Chapter YII. 



BALKING. v 



IF a naturally gentle horse be hitched to a tree or oth«?r immova- 

 ble 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 fourth time he would pull 

 but little, or perhaps not at all. To whip and urge him now to pull 



Fig. 251. — As the Horse will Sometimes Stand, Regardless of the , 



Most Severe Whipping. 



would only start him in the habit of balking. Or, if a, horse is over- 

 loaded or so exhausted that 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 confused 

 -and excited, the habit of balking is begun. Hence we see that this 

 habit is purely acquired, the same as kicking and other habits, for 

 which there can hardly be a reasonable excuse. 



Balking horses are of two kinds : Double-balkers and single- 



balkers. Balkers in single harness may be. divided into two classes : 



First, horses that refuse to go at all ; second, those that will not 



pull unless given their own way. The mule and ox, and horses hav- 



13 a (193) 



