84 Our Noblest Friend, The Horse 



in a slip knot which a pull will release. A fairly- 

 large rope will not cut nor chafe the ankle, and the 

 horse is quite helpless to resist handling while thus 

 hampered. 



To start a balking horse, distract, by any means, 

 his attention from his one idea of standing still. 

 Frequently, the most irrelevant actions will bring this 

 about. Bending the ear or ears down under the 

 head-stall, raising or lowering the bit in his mouth, 

 altering any of the girths or straps, placing a little 

 sand or dirt in the mouth, pushing him a few steps 

 to the right and then back again to the left, — any 

 novelty that will change the current of his thought. 

 The " war-bridle " will cure him, and should be put 

 on under his harness bridle. Jerk him sharply with 

 the cord, never straight ahead, but always laterally. 

 Do not look him in the eye, as that sometimes seri- 

 ously disconcerts him. Give him time to think it 

 over between each jerk. Leave the cord on him 

 for a few days thereafter when driving him, as a 

 reminder of what he may expect if he rebels. If 



