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«OB Teach the young foals useful things only . : . 93 Teaching the Foal to Lead . 6 : : 0 eS Choose a strong, well-fitting halter . ; : oe The loin-hitch . 6 . : : ; : 5. oi Teaching the Foal to Back .. . é : 3 5 Bie Driving the Foal with Lines . 5 : : : . 40 Teach the foal “ whoa,” “get up,” and “ back” . 40 Value of Early Training . : : : - . - 42 CHAPTER III TRAINING THE Work Horse 2 : : : . 44-107 Age to train Horses for Work . : 5 : 5 . 46 Train the Horse within an Inclosure 48 Examine the Horse before Training : 5 : . 49 Handle the Horse before Training 50 Training the Horse to. Lead 51 The tail-hiteh 52 The quarters-hitch 3 53 Teach the Horse to follow when Loose 54 Training to the Uses of the Bit 56 Importance of a good mouth 57 Bitting the horse 57 The bitting-harness : 60 Driving the Horse with Lines . 63 Contents ; 1x PAGES Teaching the command “whoa”. Se a 5 OS Teaching the command “get up” . 5 : 5 9 OY Teaching the command “ back ” 3 : 6 6 (O7 Harnessing, Hitching and Driving the Horse : 5. OS Poling the horse : ; > ; : : 5 Harnessing the horse : . . : ‘Witen oe ce Hitching single . 4 : : : ; Be bean ee Training-cart 74 Familiarize the horse wih the waicle ia Teaching the command “steady” . ; : 5) tek) Backing the vehicle . é : ; 5 teh Train the horse to come under fhe aes ; : 5 Caressing with the whip . ; : : : 5 SB} Hitching double . . : : : Go tet! Training the Horse to Objects of Rear : : : go els) “ Family-broke ” 6 : ; : . ; a) SD Pony for children. : : : : . 3) Gh Train the Horse to walk Fast . : : 3 : 5 Ol Train the Horse for Heavy Draft . . : : CoS, Training Horses to make Leaders. . 5 ; 5 Oe Teaching the commands “ haw,” “gee” and “yea”. 97 Choosing a Vocabulary for the Work Horse . 5 6 OY Gentling the Feet for Shoeing . : 5 4 : 5 Aon Training to Mount . ; : : : : : 06 CHAPTER IV TRAINING THE TrRoTTER, COACHER AND ROADSTER . 108-149 Age to begin Training. : ; : ; . 109 Method of Training while Woune : ; : , 5 UNG The training yard : : : ; ‘ eal Plan for training the young colt : ; ; 5 Ay Exercising on small track . : 5 : ; plat) Do not tire the colt . ‘ : , , : Smee lelty Early Training in Harness : ; ‘ ; ; 4 © alti} Contents Study individual peculiarities Training the Two- and Three-year-old Daily Program for a Horse in Training Training for the Race Preparing for the race Driving Improving the Neaon : Bitting to improve action + Shoeing to improve action Conditioning to improve action Injurious Results of Faulty Action . Over-reaching, forging and clicking . Interfering, striking, cutting and brushing Exercise contributes to Action CHAPTER V TRAINING THE SADDLE Horse Equipment for Training a Saddle Horse . The riding bridle The saddle . Whip and spurs . Mounting Horse for First Time Gaits of the Saddle Horse Described The walk The trot The canter . The rack The running walk The fox trot The slow pace The jump : Classes of Saddle Horses . Training to the Gaits The walk . : PAGES 121 123 125 127 129 129 152 154 139 142 143 143 145 147 150- pay ge pry Py pe or ot Or Ot CO a el ee aod | nO) | OD OU Contents The trot The canter . The running walk Fox trot The slow pace The rack The jump Training to stand Training Horses for the Army . The cavalry horse The scouting horse Picketing . 6 Training Saddle Horses for Special Work Polo game . High-school gaits Circus tricks CHAPTER VI TRAINING WILD AND SuBpuUING Vicious HORSES Temperament in the Horse 5 Training and Subduing Appliances . Rope halter Yankee bridle Yankee bridle modified War bridle. War bridle modified . Excelsior bridle . Pulley bridle 5 Pulley bridle modified Hackamore bridle Cavesson halter . Lip-twitch . Noose-twitch xl PAGES 170 171 172 173 173 173 174 176 Lee 178 178 179 179 179 181 183 245 187 188 189 189 190 191 192 193 193 195 196 196 197 197 xi Contents Halter-twitch Headstall-twitch Bridle-twitch Rearing-twitch Wooden-gag The guy rope Combination bridle Kicking strap Kicking reins Kicking harness Self-punishing harness Hobbles Rarey’s leg-strap Rarey’s safety harness Rarey’s throwing harness . Rope throwing : Galvayne’s training harness Shackles Straight-jacket Training the Wild or Sarthe Talo se Catching a wild horse Haltering a loose horse Gentling the wild horse Teaching the wild horse to lead 201 202 202 204 204 206 207 208 212 216 219 221 wo) wo) ~J co co - bo www We ob to bb bt Ten) _ Teaching the wild horse the uses of the bit ana to drive with lines Teaching the wild horse fe drive in ee ness Training the wild horse to unfamiliar objects nnd to noise Subduing the Vicious 4 Blows CHAPTER VII Ourpoor VicES AND WHIMS Balking 246-285 Outdoor Vices, their Cause and how to overcome Them = 249 249 Contents xill PAGES Jibbing . : : é 5 : 252 Kicking . . c : ‘ 6 . 254 : x ORT Shying . 0 5 : : : 6 257 Running away . 6 : . . : 260 Running back . 0 6 : 6 5 ‘ 262 Difficult to back. : . : 5 263 Rearing and plunging : : : é : . 264 Breaking and prancing. : F : : . 265 Switching tail . : 6 3 : 0 é 265 Tail over line . 3 ; : : : 268 Halter-pulling . 0 0 6 : . 269 Unsteady under whip and spur. . . 273 Difficult to mount 274 Buck-jumping . 3 . 276 Rearing. 6 ; 5 : . ; : 276 Jumping fences . : : : : : : o Be Outdoor Whims, their Cause and how to overcome Them 278 Tongue-lolling . 6 : : : 278 Striking lips. 5 5 : : , : 279 Grasping bit He) Gnashing teeth . : : s : é 280 Tossing and shaking the head . : : 280 Lugging 281 Boring ; ; 281 Crowding and pulling away 282 Stripping bridle . 283 Refusing to stand over 284 Troublesome to catch 5 ‘ : : : 285 CHAPTER VIII STABLE VICES AND WuHIMs . . : : : . 286-316 Stable Vices, their Cause and How to Overcome Them 286 Refusing admission into stall. . : : ZoG Difficult to groom. : : : 5 : . 288 X1V Contents PAGES Difficult to harness . : . : : : - 290 Difficult to bridle 5 A : ; - . 5 SOI Difficult to crupper . : : . : : 5 ee Biting . : ; : : : 6 . 5 2h Striking . : : 3 : : 6 5 Ou Kicking in sable 3 : , 4 6 : - 295 Hanging back in stall : : : : : a PAN Difficult to lead into a doorway : 6 . 7 298 Cribbing . : : : : : : 5 - 299 Wind-sucking . 0 : : . : : . 300 Difficult to shoe . : . 300 Stable Whims, their Cause Ant Hon to overcome ese 306 Rolling ° é : ¢ : ; : : . 306 Tearing blankets : : : : 3 : 5 ahly/ Stripping the halter . ; 2 : 5 5 . 308 Pawing with the forefeet . . 5 : 4 . 3809 Rubbing the tail 5 : 5 : 6 5 5 all@ Rubbing harness : : : : 5 j 5 Slt Lying down cow-fashion . < : 5 6 sult Lying down in harness. 5 : 6 . ole Chewing tie-strap . : : : : . Se Oly Eating the bedding : Resting one hind foot upon the Biter Sleeping standing Trotting in stable Weaving : : Switching tail in stable bo eR Rt — Gorging grain Difficult to drench — Co G2 09 09 OG) GO OD CO J Ot Ot H He H CO COL CHAPTER IX HARNESSING THE COLT . : : : : : 5 ally eeyss} The Bit and the Bridle. j - : 5 3 5) Bulls The bit : . : 5 : 5 3 A 5 alts Head-stall . 325 Blinds ; ; 2 F 5 F ‘ ; 5 8?) Contents XV PAGES Centerpieces, earbobs, tassels and brass fixtures . 326 The check-rein . 5 : . : : 5 5 OP The Lines . 5 : é 5 . : : : « 029 Multiple hitch . : 6 ; : : : . 330 The Collar and Sweat-pads .. : 6 : : ool: Sweat-pads . : 5 . : . 5 : 37 B35) Breast harness . : : : : ‘ : . 3a0 The hame-tug . 5 3 : : 5 . . 336 The Crupper and Back-straps . . : : 5 . 386 The Saddle and Back-bands. : 5 5 : 5 GR The Breeching and Hold-backs ; 5 : : . 338 Choosing Harness .. : : 5 . 3 6 . 343 Caring for Harness . : : : : : 5 . 344 Fly-nets and Fly-blankets : 5 5 5 . a O40, CHAPTER X CARE OF COLT IN TRAINING : . 5 5 . 3849-375 Exercise and Development 350 Feeding and Development : 5 : 5 5 1 002 Grooming and Development : : : : . 307 Clipping and blanketing . : : ; ‘ oil Care of the colt’s feet 3 5 5 : : . 365 Care of the colt’s teeth . : : : . . 365 Accidents Likely to occur in Training. . : . 366 Bruised knee. 5 : : 5 . . . 367 Broken knee. : . 5 : 3 5 OO Bruised fetlock . : 5 : 5 : : . 368 Calking . : : : : : . 369 Puncture of the foot a Foe : . : 6 . 369 Wounds and stabs. 5 : : : 3 . 370 Sprains. 5 5 . : : 2 One Wind-galls, w mee pluits, blood-spayin, bog-spavin and thorough-pin Capped hocks Harness galls Chafed legs bio ro ies cra fe i LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Hackney-colt, showing high knee and hock action. 3 : 5 Catching foal the first time. : : 5 5 | BY) The loin-hitch used in teaching foal to ‘owl ‘ : ; 5 OM Teaching the foal to back : : F : ; ; > BH) Teaching the foal to drive with lines. ag al The tail-hitch, used in teaching the young hanes jena 5 GS) The quarters-hitch, used in teaching the young horse to lead. : : Oe The bitting-harness io iodine fhe uses Noe ane bit 6 5. (el Running side reins, useful in bitting the horse. . . 63 Teaching the horse to drive with lines . 5 : . . 64 Poling the head and nose 5 . : : 5 é 5 OD) Poling the body and legs. gal The young horse becoming Stoning “fils the i ness 73 Driving in harness previous to hitching to a vehicle 75 Acquainting the horse with the begining cart 75 Acquainting him with the top bugg 17 Hitched for the first time, Telesis inane Braenedt 78 (0 Oo SEO 0) onw Teaching to back with the lines Teaching the horse to back a vehicle Young horses hitched double for the first time Familiarizing the young horse with strange objects 88 First position in picking up a front foot 101 Second position in picking up a front foot 102 First position in picking up a rear foot . - : : . 105 Second position in picking up a rear foot 5 5 : . 104 Third position in picking up a rear foot. : : ‘ . 105 XVil XVlll Inst of Illustrations Boots for protecting the feet and legs One type of toe weight Hackney coach teain of proper pontorination é Coach horse properly bitted to favor action Improving action with curb-bit Types of saddles Types of saddle-stirrups . Types of spurs . The walk . The trot The canter The rack . The running walk The fox trot The jump. Rope halter Yankee bridle . Yankee bridle modified War bridle : War bridle modified Excelsior bridle Pulley bridle 5 Pulley bridle with dimcou rings. Pulley bridle modified Hackamore bridle Noose-twitch Halter-twitch Headstall-twitch Guy rope . : Combination bridle . Self-punishing harness Hobbles : Rarey’s single safety 3 ; Rarey’s double safety with guy rope Rarey’s single safety restraining one foreleg . d o dv oS oO PAGE 114 122 135 137 138 152 158 154 159 161 162 165 164 165 166 190 191 191 192 192 193 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 201 203 205 207 208 P09 210 Inst of Illustrations Rarey’s double safety restraining the forelegs Rarey’s double safety, horse on knees Rarey’s throwing harness : Rarey’s throwing harness, first ponition d Rarey’s throwing harness, second position Rarey’s throwing harness, third position Rope throwing harness Rope and ring throwing karness Method of securing rope to tail The Galvayne appliance in use The straight-jacket . Snaring a loose horse Gentling a loose horse : Haltering a loose horse, first BaETtied Haltering a loose horse, second position . Arrangement of double safety when hitched . Familiarizing wild horse with objects Crupper anti-switching appliance Hip-strap anti-switching appliance . Loin-hitch to overcome halter pulling Tail-hitch to overcome halter pulling Galvayne tail-rope on horse difficult to mount Noose-twitch on horse difficult to groom Appliances to prevent cribbing Gentling front foot with rope . : : Gentling front foot with leg-strap First position in gentling hind foot Second position in gentling hind foot Third position in i a hind foot Neck-cradle . Muzzle to prevent REE planes 5 Appliances to prevent pawing. Bits . Beery bit . Patent collars. . : ° : LO WO ) D> D> Ww w anN ce LW) ~J —_) 273 275 289 300 301 302 304 305 305 308 308 309 320 323 332 XX Inst of Illustrations Leather collars. : 5 : : An inexpensive but neat driving harness Light work harness . Heavy work harness Tools for grooming . PAGE 340 341 342 359 THE TRAINING AND BREAKING OF HORSES De ney sad ibe Nae THE TRAINING AND BREAKING OF HORSES CHAPTER I THE HORSE AND HIS MASTER In common usage, the term ‘“‘training a horse”’ implies educating him for some special work, while the expression ‘‘ breaking a horse”’ signifies preparing him for common everyday work and overcoming whims, faults and vices. This usage of the word “breaking” is very unfortunate. Only too often the average horse is simply broken in spirit and obeys or more accurately does not resist his master because he is worked down and worn out and does not have the energy to refuse. This is the kind of horse that frequently surprises his master by rearing, kicking, running away and the like when permitted to regain his former condition. A horse well educated to perform the more common work of his life requires careful training. This is particularly true at the present time when there are so many self-driven vehicles on the highways. In this book, therefore, the term “ training ”’ is em- ployed to signify the educating of the horse both for common everyday work and for special work, as it B ] 2, The Horse and his Master conveys the proper meaning, the object being to train the horse so as to increase his efficiency, and not to break the high and superb spirit that makes him the most desirable of all animals. The usefulness and value of a horse depend on his training and on his being readily subservient to his master’s will. With few exceptions, such as in high-acting coach work, fast work on the race-track, saddle work and the like, training the horse for his life-work is not difficult. Yet much of the mean- ness and viciousness existing among horses is due to improper training, poor management and injudicious care. The trainer and the driver, though innocent of the fact, are at fault more often perhaps than the horse. To avoid this deplorable state of affairs, a careful study of the horse and his surroundings should be made in order that the animal may be trained, managed and cared for in a way to enable him to develop his greatest usefulness. THE HORSE AND HIS INTELLIGENCE In horse training, the two most important factors to be considered are the horse and his master. Of these, the master — his nervous disposition, temper, and personal habits — is of vital importance. While knowledge of the methods employed in training is not difficult to obtain, the successful application calls for certain qualities in the master. The lack of such The Intelligence of the Horse 3 qualities accounts for many of the bad habits exist- ing among horses. With a little patience, however, most horse owners can acquire both the knowledge and qualities of temper necessary to train a horse to do his work very satisfactorily. In order to be efficient in horse training we must know something .of the mental capabilities of the horse. We should make therefore a careful study of the animal in order to determine what he can under- stand. It must be apparent if the horse does not understand what is wanted of him, if he does not comprehend the meaning of the commands and sig- nals, he cannot be taught to obey, but will be much confused, and hence all attempts to train him will fail. First, then, make a careful study of the horse’s intelligence. Horse’s intelligence often overestimated. — The horse is often accorded man’s most faithful servant, and because of this, no doubt, his intelligence is often greatly overestimated. The horse cannot reason. He lacks the ability of acquiring knowledge by draw- ing conclusions. This being true, he can be taught only by the association of ideas. As, for example, a touch of the whip on the hindquarter will imply, at first, to go forward, but by giving the command “get up’ just before the horse is struck with the whip he soon learns to go at the command. This should be repeated until the habit becomes fixed, when the whip may be discarded. As the horse 4 The Horse and his Master forms habits without difficulty, much care should be exercised in establishing only desirable ones. If a desirable act is repeated, a good habit is formed, whereas if the act is undesirable, the habit is bad. To the horse, however, the habit is neither good nor bad, but only his method of responding to treatment or suggestion. When a habit is induced generation after genera- tion, it has a tendency to be transmitted from parent to offspring. There are many examples of this among horses, such as the saddle gaits among saddle-bred horses and high action among Hackney coach horses. It is a comparatively easy matter to teach a saddle- bred horse the various saddle gaits, whereas it would be practically impossible to teach such gaits to a trotting-bred horse. Hackney coach horses, having been bred for action for many generations, often possess much high knee and hock action from colt- hood (Fig. 1). The horse has a good memory. — A habit when fully established implies the use of the memory; that is, the horse must remember that certain commands or signals call for certain acts. The horse has such a good memory that what he fully understands he sel- dom forgets. The vividness with which events are retained depends on the intensity of the impression and on repetition, or both. Intensity of impression is more serviceable than repetition in fixing ideas in the horse’s mind, Painful lessons are long remem- The Intelligence of the Horse D bered. It is this principle that is involved in the short, rather severe methods of training. Repetition, however, is extremely useful in all horse training and is absolutely essential when training for special work, as racers, coachers, saddlers and the like. Fie. 1.— Hackney colt, showing high knee and hock action. In training the horse there are three factors in- fluencing the rapidity with which events may be memorized and thus with which habits are formed. First, with mature horses the power of memorizing or making new associations decreases with increasing age. Therefore we should begin with young ani- 6 The Horse and his Master mals. Second, fatigue, either mental or physical, impairs the memory ; hence we should not continue the work so long as to tire out the animal in mind or muscle. Third, the greater the number of ideas associated with the same event the weaker each be- comes. ‘Thus, each response should be developed by a different event. That is, to teach a horse to stop, have him do so at the command ‘‘whoa’’; in teach- ing him to back, have him do so at the command ‘“‘back’’; and never give the command ‘‘ whoa-back”’ when we wish him to stop, or when we wish him to back, as this confuses the animal. In training the horse’s memory, there are two other factors that must be kept constantly in mind. First, there seems to be but slight connection be- tween the two sides of the horse’s brain. A horse may be very familiar with an object from one side but when such object is viewed from the other side he may become frightened and much confused. To avoid this confusion, train him to objects first from the ‘‘near”’ or left side, and when thoroughly familiar with them on this side repeat the process on the “off” or right side. Second, the horse, in his nat- ural state, lives in droves or herds and is never found alone. Because of this tendency to flock together it is easier to drive a number of wild horses than a single wild animal. The domestic horse has not lost this characteristic habit. In view of this, the horse’s memory can be more efficiently trained when Memory. The Special Senses 7 worked alone. If worked with another horse, the colt has a natural tendency to imitate rather than to learn, and thus relies on the other horse and not on his own memory. Further, it is not possible to train a horse while angry, sick or otherwise out of condition, as he does not memorize under such cir- cumstances. It is interesting to note that the mule possesses greater intelligence, in some things at least, than the horse. A very good example of this is the case of kicking animals. If a kicking horse, when in har- ness, gets his leg over the trace, he continues to kick until free, even though the legs are injured in the process. On the other hand, if the mule becomes thus entangled, he will remain perfectly quiet and allow himself to be released. The mule seems to be sufficiently intelligent to recognize the folly of need- lessly hurting himself, which is not true of the horse when he becomes confused or excited. TRAINING BY MEANS OF THE SPECIAL SENSES Like man, the horse receives his training and edu- cation through the special organs of feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling and tasting. It is by these special senses that the horse acquires a knowledge of what is expected of him, and no system of training can be successful that fails to take into account the impres- sions that the animal receives by these means. 8 The Horse and his Master The sense of feeling requires patient training. — In the beginning the horse must be accustomed to handling by his master. The horse should permit every part of the body to be rubbed, but care should be exercised in touching the back of the front legs, the belly and the front of the hind legs, as these parts are very sensitive. arly in life he learns that pres- sure applied at the halter indicates that he should move forward, and later he learns that a backward pressure on the bit indicates to move backward. The horse familiarizes himself with external objects by the touch, particularly with the nose. Often horses show much alarm at strange objects in familiar places, such as an empty bag lying in the paddock or a hat by the roadside. The horse will usually walk a few steps toward the object and then circle round and round it, gradually reducing the circle, getting nearer and nearer, until finally he puts his nose on the object. He does this to touch the object, and not primarily to smell it. After thus touching the object the horse’s alarm disappears. This is simply the animal’s method of getting ac- quainted with the strange object. Because of this the horse should be permitted to feel strange objects, such as the harness, the shafts and the like, in order that he may become familiar with them. If this precaution is taken before the harness is placed on the horse’s back or before being hitched into the shafts, much needless confusion may be avoided. Training by Means of the Special Senses 9 Train the sight to objects of fear. — While the sense of sight is of great importance in training horses, it is second to that of feeling. ‘The horse must be taught to recognize his master and to allow him to approach from either side without resentment. With respect to sight, there are two factors that must be kept in mind. First, train the horse to watch where he is going so that he will not stumble over objects in his path. Second, train the sight so that he will not fear objects likely to-make him start with terror, such as robes, umbrellas, cars and the like. The horse has a great aversion to robes and it is of importance that he be taught, very early in his life, that such objects are harmless, and thus avoid much confusion later. The horse’s range of vision is much more limited than that of man. While there is much discussion as to the advisability of using blinds in training, yet it seems very unwise still further to restrict the sight of the animal. This is especially true while he is being trained, as it is the business of the master to familiarize the animal with all objects he is likely to see later in life. Because of the great importance of having the horse view objects from either side and at all angles, the training should be accomplished with an open bridle. Do not confuse the horse through the hearing. — The sense of hearing is often called into use in train- ing horses. While the horse hears readily, it must be borne in mind that too many commands only serve 10 The Horse and his Master to confuse him. Further, one command should never be given for two acts. It is a very common thing to hear a driver use the term ‘‘back”’ when he wishes ‘the animal to stop and to give the same command when he wishes the horse to move backward. Give few commands and have each stand for a certain act. Do not shout at the horse, as this only serves to con- fuse him. Speak gently but firmly, and if properly trained, he will obey. Sense of smell also used in training. — Because the sense of smell is not used in the same manner as feeling, seeing and hearing it is often neglected al- together. In horse training, the sense of smell can be made useful, as is suggested by the readiness with which the young horse will take a bit and permit him- self to be bridled with a bit and bridle formerly worn by an animal with which the young horse is familiar. In view of this it is well, when convenient, to use har- ness previously worn by an animal of the horse’s acquaintance. (See Fig. 13.) Sense of taste indirectly used in training. — In re- warding the young horse for obeying our commands, the sense of taste is useful. Thus, if convenient, when the horse obeys he should be rewarded by a bite of grass, a carrot or a lump of sugar. It is a rather common practice to use a measure of grain or an ear of corn to catch a horse out at pasture. While this is a reward only for an act completed, it often serves to fix the idea in the horse’s mind. Objects and Methods of Training 11 THE OBJECTS OF HORSE TRAINING There are four principal objects sought in training a horse: First, to render him quiet both in and out of the stable; second, to teach him to obey the sig- nals and orders of his master with promptness and precision; third, to create and establish in the animal the habit of applying his powers to the best advantage; and fourth, to correct any fault, whim or vice that detracts from his usefulness. It is the business of the trainer to guide the horse in such a way as to make it difficult for him to do wrong and exceedingly easy to do right. Since the horse cannot reason, he naturally does those things that are easiest to accomplish. If these acts are bad, we say the horse has bad habits, and if good, we say he has good habits; whereas, with the horse, such acts are simply his way of responding to certain events. Hence we should be ever on the alert to prevent the bad acts by making them very difficult for the horse to accomplish. METHODS OF HORSE TRAINING As horses are exceedingly variable in temper and intelligence, to be successful we must take account of this fact. We should be in possession of va- rious methods for enforcing our commands. This is particularly true of semi-wild horses, or of horses with a tendency to develop certain whims, faults or 12 The Horse and his Master vice, since the removal of the cause of such ailments is the best treatment. The more resourceful the trainer and the greater the number of methods he has at his command, the more successful will be his work. Selecting a method. —'The method to select in training a horse is the one that will give the desired results and establish the proper habits. 'To deter- mine this we must make a careful study of the ani- . mal. Note the temper, the disposition, the general action ; in fact, nothing is too insignificant to be con- sidered in this preliminary study of the animal whose habits, either for good or bad, are soon to be estab- lished. In the process of developing a horse it may be necessary to employ many methods. ‘This is particularly true in training for the more exacting work, as fast trotting or pacing, high acting coach work, saddle work, and the like. Rapid methods vs. slow methods. —'The methods of training may be divided, in a general way, into two classes: the rapid method and the slow method. In America, the rapid method is usually employed, whereas in the Old World the slow method predomi- nates. A study of these methods reveals the fact that the rapid mode relies on intensity of impres- sion in fixing ideas in the horse’s mind, while the slow method depends on repetition to fix the ideas. The most.common rapid methods are the ‘‘ Rarey method” (p. 208) and the ‘‘ Galvayne method’ (p. 219), Methods of Horse Training 13 taking their names from the men who first introduced them into practice. In either method the object is to impress the horse that we are superior and that he must do as commanded. Both methods are very simple. Rarey used harness for laying the horse down (Fig. 66), while Galvayne tied the animal’s head to his tail in such a way that he was compelled to go round and round until stupefied (Fig. 71). Both methods have been extensively used, particularly on semi-wild horses and on animals that have been spoiled or have contracted some whim, fault or vice. While either method is fairly efficient, one must not make the mistake of thinking it to be infallible. This is an error frequently made by the professional “horse trainer.’ At best bad habits are often diffi- cult to overcome, and when the horse gets back into his former condition the old tricks also are likely to return. This is especially true of horses that have been spoiled by bad tempered and irritable men who have not the patience to handle a horse. Horses thus spoiled may be cured by changing drivers. Rapid methods permanently effective. — Some per- sons have objected to the rapid method of training on the ground that because it takes only one tenth of the time of the slow method, it is not so permanent in its effect. Such is not the case. As has been pointed out, there are two ways of fixing events in the horse’s mind; one is by intensity of impression, the other by repetition, of which the former is the more 14 The Horse and his Master effective. In fact, without intensity, repetition has but little effect in fixing an impression on the mind. In order to insure permanency of effect in training a horse, one must first establish the habit of obedi- ence. Many fail because they do not understand how to enforce obedience, while many others fail because they do not repeat the act until it becomes fixed in the horse’s mind. First make the horse obey, then repeat the process as may be needed. Do not rely upon fixing an event in the horse’s mind by having him do the act but once or twice. No matter how strong the act was impressed, in the ma- jority of cases it will soon wear off unless repeated. Therefore continue the act until the habit is formed ; then it is likely to remain permanently. It is important to note that no matter how well a horse may have been cured of a bad habit, he is likely to acquire it again if subjected to the same treatment or management that caused it in the first place. The owner of such a horse, therefore, will do well to change him about after training to over- come the bad habit, which in connection with judi- cious management is very likely to prove permanent in its effect. SAFETY IN HORSE TRAINING In training horses, the methods adopted should be free from. physical danger to the horse as well as Safety in Horse Training 15 the man. The liability of injuring the animal is one objection to some of the rapid methods. Among horses that are very headstrong and unmindful of the signals, it is safer to risk the horse than ourselves. Thus in the case of horses that are very self-asserting it is best to use methods that afford ample protec- tion, even though they are rather severe on the animal. The slow, Old World methods are, as a rule, much more likely to result in injury to the trainer than some of the rapid American methods. Thus in some of the slow methods the trainer goes boldly up to the horse, to impress upon him that he is not afraid. Such methods are never to be advised, as the risk is too great. We should never give the ani- mal a chance to do that which is likely to result in injury to ourselves or to any one else. If the trainer is exceedingly careful and painstaking, and, as pre- viously suggested, makes it difficult for the horse to do that which he should not and easy to do that which he should, there is very little risk in horse training. MAKE THE HORSE UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO ORDERS AND SIGNALS Since the horse cannot understand our spoken language, we must establish certain signals and com- mands that will render him capable of knowing our 16 The Horse and his Master wishes. These should be very simple, and of such a nature as to be understood easily by the horse. From this it follows that in training horses one should not talk to the animals; this only confuses them. Give few signals and give them as clearly and uniformly as possible. Do not complicate them with other influences, such as the presence of other horses, or undue excitement and the like. Fear and anger also detract from the horse’s understanding, and he should not be handled roughly when thus excited. Even with the simplest of signals, much patience is often required to get the horse to comprehend what is wanted. The moment he understands and com- pletes the act desired, quiet him and repeat until the idea becomes fixed. If the horse does not un- derstand and we continue to force signals upon him, as a rule he will become stubborn, impatient and perhaps violent. The thing to do, therefore, is to make the signals very simple, so simple that he can- not do other than as commanded, and when he does understand and completes the act, to repeat until the habit is formed. Exact implicit obedience from the horse. — From the beginning the horse must be taught that he can- not resist us. This is very important in the training of a horse, as he takes no interest in obeying. The safety of the trainer as well as the usefulness of the horse requires that he yield himself completely to the guidance of his master. This implicit obedience Necessity of Obedience iL? must be exacted even though it is not in keeping with the horse’s natural instincts. The method of trying to induce obedience by petting and humoring is not often practical. Such methods often result in the establishment of undesirable whims. Until he does his work well, the less petting he gets the better animal he will make. This does not mean to punish resisting animals with a whip, — far from it, as such punishment will only make matters worse and is certain to result in the establishment of vicious habits. It does mean, however, to be firm with the horse. Do not attempt too much at one time, but go through with whatever is begun. Give him to understand that you are his master and your will must be done. There are many ways of ac- complishing this, as stated later in the text. REWARD AND PUNISHMENT IN TRAINING HORSES Since the horse can acquire knowledge only by the association of ideas, it is necessary to establish methods whereby he may know when he has done as he should; also that he may know when he has not acted in accordance with our wishes. Thus when the animal obeys, he should be rewarded, and when he refuses to obey, he should be punished. Reward for obedience may be administered in many ways, such as by the voice, by patting, by giv- _ ing dainty food, by resting, and the like, The use of Cc 18 The Horse and his Master the voice as a means of rewarding animals for obedi- ence is very efficient.. The horse readily under- stands the meaning of a soft tone, and is likely to take a harsh tone for a rebuke. Patting and strok- ing the horse with the hand, particularly in the re- gion of the mane and along the neck and shoulders, affords a very expressive means of rewarding him for obedience. Giving a handful of hay, or better still of green grass, a carrot or a lump of sugar, often has the desired effect of associating the command or given signal with the event desired. . Resting or ceasing the discipline is also a very efficient means of gaining the good will of the horse, and may be used to advantage in the management of the reins. Punishing the horse for disobedience is much more difficult than rewarding the animal for obedi- ence. There are many ways of rebuking a diso- bedient animal, the most common being the voice and the whip. The horse will take a harsh tone for a rebuke in much the same manner that he takes a soft tone for a caress. The words used, however, should be few, distinct and significant. No matter what form of punishment is used, we must remember that the benefit to be derived is to induce the horse mentally to associate with it the particular event that we wish to convey. From this it follows that we are justified in inflicting pain only as a means of educating the animal, and never as a penalty for doing wrong. Reward and Punishment in Training Horses 19 The use of the whip. — While the whip is very use- ful in training and in the subsequent management of the horse, there is perhaps no one thing in con- nection with horse training so often misapplied as the whip. This is due, in part at least, to the ease with which it can be applied and to the fact that it is used for two very different purposes: First to in- duce the animal to go forward, and second as a warn- ing that he should not behave in an undesirable manner. ‘This is oftentimes confusing, and the mat- ter is still further complicated when the horse is pun- ished as a penalty for wrong-doing. To avoid this confusion we should give the uses of the whip much consideration. The whip should always be applied at the rear end of the horse when used to encourage him to go forward. The use of the whip should always be preceded by a command, as “‘get up.”’ Never strike the horse before giving the command. To be most efficient the lick should succeed the word so close that the horse cannot help feeling that when the command is given the whip is to follow at once. To avoid the pain of the whip the horse soon learns to start forward at the command alone, when the whip should be put aside. The whip should always be applied along the side of the horse, when used as a warning. One rather sharp cut, depending on the individual, is usually sufficient to bring a horse to his senses. Never whip 20 The Horse and his Master a horse past an object that is causing him fright. Since he can think of but one thing at a time and since he learns by association of ideas, he may as- sociate the pain with the object or he thinks the object is causing the pain. In horse training, a free use of the whip will break the spirit of high- couraged animals and increase the sulkiness of stubborn ones.. One sharp cut, or at most a few, immediately following the command “take care,”’ : is sufficient punishment to warn him against wrong- doing. The horse should never be punished by striking with the whip and jerking on the lines at the same time. This punishing the animal at both ends serves to confuse him, and if he possesses a high spirit some desperate act is likely to follow. To avoid such con- fusion, administer punishment at but one end at a time. REQUIREMENTS IN THE TRAINER The most important essential in the trainer is that he either possess or acquire complete control over himself and his temper. Without complete control over himself it is not possible for him to at- tain the ability to control a horse. Horse training is partly an art and partly a science. To execute the work efficiently requires much patience. Horses vary widely both mentally and physically. Some are quick and docile, while others are stupid and Personal Requirements in the Trainer Za stubborn. If their lack of understanding or willful disobedience causes their trainer to lose his temper, he will frighten the timid ones out of their senses and provoke the stubborn ones to resistance and perhaps to retaliation. Thus a quick-tempered or irritable trainer is quite likely to develop a bad-tempered horse, while the trainer with an uncontrollable tem- per is equally as likely to develop a really vicious and dangerous horse. To be most successful in training horses, one should possess an even temper, much patience, readiness of resources, sympathy, skill and pluck, all of which can be attained and de- veloped, in part at least, by thoughtful study and much practice. Personal influence of the trainer. —In practical horse training the influence of the trainer is often significant. It often happens that the animal is completely taken up by the one in charge. When the trainer is the only one to work the horse sub- sequently, the possession of such personal influence over the animal is often of much advantage. On the other hand, if the trainer is only to educate the animal, then such influence may be a positive hin- drance. The horse may be perfectly safe while under the influence of the trainer, but become re- fractory or even resent interference from any one else. It is the work of the trainer to render the horse perfectly obedient to the commands of his master. No horse can be said to be thoroughly 22 The Horse and his Master trained until he can be managed under all circum- stances by any one familiar with horses. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS IN HORSE TRAINING Having considered the horse’s low degree of in- telligence and the fact that he can neither reason nor draw conclusions and must learn therefore by as- sociation of ideas; that he possesses an excellent memory which can be easily trained; that the only means of communicating information to him is by the special senses, particularly those of feeling, see- ing and hearing ; and having considered the objects of training, as well as the more important methods, we may now note some of the more important under- lying principles in the practice of horse training. The earlier in life the training begins the more useful animal he will make. The young horse has fewer ideas of his own and is more willing to accept the direction of a superior intelligence than the older animal. It is therefore of advantage to begin the training in early colthood when at all convenient. In training, we endeavor to increase the horse’s serviceability by rendering him readily subservient to our will. In doing this we exaggerate the horse’s idea of those of his powers which are useful and at the same time deceive him as to those attributes which if realized might impair his usefulness. Thus the first time a draft horse is hitched to a load much General Statements about Training 23 care should be exercised not to overload him, with a view of developing in him the idea that he can pull anything that has both ends loose. On the other hand, the first time he is tied up by the head, equally as much care should be taken to see that the halter is strong enough to hold him in ease he pulls. If the horse pulls and fails to free himself at the first few attempts, he is not likely to try it again, and a string would probably serve as well as a chain to keep him in place thereafter. If, however, he succeeds in free- ing himself at the first attempt, he will never cease trying to repeat it until put through a system of training to cure the habit of pulling back. In developing the spirit of obedience, we should not work the horse too long at atime. If the ani- mal is fatigued, his powers of learning are decreased, and if the training is continued, he becomes con- fused. Fifteen minutes to one half hour is sufficient for a young horse. Five to ten half-hour lessons given in systematic order will accomplish more in preparing the horse to stand severe tests than two years of haphazard training. Since horses differ in temper and disposition, we are obliged to use various methods in rendering them obedient. No set of rules can be laid down that will apply in all cases. While such methods as were employed by Galvayne and Rarey are very effective in subduing semi-wild horses, neither of them will cure many whims, faults or vices to which 24 The Horse and his Master horses are subject. We should make a careful study of the horse and adopt that method which will prove most efficient with the animal in hand. Whatever system of training is employed, to be successful we must exact implicit obedience from the horse at all times. Be gentle yet firm, and go through with whatever is attempted. If at any time, however, the horse cannot be induced to do exactly whatisrequired, make himdo something else. Enforce obedience of some kind at the time to prevent him from conceiving the idea that he can dispute his master. If at all possible, however, do not rest until he does that which was asked of him. We should devote our entire attention to the horse in hand and should strive to obtain and keep his attention that he may get an idea of what is expected of him. As soon as he understands what is wanted, repeat in the same manner until the lesson is fixed in his mind. Do not hurry from one lesson to an- other, and do not try to teach too many things at one time, as such only serves to confuse the horse. In training the stubborn, refractory and wild horse, or in subduing the vicious horse, it is of the utmost importance that he be given to understand that he is to obey or suffer accordingly. From the beginning we must use such appliance as will give us the advantage. This can be accomplished in two ways: First by the employment of such appli- ance as will consume the animal’s strength, and by General Consideration wn Horse Training 25 the use of self-punishing harness, which will inflict the punishment at the instant he violates our wish. As soon as he completes the act desired, whether of his own will or because forced to do so, he should be caressed by feeding a dainty, as this serves to. fix the idea in his mind. CHAPTER IL , TRAINING THE FOAL Tue foal should be handled mel taught a few sim- ple lessons while young. As a rule, the farmer or horse breeder is so very busy at the time the foal is born that the youngster is neglected. He is not given an opportunity to become acquainted with his master. Often he is treated as an outcast. Because he gets in the way or does that which he should not, he is punished. Such treatment may be continued until weaning time, when the youngster is turned out to rough it until three years of age. At this age he is caught up, ‘‘broken,’ and put to work. Soon the owner begins to wonder why his horse did not attain the size of that of his neighbor’s; why the animal cannot accomplish the work he should; why he developed such whims as lolling his tongue, stripping his bridle, tearing his blanket, cribbing, wind-sucking, and the like; and such vice as switching the tail, biting, kicking, balking, running away, and so on, all of which are due to lack of training, care and management while young. 26 Importance of Early Training 27 AGE TO BEGIN TRAINING THE FOAL As it is much easier to train the young tree, or to mold the clay before it sets, so it is much easier to train the foal while young, as he has fewer ideas of his own and fewer fixed habits. If he is thrifty and strong, the very first day of his life is none too soon to begin training. The earlier in life the training begins the easier the task, and the longer it is postponed the greater are the chances of a hard struggle. We can show, rather than force, him to do that which he does not understand. While it is true, no doubt, that at this early age the animal’s power of memorizing is undeveloped, it must be remembered that the horse learns by association of ideas only and beginning at so early an age has many advantages aside from training the memory. Perhaps the most important advantage gained by early training is that the youngster becomes ac- quainted with his master at a time when man is the animal’s physical superior. This is significant. As has been stated, the horse obeys commands because he feels obliged to do so, and not because he likes to accomplish a task. It is, therefore, of advantage to fix the idea in the foal’s mind that he is our mental and physical inferior and must obey. The earlier he comes into possession of this idea the better horse he will make. On the other hand, horses which 28 Training the Foal have roughed it from birth to maturity, having come to know their strength and having their instinct of independence strongly developed, are proportion- ately more difficult to teach to obey. CATCHING AND HANDLING THE FOAL It is of much importance the first time the foal is caught that he be held in such a manner as not to - cause him fright. The common practice is to catch the youngster around the neck, which usually frightens him, and as he has never been fast before he runs backward and either frees himself or falls, with the result that he is more difficult to approach the next time. To avoid this, the trainer should make a careful study of the factors governing the movements of the animal. For example, if we touch his hindquarters, he moves forward, and as we have just seen, if we touch his forequarters, he moves backward. If a horse gets his front foot over an obstruction of any kind and feels the pressure on the foot or leg, he goes backward until he frees himself, even though he seriously injures himself in doing so, whereas he could very easily step over the obstruc- tion by a forward movement. If the hind foot is fast, he goes forward in much the same way. Thus we see that pressure in front stimulates a backward movement, while pressure behind stimulates a for- ward movement. This is a very important obser- How to Catch the Foal 29 vation and should always be kept in mind when training a horse. Catch a foal around both ends. — In catching the foal for the first time, gently place one arm under the Fic. 2.— Catching foal the first time. neck and the other under the hams (Fig. 2). If he attempts to go forward, apply pressure at the neck, or if he attempts to go backward, apply the pressure at the hams. If it is desired to have him step for- ward, relieve the pressure at the neck and apply it at 30 Training the Foal the hams, or if it is desired to have him step back- ward, relieve the pressure at the hams and apply it at the neck. If caught in this manner, he will soon become quiet, then he should be handled all over the body and legs. Extra care should be taken when handling the ears, the back of the forelegs, the flanks, and the front of the hind legs, as these parts are extremely sensitive to the touch. This requires only a few minutes and the foal, in all probability, will come to meet you the next time you enter the stall instead of fleeing from you, as he will if you at- tempt to catch him by the neck or even if you pay no attention to him the first time you enter the stall. Foals are naturally very timid. — Perhaps the treat- ment horses have received since their domestica- tion, as well as the brutal treatment their ancestors suffered before domestication, has had much to do with rendering the young naturally timid. Foals of the lighter breeds are more nervous and timid than those of the draft breeds, and require more effort to gain their confidence. If the animals are to reach their greatest usefulness, this natural timidity must be overcome and confidence in man established. This can be accomplished by kind, firm treatment. The occasional use of some relished morsel, such as a lump of sugar, will be of material benefit in over- coming timidity and in establishing confidence. No sudden movements should be made in ap- proaching the foal, as these will make him start and Method of Catching the Foal ail jump away. In this way, he will soon learn that he can escape being caught. To avoid this we should always go about the young animal in a very quiet manner. Never make a quick movement in catch- ing him, as this will serve to frighten him and make him more difficult to catch the next time. Never attempt to catch him unless sure of success, for if he succeeds in getting away, it is not at all likely that he will forget it soon. Children and thoughtless persons often try to make the youngster show off by doing something to frighten him, as throwing sticks, ‘“‘shooing,”’ running at him and the like. This should never be done. Such actions serve to make the animal more difficult to catch and handle, and in fact may so frighten a highly nervous one as to cause him to injure himself in an attempt to get away. If it is desired to see the foal in action, lead the mare away and the youngster will follow, when his action may be noted. Secure the foal’s confidence while young. — After catching the foal and handling him as suggested, it is Important that we secure his complete confidence before he is set free. If for some reason the young- ster should make his escape after being caught and held fast, but before his confidence is secured, he will be very difficult to catch the next time. In view of this fact much care must be taken to dispell all fear. Loving kindness is an important factor in securing this confidence. Feeding sweets from the 32 Training the Foal palm of the hand, such as a little granulated sugar pressed between the lips, will aid materially in se-. curing the youngster’s confidence. Sugar, being sweeter than the dam’s milk, seems to give him the idea that we are his friend, and instead of fleeing as we enter the stall he will come to meet us, placing as much confidence in us as in his mother. The im- portance of securing the colt’s confidence at this early age is very significant, as he is likely to retain the pleasant recollection throughout life. Avoid confusing the foal. —In handling the foal, we should go about the work coolly and with con- fidence. We should be careful to avoid confusing or exciting him. It must be remembered that there is little connection between the two sides of the ani- mal’s brain, and he may be perfectly familiar with us from one side and yet become greatly excited if caught from the other side. To avoid this confusion, handle the foal from both sides. He should become familiar with strange objects from every quarter. In training the youngster, it is important that the first lessons be of such a nature that they can be un- derstood very easily and even more easily accom- plished. The foal of course must understand what is wanted before he can be expected to accomplish the task. When he fully understands what is ex- pected of him, he will do it with surprising rapidity. Confusion resulting from not understanding what is wanted often so excites or frightens the animal Care in Handling the Foal 33 that he is likely to do anything, even to fatally in- juring himself by running into telephone poles, gate posts, buildings and the like. Since it is not possible to teach an excited or frightened animal, we must first of all make it clear to him what he is ex- pected to do. Make first lessons short and an — In handling the foal, the first few lessons should not exceed fifteen minutes in length, as this is sufficient time to impress an idea on his mind. These early lessons should be exceedingly simple, so as to avoid confusion. Take up one thing at a time, and be sure the colt fully un- derstands what is wanted and how to do it before passing to another. As advancement is made, teach the lessons in the most useful order and always re- peat each in the order taught. Soon the foal can be relied upon to go through the list in order given without a break. On the other hand, if the work is given in a haphazard manner, then all is uncertain as to just what the animal can be depended upon to ac- complish. If the work is continued too long and the colt fatigued either mentally or physically, his power of memorizing is weakened, and if the work is complicated, he may become confused. To avoid this make the work short and simple, particularly in the beginning. Teach the young foal useful things only. — As a rule the foal is full of life, bright and easily taught, and for these reasons he is often taught mischievous D 34 Traning the Foal tricks, such as rearing, kicking, biting, and the like. Since he is likely to remember, throughout life, the impressions made on his mind while young, it goes without saying that such should never be permitted. It is such things that restrict the horse’s usefulness. Teach the young animal only such lessons as will be useful to him later in life. As stated, he should be taught to be handled from both sides and at every angle; teach him the use of the halter so that he will follow wherever you wish him to go; the mean- ing of the term ‘‘whoa,” that is, to stop and stand quietly ; the meaning of the term ‘‘get up,” that is, to move forward, and teach him the meaning of the term ‘‘back,”’ that is, to move backward. In addi- tion, familiarize the youngster with objects that are likely to cause him fright, show him that such objects will not hurt him, and that he can trust himself to your care with perfect assurance that he will be pro- tected from all harm. TEACHING THE FOAL TO LEAD The best time to teach the foal the use of the halter is when he is about ten days or two weeks old. This is a very important matter, as it is the first time the youngster has been in any part of the harness, and he should be given to understand from the very be- ginning that such will not hurt him and that he must obey the signals given by means of the halter. Many A Cause of Halter-pulling 35 animals which have been very teachable up to this time are often spoiled by improper methods of train- ing to lead, and thus the first impressions they re- ceive as to the use of the halter are bad. In this way the foundation is laid for a confirmed halter- puller, a vice which will materially lessen the future usefulness of the animal (p. 269). This comes about because we are not mindful of the natural tendency of the horse to move backward when pressure is applied at the front and to move forward when the rear end is touched. Without thinking, the halter is placed on his head and we begin to pull on the strap. True to his instincts the foal goes backward. Occa- sionally the face and neck are deformed in this man- ner, as the harder we pull the harder the colt pulls back. It is not necessary to drag the foal by the halter in order to suggest to him that his business is to follow. To avoid all this we need but to remem- ber the animal’s natural instinct — pressure in front implies a backward movement, whereas pressure be- hind implies a forward movement. Choose a strong, well fitting halter. — For the foal a web halter is preferable to a leather one, as it is much lighter and softer and not so likely to injure or frighten him. Never use a rope halter on the young foal. An old halter that has been in constant use is better, all things considered, than one that has been hanging up or even a new one that smells of a lot of things that are strange to the animal. 36 Traning the Foal It is very important to have the halter fit the head perfectly. Because the foal’s head grows so rapidly, colt halters are, as a rule, made too large for the very young animal in order that they may fit later on. The head-stall, brow-band, throat-latch and nose- band should be taken up until they fit, otherwise the pressure will not be applied properly, the cheek- straps may be pulled around against the animal’s eyes, the chin-band slip over the nose and the like, all of which must be avoided. It often happens that in taking up the halter, long straps are left hang- ing about the head to annoy the foal. These should be fastened up in some way. It is often rather diffi- cult to adjust the halter to a nervous foal’s head, but to be successful one must have patience. Do not be in a hurry, but let the youngster get acquainted with everything as you proceed. With the halter properly adjusted coax the youngster along behind his mother or some accustomed route, as to the water trough and back. If one has sweets available, such as sugar, and permits the youngster to taste of them occasionally, he will soon follow promptly. If he resents, however, other means must be tried. Do not stand in front and try to pull his head off, for he will only roll his eyes, shake his head and move back; and above all do not give up. We must now take advantage of the animal’s natural instinct and apply pressure at the rear end as we wish him to move forward. Teaching the Foal to Lead ot The loin-hitch. — Secure a small rope or sash-cord, about ten feet long, tie a loop or fasten a ring in one end, gently place the rope over the foal’s back just in front of the hips with the loop or ring on the under Fic. 3.— The loin-hitch used in teaching foal to lead. side of the body, so that when the free end of the rope is run through the loop the rope can be closely drawn around the loins and flanks; pass the rope along under the body between the fore legs, and then up through the ring on the halter or under the jaw strap (Fig. 3). 38 Training the Foal Take the halter strap in one hand, the loin-hitch rope in the other, and stand in front and a little to one side of the foal. Pull gently on the halter strap and as he begins to shake his head give the loin-rope a sharp pull and he will immediately move forward. In fact, he is likely to move forward so rapidly that he will run into you if you stand squarely in front of him. Do not be in a hurry, but give the animal time to get used to the lesson. If he is excited, give him sweets or caress him until he quiets before attempting to give the loin-rope a second pull. When his confidence has been restored, try again, using the loin-rope again if need be. Soon he will follow wherever you lead. All of this requires only five to fifteen or twenty minutes, whereas by the old method — pulling on the halter alone —we have little or no assurance when the foal will follow. TEACHING THE FOAL TO BACK As soon as the foal fully understands the use of the halter and will follow wherever we lead, he should be taught to back. Do not attempt to teach him to back the same day he is taught to lead, but put it over until the next day. Teaching the colt to back is a very important lesson, as it adds materially to his usefulness in later life. All that is required is pressure in front. Take the halter strap in one hand so as to guide the foal in a straight line or in any How to Make him Back 39 desired direction, extend the fingers of the other hand between the points of the shoulders and press gently against the animal, and he will step back (Fig. 4). Fig. 4.— Teaching the foal to back. Reward him for his action and repeat until he will move backward by applying the pressure at the hal- ter alone. Never force the animal by jerking on the halter strap; simply apply pressure in the sensitive chest cavity with the ends of the fingers. In fifteen 40 Training the Foal minutes’ time, in addition to leading wherever de- sired, the foal should be willing to back any distance or in any direction. | DRIVING THE FOAL WITH LINES By the third day after haltering, if all has gone well and the colt will lead and back, he should be driven with lines. To do this most successfully, a surecingle properly adjusted is required. The sureingle must be provided with a loop on each side, placed well below the center of the body, the lines passed through the loops and fastened to the ring on either side of the halter. Never use a bit in the mouth of a very young animal. Now the lines will pass the hind quarters low and thus prevent the foal from turning with his head toward us, which he will do occasionally if the surcingle is not used. It is very important to keep the reins low in turning to make the guiding process easy. At first, walk close to the animal so as to encourage him to go forward by occasionally touching the rump with one hand while the guiding is done with the other. As soon as he becomes accustomed to being driven he may be touched up with the lines, guided to the right and left, but should be stopped often to assure him that he is doing well (Fig. 5). Teach the foal ‘‘whoa,” ‘‘get up,” and “back.”? — Since these three terms are to be used so very much Driving the Foal Al in the animal’s later life, he should be taught their meaning very early. For best results these terms should be taught one each day, beginning the next day after the foal has been driven with the lines. After driving for a short time or until the excitement Fia. 5.— Teaching the foal to drive with lines, the surcingle removed. has worn off, give the command ‘‘whoa,” following immediately with a sudden and positive pull on the lines (p. 66). Do not speak loud, but rely more on the pressure applied with the lines. The foal should be rewarded. After waiting a short time start by applying pressure on the rump, and after going until all is right, repeat the command and the pull as before. As soon as he shows indication of stopping 42 Training the Foal at the command, do not pull on the lines. When he stops at the command alone, reward him. . The next day, after driving for a short time and stopping at the command ‘‘whoa,” the foal should be taught the meaning of the term ‘‘get up.’”’ To do this, start the animal by the command ‘‘get up,” followed immediately by a rather sharp tap upon the rump. Tap the animal according to what he will stand and not so as to frighten him. As soon as he is going normally, stop by the command “whoa” and caress him. Repeat the process until he will start at the command alone. The following day teach the foal the meaning of the term ‘‘back.’’ This should first be done in the way already suggested; that is, by holding the hal- ter in one hand and applying pressure between the shoulder points with the other, at the same time giving the command ‘“‘back.”’ Repeat until the youngster will move back at the command alone. Now you are ready to snap on the lines and teach him to back from behind. At first it may be necessary to pull on the lines following the command. Repeat and reward him until he will back at the command. By the third day the foal should respond to all three commands. VALUE OF EARLY TRAINING The time required to carry out the above sugges- tions is but fifteen minutes for six consecutive days, Begin Training Early 43 or ninety minutes in all, during which time the youngster has been taught to lead, to drive, to stop at the command ‘‘whoa,” to start at the command “get up’? and to back on command. While he is not yet three weeks of age yet he will obey com- mands better than the average horse will ever obey them. The value of training begun thus early cannot be overestimated. It fixes the idea of subordination in the horse’s mind at a time in life when no subse- quent treatment can shake it, and even though the time consumed in such training is quite insignificant, it adds as nothing else can to the future usefulness of the animal. There are two objections to training the colt while young. First, want of time on the part of the owner, and second, being trained, the youngster is likely to be driven or put to hard work before he is properly developed. For these reasons the colt is usually permitted to enjoy his independence until such time as he is needed for work, with the result that his general usefulness in many cases is much impaired. A horse should be reasonably mature before he is called upon to do service, but any time spent in his education prior to the date at which he goes to work will be repaid many times in the more satisfactory service that he will render. CHAPTER III TRAINING THE WORK HORSE In training or hitching horses, young or old, there are a few general considerations that should be kept constantly in mind. A horse should never be trusted more than is necessary. Children, women or in- competent men should never be left in charge of horses unless the animals are thoroughly acquainted with them. Many distressing accidents occur from trust- ing old family horses. A good horseman never runs risks when they can be avoided. In handling horses, the safest way is for the attend- ant to remain close to the animal’s left shoulder, grasping the bridle close to the mouth with the right hand. In this position the horse is unable to injure him. If the horse becomes fractious, the attendant should stay close to the animal’s left shoulder or get entirely out of his reach, for many serious acci- dents have resulted from horses rearing, striking and kicking in play, when being led by an attendant at the end of the lead strap. Never attempt to lead a fractious horse with a halter without looping the rope or tie-strap and slipping it into his mouth in the place of a bit, then running the rope or tie- 44 Harnessing and Hitching 45 strap through the nose-band, thus forming a loop around the lower jaw, in which condition the horse can be easily controlled (p. 199). In bridling, harnessing and saddling a horse the work should be done from the left side. The har- ness should be gently but firmly placed upon the animal. The harness and other equipment should be of good quality and in good repair, and so adjusted as to fit the animal snugly. In hitching a horse into a pair of shafts, the shafts always should be raised and the animal led under or backed into them, or the vehicle drawn forward, as the horse is likely to step on a shaft and break it if backed in while they are on the ground. In hitching, the lines should be fastened into the bit and then placed where they can be reached easily before attaching the horse to the vehicle. In unhitching, the lines should be the last disengaged, and care should be taken that the animal is free from the vehicle before he is led away. Serious accidents often result from leading the horse out of the shafts before the hold- backs are unfastened. In tying to a post or hitching-rack, the horse should be secured by a strong rope or strap placed around his neck, then passed through the ring of the bit and on to the post. It is good practice to obtain a short strap about six inches long, provided with a loose ring and a snap at either end to secure in the bit-ring on either side so the loose ring will remain A6 Training the Work Horse under the lower jaw. Now by snapping the lead- rein or running the tie-strap through this ring, pressure is brought to bear equally on either side in ease the horse should pull. A horse should always be tied short, otherwise he may get his foot over the tie-strap, be unable to disengage it, break the tie- strap or the check-rein, become frightened and an accident result. AGE TO TRAIN HORSES FOR WORK At the present time there is much discussion as to the most profitable age at which to train horses for work. Some good horsemen state that they prefer not to have the horse worked until coming four years old, while others think a more useful animal will result if put to light work at two and one half or three years of age. Each of these methods may prove equally successful, depending on conditions. It would seem that these ages might well represent the extremes. As a rule, the horse should not be put to work under two and one half years of age, and even then the work should be light and the working hours short. If the work is too severe, or continued for too long a time, the animal will be retarded in his growth and he will not make as useful a horse as if the training had been delayed afew months. On the other hand, if the horse is thrifty, it is poor economy to keep him in idleness after he is four years of age. Training Young Horses to Work A7 The breed, the individuality and the work per- formed all have a bearing upon the age to begin training. As arule, the draft breeds mature younger than the lighter breeds, and therefore may be put to moderate work younger. Some individuals develop more rapidly than others, and as they mature earlier they may be put to work younger. The work per- formed likewise has a bearing on the age of training. Thus in the case of the draft horse, where force applied-at the collar is required, or in the case of the saddle horse, where the weight is borne upon the horse’s back, the animal should be reasonably mature. On the other hand, when the horse is intended for fast work on the race track, many good horsemen feel that the training cannot begin too soon; thus we often find these men constructing miniature tracks around which the animals are led or driven by means of a long line by the time they are weaned, sometimes before. The breed and the work performed exert an influ- ence on the amount of training required. As a rule, the draft breeds are much more easily trained than the lighter breeds. There are two reasons for this: First, the draft breeds are larger, quieter and neither so active nor so high-strung as the lighter types. They are much more easily handled and not so likely to go wrong as the lighter types. Second, the work that draft breeds are called on to perform does not require the continuous training that is required of 48 Training the Work Horse the lighter breeds; the tasks are not numerous or difficult. to learn, whereas the saddle or coach horse may be called upon to do a number of tasks, each of which is hard to learn and requires long and severe training. TRAIN THE HORSE WITHIN AN INCLOSURE In training the horse, it is of great advantage to provide an inclosure, varying in size according to the nature of the training or the temperament of the horse, but for most work twenty-five to fifty feet square will suffice. All obstructions likely to injure or attract the horse’s attention, such as wagons, barrels, posts, bricks, stones, sticks and the like, should be removed. If the inclosure is within a barn or under a shed, the ceiling should be at least twelve feet high. No matter where the inclosure, the floor should be of soft earth. Never begin training the horse on cement, brick or even a hard wood floor. Not only is the horse likely to slip and injure himself or the man in charge, but it is often found necessary to lay the horse down to convince him that we are his master, and the likelihood of injury is great if this is attempted on a hard floor, particularly cement or brick. Within such an inclos- ure it is much easier to get the horse’s entire atten- tion, and should anything go wrong whereby he should free himself, he will be unable to get away. Training Inclosures. Examining 49 Many advise turning the horse loose within the inclosure in order that he may become accustomed to the place in which he is to receive his early training. EXAMINE THE HORSE BEFORE TRAINING - The horse should be carefully examined to see that he is in good physical condition before the training begins. In order to be effective in training, it is necessary to gain the horse’s confidence and hold his attention. This is not possible with the animal in poor physical condition. Note the teeth to see if they are uneven or possess sharp edges, which are likely to injure the tongue or Jaws. Such edges should be removed with a guarded rasp, otherwise the pain will detract the animal’s atten- tion from the lessons we are trying to teach. Note the condition of the feet, and if they are out of pro- portion, level them with the rasp, otherwise the horse will be irregular in his action and may injure himself by interfering. Examine the horse for impaired vision and defective hearing. If his vision is impaired, he may run into objects, or seeing them but dimly may become frightened and uncontrollable. If his hearing is defective, he is at the disadvantage of not being able to understand spoken commands. The disadvantages under which such a horse labors are great, and it is important that such defects be noted in order that we may not ask him to do that E 50 Training the Work Horse which is impossible for him to accomplish. If we pro- ceed with such a horse as if he was normal, he may become confused, frightened, difficult to control and may endanger his own life as well as that of his master. HANDLE THE HORSE BEFORE TRAINING In many cases the horse breeder will not feel war- ranted in taking the time to train the foal as sug- gested in the previous chapter, even though the ani- mal’s future usefulness is materially lessened by such neglect. The horse may be given his freedom until old enough to work, perhaps never being taught the use of the halter. Such a horse should first of all be made gentle, so that he will permit his en- tire body to be handled. Some untrained horses are so quiet that they will readily submit to any amount of handling, whereas others offer resistance, even when lightly touched. Familiarizing some horses to the touch requires much patience. Most horses are particularly sensitive about the ears, the under- line and the legs. It is a common practice to use some form of twitch to attract the horse’s attention while handling these sensitive parts. While the use of the twitch is recommended in training vicious or spoiled horses, it should be used on the untrained horse only as a last resort. kind treatment, well-directed effort Handling previous to Training 51 and patience are preferred to the use of the twitch, and will overcome most horses. In case the horse is very sensitive to the touch and it is not safe for one to get near to caress him with the hand, other means must be devised. The English use a so- called “‘ third hand,” which is a stick somewhat simi- lar to a walking stick or cane. With such a stick rub the horse along the top of the neck. The dan- druff collecting about the base of the mane often irri- tates the part so that it itches, and the horse enjoys having it rubbed or scratched. After he has be- come familiar with the stick on top of the neck, pass it back, touching the withers lightly or not at all, and rub the back, the sides, the rump and the like. After a few minutes’ work with the stick, the horse learns that he is not going to be harmed and will permit himself to be rubbed with the hand. The horse is now ready for the halter. Choose a strong leather halter, preferably one that has been in constant use, place it on the animal’s head and tie securely in the stall. He should be left in the stall for some time in order that, he may become familiar with the halter. TRAINING THE HORSE TO LEAD After the horse becomes accustomed to being handled, and familiar with the halter, he should be taught to lead. As this is a very important matter, 52 Training the Work Horse due care should be exercised to avoid a misundetr- standing between the horse and his master. The advice given in teaching the foal to lead (p. 34) applies here, but it may be necessary to employ other methods, particularly if the horse is rather stubborn. While the loin-hitch, which was recommended for use on the foal, is often successfully employed on older horses, it sometimes happens that better re- sults can be secured by the use of the tail-hitch or the quarters-hitch. The tail-hitch. — Secure a small rope or sash-cord about ten feet long, tie a stationary loop at one end, place the tail through this loop and bring the free end of the rope forward and pass through the ring on the halter or under the jaw strap. To prevent this slipping over the tail when it gets slack, take a small rope and make a surcingle, placing a ring at the top through which the rope leading from the tail to the halter may pass (Fig. 6). Take the halter strap in one hand the rope in the other, pull gently on the former, and as the horse begins to shake his head or to step back give the latter a sharp pull and the animal will move forward. Caress him until he quiets, and when his confidence has been restored repeat the process, using the rope when needed. Ina few minutes the horse will follow where led and the rope may be removed. While this hitch is a very effective method of teach- ing a horse to lead, care should be exercised in its Training the Horse to Lead 53 use. The under side of the tail is very tender and the roughened surface of the rope sometimes provokes the horse to kick, particularly if nervous. With such horses the quarters-hitch is to be preferred. The quarters-hitch. — Secure a small rope, or sash- cord, and tie a large loop at one end. This loop Fic. 6.— The tail-hitch used in teaching the young horse to lead. should be of sufficient size so that when placed in position on the horse it surrounds his quarters, leav- ing the knot well forward, on the back. Pass the free end along the back and through the ring on the halter (Fig. 7). By pulling on this rope pressure is brought on the quarters, and the animal moves forward. This hitch has the advantage that the 54 Training the Work Horse pressure is brought to bear at a place where there is little or no likelihood of injuring the horse, and yet the pressure stimulates a forward movement as well if not better than either the loin- or tail-hitch. TEACH THE HORSE TO FOLLOW WHEN LOOSE In order to facilitate catching the horse when loose, as at pasture, it is of advantage to have him Fria. 7.— The quarters-hitch, used in teaching the young horse to lead. trained to come up to us, and to follow. While there are many methods of teaching the horse to follow, only two are here given, one to be employed on teachable and gentle horses, the other on horses rather stubborn in their disposition. As soon as the teachable horse has been taught to lead, procure a Teaching the Horse to Follow 55 whip, and facing the animal, take a position in front, or slightly to the left, caress him by gently rubbing the whip over his back and rump. When ready to start, say ‘‘come here,” and immediately follow the command by striking the horse on the rump with the whip, which will induce him to walk forward. Walk backward at the same rate as the horse walks forward, giving the command ‘“‘come here’’ to in- duce him to follow. When he follows at command, place the whip under the left arm. This method may require some time, but with a little patient effort the teachable horse will follow you without the use of either halter or whip. Some horsemen in teaching a horse to follow pre- fer to turn the animal loose in a small inclosure, say twenty-five feet square. It is important that the floor be of earth, and that all objects be removed, as they may attract the colt’s attention. If the horse is two years old, or more, some prefer to teach this lesson before training to the use of the halter. When ready, turn the horse loose in the inclosure and snap the whip a few times to attract his attention. Remaining near the center, follow him around a few times, occasionally snapping him about the heels with the whip. Soon he will stop in the corner farthest from you. Walk directly to him, giving him an opportunity to turn to you. If he turns his heels as if to kick or run away, strike him severely about the hind legs. Soon he will understand that 56 Training the Work Horse he exposes himself to punishment by turning away from you. Repeat until he turns his head toward you when approached. As this was the way you wished the horse to turn, he should be rewarded by having his crest scratched with the end of the whip, and if convenient by feed- ing a carrot or other dainty. You are now ready to teach him to follow by the method described above. If he refuses to obey the command ‘‘come here” and runs away, strike him sharply about the heels. If he obeys, caress him. Soon the animal will under- stand that he is punished for running away and caressed for following. When he understands this he will follow and you may discard the whip. TRAINING TO THE USES OF THE BIT Perhaps no other factor in the training of horses, whether for work or pleasure, is of greater importance than that of educating to the uses of the bit. The thoroughness with which this is accomplished will go far towards determining their usefulness. Inas- much as the conveyance of the master’s desire to the horse’s mind for execution is largely through the hands, reins, bit and mouth, little progress can be made and none should be attempted until this means of communication has been established. Before bitting, the mouth should be examined for sores, as it is not possible properly to train a A Good Mouth 57/ horse td the uses of the bit while suffering from sore mouth. Such an examination is not difficult. Place the horse where there is good light. To examine the left side, pass the left hand into the right side of the mouth, grasp the tongue gently, and pull it to one side, but not out of the mouth, which will expose the bar, or branch of the lower jaw on the left side. The thumb of the right hand may now be placed in the roof of the mouth so as to separate the jaws, when the left side of the mouth may be observed. The other side should be examined in a similar way. Importance of a good mouth.— No factor contributes so much to the pleasure, comfort and safety of either rider or driver as a responsive mouth — one that always obeys promptly the slightest instruction from the master. A good mouth — one with sen- sitive bars —is natural to the horse. ‘‘Tender,”’ “hard,” and all kinds of “‘spoiled” mouths result from improper handling. Such spoiled mouths are very aggravating and often the cause of many other imperfections — tongue lolling, crossing the jaws, hobbling, kicking, balking, running away and the like — many of which when well established are very difficult to overcome (p. 249). Bitting the horse. — The object of correct bitting is to preserve, instead of diminish, the natural sensi- tiveness of the bars of the horse’s mouth. The kind of bit to use, therefore, is important. Because of 58 Training the Work Horse the importance of correct bitting, many kinds of bits have been devised for training the horse as well as for subsequent use (p. 320). Many of these bits irritate the tender parts and destroy rather than preserve the natural sensitiveness of the lips and bars. While any bit may slightly abrade the lips and bars of the mouth, many of these patent bits produce deep sores. This, of course, renders training to the uses of the bit unnecessarily painful, and may produce a spoiled mouth. The proper bit to use depends on the object sought. Thus in training the saddle horse one type of bit is demanded (p. 151); in the coach horse another type (p. 134); in the trotting horse still another; and the work horse responds more readily to a bit differing from any of the above types. Whatever kind of bit is used it should be strong, without being heavy and cumbersome. In train- ing the work horse a straight or slightly curved bar- bit with leather guards, and covered with rubber or leather in case the horse’s mouth is tender, can- not be improved upon. Many training bits are provided with keys at- tached to the mouthpiece, which encourage the horse to champ and thus familiarize himself with the bit (Fig. 94, 26 and 27). While key-bits are useful, especially for those horses which persist in keeping a dry mouth, sulkily refusing to champ the bit, as the keys assist in the work of bitting such an ani- Adapting to the Bit 59 mal, they should never be used on nervous horses that champ the straight bit. Occasionally the mouth of a nervous horse is spoiled by the use of the key-bit. In case the horse refuses to champ the bit and the key-bit is used, its usefulness may be increased by smearing the keys and mouthpiece with honey or other sweets, as such materials en- courage the horse to lick and champ the bit. When placing the bit in the horse’s mouth for the first time, carefully lift the bridle with the left hand until it is above the eyes, then pass the right hand over the animal’s head, quietly lift the poll-piece and place the bridle in position. At the same time open the horse’s mouth slightly by pressing the bars under the lower lip with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand and guide the bit into the mouth. If the horse refuses to open his mouth, insert the fingers of the left hand into the mouth and tickle the roof. The bit will then slip into the mouth, and it should be arranged so as to lie on the bars. The adjustment of the bridle and the length of the bit are important. The length of the head- stall must be adjusted so as to bring the bit in mild contact with the bars of the mouth. If the head- stall is too short, the bit is drawn up into the mouth. too far and the bars as well as the corners of the mouth soon become sore and the animal may be- come vicious; on the other hand, if too long, the bit drops in the mouth, and the animal becomes care- 60 Training the Work Horse less. The bit should be of proper length for the horse. If it is too long it will pull through the mouth so that the pressure will not be equal on either bar and the horse may become confused (p. 321). The bitting-harness. —'The horse can usually be made familiar with the uses of the bit by the appli- cation of the bitting-harness. This harness con- sists of an open bridle with a large, smooth, guarded bit and check-rein, surcingle and crupper and two side lines running from the bit to rings on either side of the surcingle (Fig. 8). If the horse is of a nervous disposition, it will often allay his fear to permit him to smell and feel this harness before placing it on his back (Fig. 18). Arrange the har- ness with much care. With the bitting-harness properly adjusted, turn the horse into the training paddock to familiarize himself with the bit. The check and side-reins should be left slack at first. During the first few lessons the bit should not be retained in the animal’s mouth for more than half an hour at a time. He may be given two or perhaps three lessons a day. Subse- quently the lessons may be longer. Gradually from day to day the reins should be shortened, care being taken that they are never made so short as to place the head in an uncomfortable position, or draw the bit so tightly as to make the corners of the mouth sore. The number of lessons necessary to familiarize Training to the Uses of the Bit 61 the horse with the uses of the bit will depend entirely on the individual. Some horses will drive after one or two, while others will require a week or more be- fore they fully understand its uses. Fic. 8.— The bitting-harness, for teaching the uses of the bit. During this bitting process some horses acquire the habit of throwing their heads up and down, a habit which when once established is very annoying and often difficult to overcome. Among saddle 62 Training the Work Horse horses the habit is dangerous to the rider. To overcome this, one must use a martingale and an over-draw check-rein (p. 327). Occasionally a horse shows a disposition to carry his head too low, in which case the over-draw check-rein should be used. In common practice there are two other forms of side-reins used on the bitting-harness, the ‘‘elastic”’ rein, and “running” rein. The elastic rein is com- posed of rubber and is attached the same as the leather side-rein described above. The leather side- rein is often spoken of as the “fixed rein.” The running rein is made from a small rope or sash-cord and is attached as follows: The surcingle and bridle are similar to those described above save both side- and check-rein are removed. Tie the cord or rein in the lower ring of the surcingle on the off- side, pass it through the bit and back through the ring at the top of the surcingle, then down through the bit on the near-side and back to the lower ring on the near-side and tie fast. Instead of tying the ends fast to the rings on the surcingle, this rein is sometimes modified by passing one end up through the ring at the top of the surcingle then down to the other end and tying the two ends together in such a way that they will slip through the rings on both the bridle and surcingle (Fig. 9). Each of these reins has its advantages and disadvantages: the fixed rein sometimes produces horses with ‘‘lugging”’ mouths; the running rein sometimes produces Driving the Horse 63 ‘unresponsive’? mouths, and the elastic rein some- times creates a “boring”? horse — one that thrusts Fic. 9.— Running side-reins, useful in bitting the horse. his nose forward and drops his head at the same time and often snatches the lines through the hands of the driver. DRIVING THE HORSE WITH LINES As soon as the horse becomes familiar with the bit, the side-reins may be substituted for lines and he may be driven about the inclosure. It is important 64 Training the Work Horse to pass the lines through the rings on either side of the surcingle, as the lines will then pass the hind quarters low and thus prevent the horse from turn- ing with his head towards us. It is very important to keep the lines low in turning to make the guiding Fria. 10.— Teaching the horse to drive with lines. process easy (Fig. 10). To avoid a mishap at this time, some suggest the use of a long rein to serve as a lead rein if perchance the animal should turn his head towards us while driving. During the first driving lesson the horse should be reined but mildly if at all, since if tight, the rein will have a tendency to induce him to run backward, which should by all means be prevented. Further, Driving the Horse with Lines 65 the horse is liable to lower his head and give himself a jerk and thus distract his attention from the work in hand. For a few minutes allow the horse consid- erable liberty, in order that he may become accus- tomed to going away from you, at the same time permitting you to walk behind. This first driving lesson should not last long, and the horse should be started by tapping him with the line, and he should be stopped by gentle pressure on the bit. Avoid using spoken language until ready to teach the meaning of the words. The horse should now be taught to guide to the right and to the left. To teach him to turn to the left, slacken the right line and pull smartly on the left one, not with a jerk, but with a swinging pull. If the horse comes around too far, hold the whip on the left shoulder. Do not pull him back with the right line, and do not strike him with the whip, as either movement will confuse him. If, however, the horse does not respond when the left line is pulled, tap him on the right shoulder with the whip to in- duce him to turn away quickly and not to give him time to fight the bit. After he has turned a few times to the left, slacken the left side-line and give a swinging pull on the right one to induce him to turn to the right, taking the same precautions as above. Repeat this process, using less and less force as the animal learns to turn. Teaching the command ‘“‘whoa.”’ — If all has gone F 66 Training the Work Horse well, the next day after teaching the horse to drive with the lines, he should be taught the meaning of ‘whoa.’ This word should be used only when we wish the animal to stop and stand. This is an im- portant matter in the education of the horse. The horse that continues to move after the command is given, or that is continually stepping about when you wish him to stand quietly, is very aggravating, and his usefulness as well as his value is lessened. The safety, comfort and pleasure in handling a horse that promptly obeys the command “whoa” are em- phasized by the fact that he will command a higher price on the market. After driving the horse about the inclosure a few times, or until he is going smoothly, give the com- mand ‘‘whoa,” followed by a strong swinging pull on both lines, and the moment the horse stops slacken the lines, otherwise he may become a con- firmed lugger. If necessary to stop the horse, repeat the word and action. As he has done what you wished him todo, he should be caressed before starting again. It will aid the horse in fixing the impression, if he is stopped in the same place for a few times. The second or third time he will stop there at the command alone. Do not stop too many times at one place or there will be difficulty in getting him to pass. About the third or fourth time, therefore, try him at a new place. It may be necessary to follow the command with the action of The Signals or Commands 67 the lines at this new place. Repeat until the horse will stop at any place when commanded. Teaching the command “get up.’’ —'The next day after teaching the horse the meaning of the term ‘““whoa,’’ he should be taught the command “get up.” Previous to this time the horse should have been started by tapping him on the rump with the line. Drive the horse about the training inclosure several times, frequently stopping him at the command “whoa.” When going smoothly, stop him prepara- tory to teaching the meaning of the command “get up.’’ When ready to start, give the command “vet up,’ pausing a moment, then striking him a tap with the whip. This will start him forward. When going smoothly, stop him at the command ‘ whoa.”’ Repeat as before, starting with the term ‘‘get up” and stopping with the term ‘‘whoa,’’ until he will stop and start at the command alone. It is good practice to impress the meaning of these terms so thoroughly that the horse will obey, even though he ‘be running loose in the inclosure and the commands be given by one standing in the center of the paddock. Teaching the command ‘‘back.’’ —The meaning of the term “back”? may be taught immediately following that of ‘“‘get up.’’ With the horse stand- ing, draw the near line tight, give the command “back” and follow immediately with a sharp swing- ing pull with the off line. This will induce the horse to step backward. Follow with the command and 68. Training the Work Horse give the see-saw pull. Stop at the command “‘ whoa.” Do not tire the horse by continually backing him for a prolonged period. Start him forward at the command ‘‘get up”; stop him at the command ‘‘whoa”’ and repeat the backing lesson at the com- mand “back” until he obeys the voice promptly. HARNESSING, HITCHING AND DRIVING THE HORSE To be harnessed is a very important part of the horse’s education. Animals that have behaved well up to this time often become confused and not only disobey commands but may become uncontrollable. This comes about naturally when the horse is har- nessed and hitched without proper preparation. We have seen that pressure in front induces the horse to go backward, and that pressure behind induces him to move forward (p. 28). Thus when the horse is harnessed and hitched without proper preparation, and started forward at the command ‘‘get up,” the pressure from the breast-harness or collar induces him to step backward. Now he has received the com- mand to go forward and the stimulus to move back- ward, which confuses him, as he cannot do both. If he disregards the command and obeys the stimulus of the pressure and moves backward, the breeching presses against the quarters, thus inducing him to - go forward. The horse’s. confusion is now greater than before. While he is moving back and forth Poling the Horse 69 between the pressure of the collar and the breeching, he is so excited that he does not heed the commands of the driver, who often becomes aggravated and strikes the animal a sharp cut with the whip. This frightens the already excited horse, and he moves forward with a bound. The driver then jerks him backward and holds a tight line. Thus the horse is punished both at the mouth and in the rear. By this time the animal’s confusion is complete, and he is likely to rear, kick, run away or do anything to free himself. A little patient effort spent in familiarizing the horse with the pressure of the harness and shafts, and in teaching him what is expected of him, will avoid all such confusion and risk. Poling the horse. — Before harnessing or hitching, the horse should be made familiar with the pressure caused by the harness and shafts. To do this, procure a light pole five or six feet long, and let the horse smell and feel it with his nose (Fig. 11). Gently rub the pole over the nose, the side of the face and up to the mane and crest. After scratching the crest pass the pole back to the withers, down over the shoulder, and along the outside and inside of the forelegs. Pass the pole along the back to the hind quarters, down along the outside and inside of the hind legs. Repeat the process first on one _ side, and then on the other, rubbing every part of the body (Fig. 12). 70 Training the Work Horse If at any time the horse should become excited and refuse to stand, allow him to touch the pole with his nose, and gradually work back over him again. After he has become perfectly submissive to the pressure on all parts of his body, it is a good Fie. 11.— Poling the head and nose. plan to place the pole under the tail, as this will teach him to stand while the crupper is being ar- ranged. ‘To do this, stand a little to one side and with the pole touch both hind legs a short distance above the hocks. With the left hand, carefully raise the tail, and with the right hand gently work the pole upward a few inches; pause a moment and Poling the Horse “(Al repeat, until the pole rests directly under the tail, lying across the quarters. After a moment, care- fully raise the tail and gently remove the pole, so as not to frighten the horse. A few repetitions of Fig. 12.— Poling the body and legs. this process will render most horses very easy to crupper. Poling has a very desirable effect upon the horse, especially if the animal is of a nervous and sensitive disposition. It will render him gentle to the touch of the harness, shafts or any other object coming in contact with the body. After harnessing, some continue the poling process by arranging two poles, one on either side of the body, similar to shafts, i Training the Work Horse securing the front end by strapping to the hame tugs, and the rear end to the hip-straps and breeching, and then driving the horse about the inclosure a few times. The rear end of the poles is then unstrapped from the hip-straps and permitted to drag on the ground as the horse is being driven about the pad- dock. This has the added advantage of familiariz- ing him with the position and pressure of the shafts as well as to the pressure of the collar and the breech- ing, while in motion. Harnessing the horse. — With the horse properly poled, harnessing is an easy task. Put him in his accustomed stall and allow him to smell and feel the harness (Fig. 13). This is important, for occa- sionally horses are frightened out of their senses by the careless driver throwing the harness over their backs before allowing them to feel and smell it. In this manner, the bands and loose straps striking the animal on the legs and abdomen often provoke kicking. Such excitement can be avoided easily by permitting the horse to smell and feel the harness and by gently lifting it over his back. Carefully raise the tail, and gently put the crupper strap on, then step to the side and fasten the bands. With care, work the breast harness or collar over the head as suggested in bridling (p. 59). While the harness should not be new, smelling of things unfamiliar ta the horse, it should be of good quality and in good repair, for if a part breaks there Fitting the Harness 73 may be trouble and the horse ruined for all time. When convenient, use harness that has been in con- stant use. It should be so adjusted as to fit per- fectly. The collar should receive attention, as it is Fia. 13.— The young horse becoming familiar with the harness. by means of this that the horse exerts his power. (For discussion on fitting harness see page 317.) A careful examination of the shoulders and quar- ters of the horse must be made from time to time. Oftentimes the collar that fits perfectly in the begin- ning soon becomes too large, due to the horse losing flesh. The untrained horse’s flesh is very tender, and the friction of the harness often produces sore- 74 Training the Work Horse ness. The parts likely to become abraded are the shoulders, caused by the collar; the back, caused by the saddle of the harness; the tail, caused by the crupper ; and the quarters, caused by the breech- ing. At the slightest sign of any abrasion, the train- ing must temporarily cease. Bathe the sore parts with soap and water, then apply an astringent, as salt and water, or alum and water, to harden and heal them. As soon as the soreness has disappeared, the training should be resumed (p. 373). Hitching single. — After harnessing, but before hitching, tie the traces to the ring on each side of the breeching, thus causing a slight pressure on the collar and breeching, and drive the horse about the inclosure. Start him at the command “get up,” stop him at “ whoa” and have him move backward at the command “back.” Turn him to the right and left, and when he is going smoothly take him out on the highway. At first, because of the new environment, the horse may act strangely, but go through with all the commands and signals that he has thus far been taught. The horse is now ready to be hitched to a vehicle (Fig. 14). Training-cart. — If at all convenient, the first time the horse is hitched, a training-cart — one with long shafts, substantially constructed, and the seat so ar- ranged that the driver can get off and on quickly — should be employed (Fig. 15). Such a eart can be constructed from the rear wheels and the axle of a Harnessing and Hitching the Horse 75 Fia. 14.— Driving in harness previous to hitching to a vehicle. Fig. 15.— Acquainting the horse with the training-cart. 76 Training the Work Horse buggy or carriage by fastening two long poles, hick- ory or any tough, springy wood, to the axle and by fastening a cross-bar and whiffletree in front and a board seat in the rear. The shafts should be twelve or fourteen feet long, with provision at the ends for the attachment of a strap across from point to point to prevent the horse, in rearing, from throwing his front legs over the ends of the shafts. Training-carts can be purchased on any market where buggies are sold. Many of these carts are provided with steps in the rear, which add to the utility. Such a cart possesses many advantages, particu- larly in the training of stubborn and unruly horses. In rearing, the horse strikes his front legs against the strap in front and goes no higher; in kicking, he is so far ahead of the vehicle and driver that he does little or no damage ; in turning around suddenly, he is obliged to make so large a circle that he either gets over his fright or becomes discouraged before going far; in throwing himself, the shafts are so long and springy that little or no damage is done; in running away, all that need be done is to give him his head a moment until the muscles of the neck are relaxed, and then, by giving a swinging pull with one line, his head is turned so far to one side that he must either stop or fall; and should the horse refuse - to obey the bit in turning around, we have but to dismount, pull gently on one rein and at the same Hitching the Horse to Vehicle - Hel time carry the cart around, which will point him in the direction we wish to go. Familiarize the horse with the vehicle. —'The horse should be poled again before hitching. Lead the horse up to the vehicle and allow him to smell and feel the shafts. Rub them along his head, neck, Fic. 16. — Acquainting him with the top buggy. shoulders and forelegs, both inside and outside. Lead him up between the shafts, allowing them to rest on his back, then drop them at his feet. Re- peat this process several times and let him smell and feel the cross-bars, dash-board and the lke (Figs. 15 and 16). Turn the horse around, draw the vehicle up so that the shafts are even with his heels, and drop them as before. Pull the rig forward and place the shafts on his back, then back it, rubbing 78 Training the Work Horse the shafts over the rump, down along the hind legs both on the outside and inside, dropping them occa- sionally. Finally bring the rig forward until the eross-bar touches the horse’s quarters, first gently and then more forcibly. Now the horse may be hitched to the vehicle with Fic. 17.— Hitched for the first time, showing method of attaching the kicking-strap. perfect safety. While there is little or no likelihood that a horse trained as suggested above will give trouble, as a precautionary measure the use of the kicking-strap is suggested. This is a heavy strap placed above the rump just back of the hips and one end buckled to each shaft (Fig. 17). As a further safety measure, it is also recommended that an Handling with a Vehicle 79 assistant remain at the horse’s head to aid in starting, stopping and turning if need be. When all is ready, the driver should take his position behind the cart, not on it at first, and start the horse at the command ‘‘get up.”’ At the same time, the assistant should aid by pulling the cart forward. After the horse takes a few steps, stop at the command “‘ whoa.”’ Repeat until the horse understands what is expected of him. At first it may be necessary for the driver to aid in turning by carrying the cart around, especially if the training inclosure is small. As soon as the horse will obey the commands ‘‘get up”’ and ‘‘whoa” and will guide to the right and left, the driver may mount the cart and drive out on the highway. The assistant should be provided with a long lead strap and should walk along beside the horse until the latter becomes familiar with the new environment. He may then mount the vehicle with the driver, retaining the long lead strap so as to be ready to meet any emergency. The horse should be stopped and started often to assure him that he is doing what is expected of him. After driving at a walk until all is going smoothly, the horse may then be touched up into a trot. Slow down to a walk and repeat. On the return to the training paddock the horse should not go out of a walk. It is not good practice to drive back and forth past the barn during the first lesson, as the colt is likely to want to turn in and he may give some trouble. 80 Training the Work Horse Teaching the command “steady.’’ — As the com- mand ‘‘whoa”’ should be given only when we wish the horse to stop and stand, so is it very important that he be taught the use of the term ‘‘steady’’ very early in his career. While this term is to be used under a variety of conditions, its general meaning should be to slacken and pay attention. Thus if we wish the horse to maintain a certain speed, we say ‘‘steady”’ in a soothing tone; if we wish him to slack the speed, the same term is used but in a stronger tone; if the horse is frightened and we wish him to quiet down, the command “‘steady”’ is given in a high tone and the lines are used in a character- istic see-saw manner; and if the horse is about to pull a heavy load and we wish him to pay attention, we give the command in a rather deep tone and hold evenly on the lines. The first usage of the command “steady” that should be taught is that of slackening the speed, as this applies when the horse is excited and we wish him to calm. This requires both judgment and patient effort. When all is going smoothly, encour- age the horse until he is going at a very lively rate, then give the command “steady,” followed: by a gentle see-saw motion of the lines. When he slows down to an even trot, caress him by rubbing or strok- ing him over the rump with the whip. Repeat until he will slow down at the command alone. Backing the vehicle. — After the horse has been Driving to Vehicle 81 driven several times and is going smoothly, he should be taught to back the rig. To do this, repeat the lesson on backing (p. 67) before hitching. Some prefer to take a position in front (Fig. 18). This has the advantage that should the horse refuse Fig. 18.— Teaching to back with the lines. to obey the command and the lines, you can assist him (as in Fig. 19) by applying pressure on the chest with the ends of the fingers when, according to the natural impulse, he will step backward. While working in this position, the driver applies the pressure with the right hand, pulls the lines with the left, and gives the command “back” at the same time. After the horse learns to back with the G 82 Training the Work Horse driver in front, he then takes his position behind the horse and proceeds as in teaching to back (p. 67). Now that the horse obeys the command readily, hitch him to the vehicle and drive part way up a slight elevation. Stop him and give the command “back,” followed by a see-saw motion of the lines. Fia. 19.— Teaching the horse to back a vehicle. To back the rig down such an elevation requires little or no pressure on the breeching. If more convenient, have an assistant take a position in front of the horse (Fig. 19). By employing some such methods as these the animal learns to back the vehicle in a natural manner. Repeat, stop, start, back, turn to the right and left until the horse is familiar with every detail. Train the horse to come under the shafts. — It is very aggravating to be obliged to lead the horse in front of the vehicle, leave him and go back and pull Driving to Vehicle 83 the rig forward, especially if he keeps stepping up and occasionally walks off and leaves us tugging at the shafts. To avoid this, train the horse to come under the shafts from the beginning. Take the horse to the training paddock, hold the whip up to one side and over him and try to make him go under it by pulling his head toward the whip. If he obeys, caress him; if he refuses, lays back his ears or steps back, reach over and tap him rather lightly with the whip, return it to its former position, and ask him to go under as before. If he refuses, repeat. When he goes under the whip at the signal, hold the shafts up and he will walk under them. If he should refuse, hold the whip in the hand with the shafts. After he steps under the shafts, lower them and arrange the shaft tugs, traces and hold-backs. Caressing with the whip. — Early in the horse’s training he should become familiar with the uses of the whip, not only as a means of punishment, but as a means of reward. The way to caress the horse ‘with the whip is to place it gently on the body and carefully stroke or rub the animal. To teach the horse this usage of the whip, take a position in front of him similar to teaching him to follow (p. 54). Begin by rubbing or stroking his mane and crest, then his back, sides, rump and lastly the quarters. As you are stroking him, feed him dainties, as sugar or a carrot. Ask the horse to follow you to some object at the command ‘‘come here,” as suggested. 84 Training the Work Horse This object should not be such as to frighten him, as a robe, but something familiar to the horse. Keep caressing him as he follows along by stroking with the whip and by an occasional taste of sugar. After following to a few familiar objects try a strange one, aS a robe, since horses are naturally afraid of robes. This time care must be exercised. It may be necessary to try several times before he will touch the robe with his nose, but by constant caress- ing and occasional tastes of sweets he will walk up to it. By this time he has come to look upon the con- stant stroking as a signal that no harm is to come to him. Hitching double. — If the horse is to be worked in a team, his training should be similar to that sug- gested above. When ready to hitch double, get a well-trained, gentle, but active horse, if the one you are training is active, for it is a mistake to hitch a quick, active one with a slow, lazy horse. The vehicle to which they are attached should be pro- vided with a good brake. The horse in training should be hitched to the off side and the team should be driven at first in a closed field. When hitching double for the first time, it is a good practice to keep a pair of single lines on the horse in training, which can be handled by an assistant. If one has two horses in training that he wishes to work together, they can be hitched together at this time if each has been trained as suggested above. If they do not Teaching the Horse not to be Afraid 85 match well in disposition, the impulsive one should be restrained and the slower one urged, so that when hitched together they will have nearly the same gait and respond similarly to the commands (Fig. 20). Fic. 20.— Young horses hitched double for the first time. TRAINING THE HORSE TO OBJECTS OF FEAR The horse should be made familiar with the various sounds and objects he is likely to meet, particularly along the busy thoroughfares of cities. Noise, such as is produced by brass bands, street car gongs, and the fierce shrieking whistles of the railroad engine, and objects such as traction engines, motor cars, trains and the like, is likely to frighten the 86 Training the Work Horse untrained horse out of his senses and he may prove a source of real danger. The horse should be driven once or twice before going through the course to familiarize him with frightful objects. At first his attention is taken up by the pressure of the harness, shafts and the ve- hicle following, and he gives little or no attention to objects along the road, which later may frighten him. For best results in giving this lesson use nothing but the bridle, surcingle and lines. Since the horse should have the free use of his head he should not be reined. To train the horse to endure strange sounds, stand him in the center of the inclosure and at first have an assistant hold the lines. If the horse has not received the command “ whoa” at various angles, he should at this time. To do this, circle around the horse, giving the command ‘‘ whoa”’ every few steps. Procure an old tin pan or anything that will make a noise and walk around the horse as before. When in front of him gently start the noise. The first time or two around, it may be necessary to stop the noise as you pass behind the horse, par- ticularly if he is very nervous. Gradually increase the racket until by the fourth or fifth round he will stand while you make all the noise you can. You may now give the pan to the assistant and have him walk in front, making all the noise he can while you drive the horse after him, frequently stopping and Objects of Fear 87 starting at the commands. Next have the assistant run, while you drive after him in a trot. To teach the horse to endure strange objects, have the assistant take a position about a rod in front of the horse, facing him, and with his uplifted hands full of old papers. Drive the horse toward the assist- ant, who should move backward as the animal approaches. Drive the animal between the out- stretched arms, and have the assistant carefully close in and gently touch either side of the neck with the papers. Rub them over the head and along the neck to convince the horse that they are harmless. Drop the papers a few at a time and drive over them, per- mitting him to stop and touch them with his nose if he likes. The papers may now be placed in a large pile and the horse driven through them with perfect safety (Fig. 21). In some such manner, the horse should be famil- iarized with other objects, such as umbrellas, flags, objects along the road and the like that are likely to frighten him. In fact, he should be driven up to anything that frightens him in the least and _per- mitted to touch it with his nose. It is rather im- portant that the horse very early in his career be made familiar with motor cars, street cars, trains, engines and the like. After he understands the meaning of the term ‘‘steady”’ (p. 80) and to be caressed by stroking with the whip (p. 83), this should not be difficult to teach. The street car is the Work Horse ining Tra 88 ‘syooqo osueI4s YJIM osioy SuNOA 94 SUIZIACIPIULe BL" We 9) a | Frightened Horses 89 the best object with which to train the horse to strange things, as we know when it is coming and where it is going, which we are never sure of in the ease of an automobile. Choose a road or street where the car-line crosses, drive the horse up to within, say approximately, one hundred yards of the track and stop until a car passes. If he seems nervous, caress him with the whip by stroking or rubbing his back, and by the command ‘‘steady.” Drive over the tracks and something like an equal distance beyond, and stop while another car passes. This time the noise is in the rear. Repeat this process, working the horse closer as each car passes, until he will stand within a few feet of the tracks as it passes. If perchance the car should stop at the crossing, drive the horse up to it and let him feel it with his nose. Never whip the horse past an object that causes him fright. At the time he probably is so frightened that he does not notice the blows of the whip until the object is past, in which case he may associate the pain with the object which caused his fright ; or if he does feel the whip, he knows that it cannot do him great injury; whereas he does not know the possibilities of the object and prefers the blows of the former to facing the latter. In any event whip- ping a frightened horse only increases his excitement and makes him more difficult to drive past the object. The better way is to caress him with the whip and 90 Training the Work Horse command him to go “‘steady,’”? when he will calm, if the signal and command have been taught prop- erly. Then he should be made to face the object, and if convenient, to feel it with his nose. Never let the horse hurry past an object or noise that frightens him. It may take some skillful manipula- tion and much patient effort to familiarize him with all the objects that cause him alarm, but without such training his education is essentially incomplete and at any time he may be frightened out of his senses, become uncontrollable and a serious accident may result. “Family broke.’ — In the show ring, on the horse market, in the sale stables and in fact wherever horses are shown or dealt with the terms ‘‘family broke” and ‘“‘family horse’’ are used. These terms signify that the horse has been trained so that he is perfectly safe to drive by any one accustomed to handling horses. Such animals are easily harnessed —bridled, cruppered and the like — often will fol- low at the command ‘‘come here,” go under the shafts at the signal, stand while being hitched, while mounting the vehicle, arranging the robes and until commanded to go forward. In addition they are familiar with all noise, such as brass bands, car gongs and the like, as well as with all objects, such as auto- mobiles, motor cars, engines, trains and objects by the roadside. The importance of such training is emphasized with horses of this class, since, other Family Horses 91 things being equal, such animals command the higher price on the market. So popular are such horses that most town, county and state fairs as well as horse shows provide special classes for their convenience. Pony for children. — Before attempting to edu- cate a pony for the children, we should be sure that the animal possesses an inherent docile and sweet temper. Train only such a pony as takes kindly to the children and seems to enjoy their company. The work of educating such a pony will be essentially the same as outlined above. He should be taught to obey as suggested for the ‘‘family horse.’’ For best results the children should be permitted to handle and feed him, as he will become attached to whomever feeds and grooms him. TRAIN THE HORSE TO WALK FAST There is no gait so valuable or so much appre- ciated and so practically useful in a horse as a fast square walk. This is as true of the work horse as of the driving or saddle horse. And yet this most prac- tical of all gaits is often entirely neglected in training the horse for his life-work. Perhaps this is due, in part at least, to the fact that we have no figures available as to the rate of speed the average work horse attains at the walk. Consider the case of a man plowing with a 16-inch plow and assuming that it cuts on the average its full capacity. To plow 92 Training the Work Horse one acre the team must travel a little over six miles. Now if we assume that the team walks two miles an hour for a 10-hour day, or twenty miles in all, then the man will plow something over three acres a day. If the team walks three miles an hour for the same length of time, then he will plow almost five acres a day. While it is not possible, perhaps, for one team to pull a 16-inch plow through all kinds of soil at the rate of three miles an hour for ten hours each day, yet this serves to illustrate the value of fast walking. Consider the case of a man harrowing with a 12-foot harrow and the team traveling first at the two-mile and then at the three-mile gait. As he must travel a little over two thirds of a mile in har- rowing one acre, in the former case he will harrow approximately twenty-nine acres a day, while in the latter case almost forty-four acres will be covered in the ten hours. Or consider the case of a man culti- vating corn with a single-rowed cultivator where the rows are three and one half feet apart and the team traveling at the same gaits as before. As the team must travel approximately two and one third miles to cultivate one acre, at the two-mile gait almost eight and one half acres will be cultivated, while at the three-mile gait almost thirteen acres will be cov- ered in the ten hours. Further, there is nothing, perhaps, that will cause a road horse to be driven harder and kept so continually at the trot as a de- ficiency in the walking gait. A Good Walking Gait 93 It is not difficult to train the average horse to walk fast providing the proper methods are employed early in his training. From the very beginning keep the horse walking up to his limit. We should never allow him to mope along at this time, or the habit will become so strongly fixed that it will be difficult to overcome. During the entire training process, therefore, urge him to his limit. If he breaks into a trot, steady him but do not allow him to fall back into a slow walk. Do not ask him to walk too far at a time, but give him practice each day. When one has a fast walking horse available it is a very good plan to place the green horse beside the fast walker and work them together, as this aids in fixing the habit of fast walking. TRAINING THE HORSE FOR HEAVY DRAFT Because of the desire of all horse owners to have their driving horse in presentable condition, much time and patient effort are spent in his education, whereas the slow plodding draft horse that does much of his work in the fields and on back streets is neg- lected. Though his work is very hard, he is very often left in the hands of incompetent drivers, who either do not know how to lighten the animal’s bur- den, or do not take sufficient interest. In the fields we often see plow-horses dragging along the plowman, who has the lines around his body, in addition to the 94 Training the Work Horse plow, and since they must pull the former by their mouths, he is by far the more fatiguing. In lke manner, on the streets, we often see the driver perched upon the heavily loaded van, holding the lines with extended arms and pulling on the horses’ mouths with all his strength, while the already over- loaded animals tug away at the load. On the other hand, we often see careless drivers who permit the lines to hang, thus leaving the horses to stumble along as best they can while at their burdensome task. : It is not possible for draft horses to accomplish their maximum usefulness while so driven. In the first case much energy is lost by the constant pulling of the driver, and in the second case the horses are not held together and hence lose energy pulling against each other. Never pull at a horse’s mouth one ounce more than is necessary, as the energy is lost, and never drive him without a light touch of the lines so you ean just feel the bit and hold him steady. In ease the horse is a lugger — one whose mouth has been pulled on until it has become eal- loused — relief can often be gained by dropping the bit into a new place or by changing to a large smooth rubber or leather covered bit, and some even go so far as to recommend the bitless bridle. The better plan is to put the horse into competent hands and then he will be trained properly from the beginning, and his usefulness increased, How to Train for Heavy Draft 95 In training the draft horse, extra care must be exercised to see that he is in good health and entirely free from abrasions likely to give him annoyance. Thus if the animal has a slight sore on the shoulder, back or tail, the draft increases the pain and he as- sociates the effort to pull with the pain and refuses to go into the collar, and the foundation for a balker is laid. Itis also important to see that the harness fits perfectly, and that the pressure is equally dis- tributed over the bearing surface (p. 317). Hitch the horse on the off side of an active even-puller, one that will go into the collar at the command and stay until the command ‘‘whoa”’ is given. Choose a smooth, hard road, avoiding soft ground, and if con- venient let the first few loads be of bulky material, as hay or straw. This will serve to fix the idea in the horse’s mind that he can pull anything that is loose. Never overload the draft horse in training. The first attempt should be made with a load not exceed- ng 300 pounds. After driving a short distance this may be doubled. Do not ask the young horse to pull more than his share of 1200 or 1500 pounds un- til the idea of going up against the pressure of the collar has become thoroughly fixed in his mind. Never train the young draft horse by hitching to a dragging load, as a plow, harrow, drag or wagon on soft earth. Such loads require constant pres- sure and serve to discourage the animal. In the case of the low hitch the pressure on the shoulders 96 Training the Work Horse and back is at a disadvantage; he cannot see the results of his efforts; the constant pressure is likely to cause sore shoulders and in the case of the plow the horse may be severely jerked in case the plow strikes a stone or root, all of which serves to discour- age and to break his spirit rather than to encourage and inculcate the idea that he can draw anything. As the training continues, the driver should adopt signals to warn the horse of approaching difficulties, and when he should get ready for superb effort. Excellent drivers use different terms ; some whistle, some cluck and some give one command, others another, any of which will serve if properly used, but best usage prefers the command ‘‘steady”’ given in a rather deep tone. At this command the horses square themselves and make ready for the effort. The draft horse should be trained so as gradually to go into the collar and stay there until commanded to cease, as it is the long swinging pull that brings the load. There are many methods of teaching this. When at all convenient, a good way to train the horses to make long steady pulls is to hitch them to a freight car. It requires a constant pull to start the car and the movement is very slow at first but gradually comes faster and easier, which gives the horse much encouragement. This requires patient and cool-headed effort on the part of the driver, but horses thus educated are of great service to mankind. The Lead Horse 97 TRAINING HORSES TO MAKE LEADERS ) The term ‘‘leader”’ is used in two ways; first it signifies the near or ‘‘lead’’ horse of a team, and second it is applied to the front or leading team when two or more teams are driven tandem, one fol- lowing the other. The former is employed largely on the farm, the latter in the large cities. To be efficient in either position requires extra training. On the farm the driver’s hands are often needed to operate the machinery and he is obliged, therefore, to rely on one line, which is attached to the near horse, and on commands, to drive his team. ‘The off horse is attached to the near one by means of a tie- strap and crowding-stick in such a way that the one is obliged to keep even with the other. Since the driver must rely, in part at least, upon spoken words to convey his desires, the leader must be taught these extra signals and commands, such as ‘“‘haw’”’ and “gee.” In the large cities the merchants find it more profitable to use heavy vans drawn by two or more teams and driven by one man. Since the leading team is so far forward that the driver cannot control it readily with the lines, he is also obliged to rely, in part, on signals and commands, the principal one, in addition to those above, being ‘“‘yea.’’ Teaching the commands ‘‘haw,” “gee” and “yea.” — When we wish the team to turn to the left, the command “‘haw”’ is given, or a steady pull is made H 98 Training the Work Horse on the lead line. When it is desired to turn to the right, the command “‘gee”’ is given, or a slight jerk is made on the line. These terms are best taught by providing a pair of lines and placing them on the lead horse and proceeding as suggested for teaching him to turn to the left and right (p. 65), giving the command ‘‘haw,’’ followed by a steady pull on the near line as we turn to the left, and the command ‘“‘gee,” followed by a slight jerk on the off line as we turn to the right. Caress and repeat until the horse will turn either way at the command or at the mo- tion of the line. Because of the position of the lines on the leading team, when driving two or more teams the driver is unable often to square the horses on turning, par- ticularly when six or more horses are used, as the slack in the lines is so great that he cannot take it up fast enough; therefore, when the leading team has gone far enough and he wishes it to square itself and go forward, he gives the command ‘“‘yea.’”’? This command should be taught to the leading team ac- cording to the suggestions outlined above for teach- ing ‘Shaw’ and “gee,’’ by employing long lines and along whip. When the horse has turned sufficiently, he is squared about with the long whip, immediately followed by the command ‘“yea.’’ These multiple teams are guided to the left and right by the com- mands, by the movement of the lines, or other signals, each driver having a code of his own. The Words to use in Training 99 CHOOSING A VOCABULARY FOR THE WORK HORSE The work horse should be taught few words and each should stand for a definite action. It would be of advantage if a standard vocabulary could be adopted and used all over the land, especially where horses pass from one owner or driver to another. As it is now with each driver using commands and signals of his own, the horse is greatly confused when- ever there is a change of drivers. In fact, if all drivers would agree to use a few of the more common commands for the same actions, the situation would be greatly relieved. Thus far we have suggested six words for general use; they are short, easily taught, and answer most conditions, at least for the work horse. Any teachable horse can be taught to obey all six commands in as many days if a little patient effort is put into the training. ' The six words that have been recommended for general use, and the actions they stand for, are as follows : — ‘“Whoa”’ means to stop and stand still. This is the most important word of the group and should never be spoken except when the above action is desired, and the horse should understand that he is to remain quiet until commanded to move. Do not use the word to slacken the animal’s speed, or to calm him, or when you wish him to move backward. 100 Training the Work Horse “Get up’? means to move forward. The tone should be modified for prompt or deliberate action. This term should be used for increasing the speed. There is no use of employing the words ‘“‘hurry”’ and ‘‘faster’’ for the draft horse. There is no ob- jection to the “cluck” or “chirrup,”’ but if they are to be used, the horse should be trained to obey them promptly. “Back” means to move backward. Because of the great amount of backing that must be done, this is likewise an important word and the horse should be taught its significance. Do not use this word to slacken or stop the animal. Do not use ‘‘whoa- back” or ‘‘back-up,’’ — simply ‘‘back.”’ The com- mand may be followed by a see-saw motion of the lines, but in no case jerk or yank on the animal’s mouth. , ‘““Steady’’ means to give attention to the work in hand. It applies to a variety of conditions; thus, when the horse is going fast and we wish him to slow down, this term is used ; or when the animal becomes frightened and we wish him to calm; or when we wish to warn him of approaching danger or difficulty we employ this command, but the voice should be modified to meet the attendant condition (p. 80). ‘‘Haw’”’ means to turn to the left, and is preferred to the command “ left.” ‘‘Gee”’ means: to turn to the right, and is preferred to the command “ right,” How to Handle the Feet 101 GENTLING THE FEET FOR SHOEING To avoid bad habits at shoeing, the horse’s feet should be handled before going to the shop. A few Fia. 22.— First position in picking up a front foot. horse owners impose upon the blacksmith by sending their horse to the shop to have him shod in order to assist them in training. The blacksmith cannot 102 Training the Work Horse take the time properly to train the horse. The sur- roundings, the noise and the flying sparks are new to the horse and he becomes excited. Under such Fig. 23.—Second position in picking up a front foot. conditions, when the blacksmith picks up the foot for the first time, the horse struggles, but since he was sent there to be shod the blacksmith retains his hold and after much excitement succeeds in shoeing Gentling the Feet 103 him, but not until the animal has acquired a general dislike to having his feet handled, and a particular hatred of blacksmith shops. This excitement and distrust can be avoided by a little patient effort in Fic. 24.— First position in picking up a rear foot. educating the horse to stand while his feet are being handled. The best way to pick up the foot is to run your left hand down over the shoulder, the fore arm, grasping, say, the near foreleg just above the knee, and to the rear (Fig. 22), and pinching the flexor mus- cle, which stimulates the horse to pick up the foot. 104 Training the Work Horse At the same time press the point of the shoulder with your left elbow, thus throwing the weight from the near to the off leg, and reach down and pick up a4 fe Fira. 25.— Second position in picking up a rear foot. the horse’s foot with the right hand. Hold the foot in the right hand (Fig. 23) for a moment, and then put it down carefully. Never drop the foot, but put it down. Pick it up again as before by the toe and Handling the Hind Feet 105 hold with the right hand. With the left hand reach over, rub the quarter and pinch the flexor muscle just above the hock (Fig. 24). Gently lower the Fia. 26.— Third position in picking up a rear foot. front foot with the right hand and reach down and pick up the hind foot (Fig. 25). Hold for a moment (Fig. 26) then gently place on the ground. Repeat the same process on the off side. Work only as 106 Training the Work Horse fast as the horse understands. If he becomes ex- cited and resists, do not attempt to hold him, but let him have his foot and begin all over again. In handling the feet never allow the horse to bear his weight on you, as he is big and strong enough to hold himself, and will do so when he understands what is expected of him. After handling the feet once it is a good plan to take the hammer and gently tap the hoofs as in shoeing. This gentling requires per- haps fifteen minutes, and after going through the course the horse will never be any trouble to shoe (p. 300). TRAINING TO MOUNT Since the work horse is seldom worked under the saddle, and not much time or effort is spent in train- ing him to mount, a short and quick method is given here, though the matter is taken up at some length, and modern methods are given, in the chapter on training the saddle horse (p. 155). In training a horse to mount be very careful that he does not suc- ceed in dislodging you, for if once he succeeds in get- ting you off his back, it will take some time to con- vince him that he cannot do it again. The best time to take the horse is after he has been exercised vigorously and while tired. The best place is on soft ground, where the horse can hurt neither him- self nor the rider. Put on the saddle as suggested in harnessing (p.72), and make sure that it is fastened Mounting 107 securely. Have an assistant hold the horse’s head while you mount. To steady the animal, some recom- mend the use of the noose- or rope- twitch (p. 197). The horse may rear, bound forward, buck or lie down. In any event, the rider must stay on, remembering that the horse is already tired and on soft ground. It is often an endurance trial, and this is the reason why one must have the horse tired to begin with, for otherwise he may be able to bound and buck till the rider is so exhausted that he can no longer main- tain his position on the saddle. When the horse calms, caress him and repeat until he stands quietly while you mount. CHAPTER IV TRAINING THE TROTTER, COACHER AND ROADSTER TRAINING horses for speed, high action and style requires much patient effort, unlimited tact and na- tive ability. No set of rules can be laid down that will apply in every case. No two horses are of the same disposition or temperament, and the successful training of each is a law unto itself. While study and the experience of others may serve to increase one’s skill, he will never be relieved of the necessity of using his own resources. The method is still further complicated by the fact that while there are many horses that have a tendency to show speed, action and style, and which can undoubtedly have the same very much improved by the adoption of a proper system of training, there are a great many others without this inclination and which it is hopeless to try to develop to a degree that makes it worth while spending time and effort onthem. Since the method employed must be modified to meet the needs of the animal’and the convenience of the trainer, only a general plan is given, which applies especially to the trotter, but which is to be modified as circumstance 108 When to Begin Training 109 demands. The plan is followed by a discussion of factors important in training horses of all classes. AGE TO BEGIN TRAINING There is much difference of opinion among horse- men as to the proper age to begin training the colt in order to develop maximum speed, style and ac- tion. Some say to begin before the colt is born, which, of course, would lead to a discussion of breed- ing, while others say that the youngster should be well developed before his training begins, particu- larly when high action is desired, as in the coach horse. There is a general feeling, however, espe- cially in the case of the trotting horse, that the train- ing cannot begin too soon, especially if the animal is to be raced while young. Some excellent horse- men are strong in their belief that the prejudice against early training in the past has hindered the progress in breeding horses for speed. The fact that early breeders were obliged to wait many years for returns from the capital invested, no doubt di- verted attention from breeding trotters. Horse breeders desire quick returns, hence they breed ani- mals that trot young. There can be no doubt that the younger a trotter makes a good record and a coacher shows his style and action, the quicker the breeder can turn his investment into cash and if they go wrong at two years old, they are a cheaper 110 Training the Trotter, Coacher and Roadster failure than if they go wrong at five or six years of age. The effect of breeding for early maturity and early training upon the future usefulness of the horse is a much discussed question. Formerly many breeders were of the opinion that such practice had a tendency to weaken the horse, while others were equally as certain that both early maturity and early training better fitted the animal to perform his life-work. Volumes have been written upon this particular question. As a rule at the present time, practical men favor early maturity, though they agree that early training calls for much more tact and judgment than the training of a mature animal. They are strong in the conviction that the colt can be trained for speed from his infancy and that such training, if judiciously given, will prove a great and lasting bene- fit and make him a better aged horse. METHOD OF TRAINING WHILE YOUNG The youngster should be trained much as sug- gested in the discussion on training the foal (p. 26). With the lighter and more active types of horses it is very important that they be handled and taught to lead with halter and drive with lines as suggested. It is essential that the colt’s entire confidence be se- cured and maintained, otherwise the trainer must work at a disadvantage. To be successful, a mutual Small Training Track Halal understanding must exist between the animal and his master. The training yard. — Since the youngsters are to be put into training very early in life, ample provision should be made for their accommodation.