| aa ee BO TINGION & CARLTON'S § B79 | IN = V7 IMB EETOD: Copy 1 / OF CATCHING AND HaNDL ING} THE HORSE: ENDORSED 1 sy HorsEMEN, THE PUBLIC AND PRESS WHEREVER INTRODUCED. wee MR CY See —“ he | + 4. ‘ 7 % . ye ret a er eer aL: te : " eS Sahat 1 ® ec | Re COPYRIGHTED. ts . ie Si Sn Tae a DENVER, COLORADO. Bde ; CHEYENNE, WYO.: DAILY LEADER STE JOB PRINT. 188s. Fo ane ; et y, BOYINGTON & CARLTON'S 98 | NEW METEOD OF CATCHING ano HANDLING Pi hy THE HORSE. ~> ENDORSED BY HORSEMEN, THE PUBLIC AND PRESS WHEREVER INTRODUCED. aca aan el ane aie RY OF @ \ORE CetoryR IGOR a ' ~ tA Le o Al 2 1886 4) COPRARIG HTH DPD: » IY 3 & % wae OF w ASHI} DENVER, COLORADO. CHEYENNE, WYO.: DAILY LEADER STEAM JOB PRINT, 188s. Pe EL alae a fate a4 BS iy age * aes - Agel al ‘Si at INTRODUCTION. Our object in bringing this book before the public is to give them our method of handling wild, unbroken and spoiled horses, in printed form, as it is almost impossible to remember all the different points as given before a class, nor can we explain them as thoroughly as we can here; yet it is a great help to a scholar to have a practi- cal illustration ot the method on a horse as given before a class in referring to this book afterwards. In writing this book we have tried to make every point as plain and simple as possible, and by a careful perusal of them, and putting them to a practical use, you wil! have no difi- culty in handling your horses tar easier and more success- fully than by the oid ways now in use throughout the W est. We give to our scholars in a few chapters what has taken us years of experimenting and hard study to bring up to its present stage of perfection. We have handled the wildest and most vicious horses that could be found in the West, and have never made asingle failure; anda large number of our scholars are handling horses by our method and are meeting with marked suc ess, and speak | of it in the highest terms. They say their horses handle so much easier and better than by any other method they 2 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. ever used, that they do not seem like the same animals. There have been so many so-called horse-tamers who have swindled the people by drugging the horse to get control of him, or using some new complicated patent breaking-rig that is of no earthly use only to keep control of the horse whilst it is on, that the people look upon us with suspicion, and are prejudiced against us. But wherever we have introduced our system it has met with favor at the hands of all practical, wide-awake horsemen. We have had scholars who have taken lessons from all the leading horse-tamers from Rarey down to the present time, and one and all acknowledge our method of hand- ling the horse to be superior to all others. We include a few endorsements and testimonials to further prove the authenticity of our method: WILLIAMSBURG, Fremont County, Colo. Having taken lessons from Professors Boyington & Carlton, and seen them handle twenty head of horses, I can truly say they are wonderful men in their profession. I doubt if the world can produce men more especially adapted, or possessed of superior abilities in the vocation they follow. Their explanations are perfect and easy of comprehension, and animals under their management become perfectly docile and submissive without abuse or injury. C. F. Bripass, M. A. » CoLoRaDO Springs, Colo., Jan. 30, 1885. To Whom it may Concern: , This certifies that we have witnessed the plan of hand- ling unbroken and vicious horses used by Messrs. Boy- ington & Carlton, and consider it humane, practical, and successful. We hope it may entirely take the place of the TESTIMONIALS. | 3 cruel and brutal means too often used in:breaking horses. We can recommend their plan to all horsemen as being sufe and sure in results. No horse can be injured nor made vicious by their methods. | . Stevens & Rovsz, Liverymen. Canon City, Colo., Dee. 4, 1884. We, the undersigned, have witnessed Messrs. Boying- ton & Carlton in their mode of handling and breaking horses, and take pleasure in stating that they performed everything that they promised to do. Their method is kind and humane—is a matter of education rather than force—is devoid of all tricks, and can be learned by any- one interested enough in horses to take lessons from them, and we believe that any horse broken or trained by their system will be of greater value than if treated with severity, as is too often the case. T. S. Wetis, Mining. Ira Mutock, Pres. Exch’g B’k. H. G. FULLER. Lyman Rosinson, Mining. J. W. Dawson, M.D. Dz D. Lewis, Mercury. W. R. Situ, Stockman. W. Parker, Horse raiser. CG. P. Horr, Warden Colo. State Penitentiary. Canon City, Colo., Dec. 24, 1884. This is to certify that I have seen Professors Boying- ton & Carlton catch and handle a wild horse without the use of a rope. Their methods are good, effective and permanent, and should they be adopted by the people throughout the country, our horses would be more dur- able and safe, either under the saddle or in the harness, and there would be no more use for societies for the pre- vention of cruelty to animals. I do cheerfully recom- mend them to horse raisers, and I hope to live to see their methods of handling the unbroke horse adopted in every section of our country. Tuos. H. CRAVEN, Mayor of Canon City, Colo. 4 NEW METHOD.OF HANDLING THE HORSE. LETTER FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY. Denver, Colo., May 25, 1885. To Whom it May Concern : We, the officers of the Colorado, Humane Society, take take great pleasure in commending the method of Messrs. Boyington & Carlton of handling wild bronchos and un- manageable horses. They catch the wildest horse with- out the use of a rope, strap or any other means, except by kindness and approaching the animal through his intelligence. They do all they represent and more. No blow is struck; No throwing. No sweating. No bru- tality, The animal is conquered by kindness aud divested of fear and .is of more value to the owner by a large per cent than when broken by the old method. Heads of companies should allow their employes to use no other than their method. Fathers should have their sons learn it. Ministers should preach it. Teachers should teach it. The public should encourage it, and all horsemen should adopt it. It is humane, philosophical, effective, and accomplishes the end thoroughly. We believe it to be superior to any other method ever introduced, and a great step in the advance of civilization. We believe it to be practical, sure and safe. A girl can catch and handle a wild horse by their method easier and in less time than the hardiest cowboy can by the old method. We commend it for its humanity and perfect results. C. W. McCorp, Sec’y Colo. Humane Soe. 16th and Champa Sts., Welch Blk. N. G. Burnuam, President, 410 Champa Street, Denver. SAMUEL F.. Tow.z, Vice-President, 3038 Stout Street, Denver. CATCHING THE COLT. Let the colt you wish to catch be in a separate corral away from all other horses and out of their sight. The corral in which you catch the colt should be thirty-five feet square (a square corral is better than around one for new beginners in the art of catching by our method), . Let the colt become cool, all excitement gone, before you attempt to catch him. Take a long, slim pole (a joint fish-pole is the best) and advance slowly toward the colt with the pole extended toward his nose. Should the colt attempt to run around the corral, step in front of him and force him to stop; when he gets quiet, put the end of the pole to his nose; if he turns, keep the pole in front of him; the instant he smells of the pole, draw it away for a moment, then put it forward again; don’t try to keep it there at first—if you do, he may become fright- ened at it. When he will smell of it and not become frightened, stroke his nose gently with it; if he shrinks from it, draw it away for a moment; gradually work the pole up on his face and head about his ears; advance slowly toward him; keep up a stroking motion, and as you advance toward him work your disengaged hand up and down the pole that he may get used to the motion of your hand; talk to him all the time. When you get 6 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. close enough you can take off the upper joint of the pole. Should he refuse to let you put your hand on his nose, work toward his neck; keep up the motion with the pole when you first put your hand on his neck; you can soon take the pole away. Stroke him gently down the neck and over the ears; if he flinches when you stroke a new place, go back to the place you were stroking and ad- vance slowly again. Should the colt at any time become frightened and jump away, step back ana bring him > around to the same corner again, and advance slowly; never rush toward him until you have himsecured. The object is to gain his confidence and let him know you are not trying to injure him, and when you have won his confidence he becomes a willing subject in your hands, to do with as you please. There are some colts that will hold their heads down nearly to the ground when you try to catch them; if you have one that does this, tap him under the jaw with the pole every time he puts his head down; he will soon quit that. Then again you will find those that will not pay any attention to the pole, and will turn the head away refuse to smell of it. Take a hand- kerchief and fasten it to the end of the pole and swing it gently toward his head; this will excite his curiosity, and he will turn and smell of it. Another will want to keep his hind part towards you. For one of this description a few sharp taps on the rump will be sufficient to cause him to turn his heads toward you. Now bring your halter and allow him to smell of it; rub it all over his neck and ears and slip the nose piece CATCHING THE COLT. 7 over bee nose and ae again a Giwanea of times before fast- ening it on. Sometimes you will find a horse that has been caught the old way and has been hurt around the nose, and refuse to allow you to slip the halter on over his nose. Should ‘this be the case, quit his head and work his front feet with the pole by stroking his breast and down on to his near front leg clear to his hoof, and fasten up his near front foot. as directed in chapter on “Handling the Colt.” Then you will have but little trouble,in putting the halter on. You will have but little trouble in catching any horse by this method, if you take him by yourself with nothing to draw his attention from you. Should you have a vicious horse to catch—one that will fight—take a sack or piece of dried skin into the corral with you and keep it behind you out of sight. The instant he starts toward you, bring this from behind you, shake it at him and speak sharp to him. We have never failed to quiet the worst of them in this way. TO STAND AT HALTER. One of the first things a colt should be taught after being caught is to stand when hitched by the halter, with-- out trying to get away. Take a halter without the draw on the chin strap, put this on the colt, then put on our patent halter breaking rig, or take a three-eighth inch cotton cord (a common rope will do for a colt) about twenty feet long, attach two rings one foot each way from the center of the rope or cord, place the center on the colts’ back—this brings a ring on each side ; pass the cord on the near side under the body and up through the ring on the off side, then forward through the halter. Now bring the cord on the off side under the body, up through the ring on the near side, then forward through the hal- ter; fasten both ends to the manger or post. This forms a draw around the body, and no horse can stand it to pull long, and the cords passing the shoulders keep him steady on his feet. Now force the colt back by swinging a blanket in front of him; don’t strike him over the head to hurt him; one or two lessons will be all sufficient. Be careful about standing very close in front of him, for in- variably he wili come forward with a bound to avoid the pressure around the body. Use the same rig on an old halter puller, only let the TO STAND AT HALTER. 9 lesson be sharper and more severe than with a colt, fore- ing him back until he refuses to straighten the halter stale. We have never failed to break the worst. halter- pullers that have been brought to us for treatment in one lesson by this method, and nothing could induce them to pull back afterwards. Another very simple way to break an old halter-puller, or to lead a horse, is to take three-eighths inch cord, make a loop at one end, put this on as a crupper, pass the cord around the body just forward of the hind legs, under and over the cord onthe back, then forward through the halter to the manver, then back to the halter and fasten ; then cause him to pull back the same as with the - other hitch. Some horses will kick a little when this tightens on the flanks at first, but will soon quit it. This is a good rig to use when leading a horse behind a wagon | if he has the habit of hanging back. This should never be used on mares when heavy with toal, as it is liable to injure them. TO HANDLE THE COLT. When the colt has been caught he should be handled all over in every way. There is nothing that does more towards breaking a colt than this does. Take a strap about fourteen feet long, or a long rein, swing this around the near front foot; don’t let it touch him until he be- comes familiar with the motion, when he will allow you to put it around his fetlock by drawing the opposite end of the strap to you, and form a loop by buckling around the strap near your hand and letting it slip down to the foot; then draw the foot forward and up from the ground and let it down again betore he has a chance to resist ; repeat this until he will allow you to keep it up a short time; then double it back, bringing the foot up to the elbow, and let it down again; gradually increase the length of time in holding it up; he will soon Jearn to wait for you to let it down. Now put on a knee strap around the fetlock and forearm. Then cause him to step around a little on three legs to get his balance; if he is not allowed to step off a little, he is apt to drop to his knees and then le down every time his foot is taken up. Now take the long strap and swing it around his near hind leg and fasten the strap the same as with the front foot ; draw his hind foot a little to one side and hold the strap firmly TO. HANDLE. THE: COLT. II with one ee Le Hig ee eae the pat If he makes a motion to Kicks puli his foot from under him. In this. way you can handle his teet on the near side, and by changing the strap to the off hind foot you can handle him on the off side. Do not keep his front foot strapped up too long,.for it is very tiresome.to the colt. Should he be extremely vicious and show too much resistance when handling his hind feet, put on a strong surcingle with a ring underneath, have a hobble on the near hind foot, fusten a long strap to the hobble, pass it up through the ring in the surcingle, then back through the ring in tbe hobble, then forward again to the surcingle: now let his front foot down and draw his hind foot up. He may struggle considerably, but will soon give up. Now you can handle him all over with perfect safety to yourself and no danger of injuring the colt. Jump all over him and slip off behind. He cannot kick or strike in this position. Take a blanket and shake it all around and over him. Always let him smell of anything you may bring around him. [Pet him and reward him frequently with anything he may like. Be firm yet gentle with the colt; use no harsh means when you can accomplish what you desire by gentle means. We often handle a colt all over in this way before a halter is put on when handling betore a class, simply to show what can be done with a wild colt. A colt can be taught to eat oats or other grain when handling by giving it to him when he is excited, for then he will nibble at almost anything. Horses that run in | \ 12 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. herds in the West know but little about grain, and they have to learn to eat it. Repeat this treatment a few times, and you can handle the horse as you please. By handling his feet and pound- ing on them lightly, he will stand to be shod without giving any trouble. Do not wait to have the blacksmith break your horse for you. The colt can be taught to lead and to stand at halter before handling him all over as directed here, but he should by all means be handled in this manner before attempting to work or ride him. PROPER METHOD OF BITTING. There has been a great mistake in the manner of bit- ting colts heretofore. The object to be gained by proper bitting is a free, graceful bearing of the head and neck, a flexible mouth, and also by our method a bearing of the harness on all parts, pressure of the collar and breeching, which overcomes his fear of the harness when first driven. This point has been neglected by all horsemen heretofore, and it is a decided advantage to be gained in handling colts, and in case time cannot be taken to bit the colt in style, as his services are needed on the road or farm, it puts him in better trim to work. In bitting colts care should be taken to not check the head too high, for the muscles of the neck soon get weary and the colt lugs or presses down on the bit to rest the neck, and when he forms this habit it is almost impossible to remedy it. Our ~method of bitting colts whose services are wanted right away is to take a good strong harness with breeching, put it on the colt, and draw the side-straps tight enough to bring strong pressure on the collar and breeching. This teaches him to press the collar when pulling, and against the breeching when holding a load. It is a preventitive against his trying to jump or back out of the harness when hitched to the wagon. You will see by doing this -14 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. the colt pulls a load at every y Bt and hold a a load at the same time, and if he is allowed to wear this pressure for a day or two in the yard or corral, he will pull his share of the wagon when hitched to it. Now, to put this harness on, take the colt in the corral —never harness him in the stable when breaking him, as he is more apt to become frightened in a stable than he is outside, and you have not the room to guard against acci- dents that might happen to the colt or to yourself in so small a place—and always have him in such a position that he cannot get away froin you by putting on the knee strap aud fastening bis near front foot up; have a halter on, and bring the harness in front of him; let him smell of it; then rattle it around him; rub his side with it; work it over his neck, then on his back, and down over his hind quarters, always keeping firm hold of the harness. Repeat this a number of times until he shows no fear, then put on the collar and put the harness in its proper position on nm; then, as directed before, draw the side- scraps tight so that the harness will press him at every, step; now let him take a few steps on three feet; this is to give him to understand that he cannot get it off, or must not try to; then let his foot down. ‘Take a common snaffle or joint bit open bridle, put it on the colt, then take a small rope or cord, fasten its cen- ter to the back band, pass the ends forward through the gag-runners, then down through the bit rings, then back to the side- atrind and fasten one on each side; these can be raised or lowered to regulate the position you wish to PROPER METHOD OF BITTING. 15 train the head; the higher it is the more it will pull the head up, and the lower it is the more it will draw the nose in. Check loosely at first, and you can draw a little tighter as he becomes used to the bit, but as I said before do not draw the check too tight -to start in with. The colt can be driven in the corral whilst bitting this way, if he is wanted to work right away, as directed in the chap- ter on “Driving to Harness ”’ For bitting a colt where you have time to do so, to give him good style, use a regular bitting-rig, made of good strong leather, with crupper fastened on with buckles that may be let out or taken up, and two straps and buckles on the girth, or two rings, one on each end, and a latigo « strap attached, the same as on a saddle. It is not neces- sary to euter into a detailed description, as the rigs are so common. Always use a snaffle or joint bit, and do not let him wear it but a few moments at a time at first, as it irritates some colts a a great deal. Another very simple rig is to take the pad and crupper of an old harness; take out the terrets, as they are only in the way; take a small rope or cord, place the center in the check hook, run it forward through the gag-run- ners, down through the bit rings on either side, back to the sides and fasten; this gives a free movement of the head up and down. Another plan would be to put on a aarenigle with a loop on top and one on each side; fasten the rope or cord to this the same as to the other. Should the colt form the habit of lugging on the bit, it will be necessary to put 16 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. on the link bit, or a cord over the head and through the mouth, as described in the chapter on “Driving to Wagon.” The link bridle is made of two links, three inches in length, made of two eighths inch iron; put on a snaffle or joint bit, a link on each side of the mouth; fasten these links together across the nose with a small round strap, not tight enough to hurt the horse; attach a strap or cord to this strap and fasten to the brow-band of the bridle to keep the links in place, and whenever the colt pulls heavily or does not rein freely, give him a few sharp jerks on the lines, and repeat the lesson until he quits lugging and will drive freely. This will have to be foilowed up until he gives up unconditionally. When you are bitting the colt change the bitting-rig occasionally for the harness, with the pressure the same as described in the first part of this chapter. By this you are teaching him to work to harness, and it saves a great deal of time and trouble when you come to drive him to wagon or buggy. This is one of the best points to be gained in handling colts. They handle so much easier and better when first hitched up. DRIVING TO WAGON. After bitting the colt as directed in the previous chap- ter, the colt should be driven in the yard or corral, both single and double. Right here we will speak of a very simple method we have practiced with success to teach a colt to turn either way by the bitin a very short time, without injuring the mouth in the least. Put ona bridle with a joint bit, or a straight bit will do, with good broad bars at the ends to keep the bit from drawing into the mouth. If you have not got a bit of that kind, you can use a bit with rings at the ends. Pass a strap through the rings under the jaw just tight enough to keep the bit in place, then take a line, fasten it tothe bit, tie a knot in the tail, split the hair above the knot, pass the line through the tail back to the bit, draw his head to one side —that forces him to turn. Practice this a short time and he will turn by simply pulling on the bit; then go on the opposite side and repeat the lesson. You will see by this that he has learned to turn either way in a very short time. Now take your lines, fasten them to the bit, but to no other part of the harness; this allows the lines to come down on the legs, which gets him used to the swing- ing of the tugs or traces, and it also gives you a chance to turn a colt by drawing the line around the rump. After 18 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. the colt becomes used to the lines around his legs and rump, we allow him to step over them and then draw them up between his legs. This is done to prevent his becoming frightened, should he through some cause get astride the trace when driven. Now he should be taught the meaning of the word “whoa,” and one of the simplest ways, and the easiest on the horse, is to put a hobble or foot-strap on either one of the front feet; attach a line or stout cord to this and pass it up under the belly-band back and hold it with your lines, now start him up, and when you wish him tostop say ‘“‘whoa,”’ and pull up his foot; draw on the lines at the same time. He may struggle a little, but still keep his foot up until he ceases to struggle and will stand still; then let his foot down; then start him, again, and repeat. He will soon stop at the word with- out pulling on the footstrap. This avoids hurting the mouth by trying to teach them tu stop by pulling on the bit. There are some horses that will not learn to stop by this. These are generally dull, stupid horses. With these you will have to pursue a different course. For a horse of this kind take a cotton cord three-eighths of an inch in diameter, (or a cotton clothes line will do) and about twenty or twenty-five feet long; place the center of this cord across the horse’s head under the crown piece of the bridle, pass the ends down underneath the bridle, through the mouth and up through the gag-runners, back behind the horse—the cords cross each other in the mouth; now when you wish to stop the horse give a.sharp pull on this cord; be sure to speak to the horse at the same time; DRIVING TO WAGON. 19 this must be used judiciously as it is very severe, for it acts on the tender nerves on the top of the head as well as on the mouth, and if used too severely it is liable to cause him to run back. Always use cotton cord, as it will not cut the mouth as harsher cords will. The bit should be below the cord in the mouth so as to give free action when pulled upon. Now the colt or horse is ready to be driven double Always drive them in the yard or corral betore hitching to wagon, as you have better control of them there than elsewhere. After driving them together for a short time in the corral they are ready to hitch to the wagon. Drive them hitched together up to the wagon and around it, and rattle the wagon that he may get used to the noise. The horse you drive the colt by should be a gentle one that will stand still when you hitch up. For the first two or three times you drive the colt have the toot strap on; always put it on the inside front foot; pass the strap up under the belly-band (which should be loose enough to allow the strap to slip freely), then between the trace and tongue into the wagon. This pre- vents his running should he become frightened, or throws him off his guard should he attempt te kick, by pulling his foot up should he attempt to do either. Always let it down as soon as he quits trying to kick or run. Never drive the colt a long distance the first time. Itis not the distance you drive but the manner in which you drive that breaks the colt properly. One mile driven ona walk, keeping the colt cool, is better than ten or twenty miles _ driven on a trot or run, as the majority of breakers drive 20 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. in this country. You are breaking the colt fully as much when you are hitching up and unhitching as when driv- ing him. In giving these instructions it is supposed that when you are driving the colt in the corral the side-straps of the harness are drawn tight enough to press the collar against the shoulders and the breeching against the hind parts quite heavily. This gets him accustomed to pulling and holding back, and when he is hitched to the wagon he will press the collar and pull his share of the wagon very soon after starting. When the harness is drawn tight, the breeching should be well up under the tail; if it is low down it will bind his limbs too much and prevent his traveling freely. It is not necessary to have the harness drawn tight when driving to wagon: in fact, it is best to loosen it some. There is one thing I wish to speak of here concerning the harness: Be sure it fits the colt, neither too big or too small. We have ofter seen horses driven with the short trace that connects with the hame too long and the belly-band drawn tight around the body, and the poor -horse pulling the most of the load by the band around his body; then again the back-band slipping around over the back being too long and the belly-band drawn tight, the breeching too loose and swinging trom one side to the other. The collar is the most important part. This should fit perfectly—neither too tight or too loose. There should be just room enough between the collar and wind- pipe to slip your open hand in. Have the hames well - fitted to the collar. DRIVING TO WAGON. 21 Should you wish to break the colt to drive single, after driving him a short time in the corral and you have good contro] of him, take two smooth poles long enough to pass through the shaft lugs and drag on the ground be- hind the horse. A cross-piece is fastened on just back of the horse. Drive him awhile in this rig and allow him to come back against the cross-piece; have the cord on de- scribed in this chapter, and use it should he make any at- tempt to kick. When he will drive ail right to this rig, he is ready to be hitched to a sulky or road cart. If he has been handled properly he will drive off with but little trouble. If possible drive him to a two-wheeled rig, as it allows the colt to turn without cramping the wheels. It is an excellent plan to drive the colt two or three times double before driving him single; the other horse is com- pany to him, and he learns to keep the road and will not be so apt to swing out of the road away we every strange object he may meet. It is customary to use blinders on colts when breaking them. This is altogether wrong. They should never be used on horses, unless it be one that is lazy or gets cun- ning and watches the whip, and when it is in the socket he will lag behind, but the instant you make a motion to get.it he will spring forward. In a case like this, one aught to use them, otherwise they are an abomination, as. they are usually put on haphazard, sometimes pressing against the eyes or swinging back and forth like a loose blind on a house during a wind storm. Horses of ordi- nary intelligence will drive better and safer without them. 22 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. Let the colt see all that is going on around him; it gives him greater confidence in himself, and he will not scare at anything that comes up behind him one-half as quick if he can see it coming as he will if his line of vision is shut off. Then again it injures the sight, more especially where the blinders are close to.the eyes. BREAKING TO SADDLE. Breaking to saddle is one of the main points in handling horses in the West, where there are so many saddle horses used. In the Kast there is but little difficulty experienced in riding horses. But little is known there about buck- ing or pitching for this reason: The colts are kept, as a rule, in or around the barn, and they have no fear of man as they are almost constantly around them, and the boys on the farm are climbing over them long before they are able to carry them any distance, and by the time they are old enough to ride they will travel right off without giv. ing any trouble. Occasionally one will jump a little, but that is no comparison to the style the Western horse will work a man up when breaking him to the saddle by the old method, and it is a great source of amusement to the broncho riders to get a rider just from the East npon an old veteran bucker, as he will invariably throw him. Their pitching is so much harder and of a different nature than that of the Eastern horses. And why? Simply be- cause in the majority of cases (I might say all) they are taught to pitch. Take the horses of the East and let them run wild on the plains or in the hills the same as the horses of the West, and jam them around as they do here, and they would be just as wild, if not wilder. In 24 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. fact, I believe they would be worse, for it is a harder task to handle a spoiled blooded horse than two spoiled bron- chos or Western horses, for the blooded horse has got the bottom and staying qualities which the cold blooded horses do not possess. Blooded horses that have been raised here and allowed to run out on the range until old enough to work have given more trouble in breaking than the common horses of the West They were more excit- able when heated up and resisted longer. There are no works that treat on the proper method of handling horses to the saddle that we can find. There are plenty of works (such as they are) that treat on break- ing to wagon. The reason for this is that all horsemen who have traveled through this country heretofore are men from the Hast, where, as I said before, they have no trouble in handling their horses to saddle, as they are in- variably broken to the harness first, and are thoroughly domesticated. In the West the horses that run in herds are but one grade above the wild horse. The horses of the West can be broken to saddle (with but very few ex- ceptions) without their pitching or bucking, if they are only handled right. We have never had any difficulty in breaking them, either unbroke horses or those that had been broken the old way and would buck every time they were saddled up. Can we blame a horse for bucking eet handled by the old way? Let us draw a pen picture of the old bar- barous method that has been in use, and still is, in all parts of the West and South: A band or herd of horses BREAKING TO SADDLE. 25 are driven into a corral; a rope is thrown upon the one that is wanted; sometimes several attempts are made before the right one is caught, and the horses are wild with fright, jamming, pushing and running around the corral trying to get away. When the right one is caught he is snubbed up to the snubbing post and often choked until he falls from exhaustion; if not, he is thrown, a blindfold placed over the eyes, a bit forced into the mouth, a saddle put ou and cinched or drawn until the poor horse is nearly cut in two; then a rider mounts the saddle, the blind is drawn, and the horse forced to go by whip and spur. Is it any wonder the horse bucks, pitches, lays down, throws himself over backwards, and tries by all means in his power to rid himself of this strange object that has been thrust upon him? MHe is whipped and spurred until the blood runs, and his mouth cut up by a harsh Spanish bit (a relic of barbarism). Is this right? Is it human? It certainly is not. Thissystem should be banished from the land as being too barbarous to be used by civilized people. Handle your horse all over, as directed in the chapter on “TTandling the Colt,’ rubbing him all over with a blanket, pulling it off behind, ete. Bring the saddle, let him smell of it,and rattle it all around him. In most cases it will only be necessary to have the front foot strapped up. Should he be very fractious, it may be necessary to tie up the hind foot to the surcingle. Place the saddle on his neck, then gradually draw it on his back and down over his rump. Always keep a firm hold on the saddle ; \ 26 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. do not let him jump with it and throw it off himself. Follow this up until he will allow you to place it on him without flinching, with his feet all on the ground; this seldom takes more than thirty minutes. Now have a platform made about three feet high (this can be done by placing a plank through the fence in the corner of the corral); get up on this and lead the colt up to it by having a long strap or rope on the halter, Take a common buggy whip and make him step around by tapping him on the flank on the off side; if he makes one step, stop tapping and pet him by talking kindly and patting him on the neck; then try him again; he will turn his side to the platform ; now put your foot over his neck and work it along over his back and rump; gradually place your leg farther over until you can sit on his back; keep hold of the fence with your left hand, or take a turn around a post or top pole of the fence with the rope or strap at- tached to the halter and hold to this; ‘this is to prevent your falling or getting thrown should he attempt to move away. When he gets accustomed to this, get off the plat- form and strap up his foot and place the saddle on him ; draw the cinches just tight enough to hold the saddle in place; lead him around on three feet for a few moments, then take his foot down and let him rest; after he has rested, strap his foot up again and draw the cinches a Iit- tle tighter so that the saddle will not turn when you mount; put your foot in the stirrup and swing up against his side a number of times, then swing your leg over bis rump and back, then into the saddle and out again a BREAKING TO SADDLE. 29 number of times; this is to teach him to stand whilst you are mounting. Now take his foot down and let him rest, as It is very tiresome for him to stand on three feet when you are swinging over him. When you are ready to ride him, take a three-eighths inch cord and put it on the same as on a runaway horse described in the paragraph on run- aways; have the cord just long enough to pass under the horn of the saddle and up over the horn; draw this just tight enough to keep his head in a natural position—not too high; take up his foot again and lead him around a little to let him know he cannot buck should he attempt it; let his foot down when he goes without trying to | jump; swing into the saddle and start him up; if he does not start off pool, let some one lead him. Do not ride but a short distance before you get off. If he gives you any trouble, ride him at tirst with his foot up. ‘This will take all idea of bucking out of him right on the start. When he will travel off without trying to pitch, let his foot down. After riding him around the corral a few times he is ready tor the road. Ride but short distances at first, and in company with another horse. Keep this cord on the first two or three days, loosening it a little as he behaves good. When riding him in the corral it is an excellent plan to take a blanket in your hand and swing it all over him, and swing in and out of the saddle care- lessly that he may get used to all movements around him when you have him in such a shape that he can do noth- ing. By breaking a horse this way you are not obliged to grasp the cheek strap of the bridle and pull his head 28 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. around to one side in order to mount him, and he is broken on both sides at the same time, and if handled according to directions he will not buck, for he has not learned how. Horses broken the old way are simply taught how to buck by forcing them to it by whip and spur before teaching them anything you want them to do. FEAR OF DIFFERENT OBJECTS. Fear is the main thing we have to overcome in the horse, especially in colts; when breaking they are quite susceptible to fear. It is fear that causes the unbroke horse to shun or resist the approach of man, and to show resistance when the attempt is made to handle him. Our method of catching does. more toward doing away with fear on the part of the colt or unbroke horse than any other method in existence. It teaches him that we are his friend, and not his enemy. _ The horse’s power of reasoning is limited to hearing, seeing and feeling. You have got to educate these three senses, and educate them by degrees. If you wereto try to overcome a horse’s fear of a buffalo robe, you would not force it at once upon him; if you did, it would only increase his fear. You should allow him to approach it by degrees—overcome his fear gradually. Horses some- times become so badly frightened as to drop dead. Horses often in crossing a railroad track become so paralyzed »with fear on the sudden approach of a trainas to be unable to move out of the way. There are horses so extremely nervous that it is impossible to wholly overcome their fear ‘of some objects. They can be made safe for all practical purposes, yet not really sate for a lady to drive, and a 30 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. horse of this description should always be handled by a firm, careful hand to avoid accidents.. The horse should be given a careful, thorough treatment in the yard or cor- ral before driving to wagon. Confine the colt the same as directed in the chapter on ‘Handling the Feet.”’ Then take a sack or blanket, advance slowly with it towards his nose ; allow him to smell of it; rub it gently on his nose, then on his neck, over his body, down on and around his legs, also on both sides of the body alike. As he be- comes accustomed to this, slap it on the ground all around him. Do not strike him to hurt him. He must be familiarized with it in all positions. After using a sack or blanket you can use a robe of any kind by simply re- peating the operation. For a horse that fears an umbrella bring it closed; allow him to smell of and touch it with his nose; gently stroke his nose with it, then his neck, and all over. When he. will stand this without flinching, bring it forward near or in front of him and open it slowly by degrees, and grad- ually bring it over and around him. Should he show any fear at any point, let him smell of it again, and work back to the same place. Now step away afew feet and advance slowly toward him from different points. Atter the first short lesson with the sack or blanket it will not be neces- sary to have him confined in any way, with the exception: of a bridle or halter to keep him from leaving you. Never under any circumstances force the umbrella on him sud- denly, or any other object, no matter how well he may be broke. FEAR OF DIFFERENT OBJECTS. 31 When we were breaking horses we generally used an umvrella in place of a buggy top. When we wished to break a colt to the buggy we would raise and lower it, and swing it around and over him. We never had any trouble in driving a colt to a top buggy after this treat- ment, as far as the top was concerned. If the horse is afraid of the rattle of the buggy or wagon, first lead him up to it, let him smell of it, then rattle it lightly ; increase the noise as he becomes accus- tomed to it; then lead him alongside; then have it be- hind him, rattling and shaking it until he evinces no fear of it. Lead him between the shafts with his head toward the wagon; raise the shafts gently ; if he does not flinch, press them gently against his legs; then back him be- tween the shafts and repeat; or, which is better, drive him in the yard or corral with poles and cross-bar, as directed in the chapter on “Driving to Harness,” allow- ing the poles and cross-bar to strike his legs. Have the cord across his head and through his mouth, as described in the same chapter, as it may be necessary to check him should he attempt to kick or run. You must have good control of the mouth before driving to wagon, and this cord is one of the best means of getting control of the mouth that we know of. There is another rig or bit that is good: Take a good snaffle or joint bit, put two links three inches in length, made of two-eighths inch iron, on the bit by slipping over the bit ring, put this bit on the bridle, have the links one on each side of the mouth, connect them bya small strap across the nose, run astrap 32 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. or cord from this strap across the nose up to the brow- band of the bridle and fasten to keep the links from slip- ping down over the end of the nose ; now attach the lines to the bit as usual. This draws across the nose and forces the joint of the bit against the roof of the mouth. This is quite severe, and should be used with care. There are but few horses that will pull against this after a sharp lesson in the yard or corral with it. The band or strap across the nose is best when made round, but should not be drawn too tight; if it is, itis lable to irritate the horse ~ and make him mad. The links also should be smooth so as to not cut the mouth near the bit. : When riding or driving never force the horse up to any strange object that frightens him, but stop him, speak kindly but firmly, and wait until his fear subsides, then drive him slowly up to or past the object. Never whip a horse when he is frightened. If the whip is used at all, it should be only enough to draw his attention from the object and keep him from backing away. Exercise judg- ment and discretion in this matter. Do not get excited yourself or allow your temper to get the upper hand and go to fighting the horse, for only harm can come from it, both for yourself and horse. If the horse gets frightened at the cars, let him stand some distance away, and as he overcomes his fear of them, advance towards them. It requires time and patience to go through all these differ- ent points with the horse, but it pays in the long run, as you are breaking a horse as he should be broke, and he will be worth more than he would be if not properly broken of his tricks and habits. FEAR OF DIFFERENT OBJECTS. 33 A great many horses are spoiled after being driven for years and supposed to be gentle in all respects, yet when hitched to some strange rig, or under peculiar circum- stances which are strange to them, they get frightened and run away, or kick. For instance, a horse that has always been driven in the country, when brought to a city everything is new and strange to him, and if he is of a | high-strung nervous disposition, he is very liable to become frightened and run away or kick himself loose, and the same with one broken in a large city. BALKY HORSES. There are some naturally balky horses, other horse- men’s opinion to the contrary notwithstanding. We have demonstrated this to be a fact through personal experi- ence with horses of that description. The only theory we ean advance for this is that the dam was balked whilst carrying the colt. All horsemen are well aware of the fact that colts inherit diseases, blemishes and tricks quite often from both the dam and sire, and why not balking as well as any other trick. Even these colts can be broken of balking, but it generally takes a more severe treatment than the horse that has been taught to balk through bad driving and improper treatment. There is this difference between the two: A natural balker will show the dispo- sition to balk the first time a collar presses the shoulder, and is often quite stubborn about learning to lead, and the horse that has been taught to balk will work all right at first, but through overloading and ill-treatment he acquires the habit. In breaking colts great care should be exer- cised in loading and driving until the colt becomes famil- iar with his surroundings and his shoulders have become toughened. Be sure that the harness fits the colt in every way. Load light and drive short distances. Donotturn ~ too short and cramp the wheels, as that calls for astop or BALKY HORSES. 35 a sharp pull, which irritates and maddens him, and is liable to teach him to balk. If the habit has only been partially acquired, it is best to try by all means possible to break the habit by kindness. Talk to him, shift the harness around, and get his ideas upon something else, then as soon as he makes an effort to move reward him with some oats or anything else you may have handy that he likes. Make short drives and repeat the treatment several times. There are several good plans for making a balky horse pull. Different dispositioned horses require different kinds of treatment. What will make one horse pull may fail on another. Study the nature and disposition of your horse, and apply the method explained here for his case. | These plans that we give are those we have used with success, never having made a single failure. We will give the simpler methods first : | Under no circumstances whip a horse for balking, for there is not one in five hundred that will pull from whip- ping. You are only injuring the horse and yourself by allowing your temper to rise and get the upper hand, as it almost invariably does in a case like this, for we know of nothing that tries a man’s patience and temper as a sullen balker. He may try to keep his temper, but is sure to fail, unless he knows just what to do, and the more you whip a balky horse the less good it does, for when he gets thoroughly warmed up his sensibilities become so thoroughly benumbed that he will stand the severest pun- ishment without flinching or showing the least signs of 36 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. pain. In some cases simply stepping in front of the horse and taking him by the bit and moving him first to one side and then to the other, petting him every time he moves, will start him. Blindfolding is one of the best methods for starting a sullen balker; heshould be moved right and left at first. Shutting his wind off by putting the hands over his nostrils and holding them there until | he struggles for breath will start some. Sometimes tying a string moderately tight around the ear or around the fore leg just below the knee will start a horse; these must be taken off after the horse has pulled a short distance. Nervous, high-strung horses should be handled care- fully. The simpler the method used on them the better. Do not get them excited if it can be avoided. We have put the foot strap on a nervous horse, and when he showed signs of balking pull his foot up, sometimes holding it there. This will generally effect a permanent cure. Some- times you ean break up the habit by unhitching the horse from the wagon, tie the bridle rein or halter stale to his tail, drawing his head around to his side, and Jetting—or rather forcing—him to whirl until he is dizzy and con- fused, and then hitching right in and starting him whilst confused. This will start most all balky horses, but it will not break the habit in all. These methods are good ~ as far as they go, but as a rule they do not go far enough, especially with veteran balkers that almost become wor ih: less to work. These need a thorough course of lessons. It is almost useless to give a horse a lesson in a barn or shed. Let the first a given in the yard or corral, then BALKY HORSES. 37 repeat it on the road. Put on a harness, draw the side- straps tight, using the link bit, fasten the rein in the off link of the bit, pass it under the chin, through the near ring, step to one side and pull sharp on the bit; tap him on the opposite shoulder with a long buggy whip and speak to him at the same time, using your customary word in starting a horse. Then go to the other side and repeat. As he moves freely either way, start him forward. This is to teach him that whenever you tell him to go he must move. When he will start and move along without pulling on the bit, reward him with some oats or other food he likes. Now go behind him with the lines in hand and start him by pulling to one side. If he does not start at once, give him a sharp cut with the whip across the hind parts. Drive him in this way several times around the corral, stopping and starting quite often. Another good hitch to use in the place of the bit is a small cord with a stationary loop at one end that will just slip over the under jaw, pass the rope over the head down through the loop around the jaw. After a good thorough lesson in the corral, hitch to the wagon and repeat, if he is driven single, and reward him by patting on the neck, stroking the nose, and feed him a little. By being kind and rewarding him in this manner, he will be more will- ing to do your bidding, and you are gaining his confi- dence. We will give another plan that we have never known to fail, but it must not be used on mares when with foal : Take a three-eighthsinch cord, form a loop at one end, 38 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. pass it over the tail for a crupper, pass the rope or cord around the body just forward of the hind legs, passing the cord under and then over the cord that goes from the tail over the opposite side, then forward through the hal- ter or bridle ring, and give a sharp, quick jerk with this ; this will not fail to start him. Itis best to take up the front foot at first and give a few jerks on the cord, as he is liable to kick when first pulled upon, and this foot being ‘up disables him some. He will not kick long. This is the best hitch in existence to start a horse. Test him the same with this after hitching up, the same as with the other. Let the lesson be thorough. Try him even after you think he is all right; take no chances. For a horse that balks in double harness a little different method will have to be used. What is more provoking than to have a horse fly back in the harness and throw his head over the other horse’s neck and look back at you as much as to say, ‘““Now, make me go if you can?’ and unless the mght method is used you will not be very apt to make him go. This is very trying on a man’s patience, yet you might as well be patient, for you will gain nothing by fighting him, only to get him more set in the habit. Take the horse in the corral and give him the same treatment with the cord around the body and tail as directed for single balkers; , then, when ready to hitch to wagon, attach a pole to the wagon tongue and let it run out three or four feet beyond the end ofthetongue. After hitching the horse to wagon, tie this cord to the end of the pole.in such a manner that BALKY HORSES. , 39 the cord will not draw on the horse when he is pressing the collar, yet will draw sharply when he drops back; then start your true horse and touch the balky horse lightly with the whip. A few pulls on this cord, and he will keep his place and pull to avoid the punishment. Have your stay chains taken off that the doubletree may have free play. It is not often that you will have to repeat this lesson more than twice. In the place of this hitch just described, you can use the cord around the jaw and over the head, down through the loop, then forward and fasten to the pole. This can be used in place of the other, should the horse continue to kick under the pressure around the flanks. You can start nearly all horses by unhitchin g ane whirl- ing, but, as we said before, it does not, as a rule, break them; it is only to be used when you have no other means at hand. In breaking a balky horse, put on light loads at first and increase gradually. Do not try to pull too heavy a load, or pull your horse when in poor flesh, as he easily becomes discouraged and you are liable to spoil him. If you have a sharp hill to pull up, let your team take a good rest before they make the attempt, and then let them pull slowly and steadily ; do not drive them on the jump for fear they could not make it without. If you havea heavy load, stop often and let them rest. Look well to your harness, see that it fits the horse, and should your horse’s shoulders become sore and tender, let him rest awhileand | get them in shape before putting him at work again. 40 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. There are some horses that will balk and tirow them- selves and refuse to get up, no matter how much you punish them by whipping or otherwise. A horse can often be brought to his feet by placing your hands over his nostrils and keep them there until he struggles for breath, when he will come to his feet. | One of the best methods for raising him is to let him lay quietly for a few moments; have some water handy, dip your hand in the water and allow it to drip, drop by drop, from the ends of your fingers in his ear. Hold his ear open that the water may drop directly on the drum; this will almost invariably raise him. We have had men tell us, ‘““Why, I have tried water—poured it in the horse’s ear by the bucketful, and he would lie there as unconcered as before.”’ There is just where they made their mistake. It is not the quantity of water you use, but the manner in which you use it. They cannot bear to have but few drops strike the drum before they will spring to their feet. An- other plan is to take some powder and after he has lain stili a few moments, when he has his eyes open, flash this powder close to his nose.’ This will frighten him so that before he knows what he is doing he is on his feet. As soon as he gets on his feet take him off the wagon and whirl him until quite dizzy, then hitch up again as soon as possible; he will go without thinking about throwing himself. Then give him a thorough course of treatment for balking. — RUNNING AWAY. This habit requires sharp, decisive treatment, some- times repeated, to break it thoroughly. In order to break this you must by some means get control of the mouth. When you have control of the mouth you have control of the horse. Fright and mismanagement are the pricipal causes for horses running away. If the colt is handled properly in breaking, there is but little danger of his ever running away. Give the horse a good, thorough treat- ment as described in the chapter on “‘Fear of Objects,” using the link bit, or, in case of a desperate, headstrong puller, the cord should be used. Take the horse inside of an enclosure, put the harness on, and drive the horse on a walk at first, and when you wish to stop him say ‘“vhoa,’” and at the same time give a sharp, raking pull upon the lines or cord, whichever you may be driving with. Repeat this lesson until he will stop the instant you say ‘“whoa.’”? Now let him trot, and repeat the stop- ping at that gait; then increase to a run. It never takes over twenty minutes to conquer most horses, yet there are some that are so plucky and self-willed when they get ‘heated up that the severest raking you cau give him will have no effect whatever. . Their feeling in the mouth be- comes so dull or destroyed that they will resist to the last. 42 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. If you have a case of this kind, put him in the stable and let him get perfectly cool, then test him for a short time and you will find that he will surrender unconditionally. Test him in every way. ‘This requires thorough work. When he is thoroughly subdued, hitch him to the wagon and test him the same as in the corral, on the walk, trot and run. Let this be as thorough as the first. Be sure _ that he is safe in every respect. Take no chances on a runaway horse. It is best to keep the cord or bit on the first three or four times you drive him, and occasionally put him to the test. You cannot be too thorough in this treatment. He should be made safe under all circum- stances, even to the cross-bar striking his heels whilst on the trot or run. Keep cool yourself; do not get excited, although it is a good plan to shout at him as though you were excited or frightened. We have handled some very bad noted runaway horses that had been turned out as useless to either ride or drive, and we have never failed to.subdue them and make theni safe to drive afterward by this treatment. One in particular had run away so often that the habit had become fixed. When brought for treatment he would pull four men on the ground by the bit. In less than twenty minutes he was driven by alady, and would stop at the word without any pressure on the bit when going at full speed. BREAKING KICKERS. The habit of kicking invariably comes through mis- management or ignorance on the part of those handling the horse. If the horse has been properly broken in every way, as directed in the first chapters of this book, there will be no danger of the horse ever forming this habit. If the horse kicks whenever the harness is being put on, and objects to the crupper, strap up his near front foot, then tie a knot in his tail, split the hair above the knot, and pass the halter strap through and fasten; let his front foot down, then whirl him around by drawing his head and tail together. It is best to go around with hima few times, starting him by pulling on the halter with the left hand and pushing on the hip with the right. If he does not try to throw himself, you can then tie the strap to the halter with a half-hitch and jet him whirl from ten to eighteen times around. As soon as he commences to stagger, grasp the strap and pull it loose. Have the har- ness close by, and whilst he is dizzy bring it up to him and place it on him gently; should-he resist, whirl him again, and then try it; should he still resist, put on a good strong surcingle with a ring underneath, fasten a hobble to the near hind foot; now fasten a long strap to this hob- * ble, pass it up through the ring in the surcingle, back to ; 44 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. the ring in the hobble, then to the ring in the surcingle ; now draw the foot up and keep the strap in hand; bring the harness, rattle it around and over him. He cannot kick in this position. Do not be,in any hurry about fast- ening the harness on. Place it on his back and draw it off over his rump and let it drop on the ground behind. Do this a number of times, or until he will let you throw it around him as you please without flinching. Be care- ful and not let it hurt him in any way. The object is to overcome his fear of the harness, which is the principal cause of his kicking in the first place. Should you have trouble in getting the strap around the hind foot, you can tie the knot in the tail and run the strap through whilst he is in the stable. That will avoid the trouble of taking his: hind foot in order to get to his tail. Some horsemen say by strapping up the near front foot all danger of kicking is past, but we have found through experience that a great many horses can kick as quickly and readily with the front foot up as with it down. We handled one horse at Berthoud, Colo., that would, kick most viciously whilst on both knees, with his nose on the ground to keep his balance. It is always best to guard against all chances of his kicking by putting on the proper rigging, which is always very simple. There is no necessity for a great quantity of ropes and straps, such as some horsemen use. The simpler and easier adjusted your rigging is the more good you will accomplish. Now, for a horse that kicks in harness or whilst driv- ing, take the same as before in the yard or corral and tie BREAKING KICKERS. 45 head and tail together and whirl him until he becomes dizzy ; then take a pole and rub him over the rump, down over the hocks to his heels, gently at first. Do notstrike him with it. Should he still resist, whirl him again, and then pole him. As he becomes reconciled to your rub- bing him, begin to tap him lightly all over the hind parts; he will soon allow you to bring the pole against him quite hard without flinching. By being careful and taking a little time and patience, you will soon have him so you ean handle his hind feet with perfect safety. yet should he be of an extremely vicious or nervous nature, you may find it necessary to draw up his hind foot, as directed for kicking at harness, and then rub him with the pole; as he ceases to resist, you can let his foot down to the ground, but still keep hold of the strap to prevent his kicking to hit you. In handling this way you should have a good, strong surcingle, as the strain on it is quite severe should the horse struggle much. Now bring the pole against him with his foot down; the instant he attempts to kick, draw his foot up, but let it down the instant he ceases to struggle. Now take a cotton cord about three-eighths of an inch in thickness and twenty-five feet long, place the center of this across the head, right underneath the crown- piece of the bridle, bring one end down the near side of the head, through the mouth underneath the bridle and above the bit, from the mouth up the off side of the head, through the gag-runners, back behind the horse; then bring the end on the off side down through the mouth, up on the near side, through the gag-runner, back; have 46 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. lines on the same as for driving; take the lines in, one hand and the rope or cord in the other; now drive him around the yard or corral, and at the same time have some-. one use the pole on his hind parts. Should he attempt to kick, give him a sharp jerk on the cord and speak sharply to him the instant you pull. He will very soon learn to fear that cord and cease attempting to kick. Use this rig on him for the first two or three times you drive him after giving him this lesson, and snap him up should he make the least attempt to kick. Watch your horse close and try to catch him in the attempt. One pull on the cord then will do more good than ten after the horse commences to kick. The idea is to teach him that he must not kick. The pole that you use on the horse should be a smooth one—a long fork or rake handle, or a pole similar to this, will ve the best ;. it should be long enough to keep yourself out of danger. In whirling the horse, do not tie the strap as soon as you draw his head around, for some horses, especially young colts, are hable to rear up and fall backwards, and should they do so, they will almost invariably fall with the head underneath, and either break the neck or injure it to some extent. Go around with him a few times; should he rear, and you cannot. pull him down by pulling a little to one side, loosen on the strap; keep trying this until he will turn all right. You can tie the strap in a half-hitch whilst he is moving around, and do not let him whirl long enough to fall; keep him on his feet if possible. We often see horses that are in the habit of kicking driven to a long BREAKING KICKERS. 47 shaft cart, with a broad strap across the rump fastened to the shaft on either side. This is unnecessary. There is no need of such precautions if the horse is properly han- dled. One or two sharp lessons as given in this chapter will break the worst kicker. In all our experience we have never made a failure, and we have had the worst cases in the country brought to us for treatment. A high strung, well-bred horse will show the greatest resistance, fight harder and give up the quickest. It is the dull, stupid horse that wiil fight the longest and needs _ the severest treatment to conquer him. Horses, as a rule, are not naturally ugly or inclined to kick. We some- times meet with a horse that is vicious by nature, but the majority of them are made so by not being handled properly in breaking, or by injudicious handling after- wards. TO BACK. We often find horses that will work well in every way, but cannot be made to back. If the horse had been han- dled right in breaking, there would have been no trouble in making him back. To break a horse of this habit, put on the cord as directed for runaways and give him a sharp lesson in the corral before hitching up. Let the lesson be sharp at first, but do not be too severe afterward; if you do, he will form the habit of going back too fast and be afraid to press the bit. After a lesson in the corral, hitch to an empty wagon and try him. You can increase the load as he improves. You can often make a horse back by stepping in front of him, holding the bit in one hand and pressing the toe of your boot on the upper part of his foot, or by pressing your thumb a little to one side of the center of his breast, but these rules will not always work. | FALLING BACKWARD. This is a very disagreeable and dangerous habit that some horses have. Horses broken by our method are never addicted to this habit. It is caused by putting a saddle or harness on a green colt and attempting to ride or drive him before he is taught anything; he knows nothing about the word go or the work whoa; he does not know what to do, therefore he does the first thing that enters his mind. Some will buck, run backwards or forwards, anything to get rid of the saddle or harness and gain his liberty. A horse that throws himself backward almost invariably does it when he is first started, either under the saddle or in the harness. To break him of this trick, put the saddle on—if he is to be rode—tie a knot in his tail, take a long strap or rope and fasten one end to the bridle or halter and pass it through the hair of the tail above the knot and draw his head around to his side; fasten the strap by a half-hitch that it may be unfastened quickly, then whirl him around from eight to fifteen times, or until he becomes dizzy and staggers a little, then grasp the end of the strap and pull it loose, swing into the saddle and start him off by a sharp cut of the whip across the ramp; whilst he is dizzy and confused he will go without once thinking of throwing 50 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. himself. If he is to be driven, put the harness on, and if he is to be driven double, hitch your other horse to the wagon, then whirl him as directed for saddle; hitch him as quick as possible by the other horse and start him right off; the result will be the same; he will go without throwing himself. In whirling a horse care should be taken that he does not go over backward when you start him in acirele. To guard against this, pass the strap through the tail, then forward to the halter or bridle, but do not tie; hold it in your hand and go around a few times with him; should he rear up and threaten to go over backward, you can loosen the strap, and by so doing keep him from falling with his head underneath, as he would be pretty sure to do should he go over with his head fast. Ifthe horse becomes quite dizzy from turn- ing, you will have to grasp the halter or bridle and steady him when the strap is untied until he recovers his balance. Do not let him whirl long enough to fall from dizziness, or he will get in the habit of lying down when you draw his head to one side to whirl him, and this must be avoided or you cannot break him of this habit by this method, and although there are other means by which a horse can be broken of this trick, there is none that does it so quickly and effectually. -This may have to be repeated two or three times to effect a permanent cure, yet we have never found it necessary to repeat it more than twice. TO TELL THE AGE OF A HORSE. A full grown horse has forty teeth, twenty-four molars, twelve incisors or front teeth. Mares seldom have tushes; when they do, they are generally impertectly developed. The teeth grow constantly, and it is the teeth, their changes and formations, that we tell the age by. At the age of ten days a colt should have four nippers —two avove and two below; in six weeks another tooth will appear on each side of the central nippers; at the end of the taird month these last teeth will have overtaken the others; at the end of the seventh month two more teeth will have appeared, above and below. Now the colt has a full mouth; from this time on until he reaches the second year the only observable difference is in the wear of these teeth. Colts’ teeth differ from horse teeth by being less in size, smooth, clean and white. At the end of one year the cups have left the nippers and are par- tially worn in the middle teeth. At two years old the central nippers are shed and permanent or horse teeth take their place. At three years old these will have grown even with the others, and the middle teeth are shed and become full sized at four. At four the last colt teeth, the corner ones, will have been shed. At five we have what is termed a full mouth—that is, all the temporary 52 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. or colts teeth are gone and permanent or horse teeth have taken their places. Now from this on we must judge the horse’s age by the spots or marks in the middle of the teeth. At this age (five years) the corner teeth will have been worn even with the other teeth on the outer edge, and the inner half will have the appearance of being de- eayed. | At six years old the cavity or mark in the center nip- pers will be worn down, leaving but a trace of the mark in the nippers; the mark is readily seen in the middle teeth, yet smaller than in the corner teeth. At seven years old the middle teeth are worn down until but a small trace of the mark or eavity is left; the corner teeth still show the cavity, yet smaller. At eight the marks or cavities have all disappeared ;’ that is, they all look alike, only a small trace of the cavity is left in each one. At nine years old the central nippers have assumed a slightly triangular shape and the marks or cavities have mostly disappeared,:or only a small black speck is visible in some of them. After nine years it is almost impossible to tell the age correctly; in fact, even before this age, there is some difference to be found. Horses that have run out at pasture a great deal where the ground is rough and stony, will wear them down much faster than horses that have been in pasture on the low lands where there are no stones or gravel to wear the teeth, or have been kept up in stable. ) | We will give rules used by some horsemen with very good success in telling the age after the ninth year: As TO TELL THE AGE OF A HORSE. 53 the horse advances in age the teeth assume a triangular shape more and more until the teeth are longer from front to back than they are from side to side, as they were trom a colt up to the ninth year; and where the teeth join the gum, the gum will run up to a sharp triangle or point; the teeth will also project more to the front and overlap. each other; the upper corner teeth will form a hook over the lower corner teeth. At about ten years of age a groove will begin to appear on the outside of the upper corner teeth next the gum; this groove will grow down as the tooth wears off until at the age of twenty-one this. groove has reached the bottom of the tooth. At about fifteen this groove has grown down about one-half the length of the tooth: the teeth are of a smoky, dull appear- ance; they have lost their gloss or enamel and regular shape that they had in former years. Another rule adopted by some is very good in some cases: You will find by placing your fingers just above the eye on the skull a small ridge commencing just over each eye and joins together near the top of the forehead in front; the suture becomes solid at about fourteen and grows one inch every year until the horse dies ; the num- ber of inches added to fourteen will give the age of the horse. A horse’s mouth can be altered by artificial means so that a ten or twelve year old horse, to an unpracticed eye, will have a five or six-year-old mouth. This can be de- tected very readily by examining the shape of the teeth and nature of the cavity. This altering the teeth is called B54 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. ‘“‘bishoping,” from Bishop, the name of the rascal who invented it. It has been greatly improved upon by Dr. Dancer, a veterinary surgeon of New Jersey. It is done by chipping off the teeth, drilling the center, and burned by the use of nitrate of silver or some other chemical] to produce the dark spot. It is practiced to a very great ex- tent by jockeys and unprincipled horse dealers in large cities, where they are not easily detected. This practice is known but little in the West; in fact, we have not met with a single case of “‘bishoping.”’ We will say a few words on the care and treatment of the teeth: The molars, or grinders, especially of horses advanced in years, are liable to become worn down very uneven and rough and wound the mouth, sometimes quite severely ; they often break away, and the tooth opposite runs up and even penetrates the jaw, causing soreness and inflamation; then again, a horse loses a tooth, which allows the tooth opposite the cavity to grow to such a length as to interfere seriously with his eating; he will sometimes throw out a mouthful of food only partially masticated ; he will often hold his head to one side while eating, and then again he wil] feed slowly and but par-. tially masticate his food, and is running down without any apparent cause whatever. Whenever your horse | shows these symptoms, examine his mouth carefully and see if it is not his teeth that is troubling him; if they are rough and uneven, they should be filed down; if a tooth has:grown to quite a length below the others. it should be sawed off even with the balance; if you find a decayed TO TELL THE AGE OF A HORSE. 55 tooth, have it pulled. Sometimes you will find upon ex- amination that the jaw is swollen; if this is the case with the upper jaw, and there is discharge from the nostril on that side offensive to the smell, it comes from a caries tooth. This should be removed at once and the parts cleaned out with a solution of carbolic acid or some other good disinfectant ; then take a bunch of cotton or tow, enough to fill the cavity, and saturate it with either arnica or the tincture of myrrh; be sure you remove all broken or decayed bone, and keep the cavity filled to keep out all foreign substances. LINE UNDER THE TAIL. Some horses the instant they get the tail over the line will kick or run away. To break this, put on the run- away rig, and have a large crupper made, or wrap a crup- per with cloth, making it nearly as large as your -wrist; this prevents his holding the line should he get his tail over it. Fasten an extra line to the harness forward and allow it to come under the tail; should he attempt to kick or run, give him a severe jerk on the cord in his mouth. Repeat this until he will not flinch, no matter how often the line comes under his tail. He should be handled in the corral first in this manner before hitching to wagon. When breaking a colt let him become accustomed to a line under his tail, and you will have no trouble after- wards. TO STAND WITHOUT HITCHING. To make a horse stand without hitching with saddle on, fasten the bridle reineto his tail or to the side of the sad-. dle, drawing his head around nearly opposite his shoul- der; should he try to start, he can only go ina circle, and he will soon tire of that. Another way is to tie his fore legs together close enough to not allow him to step. Yor a double team, fasten a strap to the inside front — foot of each horse and fasten to the wagon pole about two MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. Vay, feet from the doubletree. Let the leg be i in a a perpendic- ular position. For a single driver, fasten a strap to the foot as for double team, and tie to the cross-bar. Always test your horse before you leave him in this position; some horses are liable to get frightened and lunge some. For a horse that allows. i Pa to hang out of his mouth, fasten a. light strap around the nose; this will break the habit in a short time. Another plan is to take three or four large bullets and attach them to the bit bar, allowing them to hang down on the tongue. If he puts his tongue over the bit, have the bit bent up about three inches, either to a point or square; this runs so far up in his mouth he will be unable to get his tongue over the bit. If you have a horse that throws his feed out of the box, take three or four round stones, about the size of your fist, and put them in the box; this will stop him; he can pick his feed out, but cannot grab it in Jarge mouthfuls. Do not use ShAGD cornered stones, as they will be apt to cut his lips or gums. TO TELL WHEN A MARE IS WITH FOAL. There are two very good rules to go by to tell before signs are shown outwardly. On examining a mare’s mouth underneath the tongue, two small teats attached to the lower jaw will be found; these are about the size of a halfpea; these are each attached to a small cord 58 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. which runs to the genital organ; nine days after concep- tion, if the mare is with foal, these teats change to dark red or purplish color, and continue so until she foals; if she is not with foal, they are very pale. Do not examine the mouth right after watering, as cold water will take the color out for several minutes. Another rule is to take a strap and measure at the girth around the body, then measure the body just forward of the hind legs ; if the measurement at the flank exceeds — that at the girth, you can safely say she is with foal. HOW TO TEACH TRICKS. We will give a few tricks in this chapter, and how to teach them, which will be of interest tosome. A great many think that the Western horse cannot be taught tricks, be- cause, they say, he has not got the intelligence to grasp the ideas you wish to teach him. Thisiswrong. There are some dull dead-heads in all breeds of horses, that seem to have no brain to speak of, and are incapable of learn- ing hardly anything. We have found just as bright, in- telligent ponies amongst the Spanish, Oregon and Texas herds as there are amongst the higher breeds, In giving directions for teaching these tricks we have made them as plain and simple as possible, and any intelligent boy ean train a young horse to do them, if he will not get in too big a hurry and crowd too many things upon the horse at once. It requires time and patience. Never try to teach a horse more than one trick at a time, and let hiin learn that one thoroughly before attempting another, and let the lesson be short, or the horse will become ex- cited and tired, and often become stubborn. The best age for teaching is from two to five years old, and a green colt that has never been handled before is better than one that has been worked or rode, as they work in so much easier, and know nothing aulg as you 60 NEW. METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. teach them. Pick out one that is bright and intelligent; you can tell by a little experience. ‘TO TERTER, This is a very neat, pretty trick, and one that is easily taught by exercising a little patience on the start. fave | the colt well halter broke; have him in a corral and away from other horses; get a broad plank (eighteen inches wide, if possible); let it he flat on the ground, lead the | colt up to the end and get him to put nis front feet on it; when he puts even his front feet on the plank, pet and reward him; then lead him forward until his hind feet are on the plank; let him stop, and reward as before; then lead him along, a step or two at a time, stopping and | rewarding often; should he step off at the side, put his foot back on again gently; when you lead him off the plank, lead him squarely off; do not let him form the havit of getting off sideways. Repeat this leading on and off the plank, allowing him to stand a few moments on the plank each time, until he will do so without making any attempt to get off until you tell him to. | Now raise the plank by putting a four inch piece under the center ; lead the colt up on this slowly, and when he gets to the center let him balance very slowly; tip the plank a little by stepping on it yourself. Do not keep this up too long, as it is very apt to excite him and cause him to step off You can gradually increase the heighth as he becomes used to it. He should be allowed to rest quite often, and reward him by feeding him something he likes every time he does what is required of him. Now, to make him put HOW TO TEACH TRICKS. 61 iin head dove, a ein fee ed rien teetering, put on the cord around the lower jaw and over the héad: as de- scribed in the first part of this work, and as he leans for- ward, pull down on his head, lightly at first; he will soon -jJearn to do it nicely. This should take from three to four days to learn without irritating the colt. In teaching two colts to teeter on the same plank, take them one at a time, first in learning to go upon the plank, then when ready to have both go on, raise the plank the same as for one, and Jead one on nearly to the center that you may be able to lower the other end for the other colt to step on; then cause the first one to. back by placing his feet back, one at a time; he will soon go back by tap- ping his feet with the whip, and then back at the word given him. Great care must be exercised in teaching this trick, and not allow them to teeter too fast at first, as they are liable to jump off or fall. A two-inch plank will be thick enough for one borse, but for two it should be at least one inch thicker. TO FOLLOW WITHOUT LEADING. This is a very neat yet simple trick, and one easily taught. Take along cotton cord, three-eighths of an inch in diameter, form a loop at one end for a crupper, make a loop around the body at the flanks; have a halter on, and pass the cord through this; step in front of him and pull lightly on this, at the same time say ‘“‘come here ;” if he does not move at once, pull rather sharply on the cord; each time he comes to you, pet and reward him; when he will follow without trying to dodge to one side, take 62 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. the halter off, but still keep the cord on; if he lays back, give a sharp jerk on the cord; be sure he follows freely before you take the cord off. Another plan to learn a colt to follow by the whan is SO good we will give it here: Put on a halter, take a long, straight buggy whip and tap him on the rump, standing in front of him; ifthe moves one step forward, pet him ; then repeat until he will follow by the motion of the whip alone. In learning him to turn either to the right or left, step to that side and tap him on the opposite side of the neck until he will turn his head or make one step toward you, then cease tapping and pet him; repeat until he will move as you wish him to. To learn a colt to come to you is about the same thing, only you step off some little distance from him and give a sharp jerk on the cord, and at the same time say ‘come here;”’ when he makes one step, stop pulling on the cord; repeat this until he comes up to you, then pet and reward him; then step off and try him again; continue this until he will come at the word of command. 3 Colts can be trained by the whip to drive in pairs, the same as oxen, by taking them one at a time until they are thoroughly trained, then both together. AD HOLD THE HEAD DOWN. This is one of the neatest tricks in the list, and one that is very quickly taught. Stand by the side of the colt’s head, and press down with your thumb and finger on the head just back of the ears; this will cause him to duck his head; pet and reward him every time; continue this: HOW TO TEACH TRICKS. 63 until he will put his head down as soon as you make a motion toward his ears, either with the hand or whip. With a little practice the colt can be taught to put his head down to the ground close by you whilst you are either sitting or kneeling. This gives a colt a very intel- ligent appearance, which is quite interesting to spectators. You can learn a colt to put his head down the same way to have his bridle or halter put on. TO SAY “YES.” To teach a colt to say “yes” by nodding his head, take a pin and prick him on the breast low down; he will nod his head to get rid of the annoyance, the same as he would if it were a fly; the instant he nods his head, stop prick- ing him, pet and reward him with something he likes. Repeat this lesson until he will nod his head the instant you make a motion toward his breast with your hand or whip. TO.SAY eNO.” To teach a colt to say ‘‘no”’ by shaking his head, prick him with a pin on the top of his neck in the mane, about half way from the head to the shoulder. Continue this (rewarding every time he shakes his head) until he will shake his head when you make a motion toward his neck, A colt will sometimes attempt to bite you when teaching these tricks; if he does, keep a light stick or riding whip in your hand and tap him on the lower jaw. TO KISS YOU. Stand in front of the colt; have something the colt fa 64 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. likes—an apple is the best, if he will eat it, but Western horses know but little about apples, and they have to be taught to eat them by putting pieces in their feed and also in their mouth until they will get to like them—give the colt a piece, holding it in your hand; draw your hand closer each time to your face until he will take the piece from against your face; finally hold a piece with your lips and let him take it, when he will do this, hold a piece with your teeth—he will be obliged to open his lips to get it. It takes but a short time to learn him to put his lips to yours; when he has learned to do this quickly without. hesitation, you can give the apple to him, after he has reached for it, as a reward. TELL HIS, AGE. To teach this trick, prick him on the back part of the fore leg; he will try to rid himself of the annoyance by stamping his foot or pawing; the instant he does this, stop and reward him. In teaching the colt this trick, your body should be bent toward him; straighten up _when you wish him to quit; he will soon learn to stop pawing as soon as you raise up. Each motion of the foot will indicate one year. TO KNEEL DOWN. In teaching this trick, have plenty of straw or some other soft substance on the ground so as to not injure the knees; attach a long strap to the off front foot; fasten up the near front foot; cause him to make a step forward and draw his off front foot up by the strap, drawing over HOW, FO 'TEACH ‘TRICKS. 65 the back; do not hold him down but a second or two at first ; let him up before he attempts to lie down, as they often will if kept down too long at first.. After bringing him to his knees in this way a few times, take off the knee strap, and when you pull up on his foot, tap him pretty sharp across the leg just below, the knee; this will cause him to drop on his knees. He will soon learn to come down on his knees by touching him on the legs with the whip. Be careful and not strike his legs too hard, as you are liable to make them sore and cause needless pain. TO KICK UP. To teach this trick, take a piece of sole leather about a foot long, drive two or three tacks through the leather near one end, allowing the points to project; tap him lightly on the rump with this; as soon as he makes a motion to lift his hind parts, cease tapping and reward him; then repeat until he will kick up at the motion of the whip towards his rump. TO LIE DOWN. Put on a halter or bridle, fasten a strap to the near front foot below the fetlock, pass this strap under the body to the right side, then up over the back ; let the colt take a step to enable you to pull up his foot, holding the strap in your right hand, by reaching over his back draw his head around to the right, and pull down steadily with the right hand; do not try to force him down too fast at first. Should he attempt to get up, draw his head back: when, he lies quiet, pet him for a few moments, then tell 66 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. ——_+ him to get up. Repeat this until he will lie down as soon as you take up his foot. Now take a whip, and as you pull on his foot tap him on the leg until he will drop to his knees, and then draw him over on hisside. You can soon do. away with the strap, and by tapping him on the legs and bearing down on the neck he will Jie down read- ily. Continue this until he will lie down at the motion of the whip. Every time you force him down, or want him to lie down, use the expression, “lie down,’ plainly and distinctly, and in all tricks use a certain motion or expression that he may know what you mean. POSE UP: First teach your colt to lie down promptly, then take a harness collar and put it on, then fasten two straps to the hind feet, pass the straps forward between his fore legs and around the collar; have a bridle on; hold the straps in one hand, the bridle reins in the other; draw the tail out flat and step on it; jerk the reins a little and tell him to get up; he will throw out his front feet, but will be unable to raise himself clear up; step forward, still keep- ing a firm hold on the straps, and pet him; then let him rise to his feet. Repeat this until he will sit up without the collar or straps on. : TO THROW RIDER. In teaching this trick, the colt should be taught to kick up, as directed in the chapter on “kicking up.” Have a thick bed of straw on the ground; get a boy to mount HOW TO TEACH TRICKS. 67 the colt, then cause him to kick up; have the boy fall off forward, then reward the colt. Continue this until he will try to throw his rider at the motion of a whip toward his rump. Always have the rider fall off at every effort the colt makes to throw him, and reward the colt by giv- ing him something he likes. When he will throwa light rider, put on a heavier one, and repeat the lesson. It requires a great deal of patience and time to teach a colt this trick. , Some days he will not work as well as usual ; when he does not. put on a light rider and work up as in the beginning. To make this more interesting, he should be taught to allow his rider to stay on until given the signal to throw him. To teach this, lead the colt around by the halter, then cause him to throw his rider; after petting him, let the rider get on and try itagain. In this way he can be taught to carry his rider until you give him the signal to throw him. — ee TO DRIVE STRANGERS AWAY. First teach your colt to follow on the trot, then when he follows you to the gate or opening in the corral, re- ward him. A good plan to follow in teaching this would be to make a ring by setting posts and stretching ropes from one to the other; have the colt on the inside, and when he follows you to the ropes, step on the outside and reward him. Now have some one come in the ring, you step away and let the colt follow the stranger to the out- side, then call him away and reward him. Continue this until he will run readily after any stranger that comes in. 68 NEW METHOD OF HANDLING THE HORSE. It takes but a short time to learn an intelligent colt to do this. TO: WALK: ERECT: This trick is very trying on the muscles of the hind legs, and there are a great many horses that are unable to | do it, as they have not got the strength in their hind quarters.