DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



KECEIPTS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR THEIR CARE ANX 

 TREATMENT. 



I3:OI?,SES 



General Remarks Upon Their Dispositions, Etc. — It is at 



admitted fact that " kind and gentle treatment makes a kind and gentle horse.'' 

 Again, " a balky man makes a balky horse." " Bad drivers," too, " make bad 

 horses." It is only in a few exceptional cases that a horse is naturally vicious, 

 or even stubborn. Let good sense be shown, then, on the part of those who 

 have the raising and care of horses, and they will show theirs by their kind and 

 willing submission to all reasonable requirements which they understand. 

 Kindly teach them, and they will as kindly learn. But curse and scream at 

 them, and you excite their fears and injure their disposition to be kind, by every 

 such want of judgment on the part of the driver, or the one who has the care of 

 them in the stable. Then, if you want a kind and gentle horse, be kind and 

 gentle towards them, and they will not fail you in more than one case in a hun- 

 dred. But a pet to-day and a kick to-morrow will destroy their confidence in 

 you, and leads them to expect abuse rather than kindness. The Arabs are 

 accredited with being the most successful horse-trainers in the world; and they 

 so appreciate the value of kindness that they take them into their tents with 

 them, and bestow upon them as much love as they give to their children; and 

 the children, in turn, make playfellows of the colts; and thus, although the 

 Arabian horse is considered the most spirited of any in the world, yet with 

 their intelligence gained by this constant and kind companionship, they are the 

 most easily controlled of any. Beware of the impatience of boys and hired 

 help, who are likely to think there is no way of showing their power over a 

 horse but by jerking at the reins, and yelling or cursing at him. Treat horses 

 with uniform and unvarying kindness and they will soon learn to have confi- 

 dence in their master, and there will be but few "tricky" horses. It is well 

 even to be on friendly terms with cows and sheep as well as the horse family, 

 giving them salt, or a little sugar, pieces of apple, or any palatable thing, as bits 

 of carrots, beets, etc. , and especially so with the younger stock, and thus teach 

 every animal to allow itself to be handled in the yard. And if, when a 

 colt or a calf is seen for the first time, it is handled kindly, and so petted every 

 time it is seen afterwards, it will soon love to see you for the sake of the feed- 

 ing, handhng, etc., and never more be afraid of you, as it soon will be unless 

 this kind course is introduced and constantly pursued. That the disposition ot 



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