Chapter XI (1)

TORONTO—“BRITISH ENSIGN”—DIPLOMA—SILVER TEA SET—HAMILTON—BELLEVILLE—DIPLOMA—PICTON.

Winter was now drawing nigh, and, as I was desirous to reach Toronto, the Queen City of the Province of Ontario, as soon as possible, I made but a short stay at Brantford and other towns on my way. Arriving at Toronto about the last of November, 1874, I secured possession of the Riding Academy, and fitted it up at considerable cost, after which I gave public exhibitions, which awakened an increasing interest. I remained there sixty days, my class becoming larger daily, until, at the close of my labors, my register showed the names of nearly thirteen hundred members, many of whom were amongst the most influential citizens of the place. During my stay I handled some two hundred horses, each of whom had been addicted to some bad habit.

Many members of my class were desirous that I should exhibit the power of my system to educate horses not to fear the steam engine, and, that I might meet their wishes, I procured a steam fire engine, which I caused to be placed in my academy. During my stay there I educated some hundred horses to the perfect satisfaction of their owners, and the evident gratification of my class. Amongst others, I may name as a signal triumph of my system the case of the stallion “British Ensign,” owned at Richmond Hill, who, from his vicious habits of long standing, was thought to be incurable, and, as a last resort, I was solicited to handle him. This was at the close of my labors there, and, the day being announced, the members of my class gathered in force to witness my last effort in their city. The horse was led into the ring by two men by means of iron rods securely fastened on each side of his mouth. From the account given of this animal, one would almost expect that a man could tame a lion of the desert as easily as him; but, strange as it may seem, within ten minutes he followed me around the ring as meekly as a lamb, and within forty-five minutes I was able to drive him before a vehicle, without reins or side-straps, greatly to the surprise of the throngs who had assembled to witness the spectacle.

The power and efficacy of my system was so completely demonstrated that the leading journals of the city made favorable mention of my unparalleled success, while my class signalized their sense of the value of my system for properly educating the horse by presenting me with an illuminated address, the elegant execution of which reflects credit on the artist, while the courtly language and graceful sentiments are worthy of the distinguished gentlemen whose names it bears. Not satisfied with this, they accompanied the address with a costly tea-service of silver, the intrinsic value of which was at least three hundred dollars. Long will the recollections of my Toronto class cluster about my memory, and fill my mind with pleasing emotions. The following is the diploma presented by the Toronto class, the original of which can be seen in my possession, on parchment:

TORONTO, _January, 1875_.

_Dear Sir_: The undersigned, on behalf of the members of
your numerous class in this city, desire to testify their
appreciation of the valuable instructions you have imparted to
them. The unwearying assiduity with which you have endeavored
to make those instructions comprehensive and entertaining, and
their high estimation of your admirable system of educating
and managing the horse. The knowledge imparted to us during
the many lectures and exhibitions of your unexampled method of
treating that noble animal may be of incalculable benefit to
many of us. We do not hesitate to say that numbers of accidents
occur daily (many fatally) through an insufficient knowledge
of managing the animal you have made so perfectly subject to
your will, and we advise every one whose business or profession
require frequent, if not constant, use of the horse to embrace
an early opportunity of acquiring a knowledge of your system.
Farmers, whom business occasionally calls into our cities, and
the immediate neighborhood of our railways, we especially urge
the necessity of learning your simple and effective method
of control, a method easily understood by the instructive
faculties of the horse as by the reasoning faculties of men.

We trust that your sojourn in the Queen City of the West has
been both pleasant and remunerative, so far at least that will
at no distant day induce your return.

In conclusion, we beg your acceptance of the accompanying
Tea-Service. Hoping that it may recall favorably to your
recollection those who constituted your class in Toronto and
who unanimously wish you every success in your laudable and
humane profession.

Signed, on behalf of the class, numbering 1,254 members.

A. MACNABB,
JOS. GRAND, SR.,
R. BOND,
B. COOPER,
C. W. JOHNSON,
R. PAUL, V. S.,
A. GOURAM,
GEO. GOURAM,
R. HAY, SR.,
R. HAY, JR.,
W. H. SMITH,
J. HAY,
HON. GEO. BROWN,
T. C. PATTERSON, Mail,
A. MCCALLER, M. P. P.,
W. BROWN, Shoe Manf.,
HON. FRANK SMITH,
ANDREW SMITH, V. S.,
G. W. TORRANO, Merchant,
GEO. SMITH, M. P. P.,
W. A. MURRAY, Merchant,
F. T. WORTS,
JAMES G. WORTS,
AUSTIN SMITH,
And 1,230 others.

Before closing my notice of Toronto, I would refer with grateful words to the kind, and even laudatory, notices which my system and myself received from the ably conducted press of that city, and, I might add, of the whole Province, as the following extracts will evince.

The Toronto _Mail_ thus speaks:

HORSE EDUCATION.—To-day we place before our readers
illustrations of several of the numerous articles, with the
text of the numerous addresses, presented to Prof. Pratt, the
horse educator. By close observation, an accurate knowledge
of the construction of the horse and its habits, and above
all by a recognition of those sound common-sense principles
advanced by the best teachers of the human kind. Mr. Pratt has
been enabled to build up a system which for its thoroughness
and adaptability is unexcelled in the present day. That this
is not an unwarranted assertion is proved incontestably by
the testimony of the leading horsemen of the United States
and Canada, though Mr. Pratt has been but a short time in the
Dominion. Wherever he has established classes, a just tribute
has been paid to his great services both to man and beast. In
Baltimore 3,590 pupils surrounded him, and he left with the
thanks of the citizens, and was presented with a magnificently
mounted whip. Detroit rallied 1,200 members, who gave the
Professor a musical box to sweetly play the song of their
appreciation. The Washington class of 2,500 members, presented
a gold medal, and that of Philadelphia, of 4,886 members, a
gold-headed cane. Toronto has not been behindhand, for, as
already announced, the class here made a presentation of a
beautiful tea-service and illuminated address. The Toronto
class now numbers 1,254 members.

The Toronto _Globe_, in brief but well considered words, declares:

Prof. Pratt’s lectures on the treatment of animals are
invaluable to farmers and all owners of horses and cattle. We
only wish every farmer and farmer’s boy in Canada could attend
one lecture.

The _Canada Farmer_, the leading agricultural paper of the Province, in describing a visit to my exhibitions and lectures, remarks:

We have seldom passed an evening so pleasantly, or with so much
real profit, and our advice to every farmer and farmer’s son
in the country is, to take a course of lessons if possible,
but at all events to attend one of Professor Pratt’s public
exhibitions. We feel perfectly satisfied that a couple of hours
spent in witnessing one of these performances will impart a
better idea of the nature and management of the horse than is
possible to obtain by any course of reading on the subject, and
in this respect alone one such entertainment is worth fifty
times the amount charged for a life-membership.

I next visited the city of Hamilton, where I was welcomed by many warm friends, who took an active interest in my welfare and seemed delighted with my system, which, at this time, had gained great favor with the Canadian people. Here I formed a large and profitable class, and secured the friendship of many, from whom I have since met a cordial reception.

Leaving Hamilton, I directed my course to the town of Whitby, where I formed a class of one hundred and twenty-five; next visiting Oshawa, where my class reached the number of one hundred and forty; then to Bowmanville, where a class of a hundred rewarded my efforts; from there to Port Hope, where one hundred and fifty joined the class I opened; thence to Belleville, where I enrolled about one hundred names. After having left the latter place for about a week, I was followed by a messenger, dispatched to me by my class, who bore a diploma highly eulogizing my system. It was as follows:

BELLEVILLE, _May 11, 1875_.

PROF. O. S. PRATT.

_Dear Sir_: We, the undersigned, express our satisfaction of
the tuition we have received from you in the education of the
horse and most cheerfully recommend your art to all who own,
have or use horses, as being the best known and exhibited.

The manner in which you handled all the vicious horses brought
to you here, completely subduing them in a very short time,
gave us the greatest satisfaction.

Your liberality and gentlemanly deportment have secured
numerous friends.

Trusting you will meet with the same success in other places
that attended you here, and hoping you may be long spared to
propagate your noble system of horse training, we are, etc.

(Signed),

H. B. HUNT, Brewer.
G. H. RAMOY, C. E.
C. RAMOY, Coal Merchant.
DR. TRACEY, M. D.
S. M. HICKS, Miller.
E. F. POTS, Wholesale Liquor Merchant.
J. C. L. WARE, P. O. Clerk.
JOHN LAKE, Livery.
T. C. WALBRIDGE, Ex-M. P.
WELLINGTON BOULTER, Insp. Life Ins. Co.
GEO. A. SIMPSON, Coal Merchant.
STEPHEN GARRETT, Bailiff.
HAWLEY & MORDEN, Hawley House.
G. W. ALLEN, P.O. Clerk.
HENRY MCNINCH, Blacksmith.
And ninety others.

From Belleville I went to the town of Picton, where I found many admirers of that noble animal, the horse. Though the place is not large, the people flocked to my exhibitions, and gave me a class of one hundred and forty members, while, after I had left their town, and was engaged at the village of Wellington, twelve miles distant, a deputation from Picton waited on me, and presented me with the following diploma, which will speak for itself:

PICTON, _May 17, 1875_.

PROF. O. S. PRATT:

We, the members of your class, formed in the town of Picton,
are unwilling to allow you to take your leave without warmly
expressing the great satisfaction that has been ours since your
arrival among us. Your plain, lucid and highly interesting
lectures, combined with your gentlemanly deportment, has been
such as to leave a lasting and beneficial impression on our
memories. Your manner of handling vicious and untutored horses
has been highly gratifying to us, and the rapid progress made
by you clearly proves the superiority of your system. Your
book, so replete with instructions, illustrating what we have
seen practically demonstrated, will, we believe, greatly
benefit us in the practice of your system in future years.

Believe us, dear sir, to bespeak for you unequaled success in
your future efforts.

Yours, etc., etc.,

G. STRIKER, M. P. P.,
E. LOUKS, Rector of Picton.
A. M. KERR, Bank Agent.
FRED. WHITE, Teller.
BIDWELL WAY, Ed. “New Nation.”
J. H. ALLEN, Mayor,
J. F. INGSOLL, M. D.,
COLIN GEARING, Merchant.
R. A. NORMAN,
G. E. VANDUSEN,
RICHARD LAKE, Hotel Keeper.
M. CLARK, Merchant,
And one hundred and twenty others.

After forming classes in several places in the old loyal county of Prince Edward, and meeting with good success, I crossed the beautiful waters of the Bay of Quintie, arriving at the town of Napanee about the first of June, 1875. There I formed a class of one hundred. Pursuing my journey, I traveled north and west, exhibiting at many places, until I reached the town of Peterborough, where I remained a short time, and formed a class of one hundred members. Departing thence, I visited many towns and villages, forming classes in each, on my way to Lindsay, at which place I enrolled the names of seventy-eight members.

From Lindsay I went to Fenelon Falls, quite a newly-erected town, yet I found many there to whom my visit was a pleasure, as I soon obtained a class of some sixty members.

Passing on westward, I continued to meet with success, forming classes in some few small villages until, on the 9th of September, I entered the beautiful town of Barrie. There I found warm friends, and many lovers of the horse, who met me cordially, and gave me a class of one hundred and thirty-five members.

I next shaped my course northward, to the old town of Penetanguishine, on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. The larger portion of the inhabitants are French Canadians, many of whom are unable to speak our language. I was informed by some of the old inhabitants that the town was first settled a century ago; but, notwithstanding this, their progress has been slow, as at present the population is but about one thousand. My class in this place numbered about seventy persons, who seemed highly pleased with my system of educating the horse.

At Penetanguishine I took passage on the steamer Waubuno for Collingwood. The boat is commanded by Captain Peter Campbell, a courteous gentleman, who possesses the power of so adapting himself to his passengers as to make a trip with him pleasant in both the enjoyment and the retrospect, while the romantic scenery which meets the eye of the voyager who ascends the bay is so beautiful that, were it not for the severity of the winters there, one might easily be tempted to select his home amongst the beauties of nature which adorn the shores of Georgian Bay.

On arriving at Collingwood, I gave an exhibition that created a strong interest among the citizens, and resulted in my forming a good class, who manifested both satisfaction and delight with the instructions I imparted.

After exhibiting at small towns on the way, I arrived at the truly beautiful and lately-incorporated town of Meaford, on the fifth day of October. A drenching rain was falling, which seemed to indicate that my prospects of success would be blighted by the inauspicious storm; but, as the day swept on towards noon, the parting clouds allowed the golden sunbeams to flow through, and, by two o’clock, the whole aspect of the scene was changed. I gave a public exhibition, and formed a class of nearly one hundred members.

From Meaford I traveled over bad roads until I reached Owen Sound. Here I did not find as many lovers of the horse as I anticipated, yet I was pleased before the close of my labors by meeting a good degree of success.

Georgian Bay, near the southern bend of which is Owen Sound, is a beautiful sheet of water, broadening out as it leaves Lake Huron, with which it is connected, and forming what seems like a land-locked lake in itself. Large steamers leave this port for Lake Superior, and many tourists deem this route one of the most pleasing of all on the upper lakes. Ere long, it is asserted, a communication will be opened from this point to Winnipeg and the far-off Province of Manitoba.

Having thus brought my narrative down to the present time, I would add a few words to the reader who may have kindly followed me through the scenes I have recorded. In what I have written one object has been to show the strong and unqualified endorsement my system of equine education has everywhere received from the men best qualified to judge of its merits, while, at the same time, the narrative is a fitting, and I hope not an uninteresting, introduction to the system itself, which, with other matter relating to the general subject, will be fully and clearly taught in the following portions of the book.

And now, with a hearty appreciation of the unvarying kindness he has received from his patrons in all portions of the land, the author begs leave to respectfully dedicate this work to those whose aid, appreciation and friendship have so often cheered him in his efforts.

HISTORY OF THE HORSE

From the earliest ages this noble animal has been the friend and companion of man. Prized for his beauty, loved for his docility, and valued for his strength, he has ever been regarded as the highest in value and importance of all domesticated animals. In the remotest ages, as far back as authentic history discloses anything of the life and pursuits of man, we find that the horse occupied a prominent position in his service. Painters have pictured on their canvas the majesty and grace of the spirited animal. Poets have celebrated his strength and beauty in their verses, and even inspired writers have introduced amongst their most glowing descriptions the horsemen and chariots which formed a chief feature in the pomp and magnificence of those early days.

In the most ancient hieroglyphs we find him present, and always so represented as to show that, even in the remote antiquity from which they date, he had been brought into complete and serviceable subjection. In the oldest Egyptian paintings the horse is seen only in the war chariot, and in the descriptions of the siege of Troy only the charioteer appears, from which it has been supposed that the first horses used by the Greeks were too small to be conveniently ridden. But in the lately-discovered paintings in the palace of Nimrod, at Nineveh, disinterred by Layard, and supposed to be more than three thousand years old, horsemen are exhibited both in the chase and war.

But further back than even those distant times, in the ages where authentic history merges into the shadowy light, amidst which myth and fable mingle with the real, we find this noble animal figuring, but then exalted into a semi-human sphere. The Centaurs, who inhabited the passes of Mts. Pelion and Ossa, and the great plains of Thessaly, in Upper Greece, were probably a race resembling in many respects the Tartars of this age, and are supposed to have been the first who brought the horse into subjection to man. They were fabled as being half horse and half man. They are represented as perfect horses in all respects below and behind the withers and the chest; there, at the insertion of the neck, began a human body, the hip-joints articulating into the shoulders of the lower animal, and the abdomen of the man passing gradually into the chest of the horse. Above this the human form was perfect, with the erect bearing, chest, shoulders, arms, neck and head of a complete man. They were reputed to be possessed of extraordinary mental as well as physical powers, and to be as superior to ordinary men in wisdom and art as they were in fleetness and strength. They were evidently a tribe of horsemen whom the ignorance and superstition of that early period elevated into a superior race, in the supposition that the horse and man were united in one. Everything points to them as being the first who succeeded in breaking and using the horse.

Coming down to the times of authentic history, we find the Parthians to have been amongst the most renowned for their skill in training and using the horse. Their feats of horsemanship in battle showed a complete mastery of the animal, which, in their battles with the Romans, rendered them so efficient as mounted archers.

Frequently, in ancient paintings, the mounted steed is represented without a bridle, and the Numidian cavalry are said to have guided and restrained their horses without it; an assertion by no means improbable, as a Comanche Indian of the present day will frequently jump on the back of a wild and untrained horse, and guide him by the simple expedient of covering with his hand the eye of the animal on the side opposite to that in which he wishes to direct it.

In modern times the horse has been so closely associated with man that he appears in every phase of society, and it is only when his numerous uses are considered that we realize how greatly the human family is his debtor. The knight of the days of chivalry would have been impossible but for the trusty steed which bore him so gallantly in the lists at the tourney, and amidst the deadlier strife of the battle. Before the plow and at the harrow he has multiplied the productions of the earth a hundred-fold beyond what human strength alone could have secured. Laboring before the loaded wagon, he has been a steady drudge for man. Harnessed to the elegant equipage or to the humbler “cab,” or bearing along the dusty highway the stage-coach of the traveler, he has performed a thousand offices indispensable to human comfort and advancement. It is not too much to claim for him that civilization itself would have been shorn of something of its present fair proportions but for the valuable services rendered by this noble animal.

Yet, with all his acknowledged value, the horse has been too frequently the victim of neglect and cruelty; often ill-fed, poorly sheltered, and harshly treated, till, in many cases, the innate nobleness of his nature has been obscured by vicious habits, contracted through the mismanagement or abuse to which he has been subjected, and perpetuated by ignorance and prejudice. Naturally, the horse is usually gentle and confiding; he is quick to perceive, and possesses an excellent memory, which qualities render him capable of being educated easily, and to an extent far greater than is generally supposed. Added to this, he is capable of deep and lasting attachment.

What the horse may have been in his natural state is not known, as none at present exist in that condition. The horses which at the present day are found in a wild state in Northern Asia and America, are known to be the descendants of individuals formerly domesticated. On the prairies of the West, the pampas of South America, and the plains of Tartary, they live in troops, roaming at large, without fixed place of abode, seeking the richest pasturages by day, and resting at night in dry and sheltered situations; these large troops, which have lived independently for many generations, entirely exempt from the influence of man, probably afford a tolerably correct idea of what the primeval animal was. They are generally smaller, yet stronger, than the domesticated animal, with rougher coats, stronger limbs, and larger heads. Even when adult, the wild horse is readily domesticated, and may be broken to any use without great difficulty, thus proving the natural gentleness and docility of his nature. They are captured by the lasso, bitted, mounted, and broken within an hour by the daring and skillful Gauchos.

The Arabians, long renowned for their attachment to the horse, early showed the extent to which intelligent training could develop his finer qualities, and render him the most docile and obedient of animals. Something in that country or its climate is especially suited to the development of the horse, and, although introduced there long after his domestication in other eastern countries, he rapidly attained a degree of excellence which surpassed all others, until the horses of Arabia and the adjacent portions of Asia and Africa became the most celebrated for speed, courage, spirit, intelligence and docility of any of the equine race. Small in size, he has a beautiful, lean, bony head, with a very broad forehead, a tapering muzzle, and large, well-opened nostrils; his mane is very long, thin and silky. It is from the Arabian horse, crossed with the Barb, that the best stock of England and America has sprung. Although much of the superiority of these horses is attributable to peculiarly favorable conditions of the country where they originated, yet many of their excellent qualities may be traced to kindness and intelligent training by which those qualities were first developed, and through which they have been transmitted until they have become characteristics of the race.

The Arabian understands the value of his horse, appreciates the nobility of his nature, and treats him accordingly. They kiss and caress them; they adorn them with jewels, and amulets formed out of sentences of the Koran, as a preservative against evil and accidents. “In short,” says a modern author, “they treat them almost like rational beings, which are ready to sacrifice their lives for their master’s benefit.” In the desert he is the familiar comrade, tentmate and playmate of his master, as docile and intelligent as a dog. Rev. V. Monro relates an anecdote of an Arab, “the net value of whose dress and accoutrements might be calculated at something under seventeen pence half-penny,” who refused all offers made to purchase a beautiful mare on which he rode, declaring that he loved the animal better than his own life. The French author, Dr. St. Pierre, quotes a remarkable instance of the attachment an Arabian feels for his horse: “The whole stock of a poor Arabian of the desert consisted of a most beautiful mare. The French Consul at Said offered to purchase her, with an intention of sending her to his master, Louis XIV. The Arab, pressed by want, hesitated for a long time, but at length consented, on condition of receiving a very considerable sum, which he named. The Consul, not daring, without instructions, to give so high a price, wrote to Versailles for permission to close the bargain on the terms stipulated. Louis XIV gave orders to pay the money. The Consul immediately sent notice to the Arab, who soon after made his appearance mounted on his magnificent courser, and the gold he had demanded was paid down to him. The Arab, covered with a miserable rag, dismounts and looks at the money; then, turning his eyes to the mare, he thus accosts her: ‘To whom am I going to yield thee up? To Europeans, who will tie thee close, who will beat thee, who will render thee miserable. Return with me, my beauty, my darling, my jewel, and rejoice the hearts of my children!’ As he pronounced these words, he sprung upon her back and scampered off towards the desert.”

It is not surprising that such a high appreciation of and fondness for this noble animal, united to an intelligent training, has resulted in the production of a race of horses unrivaled in excellence. But among Europeans and Americans the treatment of the horse has been usually so harsh, and the mode of training so deficient in intelligence, as to greatly lessen his value, even where a brutal ignorance has not brought into activity every vice latent in his nature. Of the numerous faults ascribed to the horse a very small portion are chargeable to his natural disposition, the remainder being the direct result of vicious training, or rather of the absence of training, and the substitution of something which, under that name, first produces and then fosters the faults for which the animal is punished; while often the punishment is ineffectual, because the animal has no conception of why it is made to suffer.

Education is as essential to the horse as it is to man, and in each case it must proceed on the same general principles. Man, if uneducated and untrained would degenerate into barbarism, and the horse, unless brought under subjection to an intelligent will, will remain wild and ungovernable. In each case education is the process by which the higher and better qualities are developed and the lower and evil are restrained. The first grand lesson to be learned by each is that of subjection to authority; the child is taught that by his parent; the horse must learn it from his trainer. But, after that, knowledge is required, and this must be imparted by methods adapted to the nature that is to be cultivated. The object of the practical portion of this book is to show in what that knowledge consists and how it may be communicated to the horse, and so impressed upon his memory that it will never be forgotten. The author has the fullest confidence that the methods of breaking and training the horse, herein taught, will, if early applied, prevent his acquiring any of the faults which, under former systems, have proved so numerous; while the treatment recommended for correcting bad habits, already formed, will prove effectual in even the most stubborn cases, and with the most intractable dispositions. The reader will not be asked to accept any unproved theory, but will be instructed in a system which, although subjected to the severest tests, has never failed to accomplish the desired results. And that it never will fail, the author feels assured, it being firmly based on reason and experience. That it may require patience and self-control on the part of the instructor the author does not deny; but so does the instruction of a child, the breaking of a dog to the gun, or even the training of a vine to its trellis; but the satisfactory results which are certain to be attained will furnish an ample reward.

DIRECTIONS FOR FEEDING AND FITTING A HORSE.

1. TO RAISE A TROTTER SO THAT HE WILL LAST A LONG TIME.—A horse that is going to display great excellence as a trotter will not attain his speed at four years, nor at five, but will reach his highest excellence when the well-bred horse of seven years has been long gone from the turf. _Nothing in nature, soon matured, lasts long._

In fitting a running horse, the case is different, as his constitution is not the same; the colts of blooded horses are inclined to mature earlier than any others, and, being of leaner and wiry build, they can stand more feed at an early period than a lower-bred horse.

There are good reasons, which I fully endorse, for not feeding growing colts much grain. If the colt is weaned, I would recommend from one to two quarts per day, varying the quantity according to his size, as one with a large, loose frame will require more than a close-built colt, which keeps in good order and fills out as he grows up. Good pasturage, however, is the main requisite. Give no corn to colts while they are young. Late in the fall give your colt all the hay he can eat, and be careful to have his oats clean and of good quality. When his first winter comes, let the colt have a good place to run, and be well-housed at night. Never turn such colts out with old horses, calves and heifers; should you do so, you may expect a shivering, scrawny colt, scarcely able to put one leg before the other; while, by avoiding this error, your colt will be as gay and frisky as when standing by its mother.

When weaning, a warm bran-mash, now and then, with a few oats mixed in, will be beneficial; it will do the whole system good, and improve digestion. Give colts and horses all the water they can drink, but do not give it often. Never give a colt physic unless it is sick; to prevent sickness, diet when symptoms of indisposition appear.

Yearling colts should have three quarts of oats per day; their other food must be abundant and good. When two years old in the spring, give four quarts of oats per day; when three years old give six quarts, and when four years old give eight quarts daily.

2. TO MOUTH AND BIT A COLT.—The bitting must not be continued long at a time, from five to twenty minutes is sufficient, great care must be observed not to overdo the colt as short lessons, often repeated, make a better impression and are more lasting. When the colt becomes fatigued his temper will begin to rise, and I am satisfied that two-thirds of horses viciously inclined are made so by improper handling when young. In handling a two-year-old trotter the utmost care, as well as gentleness and firmness, must be exercised. It was not customary, in former times, to handle colts until they were four years old, but later experience has shown the advantages of beginning at an earlier age. A colt can be taught at two years old, and be made to trot at three if the handling is properly done. But a danger to be especially guarded against is the impatience of the owner who, when he finds that the young colt can trot a little, always desires to see him do it more or a little faster. If he pushes the colt in such a way he will soon have one that will do nothing. The only proper and safe way is to proceed gradually, but continually; the colt should be kept at it gently, so as to retain all he learns, which he will do if he is not forced off his feet.

Then break him to ride; mount and dismount, but do not straddle him till he gets accustomed to your getting off and on; then ride him for a few moments, but not so long that he will get leg-weary. I recommend less walking for trotters than was formerly employed.

3. TO EDUCATE HIM FOR THE ROAD.—In doing this the skeleton is preferable, to keep the weight off his back. Take your horse to some track; if there is none, then upon the road; do not speed him along at the same rate; but in short “spurts,” when he will extend himself without injury. If he seems tired, let him up a little. You must watch for such indications, as this is a critical time in the education of your horse. This jogging should not exceed from two to four miles a day, with “spurts” of not over a quarter of a mile. You should carefully ascertain whether or not he improves, as at this age his improvement should be constant. Perhaps, at this time, you may see him break his gait, showing that he has had too much work for his age and has become sore. Then suspend your driving and when he gets well apply my trotting rig as shown in the engraving. The colt then, finding something on his mouth and legs to keep him steady, will alter his way of going. Though he is to be taught to go without being pulled hard, it should still be remembered that the colt or horse will often want to get his head down and feel the bit. The driver should then support him, with as little pull as possible, yet enough to accomplish that purpose; the horse with good mouth will always feel the driver’s hand.

SYSTEM OF EDUCATING THE HORSE.

_NEW METHOD OF HALTERING A VICIOUS OR WILD COLT._

Having directed my attention for many years to compiling a system of educating the horse, and traveling over twenty-five States of the Union, together with nearly all the cities and towns in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, during the past eight years, it is highly probable that few, if any, men are better prepared to impart instruction or to give direction with regard to the management of the horse than myself. Therefore, without being egotistic, or overrating my ability, I can but say that, if the reader will adopt the various ideas found in my work relating to the colt alone, he will have gained knowledge sufficient to more than repay him for the amount paid for the book.

I deem it advisable to give special directions to those who raise colts, not only as to their manner of treatment and education, but, knowing full well the difficulty sometimes attending the first haltering of wild colts, I have prepared the foregoing plate as illustrative of my method, and now proceed to give directions which, if strictly followed, will insure success.

Take a pole about ten feet long; drive a nail near the end, then drive another about fifteen inches from it; now take a rope halter, and hang the part that goes on the top of the head on these nails; then enlarge the nose-piece, by means of the slip-noose, sufficiently to allow it to slip on easily, observing to hold the halter stale in your hands with the pole; approach your colt with great care, and allow him to smell of the halter, and, in a few minutes, he will yield to your advances, and allow you to place the halter on him without much difficulty. Make the shank or stale of the halter about three times the ordinary length, for, as soon as he finds himself caught, he will use his best exertions to get away from you.

_TO EDUCATE THE HORSE TO THE WORDS “COME HERE.”_

Place a Camanche bridle on the horse, made as follows: take a small cord about sixteen feet long, tie the end around the neck firmly, so that it cannot slip; then double your cord, placing it under the neck, from, the shoulder to the mouth; step back at the side of your horse, and say “Come here;” at the same time give him a sharp jerk, and he will swing around to you; when he comes, caress him with your hand on the shoulder; now repeat the same on opposite side, remembering to caress each time; do this four or five times, and you will find that your horse will obey and fully understand the words “come here.” Always speak the words with a distinct and commanding tone of voice.

I desire that the reader may understand that obedience in the horse is accomplished by pain; so, when you inflict pain, accompanied by a word, the horse is made to understand that the words mean pain; and, rather than suffer pain, he cheerfully obeys the word.

Persons have practiced the foregoing idea and succeeded in accomplishing their purpose and have, no doubt, been highly gratified that their horse was so intelligent, yielding a quiet obedience to their efforts in a very short time; now had the owner known that a foundation for a complete education was properly laid, how easily could he have built a superstructure thereon that would have been permanent and beneficial during the life of the animal. Men are often conceited and think that because they have experienced no difficulty in the past in breaking and handling their horses, therefore all will be sunshine in the future. I would advise a careful perusal of my work, and, by so doing, those of the character above described will have their conceit supplanted as they gain the knowledge of a practical system of properly educating the horse.

_HOW TO LAY A HORSE DOWN._

Place a rope or rein around the horse’s body, forming a surcingle; pass the other end under the tail and bring it back, tying it to the part around the body, thus forming a surcingle and crooper; also put a ring, say an inch in diameter, in the surcingle on the back; then strap up the nigh fore-leg as follows: take a quarter-strap, pass it two or three times around below the fetlock, then through the keeper; bring the leg up and buckle close to the belly; place around the neck a quarter-inch strong rope, loosely, fixing the knot so it will not slip; bring the end down the near side of the head, through the mouth, and back on the off-side through the ring in the surcingle; now take a position on the nigh-side of the horse, commencing to pull gently, allowing him to struggle a short time, after which he will lie down quite easily, without sustaining any injury.

By adhering strictly to the instructions given, every person will readily see, that the object in laying the horse down is to give him to understand that you are master; and, after repeating this two or three times, he will be perfectly satisfied of the fact. While down, place a small pole between his legs, moving it about; if he shows fear or resists, give him a sharp pull on the cord in his mouth by way of correction. In other words, punish him for doing wrong, and caress him for doing right, thus making him understand the difference between right and wrong.

_HOW TO GET A HORSE UP THAT THROWS HIMSELF._

Animals are often sulky, and quickly acquire the habit of lying down. Balky horses, when urged to go, will lie down and refuse to get up, and an ox will sometimes lie down in the furrow when before the plough. When the habit is thoroughly settled, it becomes very annoying to the owner or driver, who often resorts to severe means, but fails to accomplish the end desired; therefore, to prevent violence and ill-treatment, I give the easy and simple remedy subjoined, which, when adopted, will be found to be practical and _never-failing_:

Raise the animal’s head up, as illustrated in the foregoing plate, and pour into his nostril a small quantity of water, not to exceed a pint, from a pitcher or cup, and you will be amused by the pleasing result: the animal will rise to his feet as quickly as it is possible for him to do so; he believes himself to be drowning, and will extricate himself with all speed.

Simple as is this expedient, it is yet unfailing in its efficacy; and that which most commends it to the acceptance of kind-hearted men is the absence of all cruelty in its application. No pain is caused, but the unusual sensation, together with the necessity for air on the part of the horse, banishes his former feeling of sulkiness or anger and the yields to the almost irresistible impulse to spring to his feet and free his nostrils of the water.

If any one who has never applied this remedy should doubt its power, he only needs to try the experiment in a mild way on himself, when he will realize its power upon the horse.

I believe it would be impossible to devise another method so free from pain, so harmless to the horse, and yet so thoroughly efficacious as is the one we have here given.

_TO EDUCATE A COLT NOT TO BE AFRAID OF HIS HEELS._

Too much importance cannot be attached to the manner of educating a horse’s heels, as it is in that point his greatest means of defense and resistance lies, and most men make the mistake of breaking one end of the horse, while they allow his hind parts to go uneducated. The instructions I am about to give will, if properly followed, insure success.

After laying your colt down, commence to handle his hind parts and heels, being careful to hold the cord firmly in your left hand, so that, if he attempts to get up, you can control him; then strike him gently with a stick, and, if he should show fear, which he naturally will, punish him in the mouth; then place the stick between his legs and commence moving it around, and, if he makes no resistance, remember to caress him; almost as much is accomplished by caressing as by punishing.

The above instruction is equally applicable to a kicking horse, but in his education he will require more lessons before the habit will be entirely removed; still, kindness and a little patience will soon accomplish all you desire.

Men in general exercise too little patience in the training of their colts, and they frequently expect to accomplish more in a short space of time than can possibly be performed. Yet the time really required, when measured by days, is so short as to be really surprising. Let us suppose that in training a colt one were to spend two hours a day for ten days, which is the longest time that could possibly be needed; compute the time at ten hours to the day, and the whole amounts to but two days, at the end of which he would have a well-educated animal. I doubt if a farmer or horse-raiser could employ his time more profitably in any other way than in thoroughly educating his colts, as he thus enhances their value, for there is no sensible man who would not give ten dollars more for a properly educated animal than for one improperly trained.

_TO EDUCATE A COLT TO DRIVE BEFORE BEING HARNESSED._

Place on him the Bonaparte bridle, as shown in engraving, with your cord in the left hand and whip in the right; the cord referred to should be about eighteen feet long; now drive him around a circle to the right about fifteen minutes; then drive him to the left about the same time. You have now educated your colt to drive, and may with safety put on your harness, observing to put the reins through the shaft tugs at his side; then commence driving him carefully for some fifteen minutes on a walk, turning him to the right and left as before directed. Do not use the whip more than sufficient to give him a knowledge of its use. Never drive a colt without blinders. It is better to first hitch him to a sulky or a cart, and do not put on breechings, but allow the cross-bar frequently to come against his heels, so that he may never be afraid, or learn to kick. Never forget, when your colt is obedient, to stop him, and walk up to and caress him.

I am unwilling to pass on to another illustration without more fully impressing on the minds of those who raise or break colts the necessity of kind and careful usage in educating their animals. Never approach your colt quickly. Never, pull the halter or bridle off quickly. Always handle the colt’s ears with great care. Never punish him on the body with anything but a whip, and with it as seldom as possible, as many colts become sulky and show signs of balking when severely whipped. It is better that you should give your colt two or three lessons each day, as heretofore directed, at intervals of say two hours apart: by this means you do not overtax his brain, nor cause him to get weary. In this, as in many other cases, the wisest course is to “make haste slowly.”

_HOW TO EDUCATE A COLT TO MOVE HIS BODY WHEN HE MOVES HIS HEAD._

Place on your bridle, then your harness; carry your reins through the shaft tugs; take your position behind the horse (see engraving); now commence to drive, turning him round frequently, first to the right, then to the left, and he will quickly understand to move his body when he moves his head. By this means you are educating to the shafts, and educating not to be afraid of his heels, thus thoroughly breaking your horse at both sides and both ends.

After your colt has been driven two or three times, as above described, educate him to obey the word “whoa:” let him walk along smartly, then speak plain, with audible voice, and say “whoa;” at the same time pull on the reins with some force; when he stops, caress him; repeat this a few times, and, in the short space of fifteen minutes, you will have taught him the use of the word. Now your horse is educated to drive and stop at the word of command.

The next thing in order is to teach him to back. To accomplish this, grasp your reins firmly, and with a determined effort; speak firmly, making use of the word “back,” at the same time pulling with all your might; if he obeys the first time, step up and caress him; if not, increase the power by inviting one or more of your friends to assist on the reins, being fully determined to accomplish your purpose. As soon as he obeys, don’t fail to caress him, and by this process you will educate your horse to the word, which he will never forget.

Your colt being educated, you may now hitch him up to a vehicle, observing to drive him very slow, only on a walk, and after thus driving him a few times, you can with certainty say that you have a thoroughly educated horse, whose value will be greatly increased, compared with the old or any other system of breaking the colt. _Always_ observing to drive your colt with blinders, only using the whip enough to let him know the use of it. Be kind to your animal, never using harsh means, and he will reward your kindness by implicit obedience.

_IMPROVED METHOD OF BITTING A COLT._

Use the Bonaparte bridle, placing a loop on the lower jaw; carry the cord back on the neck, bringing the end of the cord down through the loop on the jaw; then draw the horse’s head up in an easy and graceful position, and tie a bow-knot. Should the horse attempt to rear and go over backwards, give a little pull to untie the cord, and the horse is saved from any accident. The object aimed at in bitting a horse is to give an easy position, with a high and graceful carriage of the head, and, in our efforts to do this, we must be careful not to give him a dead bearing on the bit, or make him what is usually known as a “lugger.” All the bitting rings which we have examined, and especially those of English make, are objectionable, as having a tendency to produce this result. The rig which we here give you is entirely free from this objection, and is better calculated to produce the desired result of ease and gracefulness than any ever before presented to the public. Our rig, instead of bearing on the jaw-bones whenever the horse presses his weight upon the bit, producing a calloused jaw and indifference to the bit, contracts the side muscles of the cheek on the molar teeth, with a pain the horse cannot endure; he lifts his head, the bit falls on the side rein, and the mouth is at once relieved. Practice has shown that horses bitted with this rig soon acquire the habit of gently and gracefully raising the head with that occasional toss, or upward and downward motion, and playing with the bit, which is the perfection of beauty in a carriage horse, while standing in the harness.

It is not possible for a horse with our rig to become a “lugger.” This bit never bears upon the jaw-bone with more than a light pressure, and when he attempts to rest his head upon the bit, the pressure on the teeth causes him to desist and elevate his head. He soon dreads to rest upon the bit, and of his own free will, without the force of the rein, carries it up with freedom and ease.

_EDUCATING THE COLT TO RIDE_

First put on the Bonaparte bridle, make a double half-hitch, bringing it over the head, back of his ears, and, carrying it down to the mouth, place it under the upper lip, taking the end of the cord in your right hand, placing it on the horse’s rump; then place your left hand in the mane; now spring partly on and off, as seen in the plate on preceding page. Do this several times; if he moves, punish him in the mouth, by means of the cord; if he does not move, when you get off caress him; then go to the opposite side, repeating the same several times, after which you may safely mount your horse, but be particular not to remain on his back too long at a time, as the strength of the animal is not yet sufficiently developed to bear a protracted strain. Like the young of all animals, the colt has a great deal of energy and spirit, but lacks the stamina to endure long-continued exertion, nor can it be imposed on them without certain injury.

Men do not act wisely by practicing the old system of riding colts, viz., by mounting on the back with reins and whip in hand, and, so soon as the colt jumps about or rears, applying the whip or heels; for the reason that the animal _does not know_ what you require of him, but believes you design some injury, and therefore resists your efforts to ride him. No wonder that he repeatedly throws his rider and treats him as an intruder. He cannot be less terrified than a man would be if a wild animal were to mount on his back. In order to secure success in educating his colt to ride let the reader adopt the foregoing instructions, and he will not have cause for regret, but will find that he has gained more than the single point of riding, as he has taught his colt that he does not intend to harm him, and that his duty is to yield a cheerful obedience to his owner’s commands.

_INSTRUCTIONS TO RIDE THE COLT._