MOUNTED INSTRUCTION 45 



A horse must never be struck or threatened about the head. Such 

 treatment quickly makes him head-shy and renders his proper control 

 difficult and exasperating. 



Never kick, strike, or otherwise abuse a horse. On rare occasions 

 punishment may be necessar}', but it must be administered immediately 

 after the offense has been committed, and then only in a proper 

 manner with whip or spur and never in the heat of anger. 



In cold weather warm the bit by blowing- on and rubbing it before 

 putting the bit into the horse's mouth. 



In taking a horse out always walk him the first mile to start the 

 circulation in his legs. Habitual disregard of this rule leads to foot 

 and leg troubles that will render the horse unserviceable before 

 his time. 



Alwa3's walk the last mile, or farther if necessary, to bring the horse 

 in cool and breathing naturally. 



To be certain of no ill effects, a horse brought to the stable in a 

 heated condition must be cooled out and dried before he is left tied 

 up in his stall. To cool the horse w^alk him about slowly under a 

 blanket if the air is chilly. Occasionally interrupt the w-alking by giv- 

 ing him a good brisk riib-dow'n and two or three swallows of water. 

 AA^alking is especially valuable, because this gentle exercise keeus the 

 muscles moving slowly and so assists in working any excess of blood 

 out of them and out of his vital organs. The brisk rubbing dries him 

 and assists in bringing the blood back to the skin, and so aids in 

 restoring the circulation to the normal. If the surface of the body 

 becomes chilled or if the cooling out is too sudden the congestion exist- 

 ing in the lungs or in the feet may not be relieved, and pneumonia, 

 laminitis. or other troubles will then result. A sudden stoppage of 

 hard work is always bad for the feet and is very liable to result in 

 laminitis. The water given in small quanities slowdy cools the horse 

 internally and so aids in sending the blood back to the surface and 

 restoring the normal circulation and temperature. The cooling out 

 process must always be a gradual one. To throw water on any part 

 of a heated horse is particularly dangerous. 



Never allow stocks to be used for shoeing or for any except veteri- 

 nary purposes. It never gentles a horse nor in itself teaches him 

 to stand for shoeing. You cannot have it in the field and. after all. 

 efficiency in the field is the goal of all our training. 



Except as directed in the preceding^ paragraph, never w^ater a horse 

 when heated unless the exercise or march is to resume immediately ; if 

 the exercise or march is to be resumed at once, w-ater wmII be of the 

 greatest benefit to the horse, no matter how heated he may be. But 

 a horse should not be called UDon to do hard or fast w^ork for at least 

 a half an hour after a big drink. 



■ Never feed grain to a horse wdien heated or fatigued. Grain is a 

 highly concentrated food that requires high digestive power. Ab- 

 normal temperature impairs the powder of the digestive organs. If 

 the animal has been worked to the point of fatigue, all bodily functions 



