THE HORSE. 773 



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more indolent ones. A high-mettled horse, when carelessly driven, will start suddenly 

 against his collar, fail to start his load, draw back from the pain which the concussion causes, 

 rush at it again, and again draw back, until it becomes impossible for his driver to steady 

 him in his collar for a dead pull. If to all this be added a smart cut with the whip, and a 

 fiercely-spoken word with, perhaps, a blow over the nose, or a stone in the ear every fear 

 or vicious feeling of the horse will be summoned into action, and the animal will become 

 entirely unmanageable, requiring to be left for an hour or two in his position, before he gets 

 sufficiently calm to be induced to move. There may occasionally be a horse which cannot be 

 made to draw steadily by the most careful treatment, but the cases are exceedingly rare in 

 which gentle treatment and firmness, a patient persistence in mild, authoritative command, 

 and judicious coaxing, would not either prevent the formation of the habit, or cure it when 

 formed. 



To cure the habit of balking is not an easy matter, and it is possible only by the kind 

 est treatment. If the horse shows fear by his excited manner, or, by looking aboTit him 

 wildly, that he is expecting a blow, you may be sure that he has received hard usage under 

 similar circumstances, and that he must be convinced by caresses and kind words that you 

 will treat him gently. You must recollect that the horse cannot understand your language, 

 and that while he is confused, he will misinterpret every sign which you may make to him. 

 He must feel confidence in your kind intentions, whether it takes an hour or all day to con 

 vey it to him, before you can do anything to cure him of his trick. 



If you have him harnessed to a light wagon on a smooth road, where it will afford but 

 little resistance, you may, by repeated trials, convince him that it is a simple, easy matter to 

 draw it; and you should continue to exercise him from day to day with the same light load, 

 and afterward increase it gradually, until you have trained him to a quiet manner of 

 starting, or of going up a hill, or elsewhere, where he has been accustomed to balk.&quot; 



Another writer gives the following sensible advice: &quot;Almost any team, when first 

 balked, will start kindly if you let them stand five or ten minutes, as though there was 

 nothing wrong, and then speak to them in a steady voice, and turn them a little to the right 

 or left, so as to get them both in motion before they feel the pinch of the load. But if you 

 want to start a team that you are not driving yourself, that has been whipped and otherwise 

 mismanaged for some time, go to them and hang the lines on their names, or fasten them to 

 the wagon, so that they will be perfectly loose; make the driver and spectators (if there are 

 any) stand off some distance to one side, so as not to attract the attention of the horses; 

 loosen the check-lines, so that they can get their heads down, if they choose ; let them stand 

 a few minutes in this condition, until you see that they are a little composed. &quot;While they 

 are standing, you should be about their heads gentling them; it will make them a little more 

 kind. When you are ready to start, stand before them, and, as you seldom have but one 

 balky horse in a team, get as near the front of him as you can, and, if he is too fast for the 

 other horse, let his nose come against your breast: this will keep him steady, for he will go 

 slow rather than run on you; turn them gently to the right, without letting them pull on the 

 traces, as far as the tongue will let them go; stop them with a kind word, gentle them a 

 little, and then turn them back to the left, by the same process. You will have them under 

 your control by this time, and as you turn them again to the right, steady them in the collar, 

 and you can take them where you please. 



There is a quicker process that will start a balky horse, but not so sure. Stand him a 

 little ahead, so that his shoulders will be against the collar, and then take up one of his fore 

 feet in your hand, and let the driver start them, and when the weight comes against his 

 shoulders he will try to step; then let him have his foot, and he will go right along. If you 

 want to break a horse from balking, that has long been in that habit, you ought to set apart 

 a half a day for that purpose. Put him by the side of some steady horse; have check-lines 



