back, carry the two stirrups with his legs up toward the cantle of the saddle and throw his weight from side to side. A few rides of this sort and the carrying out of the principles noted will soon gentle any horse. His further training is discussed with the subject “Reining a horse,” in Chap- ter IV. 84 TE aa a ioe OC ae. The horse, handled in this manner, becomes halter broken of his own accord, since in a round corral the man, by suddenly taking up the slack on a rope attached to the halter, will accustom the animal to have his head pulled one way or the other, and the moment the horse’s head answers to the pull of the halter, the rope should be left slack as his reward for obedience. 85 CHAPTER X. Buying a Saddle Horse—Age shown by the teeth—How to detect poor vision and other defects— Splints, ringbone, spavin—Sore backs, what they indicate—Shoulder lameness and navicular disease—Laminitis or founder—Testing a horse for wind—How to recognize a wind-sucker or crib-biter. Examination.— Beginning at the horse’s head it is well to look in the animal’s mouth to obtain a general idea of his age. An ap- proximation in this respect can be made from the condition of his teeth. The ordinary horse has two sets of incisor teeth, each set contain- ing three sets of two teeth. The two middle front teeth, of the respective jaws, are called the middle incisors. The two teeth which are on either side of these are the intermediate incisors. The two teeth which in turn are on either side of the two intermediate teeth are called the corner incisors. Age Index.—The animal that is two years of age has a full set of colt incisor teeth. They are of the same number and general appear- ance as horse teeth, only they are smaller, whiter and shorter. At three years of age, the two middle incisors are horse teeth, while the intermediate and corner ones are still colt teeth. At four, the middle and intermediate incisors are horse teeth, while only the corner ones are colt teeth. At five, the horse has a full mouth of horse teeth. Each of these has 86 eR vera armen) eerste) Ua SR ARS at the exposed ends an indenture known as acup. At six, these cups disappear from the middle incisors, the use of the teeth wearing the ends smooth. The intermediate and corner incisors still possess the cups at this age. At seven, the cups disappear from the intermedi- ate as well as the middle incisor teeth, and at eight the cups have also disappeared from the corner ones, so that the animal has what is known as a smooth mouth. From this time on as the horse gets older, his teeth look longer, but in reality this is not entirely the case since wear and growth con- tinue to counteract each other as in colthood, but the fact that with age the gums recede also tends to make the teeth of an old horse look longer. The older a horse gets the more the width of his teeth from outside to inside diminishes. In a young horse, when his jaws are closed, the incisor teeth of the upper jaw and lower jaw are inclined to be in the same perpendicular plane. When the horse gets old, however, these teeth tend to make an acute angle with each other; the apex of the angle being where the upper and lower teeth join each other. The older the horse is, the more acute the angle. Very old horses gen- erally have yellow teeth, triangular shaped, while the teeth of a young horse are more oval in appearance. 87 A Se EE NS a Defects.—The horse’s eyes should be clear. If it is thought the animal has defective sight, moving the hand toward the eye quickly and taking it away again without touching the horse’s head will aid in determining this fact. A quick glance at the horse’s neck will tell whether it is free from defect such as fistula; fistula being a kind of localized open sore with a very deep root. On observing the animal’s forelegs medium large and straight bones are desirable; however, that part from the ankle to the hoof, which is the pastern, should be sloping enough to minimize any danger of knuckling over. Ordinary splints do no real harm, only at incipiency they usually make the animal lame. Splints practically never come on a horse’s hind legs. Side-bones and ring-bones which come upon the coronet, that fore part of the horse’s foot immediately above the hoof, always end in causing lameness, and are practically incurable. Their presence can be detected by bony en- largements at the side and above the horse’s hoof in the case of a side-bone, and at the side above and in front of the horse’s hoof in the case of a ring-bone. Bone spavin is the usual cause of lameness on a horse’s hind legs. This is a bony enlarge- ment immediately below and on the inside of the horse’s hock, and can be seen best by 88 ES SON AS ee 7 A © Sn Se MR standing in front of the horse and looking between its front legs. This is an unsound- ness that can rarely be cured. The hoofs of the hind legs are less subject to ring-bones and side-bones than those of the forelegs. Sore backs constitute an undesirable factor in a horse to be used for saddle purposes, especially if the horse is sore above the withers or over the kidneys. An old kidney sore can rarely be cured, and always makes the horse weak in that part of his back. Girth sores are not of a very serious character. Most horses that are fat when taken out of pasture and ridden will acquire girth sores by the slipping forward of the saddle, but the horse when conditioned properly and hardened will readily overcome this soreness, if care is taken in cinching and keeping the saddle in its proper place directly behind the withers on the horse’s back. Shoulder lameness and navicular disease are the bugbears of most horsemen. They are difficult to diagnose. If a horse is lame and no physical malformation manifests itself, the suspected leg can be raised and moved back and forth, and if the horse flinches it is prob- ably shoulder lameness. Shoulder lameness usually lasts a long time, but generally dis- appears with rest. Ifa horse is lame on both forelegs at the same time he is said to be “sore in front.” Navicular disease, on the 89 tT HO =o AEE OO ae other hand, is a trauma of the navicular bone, which is an ossicle, or small bone, in the center of the foot. A horse afflicted with this disease usually points his toe when standing at rest. A horse having navicular, will go quite lame when cold, but if the disease is only in its incipiency, he will often warm out of the lame- ness with exercise. Navicular is absolutely incurable. Laminitis (founder) is a very common ail- ment of the horse. It is a kind of membrane congestion, often due to overwork after over- feeding, or to excessive drinking when the animal is hot. Soreness in front and rings on the hoofs are an indication of this disease. It always constitutes an unsoundness. Before purchasing a horse, he should be made to exercise so that his wind can be examined; a horse with defective wind being, in almost all cases, very unsatisfactory for any kind of work. If a horse, after violent exer- cise, breathes hard, with an audible sound from the lungs, it has defective wind. Also a horse whose sides heave, relaxing and con- tracting to an unusual degree after a certain amount of exercise, has probably defective wind. I use defective to denote an impairment of the horse for that work which may be required of him. On the other hand, if the animal, when exercised, merely gives a snorting sound 90 Se PS A TTAB MS LS EIS STE ES UE ROOTES EEE NS GO IEE SS CIN «Oi, © Ua nike «Aaa ~ Mean 2 from his nostrils, or a certain sound from his larynx, which is not due to paralytic roaring, and shows none of the other symptoms that have been mentioned, he has probably nothing more than a localized peculiarity which does him no real harm in regard to work. Wind-sucking, or crib-biting, as it is some- times called, is more a habit of the horse than a defect of respiration. It is a very undesir- able habit, since the horse by indulging it inflates his inside, and thus renders himself less capable of performing the duties that may be required of him. The habit is sometimes contagious by imitation. When a horse cribs, he usually catches on to some wooden projec- tion with his teeth and takes in air with a sucking sound. If the horse’s teeth are peculiarly worn down in front, or the part of the stall where he has been standing shows tooth wear, it is reasonable to suppose that he is a wind-sucker. 91 CHAPTER XI. Teaching children to ride—Cannot begin too young—An old plug better than a pony—Experience the best riding mas- ter—Psychology of the horse—He has not the power of deduc- tion—Trick horses—How they are made to appear to have reasoning faculties—They only obey commands. Teaching Children to Ride.—I started to ride at four years old and I believe this age not too young to commence riding with a lead rope. For a child I consider an old, thoroughly gentle horse better than any kind of pony, because his movements are apt to be slower, and he usually has more sense. A common mistake made in regard to letting small chil- dren ride, is the thought that merely because a pony happens to be very tiny he can do no serious harm to the child, and what in a big horse would be considered viciousness in a little pony is looked upon as a kind of cute playfulness. It is a fact that young children are injured far more frequently by little ponies than by horses. I think the ideal way for a child to begin riding is to place him upon an old plug bare- back. Lead the animal around slowly until the child gets used to the motion and feel of the back. He will get a natural seat far more quickly bare-back than if at first he is per- mitted to ride in a saddle. After the child becomes thoroughly familiar with the feel of the horse as he is led around slowly, a saddle 92 (ce WME a eo: Sime Mee Sa a YR may be used, and the child allowed to ride holding the reins and guiding it himself. Of course, this is presupposing that the horse in question is such a plug that nothing can in- duce it to run off and that its natural tendency will be to stand still unless forcibly urged. Variety of experience will make the child into a good rider more rapidly than books or constant instruction can possibly do. When the child becomes fairly used to riding, a good exercise is the use of the saddle without stir- rups. In order to make rapid progress in riding a child should always be made to overdo a little. For example, he should be urged to ride a little faster without holding on to the saddle than he feels he is able to do. He should be encouraged to relax on the back of a horse, and see how far he can overbalance to the sides without falling off. He should be made to ride the horse at a good trot, which at first will be very uncomfortable. The next day he should be urged to ride this way for a little longer time, and by degrees he will gain confidence and be aware of improvement, which is an important factor in the mind of a child that is learning to ride. Psychology.—lIt is said of the horse that, considering his size, he has the smallest brain of all the animals. It is probably as well that an animal used as a beast of burden should not 93 T HH OR 62: 48 2O° 2) 2a be too intelligent, because if he were, it would be difficult to make him obey the whim of his rider. The horse has desires. If his desires conflict with the wants of man he is useless for the purposes of man. How to make his desires coincide with those of his rider is the real problem in the training of a horse. Animals, according to some authorities, have the power of reasoning. I think, how- ever, and believe it is the consensus of opinion, that, in the specific sense of the term, they have no such power. In the animal, keenness of sense takes the place of strength of intellect. The horse’s mind is susceptible of a process, which in a very broad sense might be called reasoning. It is, in fact, an induction by analogy. His mental force is guided by a kind of channel pertaining to idea association, and in this attribute his mind and that of a human being coincide. A horse often has a marvelous memory and extraordinary power of observation. He has perception without apperception, perception being a state which has no power of thought review, and consequently cannot create a new psychological force. What follows is an example of how the horse thinks. A horse has been taken for a very long ride. Perhaps he has been quiet and displayed little enthusi- asm to increase his pace or to change his 94 yee ete EE Oe) RE Si) BE direction. He now is turned into a jane not far from and leading to his stable. At that moment he shows that he wishes to accelerate his pace and, with ears cocked forward, and prancing, gives evidence of a strong desire to move ahead. We here have the indications of a thought on the part of the animal. What is the cause of this thought? Analysis brings us to the following conclusion: Through idea associa- tion, made aware of the presence of the stable, which is again associated with food, rest, free- dom from equipment and so forth, the horse is stimulated and encouraged to go ahead, because now to his mind there is a definite and desirable object in view. In like manner, a very thirsty horse hurries to water. He has not the power to draw the conclusion from the premises—first, that he wants water; secondly, that hurrying in the right direction brings one to what is wanted more quickly—that hurrying in this way will bring him more quickly to water. The fore- going case is clearly deductive reasoning, em- bodying the higher intellectual force of which the human mind alone is capable. It is true that the horse arrives at the same result that deductive reasoning would bring, but he does it in this way. He is instinctively drawn to water by physical want. He remembers that hurrying to water has actually brought him 95 TB Be ese Ea oO Ree water sooner than on the occasions when his thirst was not so great and he moved slowly in the direction of the trough. He has the psycho-physiological desire for water, and he arrives at a kind of analogical induction, re- membering all the times he has hurried in order that he could drink and was able to satisfy his thirst, that hurrying to drink means immediate drinking. This, then, is the real reason for his hurrying forward, and is based upon comparison and analogy. Horses shown at circuses, supposed to be able to do mathematical problems and dis- tinguish colors pertaining to persons in the audience, are animals that have extraordi- narily keen perception. But the counting or distinguishing a color, or any other remark- able feat a horse is supposed to perform by virtue of his reasoning faculties, is accom- plished entirely by trick methods, and a super- finely cultivated sense. The horse will paw a certain number of times, or pick up a color, because his trainer has made some almost im- perceptible movement with whip, hand or body, and not because he has in any way understood from the man’s discourse what he is wanted to do. Trick animals of this sort are usually in- structed according to system, and the animal is made to do a number of things always in the same order. He finally forms a habit and, 96 ON ag Ua RNC ny 2 ao a A a like a gramophone needle will, when started off, continue in the same groove. His trainer then will often take occasion to talk at the proper intervals between the horse’s perform- ances, purporting to instruct the horse what to do, but in reality merely anticipating his movements by words. Of course, the horse has an eye for color and an ear for sound, and he can be made to obey commands. For instance, a command is given. The horse disobeys and punishment ensues. In time he finds that if such a com- mand is given and he acts a certain way punishment will not follow, then associating these two things in his mind, the command having been given, he will act in that certain way so that punishment will not ensue. To distinguish colors, the problem is to make the horse by some physical manifesta- tion indicate his understanding of the differ- ence of color. Since this cannot be done, the next best thing, which is in fact what most trainers do, is. to make the horse give the appearance of indicating color by an appeal (usually imperceptible to the audience) to his sensorium in contradistinction to his mind. Instinct in itself is a large subject. It is an important factor in the mind of an animal, while intuition which involves cognizance of a previously registered conclusion belongs to man alone. THE END 97 Press of The Recorder Printing and Publishing Co. San Francisco ru ie o_o Mh a} LIBRARY OF rin ae fod Oe ee 909 68. 66 7, Qe? Fe 9 * 4 + Set) & re y seta at pi Meh Go Gry ithe Oe ALO Hse Pat ee 6. Cabal . . t hrs : , Ww oe tose feuraunet boas ‘ a one fort * 4 oa iy » hoe ) ‘ “a gst / } ry bese ee ete | : aie: 4 PERS oe aa ee Se RU ’ } ' phen oe te ee thes (Hes ta’a aptdst hea) rt) 5 ’ : eet Ares Aided: ea. Heh lie ‘ Peruri tt be tu . ale Cpt ay : ‘ hen BY £OV-e ba ET We Yt Ce : ef ; . 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