TEACHING TRICKS. 163 



time lie will root his -nose under your coat back under 

 your arm to iind it, in anticipation of his reward. N'ow 

 that he understands what you want him to do a ca- 

 ress will do as well as a reward, and he will soon 

 comply with your wish when you say ''Find it."' 



TO CARRY AN ARTICLE IN THE MOUTH. 



This trick will have been nearly taught if you 

 have first taught him to take a handkerchief from 

 your pocket. Take a cloth and mash a part of an 

 apple in it and place it where the horse is accustomed 

 to be the most and tell him to "Bring it."' When he 

 follows you around with it for a little distance, caress 

 and talk encouragingly to him. If it is a basket you 

 wish to teach him to carry, you may wrap the same 

 cloth around the basket handle and he will finally learn 

 to associate the command that you use for "bring^* 

 or carry, with the basket. I shall only give space 

 enough for some of these simple tricks, so that even 

 an amateur can know how to begin with them. 



TO FIRE A PISTOL. 



Secure the pistol firmly to a post or as high as the 

 horse can conveniently reach; attach a string to the 

 trigger and a small wisp of hay to the end of the 

 string; have it arranged so that by pulling at the 

 hay the trigger will snap. (Do not ha^. the pistol 

 loaded, or it will frighten your horse so you cannot 

 get him near it ftgain.) Take the horse up to this 

 until the hay attracts his attention; he takes hold of 

 the hay, the trigger snaps; he eats a hit of hay, and 



