The Stable and Kennel 
Edited by JOHN GILMER SPEED 
The purpose of this department is to give advice to those who have country or suburban places as to the purchase, keep 
and treatment of horses, cows, dogs, poultry, etc. Careful attention will be given each inquiry, the letter and answer 
being published in due time for the benefit of other readers. Where an early reply is desired if a self-addressed, stamped 
envelope is enclosed the answer will be sent. No charge is made for advice given. 
Kindness in Horse Training 
By ERNEST C. MOSES 
A lmost second in Importance to the problem 
which confronts all humankind of finding 
and practicing the best ways of treating one 
another, is the problem of how best to treat the 
animals, especially our horses which play (and work) 
such an important part in man’s pleasures and neces¬ 
sities. While we can indeed most gratefully admit 
that comparisons between 
the chronicles of history and 
current events bring out 
gratifying evidences of prog¬ 
ress in the solution of all 
the problems affecting the 
co-operations of men and 
their treatment of animals, 
there is yet ample scope for 
improvement in methods of 
humane care and control of 
the lower kingdom. That 
men do not better under¬ 
stand and better succeed in 
proving their God-given 
dominion over the animal 
kingdom is largely because 
they do not understand 
themselves, and their own 
innate capacity to right¬ 
fully influence the animals 
committed to their respon¬ 
sible charge. 
It is indeed demonstrable 
that man’s influence over 
the animals depends very 
largely on his own mental 
habits and attitude, not on the animals, although they 
do seem to differ in their degrees of responsiveness 
to man’s superior intelligence. When men or boys 
fail to win the affection and obedience of their horses 
it is because they have not themselves learned to obey 
the promptings of a better nature; they have not 
learned the lessons of the right kind of self-control. 
In fact they do not get the right results because they 
fail to grasp and use the right rule of control. When 
men exercise self-control within, outwardly displayed 
in patience, kindness and wise care of the horse, 
the animal responds most (juickly to the master 
thought, generously repaying the owner or trainer 
for well directed efforts along this line. I can 
best illustrate this verity by relating an incident 
which came under my observation during a visit 
made to Europe in 1901. 
While visiting at the little 
stone villa of Captain 
Arthur Eonjallaz in the 
city of Coire, Canton Gris- 
son, in Switzerland, I was 
much impressed by a beau¬ 
tiful young gelding, which 
he frequently rode. My 
friend was then an instruc¬ 
tor in the Swiss Military 
School of Coire and in keep¬ 
ing with the custom of offi¬ 
cials of his rank and position 
in the institution, his horse 
was an object of great inter¬ 
est and admiration. My 
host often spoke to me 
of the very interesting at¬ 
tachment which existed be¬ 
tween the horse and his 
caretaker (called in Switzer¬ 
land the domestique'), and 
one day he invited me to 
visit the stables and witness 
some demonstrations of 
this affection between the 
beautiful animal and his 
caretaker. The horse came from Northern Ger¬ 
many and answered to the name of “Friede.” 
In accordance with the custom of the country I 
had been waited upon in my room and at the table by 
my friend’s man-servant, and was much impressed 
by his obliging, genial and gentle disposition. In 
fact he was so quiet, so attentive, and naturally free 
from servility that I was glad to accept the invitation 
and observe the influence of a kindly character upon 
an animal whose appearance and action indicated 
AN EXCHANGE OF FRIENDLY GREETINGS 
H3 
