BALKTNi,;. <)T 



long as you are calm, and can keo}) down excittMnent of 

 the horse, lie will soon forget all about it, and learn 

 to pull true. Almost every wrong act the horse makes 

 is from mismanagement, fear or excitement. We must 

 remember when we are dealing with dumb creatures,, 

 that it must be very difficult for them to understand 

 our motions, signs and language; we should never get 

 out of patience ^vith them because they don't under- 

 stand us, nor wonder at their doing things wrong. 

 We should remember that our ways and language are 

 just as foreign and unknown to the horse as any for- 

 eign language is to us ; and we should try to practice 

 what we could understand, were we the horse ; endeavor- 

 ing by some simple means to work on his understanding, 

 rather than on the different parts of the body. Balk- 

 ing is a habit that is acquired, just the same as kicking, 

 halter pulling, shying or any of the other habits; one 

 repetition after another of bad management will soon 

 confirm them in the habit. Then you have one of the 

 most disagreeable vices that we have to contend with. 

 I am often asked whether I can train a balky horse so 

 that he will not repeat the habit. I tell them that it 

 altogether depends upon the man that is going to use 

 the horse. If the man is not too balky, the horse will 

 have no inclmaTioji to repeat the habit. There are more 

 balky drivers in the countrv than there are balky 



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