94 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



that which a little consideration, reason, and philo- 

 sophy would make but a simple affair. 



Third. — He will allow any object, however 

 frightful in appearance, to come around, over, or 

 on him, that does not inflict pain. 



We know from a naturalj^course of reasoning, 

 that there has never been an effect without a cause, 

 and we infer from this, that there can be no action 

 either in animate or inanimate matter, without 

 there first being some cause to produce it. And 

 from this self-evident fact we know that there is 

 some cause for every impulse or movement of 

 either mind or matter, and that this law governs 

 every action or movement of the animal kingdom. 

 Then, according to this theory, there must be 

 some cause before fear can exist ; and, if fear 

 exists from the effect of imagination, and not from 

 the infliction of real pain, it can be removed by 

 complying with those laws of nature by which the 

 horse examines an object, and determines upon its 

 innocence or harm. 



A log or stump by the roadside may be, in the 

 imagination of the horse, some great beast about 

 to pounce upon him ; but, after you take him up 

 to it, and let him stand by it a little while, and 

 touch it with his nose, and go through his process 

 of examination, he will not care anything more 

 about it. And the same principle and process 

 will have the same effect with any other object, 

 however frightful in appearance, in which there is 

 no harm. Take a boy that has been frightened by 

 a false face, or any other object that he could not 

 comprehend at once ; but let him take that face or 

 object in his hands and examine it, and he will not 

 care anything more about it. This is a demon- 

 stration of the same principle. 



With this introduction to the principles of my 

 theory, I shall next attempt to teach you how to 

 put it into practice ; and, whatever instructions 

 may follow you can rely on, as having been proven 

 practically by my own experiments. And know- 

 ing from experience just what obstacles I have 

 met with in handling bad horses, I "shall try to 

 anticijjatc them for you, and assist you in sur- 

 mounting them, by commencing with the first steps 

 to be taken with the colt, and accompanying you 

 through the whole task of breaking. 



HOW TO SUCCEED IN GETTING THE COLT 

 FROM PASTURE. 



Go to the i)asture and walk around the whole 

 herd quietly, and at such a distance as not to 

 cause them to scare and run. Then approach 

 them very slowly, and if they stick up their heads 

 and seem to be frightened, hold on until they be- 

 come quiet, so as not to make them run before you 

 are close enough to drive them in the direction you 



want them to go. And when you begin to drivcj 

 do not flourish your arms or halloo, but gently 

 follow them off, leaving the direction free for thera 

 that you wish them to take. Thus taking advan- 

 tage of their ignorance, you will be able to get 

 them into the pound as easily as the hunter drives 

 the quails into his net. For, if they have always 

 run in the pasture uncared for (as many horses do 

 in prairie countries and on large plantations), there 

 is no reason why they should not be as wild as 

 the sportsman's birds, and require the same gentle 

 treatment, if you want to get them without trouble ; 

 for the horse, in his natural state, is as wild as any 

 of the undomesticated animals, though more easily 

 tamed than the most of them. 



HOW TO STABLE A COLT WITHOUT TROUBLE. 



The next step will be, to get the horse into a 

 stable or shed. This should be done as quietly 

 as possible, so as not to excite any suspicion in the 

 horse of any danger befalhng him. The best way 

 to do this, is to lead a gentle horse into the stable 

 first and hitch him, then quietly walk around the 

 colt and let him go in of his own accord. It is 

 almost impossible to get men who have never prac- 

 tised on this principle to go slowly and consider- 

 ately enough about it. They do not know that in 

 handling a wild horse, above all other things, is 

 that good old adage true, that " haste makes 

 waste;" that is, waste of time— for the gain of 

 trouble and perplexity. 



One wrong move may frighten your horse, and 

 make him think it necessary to escape at all hazards 

 for the safety of his life — and thus make two hours' 

 work of a ten minutes' job; and this would be all 

 your own fault, and entirely unnecessary — for hewill 

 not run unless you run after him, and that would not 

 be good policy unless you knew that you could out- 

 run him, for you will have to let him stop of bis 

 own accord after all. But he will not try to break 

 away unless you attempt to force him into measures. 

 If he does not see the way at once, and is a little 

 fretful about going in, do not undertake to drive 

 him, but give him a little less room outside, by 

 gently closing in around him. Do not raise your 

 arms, but let them hang at your side, for you might 

 as well raise a club : the horse has never studied 

 anatomy, and does not know but that they will 

 unhinge themselves and fly at him. If he attempts 

 to turn back, walk before him, l)ut do not run ; and 

 if he gets past you, encircle him again in the same 

 quiet manner, and he will soon find that you are 

 not going to hurt him ; and then you can walk so 

 close around him that he will go into the stable for 

 more room, and to get farther from you. As soon 

 as he is in, remove the quiet horse and shut the 

 door. This will be his first notion of confinement 



