28 THE ART OF TRAIKIXG ANlilALS. 



and entanglement. Changes of route, stoppages, etc., are 

 effected by such orders as " Whoa/' '' Gee," '' Haw/' which 

 the leader promptly and intelligently obeys. 



TO CURE BALKY HORSES. 



From.the number of " infallible recipes " given in the papers 

 for curing balky horses we should judge a little light on the 

 subject is called for by horsemen. The various remedies which 

 different correspondents describe as havmg proved effective in 

 their own experience would form a curious collection, though 

 some of them betray a remarkable lack of real knowledge about 

 the matter. One genius has discovered that stuffing a horse's 

 mouth and no^rils with road dust is highly successful. Another 

 humane individual deeply deplores the barbarous practice of 

 whacking balky horses over the head and legs, and suggests 

 that there should be substituted a system of steady, but not 

 very severe, pounding in one spot ^ith a '' smooth club," until 

 " the pain grows intolerable and he starts nervously forward." 

 One hero, whose valor deserves to be chronicled for the admir 

 ation of future ages, thus modestly relates his experience with 

 " one of the perverse animals," as he calls his horse : 



<' The first work I did with him after he came into my pos 

 session was to draw a load of hay from the meadow. He started 

 a few rods and then stood still, and no amount of urging that I 

 could command would induce him to budge afl inch. I took the 

 pitchfork and sat down on the fore end of the load and began 

 to prick him about the root of his tail, inserting the tines just 

 through the skin. He kicked, but the load of iiay was a com- 

 plete protection. I kept on, moderately and persistently pricking 

 for about five minutes, when he started for the bara. He never 

 attempted to balk but once after, when the mere sight of the 

 pitchfork was sufficient to make him draw." 



In Cecil county, Maryland, a farmer resorted to a rather novel 

 expedient for getting some " go" out of. a balky horse. Having 

 loaded his wagon rather heavily with wheat, the horses were 

 either unable or refused to draw it. After trying for some time 

 to put them in motion, he set fire to a sheaf of wheat, and applied 

 the flame to one of the horses. The horse, not relishing the 

 application, by a well directed kick deposited the blazing sheaf 

 in the load of wheat. This becoming ignited, was entirely con- 

 sumed, together with the wagon. One of the horses, also, nar- 

 rowly escaped perishing in the conflagration. 



Many of the cases of "balkiness" are nothing but want of 

 power to perform the task assigned ; a necessary pause from 

 temporary exhaustion. A driver who understands his business 



