128 ESSAYS ON HORSE SUBJECTS 



ficulty of guiding and controlling a horse with 

 such a disagreeable fault. To a driver who has 

 had his arms pulled out, the use of a burr does 

 not seem by any means too drastic a remedy. 



It may be asked: Is there not some other 

 means of a less heroic nature, that may be re- 

 sorted to, to overcome this disagreeable habit? 

 There is no doubt that thoughtless, careless, ig- 

 norant and unintelligent handling and manage- 

 ment of horses, especially of young ones, makes 

 many pullers. Sensitive, nervous, courageous 

 horses are predisposed to this fault, and there 

 are some in which it is almost impossible to pre- 

 vent the development of it. 



Some horses, whose mouths have become irri- 

 table from pulling, will be very much benefited 

 by "turning out" for two or three months. Keep- 

 ing the bit out of the mouth for a length of time 

 allows that organ to heal and freshen up, until it 

 may regain something like its normal condition; 

 but much care must be exercised when they are 

 again put to work, otherwise they will soon re- 

 lapse into their former habit of pulling. No mat- 

 ter how much care is exercised with some horses, 

 that may almost be called natural pullers, they 

 will develop the fault, and any measures adopted 

 to overcome it are fruitless, and all that can be 

 done is to seek measures of control, such as 

 proper bitting and the use of burrs. Many pull- 



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