138 THE HORSE 



rein means sprawling and slipping, and, in the case of 

 a pair, it usually means also that one horse starts ahead 

 of the other. Horses handled in this way have no con- 

 fidence in themselves, in each other, or in the driver. 



A pair of horses, or a team of three or more, should 

 really make two movements in starting a heavy load. 

 First, at the word of command, or at the tightening 

 of the rein, accordingly as they have been taught, they 

 gather themselves together, arch their necks, tighten 

 their traces, and feel of the load, as it were. Then at 

 the second command or signal, given by voice or rein, 

 they slowly and steadily strain against the collar, and 

 the load moves. Four horses, thus taught, will start a 

 heavy load with so little apparent effort that it seems 

 to follow them of its own accord. It takes long prac- 

 tice and much pains to bring man and horse to this state 

 of efficiency, and driving of this degree should be 

 ranked among the fine arts. 



BALKING 



If a horse balks, or refuses to pull, the great thing 

 is patience. If the horse is excited, still more if the 

 driver Is excited or angry, let him stop, and wait until 

 both he and the horse are in a quiet frame of mind. A 

 balky horse Is sometimes mentally incapable of moving; 

 he is hypnotized, as it were, by himself. Dogs occa- 

 sionally, and children often, get Into the same condition. 

 It IS a temporary suspension of will power; and the 

 only thing to do is to divert the attention of the 

 animal, and, falling that, to wait until he has recovered 

 his normal state. Tying a string tight around the 



