KKIXDKER GRAZTXO IXVESTIGATION S IN ALASKA 



7 



and are easily broken to drive. On a trip, tlie Lapps drive a double 

 (fiini aiiead and lead a l()n<r strin<:- of sin<rle reindeer behind, each 

 l)ullin<r a sled. (Fl. ;L li<i:. 1.) Ordinarily reindeer work better in 

 eonipany. and double drivinfx is preferable to sin<rle. 



In e.\i)eriinents with a sled reindeer conducted while the reindeer 

 exijeriinent station was at Nome, training was begun by haltering 

 the animal and permitting it to drag a rope about the barn inclo- 

 sure for a couple ol" days. Then each day for three or foui' days 

 the haltei-ed animal was coaxed to load a little. Finally it was har- 

 nessed, gently but firndy. and hitched with a second trained I'ein- 

 deer to a sled and driven 2 or ;5 miles. It was then returned to the 

 barn, with the harness left on over night. The next morning the 

 harness was removed: two days later the animal was again har- 

 nessed, hitched to a sled, and driven behind a trained sled reindeer 

 about 4 miles. To make the start, the animal had to be led by the 

 halter a short distance until it would follow the other sled reindeer, 

 and then it was otf at a run. After a few sudden stops and starts, 

 it linally settled down and pulled its sled willingly. The next day 

 it was hitched to a loadeil sled and successfully driven double for a 

 Avhile, and then single for about 10 miles; thereafter the reindeer 

 Avas steadily worked for a period with entire satisfaction. 



HARNESS 



Two types of harness are used in driving sled reindeer, one with a 

 single pulling tug fastened under the chest and running between 

 the hind legs, and the other with two tugs and a singletree, as used 

 with a horse or dog (pi. 3. figs. 2 and 3). In the first case the tug 

 is usually made of a strip of reindeer skin, since this is less apt to 

 chafe the legs of the animal. Both kinds of harness are satisfactory. 

 A Avooden collar is used, made in two pieces to fit around the neck, 

 the ends fastened together by thongs. To this collar are fastened 

 the side-straps leading to a body-band, which encircles the animal 

 just back of the forelegs. "When the singletree is used, the tugs, one 

 on each side, are fastened to the body-band and are continuations of 

 the straps leading from the collar. In the single-tug type, the tug 

 is fastened to the harness and to the sled by means of a Avooden toggle 

 inserted into a loop. 



For guiding sled reindeer tAvo driving lines attached to the halter 

 are used. The animal is started by flipping one of the lines across 

 the back and OA'er the root of the tail, and is guided to the right or 

 left by jerking one line or the other. 



WORK ABILITY 



To determine the value of feeding grain in the use of sled reindeer, 

 a cross-country trip of 527 miles was made oA er a period of 42 days, 

 23 of Avhieh Avere spent in actual travel. In addition to the lichen 

 roughage, grain Avas fed regularly during the entire period. For 

 comparison, a dog team also Avas driven on the trip, and it Avas found 

 that as a draft animal a reindeer performs the Avork of about three 

 dogs. 



The sled reindeer made the trip very successfully, and demonstrated 

 that when fed grain to keep up strength, they may be Avorked .steadily 



