BALKING SINGLE. 243 



very bad ones. Among them was a small pony mare, nine 

 years old, — a confirmed balker. This I did not know until 

 after I had traded for her. I harnessed her carefully in 

 shafts, but she stood stubbornly. Upon touching her with 

 a whip, she threw herself down. I saw at once that she 

 was one of the very worst of balkers, and that in the effort 

 to break her she had been subjected to a great deal of 

 whipping and abuse. I unhitched her, got lier up, tied up 

 the harness and reins, went into an orchard close by and 

 filletl my pockets with apples. I then led her to a back 

 road not much used, and standing near her head with a 

 switch in my hand, touched her lightly over the hips, say- 

 ing, " Get up ! " This caused her to start. After going a 

 few steps, I called, "Whoa ! " at the same time pulled upon 

 the reins, when she stopped, for which I gave her a piece 

 of apple, and stroked her nose and head. This I repeated 

 until she would start and stop at command. 



This point gained, I next untied the reins, and while 

 standing at the shoulder and holding the reins slack in my 

 hands, I repeated the command for starting, touching her 

 for a few times lightly over the hips. At each repetition 

 I stood a little farther back until able to get directly be- 

 hind her, and make her go or stop at command. I then 

 took her to the top of the hill and hitched her up. This 

 was the critical point of the experiment, and I did not pro- 

 pose to take any chances of failure. I commenced again 

 at her head, rewarding as before, until I was able to get 

 on the step, and finally into the wagon ; at each repetition 

 being careful to reward her, even getting out of the wagon 

 to do so. It was soon quite amusing to see how eagerly 

 she would reach round her head in anticipation of her re- 

 ward. Now I required her to go a little farther at each 

 time of starting until able to drive fifteen or twenty rods ; 

 then I took her out of harness, and put her in the stable. 



