THE AMERICAN FARMER 



How much the skill and genius of man have added to the value of our improved breed 

 of horses, would be difficult to determine. Many a noted trotter would not have sold for a 

 tenth the price paid for him if his fiery, ungovernable temper or ungainly stride had not 

 been modified and improved by the patience, perseverance, and gentle treatment of his 

 trainer; neither would Maud S. have sold for $21,000 if her noted trainer had not taught her 

 at four years old, to trot a mile in 2:17. The same may be said of St. Julien and other noted 

 horses. Untrained horses have seldom been sold for high prices. By patience and kind treat 

 ment a horse may be trained to do anything required of him that is reasonable, and not only 

 this, but will become so attached to his master, that he will seem to take a kind of pride and 

 pleasure in trying to please him when he once understands what is desired of him. A recent 

 writer, the owner of several fine horses, expresses the following sensible and humane 

 opinion: 



&quot; We would never have a man on our premises who would abuse a horse. The men 

 who ever worked for us were instructed not only to spare the lash, but to spare the tongue. 

 Rough language is nearly as abusive as actual beating. A horse cannot be screamed at and 

 eursed without becoming less valuable in every particular. To reach the highest degree of 

 value, the animal should be perfectly gentle, and always reliable, but if it expects every 

 moment that it is in the harness to be scolded and struck, it will be in a constant state of 

 nervousness, and in its excitement as liable, through fear, to do something which is not 

 expected as to go along doing what you started it to do. It is possible to train a horse to be 

 governed by the voice almost as completely as it is to train a child, and in such training the 

 horse reaches its highest value. &quot;When a horse is soothed by the gentle words of his driver 

 - and we have seen him calmed down from great excitement by no other means it may be 

 very fairly concluded that he is a valuable animal for practical purposes, and it may be cer 

 tainly concluded that the man who has such power over him, is a humane man and a sensible 

 one. But all this simply means that th man must secure the animal s confidence. Only in 

 exceptional instances is a horse stubborn or vicious. If he understands his surroundings, and 

 what is required of him he gives no trouble. As almost every reader must know, if the 

 animal when frightened can be brought up to the object, he will become calm. The reason is 

 that he understands that there is nothing to fear. So he must be taught to have confidence 

 in the man who handles him, and then this powerful animal, which usually a man could not 

 manage, if it were disposed to be vicious, will give no trouble. The very best rule, therefore, 

 which we would lay down for the management of the horse is gentleness and good sense on 

 the part of the driver. Bad drivers almost invariably make bad horses.&quot; 



If farmers and the owners of horses generally would be more particular in the choice 

 of those whom they employ to have charge of their animals, in all stages of their growth, 

 whether as young colts, draft or carriage horses, they would not only find it more agreeable 

 in having better tempered and more easily managed horses, but also more profitable in a 

 money point of view, since such animals will command a higher price in the market than 

 those made vicious, nervous, and unmanageable from unkind treatment. 



The writer has known of many valuable animals being utterly ruined by the bad man 

 agement and cruel treatment of so-called &quot;professionals&quot; in colt-breaking. In one instance, 

 a valuable colt of four years of age was so wretchedly handled that in three weeks time she 

 was not worth a dollar for after-use. Another was so cruelly treated in the &quot; bitting process &quot; 

 (a thing which no man who truly loves his horse will ever allow), that, in horsemen s phrase, 

 &quot; she had no mouth; &quot; and when abused with voice or whip, would drop her jaw back against 

 her neck, and run away and break things, in spite of the efforts of her driver to stop her. In 

 this instance a naturally fine animal was ruined, and practically worthless when &quot;broken,&quot; as 

 the expression is. Another animal, from the same stock as the preceding ones, and now in 

 her thirtieth year, never was broken, in the common meaning of the term, and will not be 

 when she dies; but willing and true to bit or voice, she has been faithful and fruitful in good 



