Chapter \x.. 



HALTER-PULLIHG. 



HALTER-PULLING is one of the simple habits that not only 

 cause great annoyance, but seriously injure the value of a 

 horse, by making him unsafe to be left hitched in the street. 

 A horse subject to this habit may stand all right when not excited, 

 but will be ready to break his neck in the attempt to pull loose 

 should a bit of paper, or anything else, be suddenly thrown down in 

 front of him. There was no habit that troubled me more to learn 

 how to manage than this one. It was easy enough, with a little 



Fig. 269.— As the Colt will Naturally Resist when Pulled upon Straight Ahead. 



care, to keep a horse from pulling for a short time, but the difficulty 

 was, in bad cases, to break up the habit. 



When there is an effort at first to lead a colt by the halter, the 

 moment the pressure is felt upon the head there will be an inclina- 

 tion to resist or pull back. If the halter is a rough, hard, rope one, i 

 with the slipping-noose back of the jaw, when pulled upon the pain 

 inflicted will increase this tendency to resist and pull away ( Fig. 

 269). In the same manner, when a colt is tied and his freedom re- 

 strained, there is a natural inclination to resist and pull back ; and 

 if after a violent struggle the halter is broken, the habit of pulling 

 will be learned. Usually, the younger the colt the more stubborn 

 will be the inclination to pull, and often he will struggle so desper- 

 ately as to throw himself down. Not only this, but there is danger 



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