RUNAWAY HOESES. 31 



tion of the excitability and nervous temperament of horses 

 disposed to take fright, would be to harness them with strong 

 harness to an old but stout caj-riage a few times before the 

 sleighing season, and have them taken slowly out of the city to 

 a country road, not too hard for the horses' feet, and drive them 

 at a full run or gallop for a few rods at a time. Repeating this 

 several times during the drive will so accustom the horses to 

 the excitement of a run in harness and the rattle of a carriage 

 behind them, that it will become familiar, and when occasions 

 arise,- as they sometime will in all large cities, to start them to 

 run, they can be at once brought up and kept under complete 

 control. The training to an occasional run has familiarized 

 such horses with the excitement ; but conversely, once let a 

 team not used to it in harness, get a start and run, the excite- 

 ment every moment becomes greater, takes the place of animal 

 instinct, and all control of them is lost — till brought up against 

 some obstacle, with a general smash of all surroundings, and 

 perhaps the loss of valuable and useful life. Whether the horse 

 be hurt or not, they are forever of no value for family purposes, 

 and the groom or coachman not unfrequently loses both situa- 

 tion and character as a driver. To familiarize your horse to an 

 occasional run in harness will do them no harm ; and our word 

 for it, much good will be done, and safety insured." 



HOW TO INSTANTLY STOP RUNAWAY HOESES. 



When a Canadian family party, traveling in winter over ice 

 covered rivers and swamps, is so unlucky as to cross a place 

 where the horse sinks, they save him from drowning, and them- 

 selves from the danger of sharing the same fate, by pulling a 

 rope so arranged that it chokes him. The water being thus 

 prevented from enteruig his gullet or windpipe, he floats on the 

 surface, and it only requires a long and firm pull to bring him 

 to solid ground, when the rope being relaxed he quickly recovers 

 his wind and is ready once more to start on his journey. 



Perhaps profiting by this example, a similar means has been 

 adopted with success for stopping runaway and subduing infuri- 

 ated horses whether in riding or driving. It consists of a rein 

 composed partly of thread-covered cat-gut, and partly of com- 

 mon leather, one end of which is attached to the bridle at the 

 top of the horse's head, while the other rests at the pummel of 

 the saddle, or on the coach box, as the case may be. Running 

 upon the cat-gut part by means of loops, is a short cross piece 

 of cat-gut which rests against the windpipe of the animal, ready 

 to be pulled up against it by takmg hold of the nearer end of 

 the rein. A quick and firm pull, to stop the breathing of the 



