> tony te Trees ena renee eter ea Wor eae a tp et Te Ne - eee ene or ae ae OE ee me nar a eS ee te - —— apa gece gen gem ee nen et eae aap nego SE ane . ge a ie th Salat - — =: z ete Seles tentials eared Meeaee mee gu —-# ne Pe Uae ~ nce aan Henk ee 1 Onde enn Bite oe lites a i 4 Ay ata Sanh Freely 5 oe i. eS PALES iy Prarie 1 fT ra ; yee is a A 7 7 1 i m iu noe 0 }, a r te \ i —— a a n : ii } H 7 a Price 50 Cents. _ TWENTY YEARS A HORSE TAMER. Thrilling Incidents. > | ‘ an O ILLUSTRATIONS. WORKS PUBLISHED BY THE MAGNER PUBLISHING COMPANY, — Facts for Horse-Owners: 1200 ROYAL OCTAVO PAGES, WITH 1450 ILLUSTRATIONS, 80 SPE- CIAL PLATES, 56 ON THE FOOT AND LEG. This great work comprises three divisions :— First SrectrioNn—Comprises the secrets or art of taming and controlling vicious horses, with all correlative features regarding training, cruelty, trotting, etc., ete., com- prising 27 chapters, 607 pages, with over 600 wood engravings. The only work in the world in which the true seerets or principles of subduing or controlling vicious and.- unmanageable horses are given. SECTION SEconD—Shoeing, Lameness, Injuries, etc., comprising nearly 300 pages, with nearly 400 illustrations, and over 50special plates, on the structure of the foot and leg, in special edition printed in colors, It embodies all the bottom facts of interest to the student and shoer on the principles of shoeing, and treatment of lameness and injuries, THIRD SECTION—Diseases, etc., Comprises 19 chapters, nearly AD pages, with over 600 special illustrations. For full details in relation to this great work see page 311. 7 In fine embossed cloth, with plates plain - = $5.00 Same in library binding, - - - . =e $6.00 Printed on extra paper, with plates in colors, library, $7.00 Same in fine Russia binding, at the extra price the Cae ; edition will give the best satisfaction. : - $8.00 An edition termed the poor man’s edition, earn et plates, in cloth binding : : . $8.75 By remitting price of edition, desired book will be delivered by mail or express without extra charge—simply sending your order with N. Y. Gass or P. QO. order and the book will be promptly forwarded at our risk. JUST PUBLISHED. Magner’s Twenty Years a Horse Tamer, With Interesting Facts Regarding the Subjection of Vicious Horses, with Important Chapters on CRUELTY. $20 pages with 250 Illustrations, in cheap form, 25 cents, On Extra Paper, with Special AES SNE Structure of Horse’s Foot, : . - 50 cents. If not obtainable at book stores, inclose price of edition desired to the publish- ers, The Magner Publishing Co., Battle Creek, Mich., and a copy will be forwarded promptly to you by mail or express, with charges prepaid. (23> The finer edition, ab extra price, will give the best satisfaction. HOW TO OBTAIN THE BOOK FREE. We desire to make this: book available to all Teamsters, Trainers, Horse-Shoers, Coachmen, Breeders, and others having the care or personal charge of. horses. To any one who will send us Thirty plainly written names and addresses of Teamsters, Coachmen and others mentioned, and five cents to pay postage, we will send a copy of the book free. THE MAGNER PUBLISHING CO., Battle Creek, Michigan- i eae MAGNER’S Story of Twenty Years ATAU DARE HUNDREDS OF THRILLING INCIDENTS : HOW THE MOST VICIOUS HORSES WERE SUBDUED. By D. MAGNER, AUTHOR OF ae ART OF TAMING HORSES,” ‘* FACTS noe HORSE OWNERS,” “THE STANDARD HORSE AND STOCK BOOK.’ WITH IMPORTANT CHAPTERS ON CRUELTY. With 250 WMlustrations, (~ | 4 B08 J BATTLE CREEK, MICH.: 1L99 PUBLISHED By MAGNER BOOK CO. / | 1895. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1805, By D. MAGNER, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. = CHAP. I] eel IV V VI WI Vill XI CONTENTS. Memoirs—Special Explanations—What was Known Before My Time——Dick Christian—- Jumper—- Bull—Irish Whis- perer— Fancher—Offutt— Rarey, How I Came to Engage in the Business— result of an Accident—Jnteresting Inci- dent, 3 3 5 4 e Driying Stallions Without Reins—Import- ant Discovery—Noted Roberts Horse— Special Feats, : : ; My Trained Ponies—Campaign in the South —Test Experiments— Buffalo Man-eat- er, etc3, Panic—Interesting Trials— Noted Cases— A Conspiracy, Visit to New York—Experiments Before Mr. Bonner and Committees—Remark- able Case, Teaching Classes —Undérstanding Char- acter—Desirable Subjects, Art of Taming Horses— How Far Possible to Change Character, ; ; Secrets—Interesting Explanations—Cases in Point, An Interesting Experiment—A Peculiar Case, Efforts to Defeat Me—Dangerous Case— Noted Vicious Horses, Startling Results—A Desperate Case— Interesting Incidents, Lv] PAGE. 20-40 41-53 54-63 64-80 81-92 93-107 108-116 I17-123 124-135 136-143 vl DIU XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXKV OCVA CONTENTS. Results of Slight Incidents—Trials in New York—Visit to Mr. Bonner—Ober- lin Incident, Managing Disorderly Crowds—Leaving the Road—Publishing My System, My Trained Horses and Ponies, Teaching Tricks, # Rarey—Inside Facts in Relation to Him Art of Taming Horses—Importance. of the Subject—Interesting Facts, Temperaments and Intelligence, Strong Likes and Dislikes of Horses, Special Cases, PART II—CRUELTY. Checking, Blinders, Docking and Nicking—Pest of Flies and Parasites, j Shoeing—How the Foot is Ruined” Cruelty in Training and Breaking, Facts about the New Book, 144-153 155-163 165-182 183-288 188-208 209-218 219-226 226-230 231-241 245-261 263-276 277-289 291-305 306-310 311-320 INTRODUCTION. There are some interesting facts leading to the prepara- tion of this little work which will, I think, be of sufficient interest to the general reader to make them worthy of being given a place here, as a proper introduction to what follows. Being requested to write a paper on cruelty, to be read before the American Humane Society, on its being read, there was a unanimous resolution that it be given them for publica- tion. This led me, in rewriting and enlarging my regular work, to include in it such suggestions, with illustrations on cruelty, as I felt to be most called for. After this work was published, it occurred to me, in order to make this part more generally accessible, and there- by extend its usefulness, to publish it with additions in a sep- arate form, for the special use of humane societies and others interested in the subject. Before doing this, to have the high- est assurance of its being in every respect what it should be, the matter as prepared was submitted to a number of leading [7] 8 INTRODUCTION. humanitarians for suggestion orcriticism. After examination, it was suggested, as a necessary and important feature, that I should embody with it the story of my experience, in con- nection with the subject of equine subjection. Quoting the language used:— ‘‘Two essential features need to be added. This is im- perative. First your picture; then a sketch of your life of twenty years a teacher of men how to teach horses. Imagine this work sent out: without such a chapter. .... But em- phatically, it is necessary that you give a narrative of your work, when it began, duration, difficulties, failure in health, etc. Don’t you see, your incidents would be as interesting as any fiction? If you will do so, I will promise that it will not fail of being read as one of the most interesting and valuable chapters, and reach the circulation of millions.’’ Led finally to act upon the suggestion, and submitting ‘what I had prepared, it was next insisted that the subject was so important that it should be published as a special work. ‘The question then came up to me, What should be done with the feature on cruelty? I concluded, finally, that in consequence of the autobiography being a natural out- growth of the preparation of this part, their being so depend- ent upon each other would justify putting them together. Being the author, and having made and introduced the most important discoveries in the art of taming and control- ling vicious horses, and demonstrating results in their con- trol that were undoubtedly far beyond what had ever been accomplished before my time, or since relinquishing such efforts, in connection with my long experience of over twenty years in lecturing on the subject and experimenting upon horses, will, I trust, be sufficient reason for acceptance with more than ordinary interest and confidence what is said in these pages. Many statements and incidents given in the following pages may be regarded as overdrawn, or so improbable as to be be- yond behet; but the utmost assurance may be felt that they are but the mere outline of facts drawn from the almost un- limited array of narrative, anecdote and adventure incident to my experience, and only another illustration of the saying that ‘‘Truth is often stranger than fiction.”’ MEMOIRS. INTRODUCTORY EXPLANATIONS. WHAT WAS KNOWN BEFORE MY TIME—DICK CHRISTIAN—JUMPER— BULL—IRISH WHISPERER—FANCHER—OFFUTT—RAREY— THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS SYSTEM. N giving the story of my expe- rience, it will be interesting, by way of introduction, to ex- plain what was known before my time about the art of tam- ing horses. At various times during the last hundred years, there have been different men in this country and Europe who. attracted some local attention by their pretensions of extraordinary powers to subdue and master vicious horses ; but when carefully investigated, their treatment was found to be but little more than the merest empiricism. ©The first among these, of whom I have any account, was Dick Christian, in England. His control was based upon the simple expedient of tying up the fore-leg, then mounting and riding the horse until he became submissive and gentle. An improvement upon this, and the first of which I find a published account, was by a man named Bull, who lived in Stanton-le-Vale, England, who had also a considerable local reputation for his exhibitions of power over horses. 1 replied “Very well; I want an opportunity to privately talk to the horse, and tell him what to do, and then we will see.’’ Gaining this point, the doors were shut upon me, which was what I wished. I now took the cotton out of his ears, and to make sure of my point, rattled the pail around him so as to frighten and excite him all I could. The consequence was what I anticipated; when the door was opened, and the man tried to ride him, carrying the pail, the horse was so fright- ened and excited by it, that he became unmanageable and got away, the fellow being thrown off. This excited the greatest curiosity, many believing the horse really understood me, and only did what I told him,—all resulting, as I antici- pated, in my making a large class. When I explained to them that this was a mere trick—not by any means part of my treatment—it was accepted as a good joke, and created great amusement. RESULT OF A TRIFLING INCIDENT. My success at Augusta, the capital of Maine, was en- tirely the result of an incident of the most trifling character. There being no apparent interest in my efforts there, I was about leaving the city, when a leading member of the Legis- lature wished me to look at a horse he had purchased the day before. Upon the horse being brought forward, I noticed * The famous trainer, John Splan, in his work recently published, “Life with the Trotters,” has struck upon this plan in the management of certain conditions of sensibility and resistance. He refers particu- larly to his success with it in the management of a nervous horse. 38 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. that he was a fine, intelligent fellow; and seeing a little switch on the ground near me, it occurred to me to take it up quietly, and without attracting attention, to train the horse to follow me. I passed the switch over his shoulder gently, bringing the end of it against the opposite side of his head, and while talking to the man, tapped the head lightly with it a few times, to teach the horse to step around a little. All the while unobserved, I turned it back, touched him sharply Fig. 18.—A feat performed by the author in a few minutes before his classes upon any unbroken colt. upon the hip, let it drop on the ground on the opposite side and walked forward, when he followed me around freely. The owner, not seeing me do anything with him, was so astonished to see the horse follow me in this way that he told the circum- stance to his friends, of course greatly magnifying it. Ac- cording to his report, I had simply looked at the horse, and the horse at me, and after walking around a little with him, he would follow me anywhere,—a magical result. This be- coming known, the curiosity of the people was so great that I was requested to give an exhibition, which was attended by the leading citizens and members of the Legislature. RESULT OF A TRIFLING [NCIDENT. 39 To explain something of this interest, I include some of the press notices regarding them. ‘««Mr. Magner, the author of this philosophy, has aston- ished the good people of Augusta and vicinity by the admira- ble and perfectly successful demonstration of his system, in subduing and controlling some of the most vicious and un- governable specimens of the horse fraternity that could be found among us. The manifest and acknowledged impor- tance of this art, and the desire of the public to understand and witness the results of its application, induced a crowded attendance of allclasses on Mr. Magner’s practical illustrations of his theory. All who attended came away fully convinced of, and perfectly satisfied with, the correctness of the princi- ples and workings of this new system. ‘‘ Rven the members of the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives, and the members of the Executive Council, took a leisure hour, laid by the affairs of the State, forgot their parliamentary squabbles, and found both amusement and instruction in witnessing the skill and consummate tact with which Mr. Magner handled the hitherto incorrigible subjects brought forward to test his new doctrine. Crowds of our most intelligent citizens were in attendance, and became de- cidedly and thoroughly satisfied that Mr. Magner’s system is all that he claims for it, and that when applied, it will be effectual in bringing the wildest and most stubborn horse into complete subjection and docility. ‘‘A large class of pupils united to profit by Mr. Magner’s instruction and to learn the best modes of applying his theory to practice; and as a matter of course, the hardest and most vicious horses that could be found in the neighborhood were brought in for him to subdue, all of which were completely tamed, and brought into such a state of docility as to astonish those whosawit. Sosatisfactory and perfectly successful were his instructions and experiments to every one who attended, and so efficient and useful did his principles and modes of pro- cedure prove themselves to be in training and subduing horses, that the officers of the Second Maine Cavalry were influenced to invite him to give a course of instruction to those of the regiment who could be spared from duty to attend. In this, too, he was perfectly successful, as in all other instances. « sidered that my scholars were really \ among the most critical class of peo- =f . ple in the country, something of my Will not kick. difficulties can be understood. But when I had a good variety of subjects, my work would usually be most simple and easy, because no matter how apparently vicious and difficult the subjects were, they would in most cases prove easy to manage. The results, in fact, would seem so startling as to leave little chance for doubt or dissatisfaction. When I found a particularly vicious horse, and especially if a young, well-bred one, it was a ‘‘bonanza” to me; and for the reason that, when I learned of such a case, no matter how distant, I always directed my efforts to visit such a place as a central point. While average cases were very common, really exceptional ones were somewhat rare, in a whole sea- son perhaps not having more than three or four. Wild Pete, page 111; the Malone horse, the Hettrick horse, and others are good examples. It will be noted that the Hillman horse, referred to for the advantage his subjection would give me in New England, led me to change the entire route for the season in order to secure him, and that in an experience of twenty years we had but really very few of these excep- tional cases. The Wilkins horse was a good illustration in point; in fact the few cases referred to are but fair represen- 6 | [81] 82 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. tatives of an almost countless number treated by me during my long public life. While we were constantly overrun with subjects of average character, we would sometimes go for months without getting a really exceptional one, or one hav- ing an exceptional reputation; and then we were liable to have a number in succession within a few days. Another point worthy of mention is that cases having really the worst reputation would frequently prove the easi- est to manage; while some of the most difficult we would find would be cases not known perhaps outside their own neigh- borhood, and apparently were not of a very vicious character; this being dependent upon the temperament and the degree to which the nervous system had been shaken, which, of course was not understood, but which I was able to detect instantly, and the explanation of such conditions before teach- ing the class would necessarily give me success. While without suitable subjects, I would frequently be very greatly embarrassed, because of my inability to demonstrate the truth of mystatements. It was under such circumstances that I felt called upon to exercise the utmost care and skill, because compelled to depend entirely upon explanations of conditions and principles which really called for a far higher order of ability than was necessary in making the most exact- ing experiments. These cursory explanations developed finally into little preparatory lectures, in which, with the aid of one of my ponies, I could illustrate every point very clearly. I believe these lectures were a feature peculiar to myself, and one of the really strong points of my success. A serious difficulty I frequently had to contend with, more particularly in the smaller country towns, was in conse- quence of parties of jockeys agreeing among themselves that no matter what I did, they would claim not to be satisfied. If there was to be found any exceptionally difficult case, it would be secured and sprung upon me with the hope of breaking me down. Such incidents were of almost constant occurrence. When such a purpose was made known to me, DETERMINING CHARACTER. 83 I made it a point to meet it squarely, telling them it was a matter I had to deal with almost daily, and cared nothing about; that I did not care how many horse-taming schools they had attended, referring more particularly to those whom I knew had been over the ground before me, but always, so far as I could, in liberal terms; that I made no exception whatever in favor of persons giving attention to such parties, or to subjects they might have failed upon. On these points I was particularly explicit and emphatic; and such statements were startling in consequence, because if I were to fail to come to the exact line of my promise in any respect, it would of course result disastrously to me. As an illustration of the value of being able to determine character accurately, I include instances in point. Once when making experiments before a large class in Michigan, a five-year-old colt was brought in as an ordinary case forexperiment. At once observing it to be a really dan- serous subject, and exhibiting caution in approaching him, the owner brusquely took me to task for it, implying that he could do better than that himself. Annoyed by the boldness of the assertion, which implied ridicule, I turned upon him, saying, ‘‘Do you know what you have here?” He replied, ‘¢Yes, sir; I have raised him and know all about him, and I am not afraid to go right up and handle him.” I said, ‘‘ You don’t know anything about him. This is one of the most really dangerous cases I have found for months, and to treat him, especially in the midst of such a crowd as I have here, without accident, is very difficult and calls for the greatest care. I will show you what he is, and then you can go near him if you wish.” Finding a rakestale and reaching it out quietly to the horse’s nose, on the instant of its being brought within his reach, he sprang into the air and struck at it with both feet in the most violent manner, thereby, as I anticipated, show- ing one of the most dangerous types of character imaginable. I said, ‘* Now, sir, I will give you a hundred dollars if you will AIUUDUL SHOLILA D UL GUIYIAIS PUD SULYIIY ‘PIYIDOAGGD UIYM Papsisar OY SY ‘aj0g VD 0] Pat, ‘aSAOY YIIAJJAFT IY [.— VE G27 L?g] aa LEAT MCLG AHO TSE. 85 go near enough to him to touch him with the tip of your finger.” The man turned pale and said, ‘‘ I would not go near him for a thousand dollars.”’ Cautioning those present now to keep out of my way, I carefully went on with the experiment, and was so fortunate as to make the case entirely submissive and gentle in about twenty minutes, in that time hitching him up and driving him without breeching. HETTRICK HORSE. In New York City, a very peculiar case, the particulars of which are given elsewhere, was purchased expressly for the purpose of breaking me down. Happening to see this sub- ject across the barn, I said to the gentlemen, ‘‘ This case I cannot safely treat before a class. The risk is too great, and ’ Ican only consent to experiment upon him privately.” Upon trial I found that I was not mistaken, for it was only by the great- est care that I could with any degree of safety get my hands upon him and subject him to treatment. He once broke away so fiercely that had I been compelled to treat him in the open ring, with people around me, there would have been a serious accident. But once able to get my hands upon him with safety, he proved one of the most interesting subjects I ever treated, and one I would have liked very much to experiment upon in public. I did not dare stop, however, as to do so and carry out the treatment another time, as I had at first intended, would be equivalent to failure. Once undertaken, I instinct- ively knew it would be necessary to carry it through, and this was in fact one of the important conditions of making the experiment upon this case a success, and rendered it one of the most pronounced and interesting experiments of my ex- perience up to that time. The Mt. Vernon case referred to in the same chapter, and the Malone horse, were interesting casesin point. My ability to read the character of these cases was in fact the secret of 86 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. my success. These were only fair representations of the importance, in my daily efforts, of this knowledge to me; in fact, during my later years, when the people had become very exacting and critical, without it I could not have traveled a single day with safety or success. NARROW CHANCES. The question may naturally be asked, how it was that I could safely take such narrow chances, and particularly with people who would openly express themselves as determined not to be satisfied. I may explain, first, that no matter how great the danger or opposition, oneof the vital points of my suc- cess was in not making any exceptions, because the attempt to make any conditions would naturally be construed as proofs of weakness, which would be almost fatal to my suc- cess. Thus I was compelled at times to take the most des- perate chances, the alternative being to make them elements of success. Of course under such circumstances I prepared, so far as I could, for every emergency. But at the same time, though it was of the greatest importance to me, I did not dare ask in relation to the character or number of subjects for experiment, though well knowing that there were liable to be a number of the most difficult cases that could be found kept secretly waiting to be sprung upon me; so that it was to me, as it were, a con- stant state of friendly or passive war. In addition, I felt a peculiar zest in taking suchrisks. Sothat no matter how great my apprehensions, I frequently laughed at them, and would repeat over and over that I did not care what they had in the way of subjects, or what was their belief in relation to me; consequently, when the class was formed, there would often naturally be the greatest curiosity to know how I would get out of such a corner. The better to explain this, let me here confide to my readers a few points I never mentioned to any one: First, knowing that mystatements would be regarded outside the line UNDERSTANDING CHARACTER. 87 of belief, I made it a particular point to state only what I could actually do. This point I watched with special care. Any- thing like the loose expressions or pretensions of charlatan- ism, such as assuming to be able to subdue any horse or animal in the world, etc., I was particularly careful to refrain from. At the same time I made the performance of my ponies as strong. and interesting a feature as I could; and when opportunity presented itself, I performed in the open street some feat with one of their own horses, which I always made the most of, such as the feats referred to in previous pages, of taking daily in the street, without bridle, halter, or other means of restraint, a wild, unbroken colt, and that in the midst of a crowd; or, in a certain number of minutes, driving to my buggy some well-known kicking runaway horse. In a word, I added as I could such proofs of my success as would inspire the most confidence. It was for this reason, also, that I carried so many fine horses, though apparently for show. This I found to be the simplest and easiest method of proving my responsibility. I had also a great disadvantage to contend with in my personality.. In appearance and address it would certainly seem as if there could scarcely be one less fitted for such try- ing and exacting work. And for this reason, I had con- stantly to contend with the feeling that there certainly must be some mistake about it. Being below the average in size, and not by any means an easy or impressive speaker, it seemed to imply that I could not be the man to contend with such exacting difficulties. It was for this reason that I made my trained horses such an interesting feature; but once entering upon my practical work, these difficulties disappeared. UNDERSTANDING CHARACTER. One great source of my strength was the facility and almost absolute certainty with which I was able to discern the types of character I had to deal with, being able to do this from the slightest clues. If, for example, a man were to 88 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. tell me what his horse would do, if a marked case, it would give me a sufficient clue to enable me to tell him at once the type of character, even to particulars of color, kind of head, ears, eyes, bodily / structure, etc., at the same time giving me the key of treatment necessary. Once Jwyy able to see a horse, 1) even at a distance, the a points of character were revealed to me. I include here a few contrasting feat- (i \ \ = aS RI ures aS mere sugges- tions. In another chapter farther on, under the head of ‘‘Tempera- ments,” will be found some interesting facts re- garding this subject. It was very important for me to know what I had to experiment upon, so as to determine upon a suit- able line of argument. For this reason, contrary to what was supposed, I made a great effort to know what I was go- “ing to experiment upon. If unable to obtain a clue my- é self, I had persons obtain it ea" ; Types of the worst and good character. for me, if possible. When I character. Types of intelligent DE SURA BIG E SS Bf Lie IS. 89 learned of a particularly difficult case, though apparently re- maining in ignorance of it, I made it a strong point in my pub- licaddress to specify, in the most explicit terms, just what I could do with such a subject. The Hillman horse, al- ready referred to, and _ the Lancaster horse, _ mentioned farther on, : are good examples. : great chances I was - often compelled to Ffonest, intelligent eye. in this connection, that during the later years of my experience on the road, I did not in this respect make a single mistake or failure. Of course success might in a great measure have been the re- — sult of chance, and although aware that such © - representations of the . * take, and I may state, as an interesting fact : They are, also, fair «= a statement may seem so extravagant as to | WNW ge” be received with con- iN siderable doubt, it is fact. DESIRABLESUBJECTS. \ To insure making Ja good impression, é WW) subjects espevially de. teye. sirable to me were nevertheless a simple _ kicking, runaway colts or horses, halter pullers, and vicious stallions. With a variety of four such subjects, I felt my position to be almost impregnable; but when I did not have a suitable variety for experiment, which was often the case, my position would be extremely trying and hazardous. 90 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. Wien I got the class together ready for instructions, with ™ the doors closed, I reminded them, first, that if I did not have suitable subjects, of course I could not demonstrate the results I desired, and though care- fully disguised, made an effort to learn what I had to deal with. If a man would say he had a horse of special character, a kicker perhaps, I would casually ask him a few questions as to how he would act in the kicking, and so in relation to other subjects accessible. I may mention that it was rarely that Y | had an opportunity of seeing them. If appre- Well a, hending that my subjects were not such as I could wish, then, as a measure of safety, I sought, without being suspected, to strengthen my position by explaining condi- f tions and principles sufficiently to carry me through. In doing this I would call attention to - the fact that in its true sense the subject was really a broad and very interesting one; that asa necessary condition of making my instructions entirely simple and plain to them, there were cer- tain points that were secrets, that I could only give them as such. That an imperative condition Coarse. of my instructions was the pledge under oath that they would not reveal such secrets without my permission. This pledge given, I reminded them that I was aware that most persons believed I controlled horses by giving them medicines, or by the use of some secret means, many even believing that I could soinfluence people who came near me, by looking at them, that if I so willed I could make them hand out their money to me, etc., and as an illustration of such incredulity would put it to vote. Every hand would usually go up in acknowledgment of this when I explained that ef no mistake could be greater; that I was just like Low bred. them—one of the plainest and simplest of men; that no one could feel his ignorance more than I did; that I really DESIRABLE SOBJECTS. had no more power over horses than they or anybody else, aside from the advantage of studying the horse’s nature with more success with the conditions of acting upon and influ- encing it; that this was all I could teach them, and that whatever my success, I felt as if I were only at the commencement of one of the most interesting and important studies to which the intelligent mind could be directed, which I would prove to them. Or I would say: ‘‘I had of course to say a great deal outside that was unpleasant for me to say, in order to get you, but now that I have you in here, with the doors closed, I wish to be entirely frank with you. First, I wish to give you a very great secret—one which for your own sake and I may add, mine, as well, you must on no condition reveal to anyone. This is our unpardonable ignorance of a subject that we think we know so much about; that this is all I will really prove to you, for I can do no more with horses, however remarkable the re- sults I am able to perform may seem, than any common man with the knowledge of the same treatment and care in applying it should be able todo. I will put myself inthe same line. The only advantage I have is, that I have studied the subject somewhat in advance of you. I! will show you first that the horse, when treated properly, is the easiest of all domestic animals to manage, and in every case of his being made vicious or unmanageable it is the result of a de- gree of ignorance for which we have good reason to blush, and for which there should be no ex cuse. This, of course, neither you nor I want people to know, and in addition I think we can 91 Expressions of VICLOUSNESS. 92 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. both do better hereafter. The feats I perform seem great and remarkable because the secrets of doing them are not un- derstood or studied. If I don’t prove this to you, your in- structions shall cost you nothing.” Or I would say to them; ‘‘It would be easy enough for me to control horses and do it in such a way that when I got through you would know but little about. it, and yet you would be satisfied; and I am aware, also, that the more abstruse and difficult I would make the explanations to you, the more importance you would attach to them and the greater your respect and esteem for me. But really, to benefit you as I wish, it is necessary that I should make my explanations as simple as possible. Now which would you prefer: that I should perform feats and make my instructions complicated and difficult, or simple, and such as I know you can under- stand best and would do you the most good ?”’ It would, of course, be voted, ‘‘ We want you to make it as simple as you can to us,” etc: CHAPTER VII. EXPLANATIONS OF PRINCIPLES—HOW FAR POSSIBLE TO CHANGE CHARACTER. NOW took up details, giving a careful explanation of the princi- ples, and demonstrating them with the aid of one of my trained po- = nies, which made the instructions very plain and simple as well as Common occurrence. interesting. If at any point dur- ing these instructions I noticed a group together whittling or whispering to each other, which was not uncommon, indicat- ing a preconcerted plan to defeat me, I gave them careful attention. When I discovered such a purpose, I made it a point to switch them off something hke this: When far enough along to secure their close attention, and make them forget themselves, I would casually make reference to the fact that if such a thing could be really done—referring to some specially interesting feat, for example, of making a dangerous or vicious colt gentle to follow ina certain num- ber of minutes—and I could teach others to do it, it was, indeed, remarkable; and if it could be done, it was worth, not only the price of the entire instruction, but many times that. This conceded, I would jokingly say, ‘‘ Every one who thinks that itis worth $5, raise his right hand,” when without a thought every hand would naturally go up. Then I would refer to something else, perhaps taking a wild, kicking horse and making him gentle, even to driving him without breeching. That if this could be really done, that knowledge alone must be accepted as worth not only $5 to any man, but several times that; when every hand would [93] 94 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. goup. After thus referring to a number of things, and their value being conceded, I would figure it all up, and show them that if really true that I could do these things, and ' teach them how to do the same, they would be largely in debt to me, arfd then laughingly tell them that was the way I did business, placing it in the light of a good joke upon myself. My foundation being thus carefully laid and fortified, I rapidly made the practical demonstrations as short, sharp and decisive as possible, showing that I could really do all and even more than I had promised, the success with which I could do it depending, of course, greatly upon the character of my subjects; but I always made it a point, when possible, to come well within the time I had advertised, when, with their tacit acknowledgment of having no reasonable ground of complaint to stand upon, no one could well go back on me. After getting through with the instruction, it was not unusual for persons to come forward and tell me of the plans that had been made by them to defeat me, and regard it a good joke upon themselves to be really satisfied. Such par- ties would often become so interested in my efforts that it was not uncommon for them to not only follow me to other places, but to make a great effort to help me. Much of my success was, in fact, really dependent upon such aid. LITTLE FEATS. I also made it a point, when I could with safety, to per- form little feats before the class in such a way as to arrest their attention most strongly; but this I did mainly as a means of giving novelty to the general routine of my instruc- tions. For example, if there were brought in a horse afraid of an umbrella or robe, finding him to be a good subject to make the test upon, I would say, ‘‘ This horse is all right. You have made a mistake about it.’’ The owner perhaps would strongly protest that the horse was really what was rep- resented, and as proof some one would be requested to ap- LV IOWANS SBN IGS 95 proach him from a distance of ten, fifteen or twenty feet, with an open umbrella over him, when the horse would really exhibit such fear of it that the only alternative would be for the man to at once step back and close it. This would at once put everybody on the alert. ‘‘ Nevertheless, I will show you this horse is all right;’’ when I would, with apparent in- difference, walk up to him and pretend to whisper something to him quietly, then step back hurriedly, take the umbrella and walk forward, taking him by the halter, and while walk- ing along with him, without any apparent effort, put it over his head. He might make some littie resistance, but directly walking along quietly by my side, apparently paying no atten- tion to it, as the subject would most always do, it would of course cause great surprise. I would then remark: ‘Now, there is a very important secret about doing this, and I will go over it again and wish you to watch me carefully to see if you will catch the point of it.” Then I would go over the same routine again, taking the umbrella, and with my back to the horse, open and shut it, then while walking forward to him, hold it closed in my hand, behind me out of view, and upon reaching him, take him by the halter and while walking along as before, my head near his, talking to him in a low tone of voice, I would suddenly open the umbrella, and with the same move- ment, quickly swing it upward over his head, bringing it down so closely upon it as to cover it. He might, perhaps, stop, drop his head, acting a little dazed, but really showing no resistance, the only means of restraint used being that of lightly holding him by the halter strap, when I would gradu- ally raise it, swing it backward and forward, gradually in- creasing the movement, at the same time elevating it above him, when he would directly submit, entirely indifferent to having it swung over or around him in any manner. Then again I would surprise them in the opposite direc- tion, by assuming to show him to be really as much afraid of it as ever, which I would demonstrate by going back some 96 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. distance from him and approaching him with the umbrella over my head, when he would show the indications of fear exhibited in the first place; then again rapidly putting it over his head, thereby showing him again to be entirely in- different to it, which of course would naturally excite the greatest astonishment; the class believing that I had some sort of secret power which they could not understand. I would say, ‘‘ Now I did this the better to explain to you a very interesting principle, which, while known to most every one, is not understood. It is that motion is quicker than sight, and if I can get the umbrella upon him before he can really see it, and show him by contact that it is really harmless, he will at once care nothing about it, and the effect is not only really as good, but if anything better, than if I were to subject him to the most severe treatment. In doing this, you will notice that I first put the umbrella in a position where he could not see it. The object of whispering to him and keeping my head near his was to keep him from seeing it, and to mislead you as to my real purpose. Consequently when I stooped over to open the umbrella, it was not only done as quick as a flash, but swung over his head so quickly that he could not see it before it was upon him. The rest was simple. So far as frightening him, as in the first place, it was by putting it in the position suddenly, as when he was first frightened by it. This I quickly overcome, as you see, by gradually widening the circle;”” which I would do by letting him stand on the floor and go round him, all perhaps not re- quiring more than a minute or two, thereby proving him to be really indifferent to it.* * In my regular instructions, in the chapter on “Fear,” I give some very interesting particulars; among others, that horses, especially highly organized ones, can be frightened to death, and also the ease with which excessive fear can be prevented, and (if the integrity of the nervous sys- tem is not seriously impaired) overcome. This was very noticeable in preventing fear of contact of whiffletree or shafts, or when frightened and excited, in overcoming it. This was the secret of my driving gently ANALYZING CHARACTER. 97 It will be interesting to include here a brief explanation of some of the inner lines of my thoughts which gradually led up to the final discoveries made by me in the art of subjec- tion; also the severe trials that were often sprung upon me from which I was able to catch some of my best lessons. As explained in the introductory pages, the study of the subject being incidentally forced upon me, knowing nothing about it, I instinctively went back to the study of natural conditions. In doing this, I noticed, first, that in a state of nature the horse was on the same plane with man, being simply astep below him, the essential difference being that he practically reasoned from the limits of his direct observation and experience; next, that man had combined within himself all the peculiar- ities of the different families of the lower animals—his higher nature representing the more intelligent domestic animals, and the lower those of the more untamable or vicious charac- ters. Consequently in treating the horse, when in doubt about the character I had to deal with, I went back, as it were, and studied the corresponding part of my own nature, and from this was enabled to determine the best principle or line of treatment to pursue. While groping my way, as it were, along on these lines, one of the most impressive and interesting facts revealed to me was the wonderful intelligence of many animals, even of those so low as to be supposed not worthy of consideration, and from which I was able to observe more clearly some of the inherent traits of the horse, which, when close analyzed, we find to be really remarkable. Let us briefly consider these facts:— WONDERFUL INTELLIGENCE OF THE LOWER ANIMALS. We naturally feel like paying special deference to any one who exhibits anything like exceptional abilities, such as excelling as an orator, mathematician, or other specialty; and so quickly and easily horses that had been frightened by contact of wagon. 98 MEMOIRS OF MAGNER. the greater such exceptional power, the greater the respect and deference.* Now in following up these points, the really significant fact to which I wish to call your attention more es- pecially is, that many of the lower animals, even those supposed to be so low in the scale of intelligence as not to be worthy of consideration, have powers that are really so far be- yond what it is possible for any man or woman to do, as to be nothing short of startling. For example, the commonest cur of a dog, which most people feel like kicking out of the way, has powers of scent, and intelligence so keen, that he can unerringly follow the footsteps of his master, though hours behind him; that by the mere smell of a bit of ) fs K Z Engraved trom photographs made from life. CHAPTER XXII. BLINDERS. ET us, in the same fair and im- partial spirit, consider the subject of blinders; for injurious as the check is, they are, if possi- ble, a cause of even more discom- \\ SS fort and injury. JBlinders are Photographed from life. used under the assumption that they render the horse more safe and tractable; whereas they really make him more unsafe and unmanageable, as will be explained farther on. But they are used mainly with a view to making the head look better. This is also a mistake; for in- stead of improving the ap- pearance, they really de- tractfrom andinjure it. In proof of this, notice the in- telligent expression of the eye in Fig. 182, which il- lustration was made ex- pressly to demonstrate this. The intelligent and observing owner will per- ceive that enabling the ee horse to see everything Fig. 182.—The natural eye. around him distinctly is an important condition of making him safe, of which in thousands of instances I have given the most convincing demonstrations. Now blinders, as generally used, are not only a serious obstruction to the horse’s seeing plainly, but also a cause of [ 263 | Fig. 183.—The eye better to show the exact degree entirely covered. Not seriously objectionable. CROLLLTING great injury in striking against the eyes, or being pressed upon them. Frequently the wire clinch of the ornament of the blind be- comes raised and so presses against the eye as to be a cause of serious injury to it, be- sides the pain thereby caused to the horse. One of the points I early learned was the necessity that the horse should see everything around him plainly, and it was for this rea- son that I always drove the most nervous and excitable horses without the restraint of either blinders or check. To show the importance as well as extremely exposed con- dition of the eyes, I give first a front view of the eye in its nearly natural size, and the to which it stands out on the side of the head, I had photo- zraphs made from life, represented on pages 262 and 263, which il- lustrate this very finely; thereby showing the serious injury towhich /‘%g. 78—E£ye they are liable by the covering or CO eee contact of blinders. Figs. 183 and 184, which have also been photographed from life, repre- sent the exact position in the ultra-fashionable form of blinders, as used especially in the larger cities. As will be seen they are so large and concaved so deeply that they come in front and around the eyes so closely that they actually cover them up. Farther on are given other interesting illustrations, showing the injury and annoyance from this cause. : =< —_ _\ ~ AQ WOM) This is put in to show the beauty of the eyes in nature, and the wicked folly of covering them 266 CROERETN,:. HOW BLINDERS WERE INTRODUCED. According to an old story, an English nobleman had a favorite horse with a defective eye, to conceal which he at- tached to the cheek-pieces of the bridle, wide pieces of leather, NWA which were termed ‘‘winkers,” WN A which partly covered the eyes. Oia Vhen it was soon found that the "outside surface was a good place on which to put the crest of rank, and the foolish vanity of fashion brought them into use. In explaining the location of the eyes, and the harm done by covering them up, the following from a high authority is so well worded that I cannot do better than quote it :—— ‘« Human vision is binocular; that 1s, we see the same objects with both eyes, and so adjust the axis of vision that the object ap- pears single, though seen with both eyes! eBut “‘theseyes ot the horse are placed on the side of the head, and the axis of each eye is nearly at right angles with the longitudinal line of the body, so that it is impossible that the same object can be distinctly seen with both eyes. Now by blinding [cov- ering] the eye in the direction in which it was intended in its con- struction that it should see (for- ward, sideways and back), it is forced to use an oblique vis- ion, as if we should cover the front of our optics and be com- pelled to see by the corners of our eyes. This unnatural and Photographed from life. INJURY AND DISCOMFORT. 267 constrained use of the eye must toa greater or less extent impair vision, if not entirely destroy it.” INJURY AS WELL AS DISCOMFORT. Not only are blinders a source of great discomfort to the horse, preventing him from 3 seeing plainly, but they often cause the most serious injury to the eyes. This is especially the case should the clinch or wire holding the or- (Bren. < Wie f nament either extend beyond the lil Ihe surface of the leather or become lly A, AAS raised much, it so rubs against the lids of the eyes as to irritate and break the skin. I have frequently found the outer edge of the eyea raw sore from this cause, and the eye seriously affected in conse- quence. While writing this art1- cle, in examining the blinders of a horse in the street, I found that the wire clinch was raised, and % that it had pressed into the eye almost a quarter of an inch, with the result of cutting and injuring the part very seriously. Figures 193 and 194 were made to show the way this clinch was raised and the injury it caused the eye, and are but a fair representation of the injury caused in this way. Now when it is borne in mind that a large proportion of the horses Photographed from life. throughout the country are constantly compelled to endure the same cause of pain, something of the magnitude of this source of harm can be realized. 268 CROCE TIN: In order to be entirely fair in explaining these causes of harm, I went into the street and had photographs taken of the heads of eight ordinary driving or work horses, all of them farmers’ horses (from six of these, which are a fair aver- age, I had engravings made, shown on pages 266 and 267), to show the degree to which the eyes were pressed upon or flapped against from this cause, as well as to give an accurate idea of its natural position in relation to such obstructions; in point of fact, it is hardly possible to show this in the engraving, as exhibited in cases presented to my notice. While taking these photographs, I found one case in which the eye was so injured in consequence of the sharp corner of the blinder violently striking against it, that it was entirely closed; the horse _ could not seeatall, Z the head being wet with water running from the eye as shown on page 269. Though I. called the owner’s atten- tion to it, he seemed to regard it as of but little conse- quence; but I said to him, ‘‘ The blinders do not do any good; and why not take them off ?”’ and yet the stupid fellow could not see the point of it, for he simply looked at me as if I were meddling with something that did not amount to Fig. 193.—Raised clinch. Lig. 194.—Its effect. WHEN USED TO ADVANTAGE. 269 much; and this is but a fair illustration of the ignorance and apathy prevalent throughout the country in relation to it. WHEN THEY MAY BE USED TO ADVANTAGE. In certain cases blinders may be used to advantage. A lazy horse will drive steadier and better if he cannot see the motion of the whip behind him, and blind- ers might be desirable for such horses; but in all cases they should be so formed or ad- justed as not to touch or press against the |M eye, or interfere with his seeing everything before him clearly. A horse with an ugly head or suffering the loss of an eye, may | be improved by the use of nicely adjusted i blinders. The next most desirable condi- } tion for their use is when the horse is im- — Properly adjusted. perfectly trained, especially when hitched to a top carriage; the covering of the eyes with blinders often enables one to drive him with comparative safety. But while I would make rN is el i | AN WW \ Appearance of eye when injured by the blinder. this exception, I would also caution that it is lable to be- come a serious source of danger. To explain: A horse has been driven, perhaps months or years to a top carriage, without trouble. Unexpectedly one of the blinders becomes misplaced or loose, or the bridle be- comes changed for one the blinders of which cover the eyes 270 CRUELTY. but imperfectly; or perhaps in changing harnesses, the bridle proved too short, and in letting out the cheek pieces the i ‘blinders were brought too low for the eyes. In any case, the horse is able to see the top, be- comes frightened at it, ‘springs ahead, and the result is usually a dan- gerous, kicking, runa- way scrape. What is supposed to be a gentle horse has without any apparent cause become suddenly frightened and unmanageable, and the consequence is a serious accident, which not only Style prevalent in large cities. destroys the character of the horse, but is likely to result in serious injury and very great loss. Once, after explaining this very common cause of iM trouble to my class, a gentle- il man present made the fol- il i lowing statement: A horse ,,,.""\ that was considered perfectly (we gentle and safe, having been ‘ used for years™ for fama. «2 driving, was hitched to a carriage, in which were seated the owner’s wife and child, when the man noticed the hal- ter had been left on under the bridle, and he attempted to removeit. The instant the bridle was taken off sufficiently The old farm horse with blinders. CAUSES OF FRIGHT. 271 to permit the horse to look back over his shoulder, and see the top of the carriage behind him, he became so frightened that he plunged ahead and got away. The woman was thrown out and killed, the child seriously injured, the wagon wrecked, and the horse made so nervous and excit- f able that he could not after- ward with safety be hitched or driven to carriage. An- other very common source | ff of trouble from this cause ist the driving of a horse of \& this character to an open : buggy or carriage. A shower or storm comes up, and an umbrella is raised behind him. Able to see back over the blinders, he becomes frightened at it and plunges ahead, resisting all comtroles|) lies re- sult is often a run- Blinds dangle against the eyes. away and serious accident. This was the simple history ), \ of a large propor- AK\ tion of the cases ‘ brought me to ex- periment upon be- fore my Classes. A horse, like every other animal, Fashion in the country. is naturally suspi- cious and fearful of every object that he does not clearly see, or the nature of which he does not comprehend; and it is evident that he must either be prevented from seeing anything 272 CRUELTY. at all or be permitted to view every object plainly and un- obstructedly. Now the effect of blinders is to increase the difficulty of seeing, making it impossible for the horse to see objects before him clearly, especially if his head is checked high. A sensitive, intelligent horse, particularly, will al- ways drive better when the eyes are entirely unobstructed, because he can see better and more clearly understand the commands and intentions of his driver. He becomes, as it were, more in sympa- thy with his driver. This was finely illus- trated by the alertness of my horses trained to drive without reins. They would constantly turn their heads right and left, the more quickly to obey the com- mands indicated by mo- tions of the whip. See Fig. 100. Sothere can be no question that with the bridle properly arranged, permitting the eye, by far the most beautiful and ex- pressive feature of the head, to be unobstructed, the horse not only looks far better without than with blinders, but is immeasurably safer. Then it is the work only of a few minutes’ intelligent treatment (the whole secret being in knowing what to do), to make any colt or horse so that he will be entirely indifferent to any of these objects, such as a carriage top or umbrella being raised behind him. But even if it be advisable to use blinders in certain cases, what is the necessity or sense of using them upon team horses and others that are entirely safe and gentle? They only add to the expense and weight of the harness; and espe- cially in hot weather, covering the eyes as they do, and neces- AN INCIDENT IN POINT. vo 73 sarily greatly increasing the temperature around them or knocking against them, they become, as already stated, not only a cause of great discomfort and harm, but interfere seriously with the horse’s seeing clearly. Consider fora moment how you would feel if placed in such a situation yourself, without being able so make protest or defense. The following incident is so much in point that I con- clude to here give it a place : — An illiterate but witty Irishman had a poor horse that he was in the habit of driving to a truck wagon to market. The weather was hot, the flies troublesome, and in addition to the load, the poor horse, which had been, by the way, denuded of his tail, was struggling piteously, while the man was in conversation with a neigh- bor, in trying to protect him- self from annoyance. Upon the old bridle was an ex- ceptionally big pair of wink- ers or blinders, which, with the horse’s every movement right or left, flapped vio- lently against the eyes. Excited by torture of burrs. Said the observing gentleman, who was of a humane turn of mind, with a meaning look at the horse’s head: “ Pat, suppose that during this ‘hot weather you had a couple of pieces of thick leather, as heavy and stiff as two pieces of board, put over your eyes, pressing against and covering them up, not only so that you could not see, or with great diffi- culty, but confining and heating the air around them, and consequently seriously hurting them. How would you like it?”” Pat, who, though in the roughest garb and an apparently dull fellow, was quick to appre- -hend, with a sparkle of intelligence in his eye, said to his interlocu- tor: “ Begorra, sor, don’t say another word. I'll fix it;” got on his load, and drove on. But next morning when Pat came along, he made an op- portunity to stop, and with apparent indifference looked at his friend with a sense of proud significance, at the same time glancing toward the horse’s head: “Top o’ the mornin’ to you, sor.” Upon looking, the entleman could see that the blinders had been not only cut off from the old bridle, but the horse was covered by a comfortable netting. The gentleman, with equal meaning, expressed his satisfaction, saying: “Pat, lam glad tosee you. I’m sure you're good, and that you have the prayers of the Virgin to help you this morning.” 18 a4 CRUBIE TY. The efforts that have been put forth for years by the hu- mane societies of this country and Europe to effect a reform in these respects, are deserving of the strongest encourage- ment on the part of every admirer and lover of horses, and of every Christian lady and gentleman; and it is to be hoped Senator Stanford's famous Palo Alto (2.08%). that the day is not distant when the public generally will ap- preciate and act upon these facts, so that the needless and improper use of both checks and blinders may be among the things of the past. Before giving this matter to the printers, the following, handed me by a friend, is so much in point that I give ita place here :— SOME MEAN MEN. 275 SOME MEAN MEN. _ The man who starts his horse with a cut of a whip instead of by his voice, is a mean man. The man who requires his horse to draw a big load or go as fast on muddy roads as on dry ones, is a mean man. The man who whips a startled or frightened horse is not only mean but cruel and silly. Whipping does not allay fear, but the assuring voice of a kind driver does. He who kindly shows his horse that the cause of his fear will not hurt him, acts like a man, and will cure his horse of timidity, but the whipping idiot makes him a chronic shyer. iif —-2: = ——— A ey ae Hi : | | lI ert | Us | The noted Godolphin Arabian. Most famous horse of the 18th century. The man who has his horse “clipped” in winter and puts fur gloves and heavy overcoat on himself, is an especially mean man. This sort of aman smokes 25-cent cigars and finds fault with his wife because she can’t dress on $30 a year. The man who checks his horse’s head above its natural and easy position because, to his depraved taste, it ‘looks better,” is a mean man, and ought to have his head strapped out of place in the same way. The man who leaves his horse uncovered on a cold day, is a mean man. This sort of man buys cotton gloves for his wife and fur ones for himself. The man who lets his horse go hungry or thirsty, because it is some trouble or expense to relieve him, is a mean man. This sort makes his wife carry the valise, lunch basket and the baby, while he carries—a cane. 276 CROLEY The driver who lets his axles get dry, because he don’t want to stop to oil them, comes under this head. When drivers have to draw the wagon there will be no dry axles. Mr. Pennywise who thinks it cute to reduce his horses’ feed and get the same work out of them by torture—whipping—is not only mean but worse. A horse is like a locomotive; both must be fed, and you cannot get any more power out of either than you put in. Clipping the ears—a fashion formerly in vogue in England. Mean men have but little sense, otherwise they would not be mean. Mean men are despised even by those who treat them well, and everybody notices meanness. Mean men are a poor sort to marry. Girls should remember that a man who neglects or abuses his horse, cow or dog will abuse and neglect his wife or child. If meanness is in a man it will certainly slop out onto whatever he dominates, be it horse or wife. If you want to know whether a man is mean, observe how he treats his animals. It is a sure indication. CHAPTER XXIII. DOCKING AND NICKING. HIS fashion, which is again becoming very prevalent in this country, is of a piece with the others referred to, being if anything worse than they, because depriving the horse of the ability, so important to his comfort, to protect himself from the annoyance of flies. This is particularly so in this country where the summers are so much hotter Ideal bob tail. than in Europe or Eng- land, and consequently the flies so much more trouble- some. In addition, the operation is extremely painful and. often danger- ous, because so much in- Nature. flammation is liable to result as to not only cause the loss of the hair of the tail, but of producing tetanus, and eventually death—a very common occurrence. From thirty to forty years ago the custom of docking and nicking was about as common as the use of the overdraw- check is now. In those days I often saw ina single stable as many as half a dozen horses in pulleys after such opera- tions as represented on next page. —t Ne MN MN 278 CROLL TNA The method at first most common in England was sim- ply to square off the hair of the tail at the end of the dock, termed ‘‘ bobbing,” which was soon superseded by amputat- ing or cutting off one or more joints of the dock, and there- by shortening the tail according to the dictates of fashion or fancy of the operator. This amputation was often carried to such an extreme as to | i leave little more than ene the merest stump of ave tail nwathi jUsteea fringe of hair, as rep- © resented on page 277. The nerves and ligaments of the under side were severed, the hair or what was left of it, gathered into a knot, to wi which a cord was attached. Vi “Y This was passed overa pulley Fig. 207.—Method of pulling up the tail. by Re Gh fag savas Thald up by weights and made to grow into an erect position, as shown by illustration. To accomplish this successfully the horse is required to stand in his stall with the tail so pulled up, for several weeks. This constant and unnatural strain upon it frequently produced, as stated, so much inflamma- tion in the tail as to cause the loss of the hair, or ¢efanus, and thereby in most cases the loss of the horse. My purpose being to present this subject with the greatest fairness, I wish to make this statement:: — There is only one class of cases in which the cutting off and raising of the tail is admissible or at all excusable. These are nervous mares that kick when they happen to catch the DOCKING ILLUSTRATED. 279 reins under the tail, or horses that are exceptionally trouble- some in driving by catching and hugging the rein under the tail, when they are liable to kick and run away. In such cases, by docking and raising the tail, the horse is made more safe and serviceable and its market value increased, in which case it may be resorted to as any other needed surgi- cal operation. But these are rare exceptions, and almost on the plane of driving horses with the eyes covered up with blinders to prevent their be- ey coming frightened, which Tells its own story. would be entirely prevented by a little very simple treat- ment, easy for anyone to do, as I have countless times dem- onstrated. But the operation could be obviated by the simple expedient of putting on a thick but soft crupper, which would g prevent the rein from be- ing caught and held by the tail. Just before giving this matter to the printers, the following, which I clip SS X ‘ oe y) from a leading horse paper (Clark’s Horse Review), is so much in point that I consider it worthy of a place:— ‘«When the custom of Tells its own story. ‘docking’ was first prac- ticed we have no information, but that it is a relic of barbarism is certain. The tail of the horse, in a state of nature, is one of his crowning beauties, and it is evidence of but a sadly per- verted taste, a brutalized instinct, akin to that which clips the ears of a dog and in various other ways mangles and deforms 280 CRUELTY. Z the best members of the brute creation. At present it is most highly developed in this country as a fashionable ‘fad ’—a foolish, an illogical, an inhumane Anglomaniac aping of a British barbarity, yclept style-—-and as such practiced and sanctioned chiefly by that coterie known as ‘the 400’--the aristocracy of wealth, not the aristocracy of taste, of culture or of brains. To every right-minded man, whose instincts are humane, whose ethics are not perverted, whose refine- ment 1s innate and not an artificial veneer, whose esthetic sen- i A matter of common occurrence. sitiveness is not blunted, it is an abomination deserving the ban and proscription of the law.’’ The wicked foolishness of this custom is so well depicted by a leading writer that I am led to give place to his words:—— ‘¢The unornamental and wholly useless fringe of hair which marks the end of a fashionable horse’s brief remnant of tail, did not reach its present attenuated appearance by the progress of a natural revolution, nor yet by a single bound, as did that of Tam O’Shanter’s trusty mare ‘Meg.’ Cruel fashion directed the knife of the horse-doctor, as joint after joint and nerve after nerve was ruthlessly cut away, un- til little more than a coccyx remains of what should be a FOOLISH FASHIONS. 281 flowing mass of shining hair, the comfort of the horse and the pride of his owner. «They began, first, by leaving the stump of the tail its natural length and squaring or cutting the hair off down to it, called ‘bobbing.’ But they have since cut away the stump of the tail, and cut the nerves and ligaments by which it was kept down in its normal position. Aside from the pain in- flicted, the horse is robbed of the protection from flies which nature intended his tail to afford him. The tail will never An old, old story. grow again. All the rest of his life he is deprived of it, and when for any cause he is turned out to pasture, the flies find him a helpless victim.” This writer had talked with a leading veterinary surgeon in relation to it, and quotes from his words as follows : — ‘Tf it were announced that it had become fashionable in England to cut off half the left ears of horses you would see in a very short time a majority of the horses in this city with their left ears amputated. It is a blind following of fashion merely, and nothing but the most stringent laws can stop it.”’ The following are representative statements regarding this foolish custom from the highest authorities : — 282 GRUELTY.. ‘‘7 believe the time is near at hand when even the cow- leech [the most ignorant horse doctor] will perceive the absurdity of endeavoring to improve upon the fair forms of the most graceful works of nature, and will leave the horse’s tail, not less ornamental than useful, alone.”’ ‘¢Asa general custom inflicted on the horse, merely to please some ignorant fancy, docking is most justly repro- bated. It is a cruel operation, not only from the pain thereof, but even more cruel in depriving the poor animal of HON Posi | Young sports out for a drive. the beautiful! provision which nature has given him as a de- fense from flies and other equine torments with which this country especially abounds. It also sometimes produces lock-jaw, and results in death.” Dr. Zuill, Professor in the Veterinary Department of the Pennsylvania University, says: ‘‘ Docking horses is cruel, even barbarous, and is discountenanced by the profession.”’ Geo. Fleming, the highest veterinary authority in Eng- land, says: ‘‘ Docking decreases the value and usefulness of horses.” The State of Massachusetts regards it so serious an of- fense that a penalty of $250 is imposed for docking; and many other States have equally stringent laws. NEEDEESS TORTURE. 283 A leading veterinarian states that out of over thirty cases of tetanus which he had been called to treat in one year, twenty-seven resulted from docking. In commenting on the subject, the Mew Orleans Picayune says: ‘‘ He who docks a horse should be confined naked on a sugar dock in fly time, with his hands tied behind him.”’ In a discussion of this subject in the Massachusetts Leg- islature, shortly before this chapter was put in type, the fol- Young sports returned—the horse ruined. lowing statements, which I quote from Our Dumb Animals (published by Geo. T. Angell, Esq., Boston, Mass.), are so much in point that I give them a place : — “In August last I walked side by side on Beacon street with an ele- gant equipage; there was no one in the carriage, and as it was intensely hot, the coachman was walking the horses, a noble pair of chestnuts; but those animals were scarcely less than frantic with torture; their broad backs were literally speckled with black flies; they thrashed their heads, and whisked their poor little stumps, all along the street, while the coachman held them in by the bits. Shc “ Tradition tells us that one of the ingenious forms of martyr- dom was to tie the victim hand and foot, and expose him to swarms of insects; the end was a terrible form of insanity anda fearful death. We have made great progress, have we, because the battle for opinion’s sake is now fought with type? Yes, and then our ‘best society’ takes its most 284 CROUEIETN: faithful servant, powerless to speak for himself, and helpless to resist, and inflicts upon him this very martyrdom. : “T feel it my duty to enter my protest against a continuance of docking horses’ tails; mutilating, torturing a faithful animal for life. Kindly 1 think for one moment what this cruel, barbarous performance means!—cruel and painful in its operation and lasting in its effect. Flesh, sinew and bone cut away for the gratification of a few senseless cowards. \ say cowards with a full sense of its meaning, because the op- eration ts always done secretly and under cover. These people desire to follow a fashion which has nothing to recommend it whatever, for it does not lengthen the life of the horse, add to his speed or render him more tractable, nor is it justifiable in any sense whatever. . “ The incident of the debate was Mr. Russell's question of Mr. Mori- arty, of Worcester, if he would shoot docked-tailed horses. ‘No,’ was the answer, ‘but I would shoot the fellows who docked their tails.’ The House laughed and cheered.” THE PEST OF FLIES AND. PARASITES. It will be interesting, in connection with what has been said on the subject of Docking and Nicking, to include a few YW) * ys. PD, ws | Horse jiy. The horse tortured by flies. facts in relation to the great annoyance and injury caused by flies and parasites. * During the hot summer months of this climate these pests are a more common and serious cause of annoyance and injury than most people suppose, and particularly to short- haired, sensitive horses. Various means are used to prevent their attacks, as sponging the skin with a decoction of walnut * From page 583 of the author’s “ Facts for Horse Owners.” FLIES AND PARASITES. 285 or elder leaves, or to dust with Persian insect powder, in connection with the use of a light blanket or fly-net. The stable should be provided with screens, and kept clean and fresh by the use of chloride of lime. During the hot season, also, certain kinds of flies are not only causes of great annoyance to horses, but deposit their eggs on open sores or wet, filthy parts of the skin, thereby giv- ing rise to serious trouble. A fly in the South called the The common stable fly. Natural size. The bot fly. UV Meat fly, enlarged. ep screw-worm fly, and the ordinary meat or flesh fly (see cut), is the most common and dangerous. To prevent their at- tacks, all wet, filthy hairs should be carefully removed and wounds kept clean or covered with tar, or something that will protect them. The more scientific treatment would be to render them antiseptic by the use of a carbolic acid lotion, in the proportion of about one part acid to fifty or sixty parts water, or by a mixture of one ounce oil of tar to fifteen or twenty of sweet oil. Should there be grubs already present, which is not an unusual occurrence, they should be carefully picked out and one of these dressings promptly apphed. z For poison bites, ammonia, or a solution of one part car- bolic acid to about twenty parts sweet oil or glycerine is recommended. 286 CRG ELEPN. In the bottom lands of the cotton States there are what are called buffalo gnats, which are very annoying and danger- ous. If not protected from them, they will attack and killa horse very quickly. The usual remedy is liberally greasing the sheath and other parts that are sensitive with grease or oil. The famous tsetze fly of Africa. For the stings of bees or hornets, which are very danger- ous, the simplest and most effective treatment is poultices of wet clay, or alotion of soda, ammonia, or carbolic acid can be used. A good illustration is given of the disturbance caused to Man eating fly. A terrible pest. The common bot fiy. horses and cattle by the common gad or bot-fly; and it is not a little singular that there is a fly of this character peculiar to each family of the domestic as well as wild animals. SPECIALLY DANGEROUS FLIES. The Screw-worm Fly, the Common Flesh Fly, the Famous Tsetze Fly of Africa.—The better to emphasize the great harm that may be caused by flies, I think it necessary to add a few SPE CIATIEE YR QANG ERO GS, ALLES. 287 facts in illustration, which are common to every intelligent reader of natural history; which are but merely representa- tive of an almost countless number of others that could if de- Ox gad-fly. sired be referred to showing the great annoyance as well as danger occasioned by this class of pests, and the necessity of giving all possible protection against them. The screw-worm fly which is peculiar to the warm lati- Blue bottle or blow fly, enlarged. Head and mandibles of fiy. tudes of the South, is a common appearing meat fly; this fly is ready to deposit its eggs upon any exposed or injured part, which rapidly grow into little worms that burrow so rapidly and deeply into the tissues as to cause the most se- 288 CROEIEIN. vere torture, and finally result fatally. As an illustration of this, a drunken man, while lying insensible in the sun was attacked by one of these flies, which deposited its eggs in his nostrils, with the result of their developing so quickly and burrowing so deeply into the soft parts surrounding, that it was only by the greatest patience and difficulty that they were dissected out, which to save his life became imperative. The terrible tsetze fly, which is hardly larger than a com- mon house-fly, fine representations of which are given, is such a special curse of certain parts of Africa, as to destroy horses, dogs and cows by thousands, making it impossible to keep or use those animals in such parts of that country. A singular fact in relation to this fly is that it is a very local insect, its boundaries being sometimes so sharply defined that one side of a stream may be infested with it, while the other may be perfectly free from it. But at any rate it is impossible, as stated, to keep or use oxen where they exist, and conse- quently cattle cannot be raised in those parts of Africa. BADEY PREPARED FOODS. Though somewhat outside of the ordinary lines of cruelty, as generally understood, there is a cause of injury and loss which but few suspect, yet a source of such serious abuse as to be = worthy of giving a few points upon it. This is, the result of feeding moldy or badly pre- pared food. I quote from instructions on feeding, in my regular work, page 579:— “‘Tf you will look at the article on Heaves, Medical De- partment,-you will find some startling statements: First, that heaves or asthmatic troubles are never found in the rac- ing stables, where horses are properly fed; that these troubles are always common to the carter’s or farmer’s stables, where there is no attention given to quality of food or conditions of feeding, beyond the throwing it before the animal and letting him eat it as he will. Moldy oat kernel, enlarged. BADLY PREPARED FOODS. 289 ‘If you were to shake up moldy or mowburnt hay or oats, it would be found to throw off a.mass of powdery dust. If this is closely examined with a microscope of high power, it will be found to contain a mass of parasitic life. ‘¢T include a representation of moldy oats, wea a speci- men of low forms of germ or para- sitic life common to such condi- tions of hay and grain, more par- ticularly to moldy or badly cured hay. This dust breathed into the air passages and lungs, not only irritates but fills them up, and thereby produces such serious dis- turbance to the general health as to soon ruin it, noticeable by cough and husky breathing (usually termed heaves). The disturbance to the kidneys is liable to be very seri- ous. Ina word, the whole system is to a greater or less degree poisoned and consequently the health undermined.”’ CHAPTER XXIV. HOW THE FEET ARE RUINED IN SHOEING. PART from the needless pain and cruelty it causes, the A aggregate of loss to the people of the country from ig- norant, bad treatment of the feet in shoeing is something ap- palling. In explanation of this it is only necessary to state that but few horses, after being shod a few years, have sound, 4 healthy feet. ey) Something of the suffering en- : tailed by such causes can be un- derstood when it is seen that the horse is compelled to work and submit to be driven to the limit of his endurance, with an amount of pain and inflammation often going on in the feet, which, if a man were subjected to, would make him a helpless cripple, demanding the best of medical care. = Diy at fi \, Ni iN hy Vi cl {) === Result of bad treatment. CIRCULATION IN THE FEET. If we study the foot closely, we find it one of the most interesting and wonderful structures imaginable. I would particularly call attention to the large amount of blood which passes through the feet. It is estimated that about one- tenth of the weight of the horse’s body is blood; that is, a horse weighing one thousand pounds, has about one hundred pounds of blood; and that all this blood makes the rounds of the system about once in every three minutes, and this, too while the horse is in repose; so that when excited or com- [291 ] 292 SHOEING. pelled to make much exertion, the amount of blood passing through the feet is necessarily greatly increased. The won- derful provision for this large circulation to pass through the feet is something re- markable, which can be seen by the accompanying illustra- tions. Now if from any cause there is a disturbance or ob- struction of this circulation, there will necessarily be more or less congestion and in- flammation; following which there will be proportionate injury and change of struct- ure, not only quickly destroy- ing health and vitality of the parts, but inducing great pain and soreness. Now when this inflammation or conges- tion becomes so great as to seriously involve the soft pants Gemiena lly, dso NOt promptly checked and con- trolled, such rapid destruc- tion of the tissue takes place as to quickly ruin the feet, and hence the explanation of the great loss and injury from these causes, which are very common. SS — Some common _ causes Different views of healthy feet. of injury are, cutting away the wall, sole and frog too much; heedlessly burning and rasp- ing the wall of the hoof; thick, heavy shoes badly adjusted; SIMPLE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. 293 pricking, or driving nails too deeply—disturbances which quickly involve the soft parts of the foot, thereby inducing serious inflammation, change of structure and lameness. ; i iN ah ULL Li a Wi 5 _C Bee: D s U a | 2 Longitudinal section of the foot, showing the internal structure. From article on Navicular joint lameness. 7, location of the trouble. SIMPLE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. I will include here, in the way of parenthesis, a few points for overcoming such inflammation when it occurs. Outside of the measures of prevention, explained farther on, the simplest and best treatment is hot and cold water, the measure of its effectiveness being the knowledge of how to use it. My iy Showing the circulation of the foot. See note on page 305. { 294 | SIMPLE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. 295 The principle is, when the pain and disturbance are serious, to apply all the heat that can be borne, but not neuen to scald or burn, as to which great care should be \ exercised. The simplest way to do this, in case of injury to the foot, is to put it ina tub of water as hot as can be borne without scalding or injury, and after submitting to this for ten or fifteen minutes, it is to be taken out and put into cold water for a minute or two, when ~ - it is again to be put into hot SEE Le water, and so alternated until the inflammation will be overcome. The reason for such alternation is, that heat relaxes the -skin and capillary action, and if continued for a great length of time would so weaken the tissues as to eventually destroy them. Cold acts as a tonic, pre- venting this, and toning up the parts, which enables the use of hot applications for a long time. I may explain here, further, that when there is severe swelling with pain, hot applications are always indicated, and the best form of using the latter is that of a strong spray from a pipe; Superior, posterior view of weak next, pouring it from the contracted foot. spout of a pitcher, or other means; if there is no swelling or severe pain, cold may be used. Where there is acute inflammation, especially over a bony part, a continuous spray or stream of cold water poured on in this way will be found wonderfully effective. It is sur- 296 SHOEING. prising to find how quickly inflammation in a part may be controlled by this simple treatment, the point being, should the inflammation return, to repeat it. Strains of the tendons and ligaments are so closely con- nected with the treatment of the foot that I am led to include this explanation in relation to them. In all cases of strain or injury, the horse should be given absolute rest, in con- nection with the use of hot or cold applications, as may be advisable. It is important that this be done not only promptly but thoroughly. Going back again to the foot, as an illustration of the value of this simple means of treatment, in overcoming inflammation, which if not prevented must soon result in hopeless destruction to it, I will refer to an instance in point. In getting one of my ponies shod, the man having himin charge had the calks made very sharp. Accident- ally, one of these sharp calks was struck into the coronet of the opposite foot, making Some of the deep ramifications of a deep though not very se- the digital artery through the bone.* rious looking wound. line re flammation soon set in, of so violent a character that the horse could not step or put his foot to the ground. To neg-, lect it while in this stage for even a few hours would surely have ruined the horse. Upon its being brought to my notice, * These cuts on circulation are from the chapter on Navicular joint lameness, in the author’s large work, *t Facts for Horse Owners.” SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT. 297 I immediately directed that the foot be put in water as hot as could be borne, and at the expiration of each ten or fifteen minutes to alternate with cold water for a few minutes. This was continued until the extreme pain was relieved, requiring several hours. © The foot was now enveloped in several thicknesses of blanket wrung out of hot water. Two sets of such cloths were used; when one became cool, the other was put on. About every twelve to fifteen minutes these hot fomentations were alternated with applications of cold water for a few min- utes, which treatment was continued until the acute stage passed off, requiring nearly three days and nights. In the meantime the patient was carefully es ae nursed and fed with Ve nn « soft food, such as — LVN) warm bran-mashes, Superficial disposition of the digital artery boiled oats, etc. The on the lateral face of the foot. foot was now enveloped in cool, wet cloths until the inflamma- tion subsided, when necessity compelled me to have him put ( N N) AN Rass Wie wal EY aid on theroad again. The mud becoming deep, there was soon set up again a most alarming condition of inflammation, which was, if anything, worse than the first. We simply re- peated the treatment before used night and day, with the difference that we were compelled to continue it somewhat longer as well as with more care, but ultimately with entirely successful results. This case, during the height of the in- flammation, would seem to those of ordinary experience to be hopeless; I did not, however, feel any serious doubt as to the result, but by a careful and thorough following up of this simple treatment, which can be easily used by any one, there 298 SHOEING. was, as I anticipated, a quick and safe recovery, without any noticeable blemish. In a case recently reported to the author, that of a valu- able trotting horse, when under the pressure of a supreme effort in a race, one of the tendons (supposed to be the perfo- j rans) suddenly gave way. Ina short time the horse was so disabled that he could not walk or bear his weight upon his foot. Being regarded hope- lessly ruined, the owner gave orders to have him shot; but this not being done, he was taken to a stable, where he lay for nearly a week without being able to get up or move, in the mean- time suffering the most intense pain. At this point a man who had a copy of my book happened around, and on the promise of the horse being given to him, took him in hand. He used, as directed therein, fomenta- tions upon the foot, with such success that in two weeks he had the horse on his feet, and without difficulty moved him a distance of ten miles, He was so elated with his success \ Wg ihe My” A Gia ass’ INy that he wrote me the particulars in Arteries of the fore foot. relation to it. COMMON CAUSES OF INJURY. The most common, least understood and most dangerous cause of trouble in the foot is termed navicular-joint lame- ness; yet in its incipient stages this difficulty, if treated promptly and properly, easy for anyone to do, is one of the simplest to overcome; while if not properly treated before a certain stage it will be sure to degenerate into chronic lame- ness, which ruins the horse. The chief difficulty is, that the COMMON CAUSES OF INJURY. 299 nature and location of the trouble, with the conditions of treatment, are not well understood. (See cut on page 293, taken from the article on this subject in the author’s spe- cial work.) For want of specific instructions for treatment, this trouble is often permitted to go on, until such deteriora- tion of tissue or change of structure takes place, as to make MW i] R\\\\\\ i | f} | ANI | Hl | WAG iis ~ YYyyp | Y fia Y Wit HY} WE ‘IDRIS HH) NARI A I | TEA ; } | H ’ \ i | Ws i} HA) I) Wh 4 | } | i} \\\ lif MI) Ml wigit \ Ta} } Hh} HATH ATE Ae Sidi ul Represents the upper surface with the elastic cartilaginous bund that accomplishes it. The letters Aand Bindicate the part usually envolved in navicularjoint lameness. Also showing the navicular joint with the large tendons passing down behind. ===> ——— ——— cure impossible, and the consequence is that the horse, no matter how valuable otherwise, is sure to be ruined. Space will not permit of giving any extended particulars or details in relation to this interesting, important and very prevalent cause of affliction to horses. Those interested in 300 SHOEING. this or other forms of serious lameness common to the foot will find the fullest instructions in relation to them in the work named. With this digression, we will take up the conditions of shoeing again. CONDITIONS OF SHOEING. We see that the wild horse of the plains, that was never shod at all, has the best possible condition of feet; that there Posterior view of the interior of the hoof. is never any trouble with the colt’s feet before being shod, excepting what may result from their growing out of form, which should be corrected by leveling down the edge of the wall to prevent its breaking, etc. If the foot is strong, and the conditions are such that the horn is not worn off more rapidly than it grows, shoes are entirely unnecessary, and it would be better to have none put on. Shoes are only de- manded when the wear becomes greater than the growth of horn, and when the feet are weak and flat, as is common to most horses raised in wet, low country, because they are neces- sary to preserve the crusts of such feet from excessive wear CONDITIONS OF SHOEING. 301 and breaking away, and also under certain conditions to give a hold upon the ground or prevent slipping. The shoe should be no larger or heavier than is necessary to sustain the wear for the time it is expected to be on. More than this becomes an injurious impediment to the mobility of the foot. The hoof, therefore, should be pared in such a way, and the - shoe so fitted and adjusted, that the weight will be equally distributed between the bones and flexor.tendons. If one heel is suffered to grow higher than the other, bruises or Side view of properly adjusted shoe. corns must not only soon result on the high heel, but there will be serious disturbance to the even growth of the wall. So the first and most important point to be attained is to level the bearing of the foot so that it will be as nearly natural as possible in adjustment; next, not to cut away too much, yet enough, but no more of the hoof than to remove the surplus growth of wall and sole. If the foot is pared too much, it quickly acquires an exaggerated sensibility, due to the excessive thinness both of the sole and inferior wall, while, if not pared enough or unevenly, there will be relative interference with its natural functions, by causing misadjust- ment, contraction, with its consequent undue pressure upon the soft part and thus cause serious injury. 302 SHOEING. If from any cause there is in- flammation set up in the soft parts of the foot—the consequence of driv- ing a nail too deep, bruising the sole at the heel or other part, so that mat- ter is formed—surrounded by a hard unyielding covering of horny wall, as it is, there will be not only such increased pressure upon the nerves and blood-vessels of the parts as to cause the most extreme pain and soreness; but matter, if formed, hav- ing no outlet, burrows under the wall Ci through the soft parts, causing an Nail driven into the quick. _ ulcer or fistula (quittor). This quickly spreads and causes such change of struc- ture and deterioration of the tissues and bony structure of the foot before referred to as. to quickly ruinit. Hence the injury and loss from incompetency or ignorance. The first thing, of course, that should be done is to remove the nail or other cause of injury, whatever it is, enlarge the opening and reach the bottom, injecting some antiseptic, keeping the opening free for the escape of pus, when there is any, About as it should be. the wound being kept clean by frequent antiseptic injections. (One of the best and simplest il Mi LA A (ii \X is corrosive sublimate [ bi-chlo- ! ride of mercury] one part to 500 parts of soft water.) After the healing advances to the surface, asimple protection to the sore AW YZ a0 will be sufficient until the heal- Mf a ing is completed. The princi- One of the causes of injury. ple of treatment in all cases, 1s TIPS. 303 to be the reverse of the cause of the trouble, whatever it is. Summarized, it is briefly this: Promptly remove an offending foreign body, or offending pressure, and if inflammation ex- ists it is to be energetically counteracted, when the trouble in itsearly stages, even though serious, can be easily overcome. TIPS. As there is a great deal of discussion, in humane jour- nals especially, about working horses bare-foot, and more particularly as to the use of tips, I quote here a few para- graphs from my special instructions on this subject in my large work, where the conditions are very fully explained:— Good forms of tips. ‘«« Any foot that is thin in its structure, but more so in its vertical position, or from top to bottom, and with the frog full at its pyramidal eminence or body, is not a proper foot for frog pressure. In such feet the plantar cushion, or what is known as the fibrous or fatty frog, is very thin, is easily made weaker by absorption through extreme pressure or irritation of the horny frog, and therefore offers very little protection to the great flexor tendon where it passes under the navicular bone.” ‘«No thoughtful man would dare throw extra weight on the frog of a foot that had long suffered the navicular disease, however excellent this would be as a preventive. Neither 304 SHOEING. should we throw extra weight on the back part of a foot or limb where there is any soreness of the flexor muscles or ten- dons, or any ligaments involved, as it would entail great ten- sion on the parts, while the opposite is what is required, viz., flexion or relaxation.”’ . How the foot is ruined.* In relation to the feet that tips can be used upon safely, it is stated: — ‘“‘We can safely give extra frog and heel pressure in all cases where the hoof is deep at the quarters, or where there is a tendency toward contraction and atrophy of the frog, or where the obliquity of the pastern is not too great, and where the feet and limbs are perfectly sound and well-proportioned.’’ Putting the subject inversely:— ‘