THE GENESEE FARMER. 



911 



TRAnmro of animals, on bbeakikg of 



HEIFEES, ITNRULY COWS, &C, 



Me. Morton wishes me to be more particular in 

 describing the process by which vicious cows and 

 liorses may be conquered. I took it for granted 

 that everybody would understand it from my de- 

 ecriptiou, if they did not know how already. I 

 would advise the adoption of the method given in 

 the November Fa/rmer of last year only in extreme 

 cases, where gentler means fail. But as it happens 

 that the farmer has to deal with a variety of dispo- 

 sitions among the various animals under his care, 

 it is well to know how to subvert even the wildest 

 and most untractable. 



There are three ways by which animals are 

 taught by man to submit to the various uses by 

 which they are adapted to his wants. One is by 

 early training, before they have either strength of 

 will or of muscle sufficient to resist — keeping them 

 tame and gentle. In this way, colts, heifers, and 

 steers, may be trained to correct action, without 

 vexation or trouble. 



Another manner is to begin the performance of 

 the various duties, whether of labor or the dairy, 

 at the age when their services are required. But 

 partial success sometimes attends this mode ; hence 

 the necessity occasionally occurs for using force, 

 which should never be resorted to until the animal 

 has proven vicious beyond the power of the usual 

 methods af subversion. 



We will here give our method of breaking wild 

 heifers for the dairy and steers for the yoke. For 

 heifers, if wild, we have a well-fenced y^d, con- 

 taining from one to two square rods, into which 

 we put a heifer with its calf — if we have but one. 

 Here let it remain for several days, feeding it from 

 the hand, petting, and rubbing, as much as conve- 

 nient, remembering meanwhile that " Love, and 

 love only, is the loan for love ;" but if you have 

 no desire to have your animals perform duty except 

 through training or habit^ strive to fix correct 

 ones, for " Just as the twig is bent," &c. Even in 

 this yard, do not corner your animal, nor, if possi- 

 ble, require help. I have no faith ia the wildest 

 heifer needing cornering in such a yard. Keep at 

 them until you can handle and milk them in' the 

 middle of the yard, remembering that the first 

 day's success is all important. Where heifers have 

 learned to stand in this little yard, they will usually 

 be quiet anywhere ; but it is better to yard them 

 dose until they are well acquainted with you, and 

 thoroughly tamed. Of course, dairymen who 

 milk in stables need no such practice. 



Where, after adopting the above method, one is 

 found so unruly and vicious as not to submit, but 

 is given to kicking, &c., we would use force ; and 

 when naught but force mdUI conquer, the victory 

 should be so complete that the vanquished party 

 will never seek another trial, or tempt to another 

 combat. 



The method described in the November number 

 of the Farmer was this: Pot a chain or rope around 

 the animal, just back of the fore legs, put in a 

 lever, and twist up, tightening it until evidence 

 i;s given of submission. No animal has will 

 sufficient to endure this torture without becom- 

 submissive ; and yet it is more humane than the 

 means uiually resorted to. Its power lies in their 



inability to resist or even to know from when«e 

 their pain arises. 



We have broken the wildest old cows we ever 

 saw — those that would run every chance, — by 

 having such a yard as described for the training of 

 heifers. It opened from the milking yard, and after 

 a couple of times, the cow goes in of choice to be 

 milked. Here there is no escaping from you, and 

 ere many weeks the animal, if properly (well) 

 treated, will have lost all desire to escape. It is a 

 great and evident truth, that no animal will seek 

 to escape from one they know and trust. But the 

 habits of animals can never be improved by any 

 save those who have patience to teach, and, for the 

 sake of the result, are willing to bear and forbear, 

 without wreaking vengeance on their unreasoning 

 pupils by a discharge of abusive, intemperate lan- 

 guage and milking stools, at their trembling delin- 

 quent. 



In training an animal to either labor or the dairy, 

 care should be taken not to prasume upon their 

 knowing already aught of the duties devolving 

 upon them, and possessed with all patience to show 

 yourself the greater reasoner of the two. 



We will defer^the training of ste&i's to the yoTee 

 to another number, and only add that we fully be- 

 lieve that no cow has acquired so strong a habit ©f 

 running, but that the use of the little yard will 

 break her — and none so inveterate a habit of kick- 

 ing, but that the chain and lever will cure it — and 

 no heifer so wild and fearful, but by proper usage 

 as above she may be taught to stand still for milk- 

 ing, and soon court and enjoy the relief it afibrds, 

 rather than run and be afraid. But alas! the 

 greatest of all troubles is the training of man, and 

 the effijrt to induce him to adopt other than stere- 

 otyped conservative habits is too frequently attend- 

 ed with failure. j. sanfibld. 



Amboy, lUinoia. 



CQiKISJiffniOlX OF THE FEET OF HOBSES — TEB^ 

 CAUSE Ain) BEMEDY. 



The tendency of a horse's feet, in a healthy con- 

 dition, are to expand whenever the weight of tho 

 body is thrown upon them. Being a very compli- 

 cated piece of machanism, they are very easily dis-, 

 arranged, and once out of order are difficult of 

 repair ; hence the necessity of preserving them in 

 a sound condition. 



Contraction is Caused — 1st, By cutting away 

 the bars of the feet, which are tho main stays for 

 the support of the quarters. 2d, By (opening the 

 heels as the smith calls it,) cutting away a portion 

 of the frog, in consequence of which the moisture of 

 the frog becomes absorbed, losing its elasticity, and 

 destroying its function, thus exposing the feet to 

 injury by concussion. 3d, By standing upon plank, 

 floors. 4th, By improper shoeing. 



An ordinary observer will, upon an examination 

 of the common shoe, notice that it inclines from 

 without inwards at the heels, thus forming a con- 

 cavity for the feet to rest in ; the consequence is a 

 lateral resistance to the expansion of the hoofs, 

 when the weight of the animal is thrown upon 

 them. The effects of this resistance is to force the 

 heels together, creating pressure upon the sensitive 

 parts within the horny case ; establishing fever by 

 which the moisture of the hoofs are rapidly ab- 

 sorbed, renderinjr the hoofs hard, brittle, and li^)]a. 



