240 HOW TO TEACH A HORSE TRICKS. 



for the above-mentioned tricks. There is hardly a limit to which 

 these performances can be carried. You can say to your horse : 

 " Will yon take the handkerchief from your front foot/' and at 

 the same time make a sign to hiin with your foot and he will 

 bow. 



Then tie the handkerchief on his front foot, in such a way as 

 to be easily pulled off by the horse, leaving a corner of it handy 

 for him to get hold of, and so on, until he will get the pocket- 

 handkerchief from any place you may leave it. 



Now, get a large box or platform, and get him up on it with 

 his forward feet. First get one of his feet on, then get him to 

 step up with the other — doing this a few times — after which he 

 will get up at the command. 



Next, make him get up on" the box with all four feet, and 

 gradually lessen the size of the box until he will get on a box 

 not more than two feet across. Have the box larger on the 

 bottom than at the top, so it will not upset and frighten him. 



Then be^in to teach him to walk around with his front feet on 

 the box or pedestal and his hind feet on the ground ; then make 

 him get upon the box and get down with his front feet, keeping 

 his hind feet on the box, and make him walk around the box on 

 his front feet ; then you can put the handkerchief up on a pole, 

 making him climb up on the box with his front feet and reach to 

 where the handkerchief is and bring it down. 



Next, you can make him shoot a pistol by putting the handker- 

 chief on the trigger. At first you should be careful not to frighten 

 him by the report of the pistol. You can teach a horse almost 

 anything you wish. 



Begin now to teach him to paw by touching him lightly on 

 the near forward leg with a pin. Then make a pile of dirt in 

 front of him and get him to paw it down. You can then take 

 your handkerchief and bury it in the pile of dirt; then ask 



