-43- 



To Educate a Horse Not to Kick while in 



Shafts. 



Horses are quite often educated to kick in harness as well as 

 out and almost numberless accidents have been caused by this 

 vicious and bad habit. Men are found reckless enough to tant- 

 alize their horse with a whip and sometimes punch him with a 

 stick, regardless of consequences. The result, in most cases, is 

 that the animal becomes a kicker, and the habit when once 

 formed is not easily eradicated by resorting to the old stereotyped 

 method of placing a strap over the horse's rump and buckling to 

 the shafts on each side. This treatment may in time effect the 

 purpose, but it will require months to do so. Laying all others 

 aside, I with confidence say to the reader, if he will but practice 

 the subjoined idea he will find it not only practical but effectual, 

 because the punishment is so severe that a few lessons will con- 

 vince the horse that it will greatly be to his advantage to abandon 

 the habit. 



Take a cord twenty feet long, divide it in the center, place it 

 back of the ears, bring it down and cross it in the mouth, then 

 bring it up between the eyes, placing a ring or loop there ; now 

 bring it back through a ring attached to the head-stall between 

 the ears, then bring both ends of your cord under the saddle of 

 the harness and along the back, to a ring slipped over the crupper 

 against the hip-strap ; bring the cords through the ring down to 

 the shaft on each side of the horse, observing to leave just slack 

 enough so that your horse may not be too much confined. The 

 cord used may be quite small, so that it is strong. 



Now when your horse makes an attempt to kick he will find a 

 severe punishment immediately meted out to him, and thus 

 finding his attempt fruitless as well as painful, he will be made 

 to understand that while obedince is rewarded, punishment 

 quickly follows each act of disobedience. This simple yet effect- 

 ive exj)edient makes the horse punish himself for his own mis- 

 deeds, and by making the act of kicking the cause of his suffering 

 disinclines him to attempt it, for neither horse nor man will 

 voluntarily provoke certain pain. 



