234 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



unavailing such efforts are, and how certainly they will cease 

 before the expiration of firteen minutes. Most horses will suc- 

 cumb in eight minutes, and nearly all in ten, and, after the first 

 grand struggle, they rarely resist the second time, but when 

 brouglit upon their icnees soon lie down quietly. After he has 

 become Aveary and begins to show an inclination to assume a 

 more comfortable position he should be encouraged to do so by 

 patting and gentle words, and by pulling his nose around 

 towards liis off shoulder and crowding somewhat against his 

 withers. Endeavor to provide a suitable place for him to lie, 

 and when he comes down treat liim very kindly. As soon as 

 he will permit you to raise and lower his head without oppo- 

 sition, and ceases grunting and struggling, remove the straps 

 from his legs and straighten them out. Then wall^ around him, 

 talk to him, handle him, and wlien he is sufficiently docile, let 

 him get up, and, if necessary, kindly assist him. 



This is the whole process, by a constant repetition of which 

 every horse can be rendered pleasant, willing and manageable 

 in the hands of a good horseman. It must be remembered, 

 however, that it will not always be profitable to spend the 

 requisite amount of time and labor upon every horse to make 

 him safe and useful in every place. On the contrary, ordinary 

 horses with confirmed troublesome tricks or vices should, if 

 possible, be put into some one of the many kinds of work where 

 these habits will do little harm, as upon a railroad car, a stage 

 coach, or in some kind of machine where they must move in a 

 circle or upon a revolving platform. 



Finally, since to educate colts and break vicious horses suc- 

 cessfully, requires a sort of genius for the business, and much 

 experience as well as suitable apparatus, would it not be a useful 

 and honorable occupation in which a few young men of good 

 character might engage with great advantage to themselves and 

 to the community ? Every year a vast amount of property in 

 the form of horses and vehicles is destroyed, much unnecessary 

 alarm endured, many limbs broken, and not a few lives lost in 

 consequence of the fact that our horses are so imperfectly edu- 

 cated, so easily frightened, and so unmanageable, because never 

 thoroughly subdued. There certainly is loss enough thus 

 annually incurred to pay a handsome salary to one horse-breaker 

 for every town in the State. 



