CHAPTER VI. 



BALKING. 



IF a naturally gentle horse be hitched to a tree or other 

 immovable object and commanded to pull, he would at first 

 pull all he could ; the second time he would not pull with 

 quite so much confidence as at first ; while the third or 



FIG. 189. As the horse will sometimes stand, regardless of the 

 most severe whipping. 



fourth time he would pull but little, or perhaps not at all. 

 To whip and urge him now to pull would only start him in 

 the habit of balking. Or, if a horse is overloaded or so 

 exhausted he cannot pull the load, and in this condition is 

 whipped and urged to go, he will balk. Or, if he starts 

 too quickly, and is pulled back violently and whipped till 



16 (241) 



