Chapter I: Front Matter

THE HORSE’S FRIEND.

THE ONLY PRACTICAL METHOD
OF
EDUCATING THE HORSE
AND
ERADICATING VICIOUS HABITS,
FOLLOWED BY A VARIETY OF VALUABLE RECIPES, INSTRUCTIONS IN
FARRIERY, HORSESHOEING, THE LATEST RULES OF TROTTING, AND THE
RECORD OF FAST HORSES UP TO 1876.

BY PROF. O. S. PRATT.

TENTH THOUSAND.

ILLUSTRATED BY OVER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ELEGANT ENGRAVINGS.

BUFFALO:
PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR.
1876.

Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1875, by
O. S. PRATT,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C.

Entered according to the act of the Parliament of Canada, in
the year 1876, by
O. S. PRATT,
In the Office of the Minister of Agriculture.

The Electrotyping, Printing and Binding, by
THE COURIER COMPANY,
BUFFALO, N. Y.

The Drawing and Engraving, by the
BUREAU OF ILLUSTRATION,
BUFFALO, N. Y.

DEDICATION.

To His Excellency, ULYSSES S. GRANT, President of the United States; to the members of the two houses of Congress, and to the gentlemen connected with Foreign Legations, who have belonged to my private classes, in connection with the thousands in all the principal cities and towns of the United States and Canada, who have been members of my various classes, this work on THE EDUCATION OF THE HORSE, is respectfully dedicated. Cheered by their presence, and encouraged by their approbation during the eight years in which the author has been engaged in diffusing a knowledge of his system of Equine Education, their generous appreciation continues to fill the present with treasured memories of the past, amongst the most prized of which is that of the friendship it has been his happiness to secure from gentlemen distinguished alike in the walks of politics, religion, science, literature and art.

THE AUTHOR.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Portrait of O. S. Pratt, Frontispiece.

The old homestead, 16

My first store in Batavia, 22

My second and enlarged store, 26

Gold-headed cane, 51

Gold-mounted whip, 61

Portrait of Mrs. Pratt, 78

Washington gold medal, 82

Bridgeport Academy, 94

Nahant Beach residence, 100

Lewiston Academy, 108

Music box, 120

Silver tea-service, 130

New method of haltering a wild colt, 160

To educate to the words “Come here”, 164

How to lay a horse down, 168

How to get a horse up that throws himself, 172

To educate a colt not to be afraid of his heels, 176

To educate a colt to drive before being harnessed, 180

To educate a colt to move his body and head, 184

Improved method of bitting a colt, 188

Educating the colt to ride, 192

Instructions to ride the colt, 196

To halter-break a colt, 200

To educate a horse not to kick in the stable, 204

To educate a horse not to paw or kick in the stable, 208

To educate a horse not to get cast in the stall, 212

To educate a colt to lead behind a wagon, 216

To educate a horse bad to catch, 220

To educate a horse not to rear, 224

To educate and prevent a horse from cribbing, 226

To educate and break a halter-puller, 232

To educate a horse not to kick when line gets under his tail, 236

To educate a horse not to kick, 240

To educate a horse bad to groom, 246

Bits used in educating horses, 250

To educate horses not to fear objects when driving, 256

To educate a horse not to fear an umbrella, 260

Second lesson, 264

To educate a single-footed horse to trot square, 268

To educate a pacing horse to trot, 272

To educate a horse to trot, 276

To educate a horse not to kick while in shafts, 280

To educate a lazy horse and infuse life into him, 286

To start a balky horse, 290

To educate a balky horse, 294

To educate a horse not to kick while being shod, 298

To educate a horse while standing bad to shoe, 302

Double-hitch Bonaparte bridle, 306

Controlling a horse bad to shoe, 310

To educate a horse not to fear the cars, 314

To educate a horse to back at the word of command, 318

To educate horses or cattle not to jump fences, 322

To educate a cow not to kick while being milked, 326

To educate a cow to let her milk down, 330

Practical results of foregoing education, 334

To educate cattle to lead behind a wagon, 338

To educate a tender-mouthed horse, 342

To educate horses not to fear a buffalo robe, 345

Patent steel and hoof-expanding shoe, 362

To educate a horse to mount a pedestal, 366

To educate a horse to walk on his hind feet, 370

To educate a horse to push a vehicle, 376

To educate a horse to be vicious, 378

To educate a horse to walk on his knees, 382

To educate a horse to drive a boy off the pedestal, 386

To educate a horse to sit down, 390

To educate a horse to bore for oil, 394

A sure method of making a horse bad to catch, 398

To educate a horse to take a handkerchief from his side, 402

To educate a horse to kiss a boy, 406

System of educating dogs, 410

Another illustration of educating dogs, 414

Curing colic in horses, 418

The only practical way to give a horse medicine, 422

New method of telling the horse’s age, 426 and 427

To prevent horses from interfering or overreaching, 440

Paring the hoof, 451

Long foot before treatment, 452

Long foot after treatment, 453

Coffin-bone, 454

Fitting a shoe to remove pressure from the heel, 456

Instructions respecting the feet, 457

Contracted foot after treatment, 458

Expanding the foot after it has been pared out, 461

Lateral quarter-crack before treatment, 462

Quarter-crack under treatment, 463

Straight quarter-crack under treatment, 464

Quarter-crack after treatment, 467

Toe crack before treatment, 468

Toe crack after treatment, 473

Four engravings showing thrush and pumice foot, 474

Hoof-bound, under treatment, 475

Overgrowth of hoof, 479

Overgrowth of hoof—front view before treatment, 480

Overgrowth of hoof—front view after treatment, 481

Navicula—enlargement of metacarpal bone, 482

Showing how to find enlargement of metacarpal bone, 488

A foot that is deprived of the free use of the back tendons, 490

Ossified growth of upper and lower pastern joint, 491

The sensitive frog, 492

Section of the pastern and other bones, 494

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Introduction—Early Life—Thirst for Knowledge—First Attempts in
Business—Success—Marriage, 11

CHAPTER II.

Enlarging Business—Attachment to the Horse—Visits to Batavia of
Rarey and Hamilton—My own System—Coming before the Public—Early
Success, 24

CHAPTER III.

Visit to Montrose—Large Class at Scranton—Diploma—Wilkesbarre
—Enthusiastic Reception—Complimentary Notice—Testimonial, 35

CHAPTER IV.

Across the Mountains—Easton—Hamburg—Lancaster—Testimonials—
Westchester—Diploma—Philadelphia—Class of 2,523—Cane, 41

CHAPTER V.

York—Port Deposit—Baltimore—Success—Diploma—Getting Whipped—Class
of 3,500, 56

CHAPTER VI.

Washington—A Large Class—The President a Pupil—The White
House—Halls of Congress—Diploma—Dr. Newman’s Address—Gold Medal, 67

CHAPTER VII.

Annapolis—Delaware—New Jersey—New York State—The Great
Emporium—Chicago in Flames, 84

CHAPTER VIII.

Bridgeport—Fall of Academy—Providence—Boston—Class of
3,000—Lynn—Purchase of a Residence—Portland—Bangor, 95

CHAPTER IX.

Lewiston—Educating the Horse “Anfield”—Testimonial—Concord—
Manchester—A Steam Engine in the Ring—Lowell—Lawrence, 104

CHAPTER X.

Tour in Canada—Montreal—Class of 1,000—Victoria Bridge—
Cathedral—Quebec—Ottawa—Kingston—Detroit—Diploma—Valuable
Testimonial—Simcoe, 113