WILL NOT STAND. IF CHECKED WILL BALK. 89 



I would take is this ; and if you are at all careful and handy, 

 you will succeed easily. First put on the double draw, and 

 lift the horse a few times out of his tracks. This will be a 

 new idea of your power, for this is fearfully powerful in its 

 way. Once yielding to you, turn this into the simple straight 

 war-bridle, and lift him ahead until he comes promptly. You 

 have now made a good start : now put on the harness, and 

 with the reins stop and start him. If he gets mad, and will 

 not start, lift him with the war-bridle. As soon as he yields, 

 caress, and reward him with some apple, sugar, and salt, 

 or something else. Drill him on this point as follows : 

 start him a little, command " Whoa ! " and stop him ; step 

 forward, caress, speak kindly, and give something. Go back, 

 starting him moderately, letting him go a little farther, stop- 

 ping and rewarding as before, until there is prompt obedi- 

 ence, and the mind is thoroughly fixed on the idea of the 

 reward for obedience. All this will require but twenty, thirty, 

 or forty minutes at the most. Head your wagon towards the 

 barn or wall, but some distance away, and hitch in the horse, 

 being very careful that the reins are in the turrets. As soon 

 as geared in, go to the nose, right in front, caress a little, at 

 the same time give a little something of which he is fond. In 

 this way hold the attention a minute or two, then walk ahead 

 slowly, and say " Come : " the horse will instinctively fol- 

 low. After going a few feet, stop him, reward again, stand- 

 ing a little while, but carefully holding the attention. After 

 a few movements of this kind, gradually at each repetition 

 get back to the shoulder side, and finally into the wagon, 

 and, as you repeat, now get in and out of the wagon, mak- 

 ing more stir and noise, but each time going forward, when 

 the horse will stand rewarding him. Get in and out this 

 way, and gradually winning the horse's attention from dis- 

 obedience ; hitch and unhitch him, getting in and out of 

 the wagon until you can put him in shafts ; pick up the 

 reins, and make all the fuss you please, and he will wait for 

 the command to go, before starting. Great care should be 

 used about hitting a sensitive horse with a whip the instant 

 you get in. In this way some horses will learn very quickly 

 to become impatient and restless. If I could see the horse 

 and the man, I could tell exactly the treatment most advisa- 

 ble. I would advise you, if you are a timid and not very 



