[1837 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



57 



require it." '-Asrreed, agreed!" cried halfadvozen 

 voices!, ol'whicii mine was one. '• Bring up Mad- 

 ison's mare, and if he can do hall' what lie says 

 ■with her, lie must deal with the devil." "No, 

 gentlemen," said Smith, "there is no devilment in 

 it, hut plain common sense, as you will see. Take 

 ihe mare into that house out yonder," (it wasalog 

 house about twenty leet square;) "all horses may 

 he manaired in the same way." The mare was a 

 wild, skittish young thing, high tempered and vi- 

 cious withal, disposed to kick and bite, and would 

 not let a stranger touch her. "Come, gentlemen," 

 said Snnth. "let us so to the stable." As he went 

 along, he examined careCully a whip which he car- 

 ried, tbrmed like a wasroner's, hut lighter in the 

 handle, and longer in the thong and lash. When 

 we got to the door. Smith said no man hut himsell" 

 must enter. "Look througii the cracks, and see 

 what I do, and how I do it. Shut the door afier 

 m'% and fasten it." In he went suddeiUij, and very 

 hnldly, and belore the mare could siirvey him, he 

 was iriving her the lash on her hind legs and 

 tliichs. with quick sharp fjtrokes. Around she 

 went, kicking, jumping, backing out, and seem- 

 ing a^ if she would break through the side of the 

 liouse, keeping at the greatest possible distance 

 from him. No rest, no breathing time was fxiven; 

 tht^ sweat began to flow, and the mare to be slovver 

 ia her movements, and occasionally to turn so as to 

 S'T:»en her hind legs from the lash. When she 

 turned her head towards him, and approaclied 

 nearest, he stopped the whip, stretched out his 

 1) ind towards her and said "come along." But 

 she was oti' aijain instantly, and again the lash 

 was applied. Presently she stopped, turned, look- 

 ed at him, and inclined slightly towards him. He 

 reached out his hand, stopped whipping, and 

 touched her neck, saying again, "come along." 

 Piiii there was no come along in her; there she 

 stood sullenly. Aicwi he leaped, and plied the 

 lash, and slill repeated "come along." She soon 

 turned, came towards him, and stopped. He was 

 watching her, and the moment she began to ad- 

 vance, he did also, so that now he was near her, 

 he patted her; stopped whipping, and as he moved 

 away said, "come along." She began to move 

 with him; but as if panic struck, a motnent after- 

 wards darted olT. The lash was poured into her. 

 She stopped, trembled and dunged. "You'll see 

 now," said Smith to us, "the,}'^ generally do this 

 when givinir up." She approached; he patted her 

 neck, stopped whip[)ino;, and said, "con>e along," 

 moving slowly from her. She now obeyed, fol- 

 lowing him several times around the room. He 

 Katted her neck, and as she wa-^ following him, 

 e suddenly darted away, and began with the 

 whip, crying "come along." instantly she was 

 at his side, and the whip ceased to flash through 

 the air, and he was patting her neck as she fol- 

 lowed him around. Whenever she lagged, he 

 was away, and the whip applied. Never after 

 that would she remain two feet fi'om him. "You 

 see, gentlemen," said he, "the principle. The 

 whip never touches her to hurt when near me; 

 nothing near me, or that I bring to her, is to hurt 

 her so much as her fear of me. or any thing in con- 

 tact with me." He then took off his glove, thrust 

 his fist into his armpit and then rubbed it on and in 

 her nostrils. After a ^ew more times around the 

 room, the mare followed close to him, he said open 

 the door." The door was opened, and the mare 

 Vol. V— 8 



followed close to him ofl'to the crowd, and through 

 it, and back again into the stable. He came out, 

 closed the door, and said, "this, gentlemen, is al- 

 ways the first lesson, and nuver has to he repeated. 

 After a horse follows in the stable, it is but to nmke 

 him do it in a small lot, where he cannot escape 

 you. It has taken about thirty minutes. On liie 

 whole, it is humane, for it prevents all future con- 

 tention. On entering her stable hereafter, she 

 should be reminded by a single touch of the whip, 

 and "come along." She will now follow the small- 

 est boy, wlio will go in alone, give her the hint with 

 the whip, and say "come alontr," ibr a treaty has 

 been formed with her to this effect, that when near 

 yuu^ she is never to be struck; but if at a distance 

 and disobedient, she suffers, not after the fault, but 

 daring its amimission. By this treatment her whole 

 nature will be changed, and she may be taught, by 

 the rational application of the principle, to do any 

 thing that a horse can do. I will now show you 

 that she will let me handle her feet. &c.so soon aa 

 1 teach her wliat I want her to do." He went in,- 

 and closed the door. She came up to him; he 

 patted her shoulder, then her arm, and carried his 

 hand down the foreleg; she drew hack and trem- 

 bled. In an instant he was away fi-om her, and 

 the lash a|iplied, with "come alonir." Up she 

 came, and he began aoiain; she now stood fast, 

 vvhile he ran his hand over the lesr, patting and 

 soothing her. "She is now satisfied, you see, that 

 she is not to be hurt when [ touch her." He then 

 went fi-om leg to leg, till she stood pcrfectl)' quiet 

 while he handled them. He then slightly tapped 

 The inside of the foreleg, and sai<l, "loot, foot." 

 She raised it on the toe; he took hold of it gently, 

 but firinly, raised it from the ground, and patted 

 her, then stopped a few moments, and repeated it 

 till when he tapped it she raised the foot off the 

 ground fisr him. This he did repeatedly to every 

 foot. "She now understands," said he,, "that 

 when I sliiihtly tap her leg, and say 'foot,' I want 

 her to give it to me, and she will do it; for if she 

 does not, she well knows the consequence, I will 

 be off yonder, and the lash will take my place; 

 I'm the most agreeable of the two. Horses 

 tausrht this will never kick you; they are not only 

 afraid, hut from the association of ideas, take plea- 

 sure in 'your touch; it is ihe sign <f peace. I will 

 now put her confidence in me to the severest test." 

 He raised the whip, laid it on her back, rubbed her 

 with it; she trembled like aleaf till she stood nearer 

 to hwi, as if for protection. He patted her; shook 

 the whip over her, then increased its motion paral- 

 lel to her back till it whizzed in the air, without 

 ever touching her; louder and louder it sounded, 

 till he began to crack it over her; once only did 

 she retire, and was back again instantly; for the 

 moment she was off she felt the lash. After this 

 he suddenly reached, raised the whip, and said, 

 "come along." Up she came; then he cracked 

 it over her very often, and she never moved from 

 him. 



"You see now, gentlemen, that the cracking 

 the whip is also a s!grt f)/';?eace. She will come 

 to it if you do not deceive her. My horse comes 

 to it if he sees me, although a quarter of a mile 

 off. Suppose your horse is afraid of an umbrella, 

 or any thing else: take it into the stable; make 

 him follow you with it on your arm; then touch 

 him, then hold it over his head, then on his back, 

 and then take hiin into a lot so small that he can- 



