224 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Persons desiring furtlicr instructions for teaching colts or 

 horses to perform a great number of curious, and some almost 

 incredil)le feats, are referred to Dr. G. H. Sutherland, of Do 

 Kalb, New Yoi'k, who possesses remarkable skill in the art of 

 educating horses, whether for work or for play. 



While the colt is young, he should also be made familiar with 

 those things by which horses are most commonly frightened, 

 because he is then more easily managed, will be rendered 

 thereby habitually fearless and confident, and thus be better 

 prepared for breaking to the harness and the saddle. 



The method of preventing a horse from being frightened at 

 certain objects by which he is always startled or is rendered 

 unmanageable, is precisely the same in principle as that to be 

 adopted with the colt. If, however, it be difficult or impossible 

 to hold the horse tolerably still in the presence of the frightful 

 object, it is necessary to take away his power of resistance, by 

 strapping up his nigh fore-leg. This is done by winding a strap 

 once or twice around the pastern, and then bending the leg so 

 as to bring the foot close to the elbow, and buckling the strap 

 snugly around the arm. Upon three legs most horses are 

 perfectly controllable. 



A horse will never fear that which he knows from careful 

 examination and experience will not injure him. llis first 

 impulse upon hearing or seeing any thing strange, is to run 

 from it. If, however, that be impossible, or if the sound be 

 constant or often repeated, or if the alarming object remains 

 unmoved, or frequently returns to view, he soon learns that he 

 is unharmed, and acts accordingly. Thus almost all horses, 

 with judicious treatment, soon become perfectly indifferent to 

 the smoking, puffing, rattling, screaming monster, called a loco- 

 motive, which at first seems to them a most terrible combination 

 of frightful sounds and sights. The following important prin- 

 ciples are of constant application in the education of horses. 



First. Any horse may be so educated as to do cheerfully 

 any thing within his power. 



Second. The supremacy of man over the horse is the result 

 of his superior intelligence, which enables him to manage the 

 horse in sucli a way that he cannot successfully oppose or con- 

 tend with his master. Therefore the horse, if properly instructed, 

 will never be conscious of his real ability to resist or thwart the 



