106 HOW TO EDUCATE HORSES. 



occasions. Frequently, simply going to their heads 

 and moving them gently against their collars to the 

 right and left evenly, giving them time to get cool, 

 will make them start of their own accord. Sometimes 

 taking up one fore foot in your hand, and giving the 

 horse a sharp press against the shoulder to one side, 

 will cause him to step, and start him. But if the 

 habit is firmly fixed, you will have to resort to the fol- 

 lowing means, which will take a few lessons; then you 

 ^reak up the habit. 



Take your balky horse in the barn or on a piece of 

 greensward; take him by the head and tail and whirl 

 him around until he is quite dizzy, and if you become 

 dizzy before he does, let him whirl himself as follows: 

 Tie the hair of the tail into a hard knot; then take 

 the halter strap in your left hand, holding the tail in 

 your right, pass the halter-strap through the hair 

 above the knot, and draw up as short as the horse 

 will bear without running around, tying quickly. 

 This will bring the horse in the form of a half-circle — 

 his head fast to his tail by the halter-strap. Your 

 object is to break up his confidence in himself; and 

 nothing on earth, no process you can subject him to, 

 will do it half as soon as this. Should he not run 

 round very freely, touch him behind with the whip, 

 which will cause him to move sharply. Simply keep 

 him moving until he falls down by becoming dizzy, 

 which he will do inside of a minute and a half. Let 

 him lie a few minutes; then tie him in the opposite 

 direction and put through until he falls or is unable 

 to move. Then put on your Bonaparte bridle and 

 give him a few sharp jerks to the right and left, and 

 show him you can handle him by the head as well as 

 by the tail. Tlius train him until he will spring to 

 the right and left, and straight forward, when you ask 



