^y v«^%^ v] <^ /} A /A IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I IL25 i 1.4 2.2 1.6 Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 k /, % f^ id <. signifie "A SUIVRE", Ie symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cart48. planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent itre filmAs A des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour fttre reproduit en un seul clich*. il est film* i partir de I'engle supArieur geuche, de gauche A droits. et de haut en bee. en prenant Ie nombre d'imegea nicassaire. Las diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 32 X I i / i^ARSWELLCo.,i.imiteaj I Bookbiiidcrst iLTB'o'i 1 TORONTO A J Publishers, etc. V ONT. IMXMUUMX>0 LLCO.,Wniiteaj 1 TORONTO etc.O oNT. wnaa o oa oo jei IS \ A NEW SYSTEM ..OF.. HORSE TRAINING ..OK.. HORSE EDUCATION AS TAUGHT BY PROF. H. D. BRUSH, FINGAL, ONT. Any Person receiving or buying this Book I* pledged not to lend sell or divulge the secrets under penalty of^XV. vvithout permission from the Author. TORONTO ; Tub Carswell Co. (Ltd.) Printers, Etc 1896, PROF. W. A. BRUSH 1 < PBOF. a D. BRUSH INTRODUCTION, Tlie subject of horsemanship is so close Iv allie.1 and identified with all man's interests, that everything that can be said to I'l-omote a reform in that particular cannot but commend itself to everyone interested in that noble animal, and who IS tliere that is not ? For amongst the great number of animals under the con- trol of man, the horse is the most ser- viceable-the most common transactions of eT,"ryday life cannot be consummated wthout his aid. The horse, according to the best accounts we can gather, has been he constant servant of man for nearly torn- thousand years, ever rewarding him with n.s labor and adding to his comfort 6 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. in |>ro])()rtiou to liis skill jiiid uuuinor of iisiiij>* him; but to those who j?overii him by brute force, and know notliinjjj of tlie beaut.v and delij^lit to be j»ained from the cultivation of his finer nature, he often becomes a fretful, vicious, and often dan- gerous servant; whilst to the Arab, whose liorse is the pride of his life, and who governs him by the law of kindness, we find him to be quite a different animal. The manner in which he is treated from a foal gives him an affection, an attach- ment for his master not known in any other country. The Arab and his child- ren, the mare and her foal, inhabit the tent togetlier; and although the colt and the mare's neck are often pillows for the children to roll on, accidents seldom occur; the mare being as careful of the children as of the colt. Such is the mutual attachment between the horse and his master, that he will leave his com- TBE IIOUHE IJDUCATOH. panions at his master's call, ever glad to obey I, is voice; and when the Arab falls froiii his horse, juid is unable to rise n^ain, he will stand by him and neigh for assistance; and if he li(ss down to sleep, as fjitigue sometimes compels Vum to do, in the midst of the desert, h... faith- ful steed will watch over him and neigh -CJ^N- w or appear that this ixiliary in I reform in itrol of the m. BRUSH. PROF. H. D. BRUSH'S NEW SYSTEM OF Horse Training. NATURE OF THE HORSE. Differing from most men, I claim that ^orses l,ave reasoning faculties, at least to the lin,if ..f .K.,=.. experience. They the limit of th 19 TUE UOKiii: KDVCiTOR. reason from effect to eiuise; heiue we can only teach them by acts alone. Literally, with the horse " acts speak louder than words," and hence the absolute import- ance of commencing? every movement with the horse riftht. No animal has memory equal to that of the horse, and none will recipiroeate a kindness or resent an injury sooner, He is a close observer of every- thing passinjjj about him. We cft»»ot move or take any particular attitude, or l^ardly give an unusual expression of tUe face or voice without Its being observed and having some meaning with the horse. Hence we should never show fear, anger or e2 'itement, but always be cool and de- termined. There are no two horses whoso habits and dispositions are precisely alikr. and we should always try to ascertain as much of the character of the horse as pos- sible, I ^ore we heij^hi to handle him, so that eVv>T.' Li jyi^raent we make mav have i THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 10 iK'o we can Literally, Duder than ite import- eineiit with as memory 1 none will it ail injury ?p of every- ^e cftu»<)t ittltude, op ision of ih& g observed 1 the horse, fear, anger ool and de- 3rses whoso ?isely alikr iscertain as orse as pos- dle him, so ? mav have some desired efl'ect on the horse's mind. Yet notwithhtimiMng there are no two horses wJiose dis])ositions are alike, there are eer lain things that affect all horses alike, namely; IsT.— ENCOURAGEMENT. When you pat or caress the horse, you say to him that whatever he is doing Is right. You have only to get the horse to kick at you, balk or draw, and then caress him for it, and he will do it again when you ask him, for he thinks it is right. So never touch the horse until he has done what you ask, and then never fail to caress and encourage him, 2nd.— HOW HE LEARNS* Yoi cannot teach a horse a word of the English language without a sign; that is, you must either show him, or force the body to move, for a forced move of the horse's body ig a sign to him, 20 THE HORi^E EDUCATOR. and is equivalent in his mind to a wil- ling move; if you only assure liim by caressing afterwards that he has done what you want. So never ask a horse to do anything without you are in a posi*'on to force obedience. If you wish to teach the horse a word of command, repeat the word just before you give the sign, and he will soon learn to make the move with- out the sign. 3BD.-H0W THEY JUDGE OF OBJECTS OF FEAR. All horses judge objects of fear by the touch of the muscles of the upper lip, or by the sense of smell. It is not so much the looks of an object that frightens a horse as the thoughts of personal injury. His nose is his fingers, and when he can once feel of an object and satisfy himself that it will not hurt him he will not care for its appearance. So do not strike him with the whip, for he will expect the whip THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 21 [ to a wil- ssure liiin e has done a horse to L a posi^'on 3h to teach repeat the ! sign, and move with- es OF FEA.E. fear by the 3per lip, or ot so much frightens a mal injury, hen he can sfy himself ill not care : strike him ct the whip every time he is frightened, and he will start to run or shy from it. Thoroughly control his mouth so that he neither dare turn to the right or left, run back or go ahead when he hears "whoa,'' then give him time to examine it. 4Tn.- WHERE TO CONTROL THE HORSE. Much of my theory depends upon the important fact, that when you control the horse's mouth you control his whole body. I care not what habit it is, if I can work at the mouth at the time, I will break it up; yet there are certain habits, as jumping fences, etc., where it is not convenient to get at the mouth at the time, and other means must be resorted to. The horse may drive on ever so light a rein, ordinarily, but do not be deceived; whenever he at- tempts to run, kick, shy or bolt, you have no control of hm mouth. You have only to control the horse's mouth so that TfJE HORSE EDUCATOR. you can rid him of the fear of hie heel, and lie will cease kicking:?. Make him relax the muscles of the mouth and jrive in to a side rein and he will cease boltinj? and shyinpj. Keep his a;:tention on the bit and he will cease looking for objects to shy at. 5th. -SIGNS OP A HORSE HAVING YIELDED. When the horse yields submissively, he will relax the muscles of every part of his body. When the horse sets the mus- cles of the limbs rigid and stiff you can- not handle him without being in danger of getting kicked, for that is the way he tells you. Some people have supposed that if the horse had a stiff dock it was a sitfu that he was a strong horse; but I considei it is generally a sure sign that he is afraid of his tail and inclined to kick, for you have only to rid him of the *,.~~ ^^.A i.rw -oTm roinY ihp' muscles and give up the tail. The horse generally THE HORSE EDUCATOR. as par of Mb ngj. Make mouth and I will cease is ^;:tention looking for i YIELDED. ibmissively, very part of »ts the mujb- iff you can- r in danger the way he ire supposed )ck it was a orse; but I 'e sign that inclined to I him of the nuscles and se generally i M shows fear and anger by setting the mus- cles of the ears, inclining them back, and hugging the tail. You must know that the horse has relaxed the muscles of the mouth and neck, and yielded to the bit, to brefik him of the habits of bolting, shy- ing, kicking and running away. Yon must require this of every part of his body, and watch for it in every step of your training, and never forget to caress and encourage him for giving up the muscles. TO CATCH AND HALTER THE COLT. Walk round the colt as gently as pos- sible in the pasture, working him quietly towiird the barnyard or enclosure; then open the barn doors and hitch a broke horse on the back part of the barn floor; then commence walking round and about the colt, o-rad nail V nnnroar-bintr i»iir] do not undertake to crowd him into the r nil i'. f i III, 24 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. barn, for by so doinp^ you will attract the attention of the colt, and he will likely become suspicious of danger and attempt to escape. In a few moments the colt will walk into the barn; close the doors and take out the broke horse, getting alone with the colt. Never attempt to edu- cate the colt or break the horse of any bad habits on the open street, where other objects can attract his attention, for while something else is occupying the horse's mind, it is hard to teach him what you want him to do, or make an impression that will be lasting. Now let the colt examine you for a few moments. If you can approach and lay your hands on him cautiously, you will soon gain his confidence, and thereby rid him of all fear of you. But if he is very wild, turns his heels towards you, stands and trembles and attempts to kick when- ever you approach him, prepare yourself 1 attract the ? will likely and attempt the colt will e doors and etting alone npt to edu- le of any bad where other on, for while the horse's tn what yon L impression on for a few ach and lay ily, you will thereby rid if he is very you, stands » kick when- are yourself THE HORSiJ EDUCATOR. 25 with a good whalebone whip, and give him a sharp cut or two around the heels with it and he will soon turn and face you ; tlien reach out with your whip and touch him gently back of the shoulder with the butt end of it, rubbing gently until you can approach so as to touch him with your hand, then commence scratching him just back of the shoulder; in a few moments he will begin to lean towards you; then commence rubbing him along up the neck, slip the "War Bridle'' over his neck, and draw through your loop. Give the cord or loop a couple of twists around the butt end of your whip, slide it up towards the small end of your whip, raise the loop gently on the nose of your colt and draw out the whip. TO HANDLE THE COLT. If the colt holds his head high and will not let you handle it, slacken the rope on m I fto fffH nOkSE EDUCAfOH. 1 r / HI ! 1 j f i 1 i ^^^B i 1 i ^H 1 ■ ■ ? ^^H i ^^^^^^^H i ^^m ^m 1 ? f ^^^H ! 1 ^^^^1 ■ ^^H ^^^H j [ ^^^^^^H ! his nose, work your hand up gently behind his ear, touching? the nerve with one finj^er, pressinfu on the back of his neck j?ently with the other hand, until he re- laxes his muscles and ducks his head; when he does this encourage him by car- essing; repeat this operation until he will rest his nose on the floor, or in any position you desire. While thus em- ployed, gently tap him on the forehead, jtist below the eye, with the butt end of the whip. You will soon teach him to duck his head to the ground. By this operation you will teach your colt to take the bit or put his head through the collar. Then commence scratching the colt back of the shoulder, and rub every part of his limbs to the hoof, till he stands quietly. Now put one hand against the shoulder and crowd against the colt, throwing the weight upon the opposite foot; with the other hand at the fetlock, 'if m u ently behind e with one of his neck until he re- s his head ; him by car- m until he r, or in any » thus em- le forehead, butt end of ach him to 1. By this colt to take li the collar, e colt back ?ry part of he stands against the : the colt, lie opposite the fetlock, THE nORSE EDUCATOR. 37 i raise the foot from the ground only a little way, and put it right down again; do not carry it high enough or hold it long enough to frighten the colt, so that he will make an effort to jerk it away from you, for if he does, he will repeat it every time you take it from the ground; after caressing the leg a little while, lift it a little higher and put it right down as at first; repeat this process until he relaxes the muscles and will allow you to hold the foot as long as you please. Take a stick or hammer and tap the foot as if shoeing, rasping and tapping it in every position required by the blacksmith; now gradually work along his body to the hind feet (by caressing him), which you will handle in the same way, never attempting to grapple with the muscles of a strong horse, but teach them by kindness to relax the muscles of the leg, which is an infalli- ble sign that they are willing you should rrr" I ! ill mi '■I i I 28 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. handle the foot as you please. Handle •the feet on the other side in the simm way, as handling on one side will not an- swer for both. Next commence handling his tail, lifting it up by steady pressure, till he relaxes the muscles. When thev do relax, give him his tail and Caress him; repeat the operation until you can get per- fect control of it, caressing as he yields. Having thus rid your colt of all fear of yourself, he is prepared to be taught to lead in halter. THE "WAR BRIDLE." This is one of the most powerful wea- pons 1 have in controlling a horse. It is w. THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 29 se. Ilandlo in the saivHi will not an- nce handling idy pressure, When thev I (l^aress him; can get per- is he yields. I all fear of >e taught to vverful wea- :)rse. It is perfectly wonderful to see how quick you can thoroughly cure the horse of some bad habits by the use of this simple cord. If you. put it on as here described, you will have nearly ten times as much power over the horse as you would on the Rarey plan. Get a cord 18 or 20 feet long, and 'i of an inch in diameter; fasten a good snap in the end; tie an inch rin*? into the cord, far enough from the snap to go round the horse's neck; snap it in the ring and draw the cord through the ring double; and put it into the horse's mouth, and this is the great "War Bridle." * TO TEACH THE COLT TO LEAD. Put the "War Bridle" in the colt's Imouth; never at first attempt to pull (your colt ahead, for his strength is greater (than yours. If he resists place yourself [in such a position that you can froce him to move in the direction required. Take I ^ M r ao THE HORSE EDUCATOR. your position over the point of che hip; j?ive the word of command, "Come here, sir,'' in a loud, distinct tone of voice, at the same time give a sudden jerk on the cord, which will compel him to move to- wards you; say "whoa," and caress him, to assure him that he has done all you re- quire of him. Now step round to the other side and repeat the movements, keepinj? your eye on the colt's; whenev:?r you see his eye beginning to follow you walk round to get your position, say, "Come here, sir," without jerking him, and he will turn towards you. Accept of anything towards what you want, and caress him for it. Kepeat the operation until he will follow you on either side. If at any time he neglects to answer the word of command, punish him by a sud- den jerk on the cord and a touch of the whip behind. Now step in front, give the word of command, " Come here^ sir," and » — - — -^ — - — t of the hip; "Come here, of voice, at jerk ou tlie to move to- [ caress him, le all you re- )und to the movements, s; whenev:)r > follow you osition, say, erking him, Accept of want, and le operation her side. If answer the n by a sul- ouch of the )nt, give the 'e, sir," and r/7A' IIOIISF^ mUCATOR. 81 a sharp crack of the whip around the tovo legs if he does not obey, and tef^ch him to come in that direction. In a very short (lime yon will teach Mm to follow you by the word of command, f ^ 82 THE nORSE EDUCATOR. ! II H 1 11 4 > 1 1 ! 1 \ i 1 ■ , 31 k. ANOTHER WAY TO TEACH THE COLT TO LEAD. Put a halter on the colt. Take a cord forty feet \ow^ and double it; take the centre of the rope and tie a knot, making a loop large enough to drop over his hind- quarters, letting the knot rest on his back just in front of his loin; now pass the ends of the rope each side of his neck and bring them through the nose-piece of the halter; step in front of the colt the length of the rope, give him a sudden jerk which will make him jump towards you; then caress him and he will soon learn to go with you, behind a rig or anywhere. HOW TO TIE A COLT IN THE STABLE. Put on a head stall of a halter, and tie a rope tight around the colt's body, back of his fore-legs; take a three-quarter inch rope and tie one end around his neck so the knot will not slip, pass the other end through the nose-piece of the halter, then through the hole in the manger from in- LT TO LEAD. \ake a cord ; take the lot, making ?r his hind- )n his back V pass the s neck and iece of the } colt the udden jerk vards you; 3n learn to ywhere. TABLE. er, and tie t)ody, back larter inch is neck so other end liter, then r from in- I I I THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 88 side to out, take it back between his foro- I Icf^s and tie it to the rope around his _^)ody. Be sure your manger or the hitch- ing place wherever you wish to tie him \h 34 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. i; ! t i good and strong. The advantage of tying a colt this way is, he can only pull about one-third his strength, and he sel- dom or ever becomes a halter puller. The headstall is to keep the rope on the neck in its proper place. Now is a good time, while you have him tied in this manner, to get him used to the robe, umbrella, paper, etc. (before driving him), and put- ting his head in and out of the collar, by slipping the collar on the roi)e between his head and the manger, have the collar large enough so it will slip over his head easy. * j TO BIT THE COLT. The above is a representation of Prof. H. D. Brush's bitting apparatus, which is one of the best bitting rigs in the world. Every person who has seen or used it ac- knowl(Hlges it to be by far superior to any oi her bitting rig they have ever seen or THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 85 vantage of n only pull and he sel- mller. The )n the neck , good time, lis manner, ', umbrella, i), and put- e collar, by pe between B the collar er his head on of Prof. IS, which is the world. used it ac- ?rior to any TQV seen or used. It is made of two pieces of 3-in. by 8 ?n. scantling, each two feet long, and iastened like one end of a saw-jack, sloped out in the inside and padded, 'so as to'^k 86 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. the horse's back with short pieces of leather, with a buckle nailed on the top ends of the jack and pieces of leather on tl\e lower ends to buckle the surcingle to, another pair of buckles fastened a little below the centre of the jack. In the dia- fijram, 1, 1, are the reins passing from the bit to the top of the jack; 2, 2, reins pass- ing from the bit to the buckles below the centre of the jack; 3, back strap; 4, 4, straps passing back from the top of the jack, and joining the back strap with a ring at the rump. Use a large crupper to learn him to carry a good tail; 5, sur- cingle with a buckle on each end. Put the jack on, buckle the surcingle and crup- per; put on the bridle and leave the reins perfectly slack, until he is accustomed to the bit, then draw in slightly on the top reins until you get the horse's head high enough, but, remember, only draw up a hole or two at a time. Do not buckle the THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 87 pieces of on the top leather on ircingle to, led a little In the dia- g from the reins pass- \ below the trap; 4, 4, top of the 'ap with a ge crupper ail; 5, sur- end. Put e and crup- e the reins iistomed to on the top head high iraw up a buckle the i lower reins until he has had it on two or three times, and never leave the jack on more than fifteen or twenty minutes, for the first two or three times, and not over half an hour after this. About the fourth or fifth time you put it on, slack the top reins a little and commence to draw in on the lower reins, so as to make the horse curb his head, buckling only a hole at a time, until you can get his head in the required position. When you wish to teach your horse to " haw'' about, draw in the nigh rein a couple of holes, the shortest, and reverse it when you want him to « gee" about. In teaching him to turn about, never keep turning either way more than five minutes at a time, or It will make him dizzy, and he may fall and hurt himself. While he is jacked, put your coat on the jack and button it tight and you have one of the best riderB that was ever on a colt's back. After he :;;!* 38 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. has had a lesson or two of this, you can saddle him ar 1 ride him where you please. Always caress the horse when you bid him come to you, and always have a rein on to draw him in when you first bid him, and he will soon come without the rein. f THE KIND OF BIT TO USE ON THE COLT. It is a " Snaffle Bit," with tongue plate and three beads hanging loosely. The idea of this bit is to give circulation of blood in the tongue and jaw, and to keep the horse champing the bit and tossing his head upwards in the position you require, and he will never hold any bit in his teeth or run away. *!f f'^ THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 39 you can 11 please, bid him rein on bid him, ? rein. ae plate The ation of to keep tossing on you y bit in 40 TEE EORSE EDUCATOR. TO TEACH THE COLT TO BACK. Put on a headstall of a lialter. Take a cord thirty or forty feet long, take the centre of your cord and put it over the top of the colt's head, bring the cord down each side of his head, cross it through the mouth and pass it back through the nose- piece of the halter; take the ends back each side of the colt and tell him to " back," turning him in a circle first one way and then the other, as he does not know how to pick up his feet and step straight back at first, keep telling him to "back," and as soon as he steps back caress him, and he will soon learn to back straight. After you have learned him to back drive him around with the cord between his hind legs, so he will not mind the traces when you come to drive him. THE TRIP EOPE. Buckle a surcingle loose around the colt; take a strap an inch and a quarter THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 41 Wide, well padded, with a ring sewed on it near the buckle, and buckle it around one fore foot below the fetlock; take a half- inch rope, about twenty-five feet lon^. T^ass one end over the surcingle from blck to ' 'I ; 1-1 1,4 '1 !i! 31 ' ') .■!' % ii 42 THE nOn^E EDUCATOR. » -I : front, down throuj]jli the ring on the foot strap from outside to in, and tie the end back to the surcingle or belly-band of tlie harness, whichever you need to have on. This is one of the most useful and safe hitches a man can use in controlling the colt or horse. TO TEACH A COLT TO START AND STOP AT THE WORD OF COMMAND. Put on an open bridle with lines on each side of him and also the " Trip Rope,'' as described above; now drive him ahead of you, telling him to " go on," and when you want him to stop say " whoa,-' at the same time take up the front foot with the " Trip Rope," and he will soon learn to go and stop at the word of command. TO TEACH A COLT TO STAND QUIET TO BUCKLE ON THE CRUPPER. Put on a good headstall of a halter and the " War Bridle." Take a three-quarter inch rope and tie one end around his neck so the knot will not slip, take the other THE nonm EDUCATOR, AT 48 end tlirou^rh the nose-piece of tlie baiter and rim it tlirouoli a pulley (which . ' require to have tied solid to the ladder ou or brace in your barn, a little higher than his breast. You might run the rope over a ^1 ^:l| W- if 44 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. tm %■■ i runpf of the ladder in your barn or through the hitching-place in the manger of a large stall, if you have no pulley). Take two strong hame straps, with a ring on each one, and buckle one on each hind leg, below the fetlock; hopples are better than straps if you have them. If he will not allow you to buckle the straps on, fas ten up one front foot, take a half-inch rope about seven feet long, double it and tie a small loop in the centre; take the ends and tie one In each ring (on the hind legs) with three half hitches; take the end of the rope — which you have run through the pulley— pass it between his front legs and tie it in the loop of the rope on his hind legs. Take a surcingle, with a backstrap and crupper attached, and buckle the surcingle around in front of his breast (this is to keep the rope up between his front legs). Take the "War Bri- die" in your hand, step back behiad THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 45 Ilim and back him up tight in the ropes. Now you can handle his tail and crupper him with safety; handle him till you rid him of all fear of his tail and heels. Take a cart or a pair of shafts and get him used to them. Every colt should be handled this way before driving. This is also a good rig to break a halter puller, or one that is afraid of a robe or an umbrella. TO TEACH A COLT TO STAND OVER IN THE STALL. Tie him up in the stall with a good rope tied aroucd his neck and run through the nose-piece of a halter. Take a cord about thirty feet long; take the centre of It, put it over the top of his head, bring It down each side of his head; cross it through his month; pass the ends back through the no.e.piece of the halter, and take them back on each side of him; step behind h.m with a cord in each hand, and you can easily learn him to stand oyer "to il ill (»1 ■^H u 46 Till] nORstJ EDUCATOR. the rijiht and left. Caress hirii wlien he does your biddiujj^. TO DRIVE IN DOUBLE HARNESS. 1st.— To lianiess him. Take a j-ood stout rope, tie it around the colt's iwvk, and draw throuj-h the coHar and hitch solid to the nianjicr; then raise tlie colhir ft-ently to his nose and h»t liini smell it a moment; hold the collar in one hand and lay the other gently on the top of his head, touchinf,^ the nerve behind the ear, until he ducks his head, and say "Put your head in, sir ! '' and he will soon learn to put his head into the collar; next take the harness and lay it gently over his back and buckle it up; put on your bitting collar or an open bridle, the first time you drive the colt, that he may see all move- ments around him; hitch the colt with a well-broke horse. If he has been thor- oughly drilled with the "Bitting Jack '- he will go without tronblp Tot ^^t- THE HOUSE EDUCATOR. 47 Ic, il walk tho first lialf m would bo w('li to (li'ivci liiiii the first"time or two with the -Trip Kope " on, putting It on the inside front foot; (the one next to the tongue) take the end of the rope back over the trace and into thc^ rig with you. If 1,0 should be inclined to kick, run or scare at any objects on the road, you can check him with one hand, while driv- ing,' with the other. Two or three iniles IS far enough to drive him for me tirst two or three times. Drive him on both sKlos, breaking him thoroughly double, before driving him single, for you have the broke horse to guide him with. TO TEACH THE COLT TO '.BACK" IN HARNESS. After you have driven the colt two or three times, drive on some ascendin- Dicce of ground; stop your team and tell" "lii- them to back. If he is inclined to tbrow his head to either side, step them »P a little in the opposite direction, draw ■i . I' \- I" li 11 li h 48 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. t suddenly on the lines and give the word of command, " Back, sir !" and . by the help of the broke horse and the surge of the waggon upon the colt you will soon teach him to back down hill, so that you can back him up hill if you choose. TO BEEAK THE COLT TO RIDE. Give the colt a lesson with the " Bitting Jack," with a coat buttoned over the top of the jack; then take off the jack, leaving on the bridle, and get on him yourself. If the colt will not stand for you to mount him put on the " Trip Rope," and take up the foot till you get on; then let it down and caress him; keep the rope in your hand and if he attempts to throw you take up the foot again. Let him walk quietly; stop and caress him. By this process you will soon teach the colt to go without fear. TO DRIVE IN SINGLE HARNESS. Here is where you may fail in breakinjr PBB BOBSe EDUOATOit. 46 colts, by supposing that because the colt ^nves well double he should know all about driving in shafts, which is a great mistake, for he imagines himself so con- fined that he cannot move his feet, or is confused by the action of the reins in the mouth, or is frightened with the shafts at lus heels and begins kicking. There is no place that we can put a colt where he requires such careful management and patient teaching as when we put him first n the shafts. I regard mismanagement m this step of his training a. the cause of making more balky, kicking and runaway horses, than all others put toge'LT wliich habits may be more easily avdded' than cured. Lead your colt in front o ^e^ Shafts; ise them quietly, rubbing him against the side; do not be in too much Of a hurry about putting them Lh ZS wr ^.- '''. "^'^ ^~ aa. m ^ ill 50 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. recommend the blind bridle for driving single at first, after he has been driven double with an open bridle; also put on the " Trip Rope " and a good hip strap over his rump, just above the root of his tail, and hitch him in a cart with strong shafts. Walk behind the sulky for a few rods and drive him as slowly ias possible, having some one walking by his head to keep him in the right direction. Stop and caress; move him on gently, and in nine times out of ten you will have no trouble in breaking the colt in single harness. If they attempt to turn off into the ditch, draw their heads in the same direction, and they are sure to pull for the road again. A few lessons in this way and you have your colt broke in singhi harness. TO TEACH A HORSE TO STAND WHILE GETTING IN OR OUT OF THE VEHICLE. Give him a good lesson on your barn floor or some inclosed place with the "Trip Rope;" make him go and stop TBE^XSE EDUCATOR. gj mt as you tell him; then hoolThinrTn and If he does not stand, p„ii „„ uj, ' move till you bid him. Put on the"T^^ «„ „ g lines and rope long enoufrh Z . behin/i ^ . ** '^nougn to reach •^ wnoa !'' and he will annr. i stand. .^^^^ ^^^n to TO TEACH A HORSE NOT To CT^nr^r. Pnf i-v. ur^ ""^^ ^° CROWD THE POLE. 52 THE HORSE EDU ATOR. opposite side, and he will soon learn to walk up with you. TO TEACH A HOESE TO CAJSTER OR TROT UNDER SADDLE. To make him canter, touch him on the shoulder with the whip and draw up on the reins, giving him the motion with the whip, and tell him to go on. He will of course strike a gallop at first; but hold him in gradually, and he will soon learn to canter as slow as you wish. To change his gait into a trot, throw yourself for- ward in your saddle, catch him about half way up the neck with one hand and pinch him, which will cause him to duck his head and strike a trot. Hold a steady rein. TO BRIDLE A BAD HORSE. Put on the "War Bridle;" slip the rope well down on his neck; draw it tight in his mouth and tie it. This will prevent any hor^e getting his head oat of your reach, also throws his mouth open ready to receiye the bit THE UORSE EDUCATOIi. oo HOBSK BAD TO SHOE ON FHON^Fi^^"" . ""'^ ^O SHOE A >>A^^^^;^^^^ . ....per *.. d;nr r;.t 64 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. Take another three-quarter inch rope and tie it around his neck just where the col- lar would rest, and tie him down tight to the ring in the flooi , now you have him tied up so he cannot get down, and you have him tied down so he cannot rear. Then put a surcingle on him, also a ring and strap on the fore foot (which you wish to shoe) below the fetlock. Take a half- inch rope; run it over the surcingle from back to front, down through the ring on the foot from outside to in, and tie it back to the surcingle. Take hold of the loose end of your rope with one hand, plac- ing the other hand against his shoulder to steady him; tell him to give up, and draw on the rope, which brings the foot up to the place you wish for nailing on the shoe. Hold the rope in your left hand, take his foot between your legs and nail on the shoe. TBE UORSB EDUCATOR. K FOB CLINCHING FEONT FEET. I^eave liim tied as described for shoeing so lie cannot rear nor lie down Take the rope off his foot; turn the ring on the HOW TO «LmOH A BAD HOESE ON PBONT FEET foo -Strap in front; take your rope, run •t through the ring on the foot-strap, then np through the ring in the wall fastened a 1 ttle higher than his breast, bring it back and tie it to the ring on the foot- 'l il:t ill 50 THE U0R8E EDVGATOK. strap; then you have a double purchase to bring his foot forward as high as you wish; he cannot get it down until you choose to let him have it; he cannot raise an inch from the floor, and there is not a pound weight on the blacksmith. HORSE BAD TO SHOE ON HIND FEET. Tie him up to the wall and down to the floor the same as for shoeing the front feet. Put on the "War Bridle" having the rope render toward you; now take the rope in your hand, step back be- hind him and get him to step over it; then walk back to his side again and you have the rope or " War Bridle '' around the leg you wish to handle. Draw his leg forward, buckle on a strap and ring below the fetlock, take the rope off his leg, run it through the ring, wrap the end of the rope over and under the part ,)f the rope running from the mouth to the foot, place one ha»d against liip hip, t^ke the rope c TUEJIOUSM JlDUVArOU. 57 «l"ub]o in tlie cth,... haud and lift Lm^f^ i'o ]a,].« hold oa the rope ami he r.uu '•si.- hunself i„ the ,..onth Ho L LdlT g-t enough „t to repeat it .uaa/tir;- f>r:j*?.,v~ € HOWTOSHOEABABHOESEONrnKD^ET a.«„re you. If he is in the habit of lean- relq--Q vr ^^* ^^ soon as be f^^m^^cS Ills mUSC]p«! nn/l «: ~ ^^^^ and gives up liis leg, 11' tii 68 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. caress liim and let it down for a moment; tlien lift it aj^ain, caress as before, and he will soon allow you to handle it as you please. Let a man hold the rope whilst the smith sets the shoe. If he jerks the foot forward, stand him round across the corner of the shop, and put a ring and staple in the wall five feet high and about seven feet behind him: buckle another ring and strap around his foot below the one you have on, turning the ring behind; take another rope aud tie one end to the ring in the wall behind him, run the other end through the last ring you put on the foot, and then back through the ring on the wall and you have a double purchase to pull his foot back and hold it. Have a man to hold each rope while you nail on the slice. To clinch the nails draw the foot well forward, be sure to draw up all the slack rope between his head and the foot which prevents all danger to the blacksmith. ^i^MM TUB aORSB EDUCATOR. THE BALKY HORSE IN DOUBLE HAliNESS Jirst bit him thoro„«Lly, ti.en drill him jelwuh the "Trip Rope," make him™ ana stop at the word of command before you put him in harness; then hitch him take th "' r '''' '"^'•'^ ^-»t '->*; ake the end back in the rig with you^ nes, g,ve .your true horse a touch with t -e whip and at the same time telling t^em to go, turning them a little either to the right or left and pull the front foot about six inches from the ground, which causes him to lunge ahead to save himself f om falhng; p„„ „p ,j^ ,^^^ ^^^ ^^ three times in succession, wliich will take his attention from balking. If he should refuse to go, take a binding chain with a running link, put it around his body just in front of the back-band, bring it through the running link and wind it a few times around the end of the tongue in front of IP l!] if I'l 60 TJE HOUSE EDUCATOR. the neck yoke, but do not tie it. Should he throw himself, loosen the chain, let down his check and unhitch the traces to f^nve him a chance to Ret up. If he will not j;et up, pour a little water in his nose or ear and he is not apt to throw himself a^^ain. All you rcnpiire is patience and perseverance. As soon as he steps np to his place caress him. A few lessons this way will break the most of balkers and kickers. After you j^et him to drive well, commence loading him light. THE BALKY HORSE IN SINGLE HARNESS. First bit him thoroughly, then drill him severely with the "Trip Rope,^^ making him start and stop right at the word be- fore you put him in harness; then hitch him in the rig and he will generally go at the word of command. If he does not start put on the " War Bridle," give him a few severe jerks first one way and then — ^^i.x... ..j^rrL Liii^i icit, anu ae wui soou THE BORBE EDVCArnn. 01 start. A few lessons this way will break he most of tho.,u. Kever fail to caress lum when he goes. TO DUIVK A KICKEU IN DOUBLIO HABN WA Put the "Trip Rope "on the int ^^ front foot, take the other end back in the n« with your lines, and when he at- tempts to kick check him by taking? up the ro,.t foot. If he is a bad one pnt oi the War Bridle " as well, haying it ren- der to the inside. Now you can check l»m with the " War Bridle " and " Trip I'ope," at the same time having some person to drive for yon. If yo„ should fail with this, use the " Trotting Big." TO DKIVE A KICKKE IN SINGLE HARNESS. Take two separate cords, p„t an end of each cord together and tie them a foot ftom these ends; tie the short ends in each ring of the bit, pass the long ends through a ring (tied on the top of yl firo^^xi Lhe rings of the back C2 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. QQ GO » » o S OD M O O EH o H r^^ JETOie^i? EDUCATOR. 63 band and through a ring tied on the back « rap about half way between the hj strap and the crupper; tie one to each the shafts, also put on a good hip strap f om running away. Put him into a strong cart and you can drivp fho . ! ^^^^ ^"" '^ 'in an ve the worst of SWITCHINO CBUPPEB AND BACK STRaX HOW TO CURE THE SWITCHEB. Take a rod of iron three feet and a-half «... and .end it in the .tape of a e™; per flatten both ends, cover it with ather and have the crupper come within four .„che« from Whore the tail rests on the rod, then fasten a small strap on the m rfrS 64 TEE HORSE EDUCATOR. THE HORSE EDUCATOR. rod to buckJe over the fai] +^ i tail firm in its place Vh "^ '^^ K« 1 Piace. This crupper vriii break up the habit of switching n two weeks or a month's time. HUGGING THE EEIN WfTH THB TAII,' Take the crupper and wind it with 1 rthTt'T"^ ^°«' -«^ ^- Ga- mete nt Th '' " '""^ '»'''- - -i- i^u. the t;i, Xi7 i'::r "jr-- *» «- he throws it over Z\T ::Z 'em your team you pull it from „;de/w« tail in spite of him, which in a ^mZ ^ill rid him of all ear of his tt . ' can remove the roll *"'* ^"" THE DOUBLE HITCH and nut it u« h , ^ *^ ^**" "-^Pe i "p buck 01 the ears and down 11 :S if i' (• m THE HORSE EDUCATOR. unde one o on a J HOWG If t you oi or out Hitch '' Jiorse i halter, " Doub out of while, i taking attempt liim to i I the cor toward « in the st i w a o H M O Q ^F^ ffO/J,S'£^ EDUCATOR. «nder his upper lip and tie iT^^ one Of the most severe Mtches.ou can w on a horse. *^ P"^ HOW TO BREAK CliOWDlNG OR KlPKiMn . HARNESSED. H the horse ha« the habit of erowdinir ":: ort/"' r ^"" '^■^^ ^- p- ' i"tcn as described above Too^ the cord, which win k • stall. Repeat as often a« necessary ^ |:| 'SI UiJ tt mi ka»..«l 68 TEE HORSE EDUCATOR. HOW TO BREAK SCARING AT ROBES. UMBRELLAS, ETC. Put on the "Double Hitch" and lei him examine the robe or umbrella witl the muscle of hi. nose, handle him till you rid him of all fear. If he has been badly frightened, put on ti*e rig the same as for handling a colt that is bad to crupper. AN OLD HALTER PULLER. Take a three-quarter inch rope, tie one end around his neck, run he other end througli the nose piece of a halter, and through a pulley or hole in the manger; take two hame straps with a ring on each strap and buckle one around each front leg above his knees; take a half inch rope four feet long, double it, tie a loop in the centre, and tie an end of it in each ring; take the rope running through the pulley or hole in the manger and tie it in the loop. Now, when he p'^Hs back he jerk-^ ( his front legs — or brae- > -from urid'^r him ! )BBS. THB nORSE EDUCATOR. 69 f and lei ella witlt Q till you ^n badly ne as for ^ 3per. J, tie one ther end Iter, and manger; \ on each Lch front nch rope )p in the Lch ring; le pulley it in the he jerl"^) der him, ^ { ! I'f 1; 70 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. This will break a halter puller the quickest and best of any way I have ever discovered. TO MAKE A HORSE STAND TIED OUTSIDE THAT HAS THE HABIT OF BREAKING LOOSE. Take a good strong halter and shank, put it on over the bridle; take a hame strap and ring, buckle it tight around one front leg above the knee; run the shank through a solid hitching place and tie it in the ring at the knee. When he pulls back he walks himself up to the hitching post, and you will find him there every time. TO BREAK A HORSE FROM BACKING TOO FAST. Put on the " Trip Rope." When he goes to back too fast, draw up his foot, and you can make him back as slow as you wish. TO BREAK A HORSE FROM THROWING HIMSELF IN HARNESS. Put on the " Trip Rope." When he is just about to throw himself, try and pull ^ 1 THB HORSB EDUCATOR. 71 iiller the have ever 5IDK THAT :iOOSE. id shank, ? a hame ound one he shank nd tie it he pulls hitching re every rOO FAST. Vhen he tiis foot, w as you HIMSELF Bn he is ind pull i: rl t ii Jl :ll II! 72 THE HORSE EDrVATOR. him down with the "Trip Rope"; a- ^ will guarantee he will try and keep on his feet. Two or three lessons will break the worst of them. TO BREAK A PTi^NCING H0RS1-: TO WALK QUIETLY IM H/VRNESS, EITHER CN THE ROAD OR FARM. Put on the "Trip Rope -; take year rope back over the trace and hold in your hands with the lines. Whenever he attempts to prance, draw gently on the rope, drawing his foot up a little, which makes him step short; and he will soon learn to walk quietly. TO BREAK A RACKER TO TROT. Put on the "Trip Rope.'^ Draw the foot with a sudden jerk clear from tbo ground, which causes him to make a -ap of two or three feet, give him the wc i o command " Go on ! sir." This will break his gait and cause him to strike into a trot. If he should strike the rack again, THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 73 il I s 74 THE HORSE EDUCAT JR. Strike him heavily with the rope under the belly: drawin^r up the foot as above. This is a sure cure with a few lessons. TO TEACH A HOUSE TO TIIOT WITHOUT BREAKING. * Take a small block and pulley, tack a strap around it to run the belly-band of .your harness through; have the pulley behind and a buckle on the front end; buckle a standing martingale to the block! Measure your horse from the centre of the belly-band of your harness to his hock as he stands straight, double the meas- urement, allow a foot on each end for lengthening and shortening; this strap IS to run through the pulley; have it made round all but the foot on each end. Take a piece of strong paper, and cut it out to fit the horse^s hock; take your pattern to the harness-maJ^er and get a leather one cut out the same with a buckle on it to buckle around his hock- THE U0R8E EDUCATOR. 76 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. f have it lined with felt, also a ring sewed into it near the buckle. Buckle the ends of the strap running through the pulley, to each of the rings on the hock straps, and you have the trotting rig. If your horse is tender in the mouth, put on a strong halter under the bridle, and buckle the standing martingale to the rings in the nose piece of the halter; check him up well. Now he can trot as fast as he likes, but he cannot run. This is also a good rig to put on a kicker, either in single or double harness. It requires to be made strong. SHYING. BOLTING AND EUNAWAY HORSES. Put on the " War Bridle '^ and drive your horse upon the road; if he sees any- thing to shy at, bolt, or try to run away, give a sudden jerk with the cord and say "whoa." Never strike a horse with the whip for shying, for he is in a state of IH excitement, and will think H i« +i^- ^u^^^x I! THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 77 be sees that hurts him, or expects to get whipped whenever he is frightened, and will bolt into the ditch and run away; but thoroughly control his mouth so that he neither dare turn to the right or left but stands perfectly still and examines' the object for a moment, then approaches and passes by without doing you any narm. If he is bad to rnn away, put on the rnp Rope," pull up his foot and hold if P ay the whip to him and make him go Wl he is glad to stop. Two or three lessous this way will satisfy the most of them. TO LAY THE HOKSE DOWN Get a good strong and padded leather B«r«ngle with back strap and crupper have a ring fastened in the top of the pad and another ring running loose on the ^ under the belly; p„t on your surcingS and buckle ,t, also the head-stm. 41 halter; take a hame strap with a snap . \ ■ I 78 THE HORSE EDUCATOIf. l! TBE HORSE BDVCATOR. 7B on It, and buckle it around the left front leg below the fetlock; take a half-inch rope fifteen feet long, tie one end around his neck, run your rope single over th72-4503 fv o ■^t* k'^X^ k ^1.- •'/ // f/. \\ l.^"^ u 88 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. milk; they get four front nippers for nip- ping the grass and other feed; also, they get eight of the front grinders or molrr teeth. In about six weeks four more nippers or incisors will be seen, one on each side of the first; and about the same time four more grinders appear, making twelve grinders, just one-half of the molars and two-thirds of the front teeth. At two months the centre nippers will have reached their natural level, and between the second and third month the second pair will have overtaken them. Between the sixth and ninth month the comer nippers appear, making six above and six below, completing the coitus mouth in front, and four more back teeth, which make two-thirds of the molars, after which the only observable difference is in the wear of the teeth. At the age of one year and ahalf the mark called a cup or groove^ \n the central nippers, wil| be THE HORSE EDUCATOR. much shorter and fainter than in the other two pairs, which have undergone an evi- dent change. At two to two and a-half years old the corner nippers become full and round like a horse's teeth at twenty, with no cups in them, and now, at about this period, likewise commences another process. The first teeth are adapted to the mze and wants of the young animal. Wiey are sufficiently large to occupy and fill the colt's jaws; but when these bones have expanded with the increased growth of the animal, the teeth are separated too far from each other to be useful, and an- other and larger set is required. The second teeth then begin to push up from below, and the fangs of the first are assorted and approach the surface of the jrum, when they generally drop out but not always. Then they should receive the forceps and be extracted, for if allowed - -.a^ XL^^ jiy^ oni^ cause muclj [iii r 90 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. i:l!|: iiii i inconvenience to the horse in feeding, by hanging? fast to the gums for days and sometimes weeks, as I have seen them 5nd been called on to examine the mouth of the colt to see why it could not eat. I frequently find two rows of teeth instead of one. By the colt champing his feed, the first teeth hang to the gum, often lacerating it, bedding themselves completely in, as the permanent teeth come up directly under the temporary ones, and not by the sides as I have read in some other men's writings, unless they are crowded out on one side by the first ones. This is often the case with colts when casting their teeth. It not onlv causes much inconvenience to the colt when eating or drinking, by crowding the teeth out of place, but you will, on exam- ining your colts thoroughly, find the upper lip cut into the nerve by the fangs or sharp enamel of the first teeth, until it is impossible for the colt to gather up its food or drink for days, just merely enough THE HOIff^E EDUCATOR. 91 to sustain life, and often injuring the sale of the horse. This, gentlemen, often is the cause of those flip flop lips on so many of our horses. I have cured some such when called on in time, after some of our Farriers pronounced it incurable and said the nerve back of the under jaw was injured by wearing a poke. Such doc- trine is not sound logic and the author should be sent to school until he learns better. Then the reader will please bear in mind that at the shedding of these four central nippers, when the colt is rising three years old, he also casts off eight of the front grinders or molar teeth, making twelve in all; and very often the caps of these front molars are thrown off with the tongue, turning them out next to the cheek. The outside of the gum still holds there, and the long, sharp fangs, from three-quarters to an inch long, are left there for days, sometimes lacerating Mil 92 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. the tongue and cheeks of the animal, sometimes causinj? starvation and death. An old gentleman, who lived near the Sable Eiver, Ont., in the year 1868, told me that he had lost a three-year old colt, valued at |100, from this very cause. After the death of the colt he determined to learn the cause of the lump in the colt's cheek. He slit it back, or "bock," as he gave me the broad Scotch of it, " and behold you," said he, " I found noth- ing but one of the caps or double teeth you are telling about." It is at this iige when the colt needs the most care, but generally gets the least; as the owner thinks the colts not old enough to work, they must hunt their own living both summer and winter. They're often turned out to some old pea-straw stack or something worse; for it is generally in the winter and on until in the spring when the greater part of them cast these teeth. Instead of such care as that, they should be sheltered on a ground floor and THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 88 have soft food, either chopped or boiled oats or barley, and bran mash occasion- ally. Then your colts will not come out m the spring so poor, and covered with lice so thick that you have got to lift them up by the tail. I often dislike to handle colts at this age for this very reas,m. I prefer them fat and full of Smger. They are the ones for me to handle. The colt rising four years old casts off four more of the nippers, one on each s.de of the first four; also four of the centre molars. At four coming five they cast the four corner ones and no molars; there are six molars in each jaw; thej^ cast the three front molars in each jaw; the three back ones they never cast. Then ns,ng five years old they lose the last and corner temporary incisors, these be.ng the last and all they have to cast off. they have all served their time, done their work and gone to decav. The nip- i 94 THE UORUE EDUCATOR. pers between the central and corner ones often get wedged so tight by the central ones coming in always wider and larger than the first, so it causes them to bind each other in very many instances, that they require the forceps to assist them in shedding their teeth, where the front ones are crowded zigzag out of place, but it also causes them to bind so tight that it often causes them to bite every post and pole, or neckyoke and manger that comes in their way, until they become bad wind- suckers or crib-biters, as it is often called. The grinders are often injurious to the young molars, rising up against the fangs and hard enamel of the first ones, causing them to grow out of place and very un- even, and the under teeth to lacerate the tongue, as the under teeth of all horses project in, and as they wear off grinding the food, the corners that are very uneven are as sharp as a saw tooth, many times 1 t Tilt: UOltaiS EDUCATOIt. M A injuring the tongue, causing it to hang out of the mouth. Then they are called lollers, and a bit is recommended by nearly all our Professors, which cures very few. I reconunend the bone rasp, which cures all, unless it is of too long standing, or caused by cruelty. Either by holding on the tongue while drenchinc. and the horse jerks his head and tears tt loose underneath, or tying a rope to it be- cause he balks, and then goes in front of the horse and pulls on it to make him draw, tearing it loose or cutting it clear oil. I have seen horses that have been served in this way. This is cruelty to dumb brutes, and the man or men who d d It ought to be punished severely The upper molars often cut the inside of the cheek in gashes from one to two inches ong, which causes them to throw the oats than eat them, because the ends are sharp m III 96 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. and irritate these sores, and the sharp, dry hay and thistles are still worse. At five or six years old the colt, or horse, as he is generally called at that age, has bri- dle teeth, as they are often called, or tusks protrude through the gum. They grow to their full length, which is nearly an inch long, and sometimes so sharp as to cut the under side of the tongue and require the rasp. . They may be seen from four to six in horses; mares seldom have them; some cast the four-year-old nippers and molars at three-and-a-half, and the five-year-old teeth at four, show- ing, a five-year-old mouth at four. Two weeks old. Six weeks old. One year old. THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 97 Two years old. 'jil Twc-and-a-half years old. Three years old. Four years old. i 98 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. Five yeard old. Six years old. THE HORSE EDUCATOR. Seven years old. 99 ^ight years old. 100 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. Full Mouth. Parrot Mouth. 11 Eii'il THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 101 Horse's Face. Molar Tooth. Upper Jaw. it till 102 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. HOW TO TELL A HORSE'S AGE BY THE TEETH. A horse has 40 teeth, 24 molars, 12 in- cisors, 4 canines. A mare has 36 teeth, 24 molars, 12 in- cisors, and sometimes 4 canines, but not often, 14 Days old 4 ^j 3 Months old 4 M I « " " y.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.. i Gj. 1 \ ear old, cups leave n I 2 " " " ;;; m.l* 2i " sheds ^j 3 " full size N.I. ^^ " «heds M.I. 4 " full size ]\| 1^ 4i " sheds qj f* " full size O.I. ^ " large cups in c.I. small one m.I. and still smaller N.l. 7 " cups leave n i ^ " " MI THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 108 M.I. C.T. 9 Years old cups leave qi. 10 to 11 years old, cups leave upper N I 12 to 13 " a u 14 to 15 " it u N.I. stands for Nipper Incisor. MI- " Middle " Cf.I. • " Corner « You can also observe from five to twenty years of age a continual change in the shape of the teeth; in a young horse the nippers are wide, but every year they grow narrower, until they are nearly round, and then they get wider in old age, the opposite way from the young tooth. In a young horse the gums on the upper nippers are nearly across the teeth; but in the aged horse they are quite the reverse, becoming quite pointed "P the teeth. The bridle teeth of a .young horse are nearly flat on the inside- but as he gets older they fill up, and in an old horse they are quite round and i : 104 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. blunt. By this you can tell an old horse from a youn.oj one in the dark, by feeliug of his bridle teeth. HOW TO TELL A HORSE'S AGE BY THE WRINKLES IN THE UNDER EYE LASH. In the upper corner of the lower eye- lash you can see a small wrinkle at nine years old, and one for every year after right along down under the eye in a curved line; you will find one for every succeeding year after nine years old. You can tell the age of about two-thirds of the horses by these wrinkles after nine years of age. HOW TO TELL A HORSE'S AGE BY THE NECK. About half way between the point of the shoulder and the under jaw you will find a lump on the side of the neck about the size of a small peach pit, at five years old; at ten another lump above the first; at fifteen one below the first and reverse' bfick and forth for every five vears until THE TIORSE EDUCATOR. 105 twenty-five years old. Yon can feel these lumps plainest on a long, slim-necked horse. THE HORSE'S TEETH. Every colt's mouth at three and four years of age, especially four, should be * '%'"'. lue TBB BORSB KDUCATOK. carefully examined, for they are shedding the temporary molars and getting the permanent molars _ which very often develop uneven and grow above the level of the table (or the teeth on each side of them), on account of their mates, the opposite teeth, not coming up at the same t.me, and the teeth require to be kept on a level in order for them to masticate their food properly and live to a ripe old age. There are a great number of horses that die m their teens, or even before, that would live well into the twenties if their teeth were looked after as they should be. f^very man that owns a horse should make a study of the shedding and wear of a horse's teeth. A mare has thirtysix ee^^h, a horse has forty; he has the bLn teeth-tusks or canines-which the mare seldom has. The thirtysix teeth Tom -on o the horse and mare are divided into SIX separate tables, with six teeth in TBE HORSE EDUCATOR. 107 each table, and these tables require to be kept on a level with each other. With a great many horses the molars wear below a level of the front teeth, and when in this shape they can only mash their food mstead of grinding it. The teeth are continually growing and wearing, and when the wear is not going on even then there are over-projections in the way which come in contact with tender parts of the mouth, the cheek, the tongue, or the gum, and from this cause many a valuable horse has lost his life, and from this cause there are tons of feed fed that IS not properly masticated. I find from years of experience in dentistry among horses that the teeth should be examined once a year, then if they are wearing nght we have no need to touch them, and If not they require to be properly treated, for we not only relieve the dumb brutes, but we save it in feed, we gain it in Ml II 108 THE B0R8B EDUCATOR. flesh, in strenftth and in health, in our horses, which means dollars to the pocket. The twenty-four molars are the mill- stones for the horse, and the grain should be properly cleaned before it is given to them to grind, for when it is not cleaned they very often get small gravel stones and other hard substances, which make bad work with their teeth. I find a great many split teeth in horses from this cause and usually find two to one on gravelly soil to what I do on clay. I also find in oolts and horses of all ages a great many curious teeth, caused by the irregular wear of the teeth and the want of atten- tion. It is no uncommon occurrence to find extra teeth in horses rthat is, more teeth than they should have) especially molars. They are liable to come anywhere m the mouth; quite frequently I find them •n the back part of the mouth, and as there are no teeth to match them, they THE E0R8E EDUCATOR. 109 soon come in contact with the opposite gum and jaw bone, which prevents them from masticating, and starves them to death, and when they are at the back part of the mouth they are very often overlooked. Mares and horses are both subject to wolf teeth, as they are com- monly called, which should be extracted when a colt is a year or two years old. They should never be knocked out. NOTES. Never jump at conclusions when vou examine a horse's mouth, but examine carefully and you will avoid mistakes which are too often made. When a horse's mouth is treated remember that it is not only getting the trouble out of sight that is required, but it is the shape the mouth is left in that completes the operation. ;'; i jrl \ '1 110 . TUB HORSE EDVCATOX. Lever burn tlio colf^ or horse's n.o.ul, - la„.pers, .« it i« not only cruelty to Z *'""'l' brute., but it spoils the .uoulh I'^rom one to two years obi i« the pro„er ""e to extruet the wolf teeth. "^Zl should be i>roperlv extr-wt^-i . . ' them out 'y''^^'''^t''P, and of a soft, yield! -rf;o:vteeu:r;o"^. «-^^^ ->n. a si,,ht bev. tr:^:;r^ 'mws Th ' -""-'l"-«y. as the foot feiows It becomes wider -in-i i-. proportion to the a. J„„t „f ^ ^^^ '" *-iount of horn secreted THE HORSE EDUCATOR. Ill and narrower and shorter in proportion to the ground surface. If a slioe were fitted nicely and accurately to the foot after heinj*- dressed down well, it woiijd be found too narrow and short tot the same foot after the laj)S(^ of a few weeks. If any unyielding shoe of iron is nailed firmly to this naturally enlarj^ing and elastic hoof, it prevents its natural freedom of expansion almost wholly, and does not allow the foot to ^row wider at the quarters as it j^rows down, in proportion to the amount of horn j^rown as before shod; consequently the foot is changed by the continued restraint of the shoe, from a nearly round, healthy foot, to a contracted and unhealthy condition, as generally seen in horses shod for a few y^ars. The principles which govern in shoeing are few and simple, and it is surprising, considering the serious results involved. :i lii 112 THE UijUm EDUCATOR. that it should be done with so little con- sideration. The object of the sheer in trimminjr and preparinjr the hoof for the shoe should be to keep the foot natural, and this involves, first, the cutting away of any undue accumulation of horn, affect- ing in the least its health and freedom; Sfecond^ to carry out in the shape of the shoe that of the foot as nearly as possible; third, to fiit and fasten the shoe to the foot so as least to interfere with its health, growth and elasticity. The preparation of the foot requires the cutting away of about the proportion of horn which, coming in contact with the ground, would have worn off, or which has accumulated since being last shod; if the shoes have been on a month, the propor- tion of horn secreterl in that time is to t>e removed; if two m. ^if^ then the propor- tion of two months* ."3' ¥ tli. Ko definite it rule can be given, iLm; j "dgment must be THE nOKSE EDCCATOR. IIU Koverne.1 by t).e mi-cumstances of the fiiso: tlie stronsor and more rapid tlie srowth of H,e foot, the more must be cut away; and the weaker and the less horn pr... u«Ml, the less, to the extent of simply levelhng the crn.t a little, the better to conform to the «ho,.; there is generally a far more rapid srowth of horn at the toe than at the hoels or quarters; more M.1 be ro,i„ired to be tak..„ off there than off the other parts; therefore, shorten the oe and lower the heels, until you succeed n bringing down the bearing surface of the hoof upon the shoe to almost a level with the live horn of the sole. Be care- f"l to make the heels level; having low. -«.■' the .r.st to the ne.essary extent, -uooth It down level with the rasp, the «ole and frog detach by exfoliation as it becomes superabundant. The sole would not need paring were it not for the restraining effect of ti>- «■ o "*- ^"-^t-- upon the If s,t . 114 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. i4j{.l i>eneral function of the foot, which is liable to prevent such detachment of the horn. The cutting away of the bars, to give the heels an open appearance, is inexcusable, and should never be done. In a natural, healthy condition, the frog has a line of bearing with the hoof, and by its elastic nature acts as a safeguard to the delicate machinery of the foot immediately over it, and helps to preserve the foot in its natural state, by keeping heel spread. It seems to be wisely intended to give life and health to the foot. Permitting the heels to grow down, with the addition of high-heeled shoes, raises the frog from its natural position, and causes it to shrink and harden, and bears, in consequence, an important influence in setting up a diseased action that usually results in contraction of the foot. If the heels are square and high, and the hoof presents rather a long, nar- THE HORSE EDUCATOR. Ill vhich is nt of the bars, to ance, is 3e done, the frog oof, and ifeguard :he foot preserve keeping wisely 1 to the 5v down, I shoes, position, en, and iportant i action 1 of the id high, ag, nar- row appearance, and is hollow on the bottom, there is a state of contraction ^oing on and you nuist not hesitate to dress down thoroughly. Do not hesitate because the hoof appears small. Cut away until you are well down to a level with the live horn of the sole; and if the foot IS weak, use the same prudence in not cutting it away too much. The shoer must always bear in mind that the sole must not rest on the shoe. Let the foot be so dressed down, and the shoe so approximate, that the bearing will come evenly ,p the crust all the way around without the sole touching the shoe. This requires the crust to be dressed lown level, and although well down to the live horn of the sole, it should alwavs be left a little higher. The corners be- tween the bars and crust should be well pared out, so there is no danger of next consideration. 116 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. THE SHOE. The main object should be to have the shoe so formed as to size, weight, fitting and fastening, as to combine the most advantages of protection, and preserve the natural tread of the foot the best. In weight it should be proportioned to the work or employment of the horse. The foot should not be loaded with more iron than is necessary to preserve it. If the work of the horse is principally on the road, at heavy draught, the shoe should be rather heavy, in order that it may not be bent by contact with hard, uneven earth; it should be wide in the web, and of equal thickness and width from the toe to the heel, that it may as much as pos- sible protect the sole, without altering the natural position of the foot; it should be well drawn in at the heels, that it may not rest on the bars, thereby protecting the corn place, or angles between the bar THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 117 ive the fitting ? most reserve it. In to the The re iron If the 3n the should ay not uneven b, and the toe as pos- ng the •uld be it may tecting ue Utir and crust, and should in no part extend beyond the outer edge of the crust. It is too often the case that the shoe is made according to the smith's notions of what the form of the horse's foot should be, and the foot is pared, burned and rasped until it fits the shoe. Now, it should always be borne in mind that the shoe is intended for the foot and not the foot for the shoe, and tliat it is therefore particu- larly proper to make the shoe fit the na- tural form of the foot. It is impossible to have the foot of a horse sound and safe for work and use, after bringing it to an un- natural figure by the use of the knife and rasp. The foot of the horse being elastic, it expands to the weight of the horse in precisely the same degree, whether rest- ing upon the most open or most contracted shoe. Therefore the shape of the shoe cannot possibly affect the shapp of the foot. The form of the foot is determined 'i'- Olr /'i i wil h 118 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. by the situation of the nails. If the nails are placed so that the inside quarters and heels are left free to expand in a natural manner, no shape we can give to the shoe can of itself change the form of the foot. It must not be inferred, however, from this that the shape of the shoe is of no importance; quite the contrary being the case, as I have already shown. In form- ing the shoe we must always adopt that which produces the greatest number of advantages with the fewest disadvan- tages. We find that the sole surface of the foot is by nature concave in form, which seems to offer the greatest fulcrum of re- sistance to the horse when travelling. It is important to preserve the natural me- chanical action of the horn and sole, therefore the ground surface of the foot, that is to say, the ground surface of the shoe, should be levelled cup fashion; its THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 119 outer edge being prominent, corresponds to the lower and outer rim of the hoof, while the shoe being hollow, resembles the natural cavity of the sole of the foot. The ground surface of the shoe should always be concave. ; The pattern that nature has presented to us in making the sole concave cannot be improved upon by the smith with all his skill. The expansion of the heels and growth of the foot require that the shoe should be long enough and wide enough at the heels to allow of the natural growth of the foot in the time it is Ci^lculated the shoe should be on before being re-set; for as the foot enlarges the shoe is brought forward until it loses its original propor- tion and becomes too short and narrow. The shoe may be about a quarter of an inch wider and longer than the extreme bearing of the heels, and the nail holes should be punched fine and well in on the ' i i' I 120 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. I ■> i ! web. The manner of fastening the shoe is what really affects the foot, and what requires the most special attention in shoeing; for the foot being elastic, ex- pands in proportion on the rough as on the nicely fitted shoe. It is the number and position of the nails that really af- fects the foot. If they are placed well back in the quarters, four on a side, as is common, the crust is held as firmly in this unyielding shoe as if in a vice, which utterly prevents the free action necessary to its health. Inflammation is produced, which causes contraction and the conse- quent derangement of the whole foot. If the free natural expansion of the foot, and the spreading of the quarters in propor- tion to the growth of the hoof is prevented by the nailing of the shoe, irritation of the fleshy substance between the crust and coffin-bone will result, and ultimately create so much diseased action of the THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 121 i parts as to cause contraction and nervi- cular disease. Shoes may be fastened without causino- such mischief, if the fol- lowinjT method of nailing be observed. m In experimenting, for the purpose of ascertaining how few nails are absolutely necessary, under ordinary circumstances, for retaining the shoe securely in its place as long as it should remain upon the foot, it has been satisfactorily established that five nails are amply sufficient for the fore shoes and seven for the hind ones; three should be placed on the outside of the foot and two on the inner side, near the toe, thereby leaving the foot free to ex- pand in a natural manner. The nails should not be driven high up in the crust but brought out as soon as possible. An- other mistake with most smiths is in rasp- ing the clinches away too fine; they should be turned broad and flat. It is also a custom with some to rasp and sandpaper i') U 122 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. the whole surface of the hoof, for the purpose of making it look nice and smooth. Such a practice should never be tolerated; the covering thus removed is provided by nature to protect the too rapid evaporation of the moisture of the hoof, and when taken away causes the horn to become dry and brittle. It has so long been customary to use as many nails as could be conveniently driven in; in fact, in fastening the shoe as if it were to a lifeless block of wood, that the fear is very commonly entertained that the shoe will not be held in its place with so few^ nails. Such fears are utterly ground- less, as both theory and practice demon- strate. If the presence of a nail in the crust were a matter of no moment, and two or three more than are really neces- sary were merely useless, no great reason would exist for condemning the common practice of using too many nails, but it is TDE HORSE EDUCATOR. 123 far otherwise; the nails, aside from con- fining the natural expansion of the hoof, separate the fibres of the horn, which uever, by any chance, become united again, but continue apart and unclosed, until by degrees, they grow down with the rest of the hoof, and are finally, after repeated shoeing, removed by the knife. As these holes cannot possibly grow down and be removed, under three shoe- ings, it will be found, even with a small number of nails, that three times that number of holes must exist in the hoof all the while, and as they are often, from various causes, extended into each other, they necessarily keep it in a brittle, un- healthy state, and materially interfere with the future nail hold. As the posi- tion of the hind foot, and the nature of its office render it less liable to injury than the fore foot, consequently it less frequently lames; however, disease of the M 124 THE nORSE EDUCATOR. ■'I nervical bones of this foot is by no moans impossible. The same care shouhl be taken as with the fore foot. Calks, al- thouji^li they may be turned down of per- fectly even length on each side (which is seldom done), are objectionable appen- dages, and should be dispensed with, ex- cept perhaps for heavy draughts, or when the roads are frozen or covered with ice. TO PREVENT INTERFERING. Kemove the portion of crust that hits the ankle and have the shoes well set un- der the foot. The hoof should be lowest on the out- side, to turn the ankle, that the other hoof may pass clear. The shoe should be light and of narrow web, with only two nail holes on the inside, and those near the toe. OVER-REACHING. Young horses are more subject to over- reaching than old ones. It very fre- THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 125 quently disappears as the speed of the animal is increased. At a moderate gait the front feet do not always get out of the way in time for the hind ones, as they are brought forward. Sometimes the heels are cut or bruised badly, and occa- sionally the shoes are torn from the front feet To prevent this have the front shoes a little heavier, the animal liftg them more quickly. The hind shoes made a little lighter causes him to lift them more slowly, and the difficulty is at once* re- moved in most cases, although there are some that require to be shod quite the reverse. ANOTHER GOOD PLAN FOR FORGING OR OVER.REACHING, Colts Often forge and gradually grow out of it. Concave the ground surface of the fore shoes, set the toe-calk of hind shoes well back on the web, put a piece of sole leather between the hind shoe and H i5i 126 TUB nORSE EDUCATOR. the foot, lettiiij^ it extend out beyond the wall about a quarter of an inch; check him a little higher. CRACKED HOOF. This disease, also called sand-crack, occurs only in the hoof that is dry, bi'ittle and contracted. The hoof, in a nataral, elastic condition, can be bruised but not split up, if double the force that splits the dry, contracted hoof is applied. The crack occurs most f?enerally at the quar- ters, and almost always in the fore feet, they being almost alone subject to con- tractions. If the crack extends through the hoof it causes very painful lameness. For treatment, the foot must be care- fully examined to see that no dirt has worked in under the hoof; the loose parts of the horn must be cut away; a pledget of tow, saturated with sulphate or chlo- ride of zinc, or tincture of myrrh, should be applied, and a bandage carefully put THE UORSE EDUCATOR. 127 Oil to keep it in place and to keep out the dirt. As soon as tlio new liorn lias irnnvn down a little, draw a line across the top of the crack with a knife or firinm a common bridle, with the reins over the neck then step behind him and place the right foot firmly upon the tail, the reins m your hand and say, "Sit up -. The horse, rising from'' a recum'-' bent position, first turns on his belly throws out his forward feet and raises himself on them, springs forward THE nORSE EDUCATOR. 1 touch take it e cord slacken >wn by ntil he eadily, a dog, rj and from ing on 8 over place 1, the \t up, scum- belly, and 'ward ____ 143 and raises on his hind feet. ^ back upon the reins when he attempts to spnn, forward and „p, will preve'n h n. donag so and you hold him sitting akin t , " '™'^ " ''^ ---ung his foot for- ward, and which you are to accept as shaking hands, and for which you will caress him and give him a lump of sugar, and so repeat until when you make the de- mand he will bring his foot forward in anticipation of having it pulled up. This IS a very easy trick to teach a horse. By a little patience a horse may be easily train- ed to approach, make a bow, shake hands and follow like a pet lamb, lie down and sit up, which makes him appear both polite and intelligent. Never lose courage or confidence in your ability, because vou may^not bring about good results easily. t;i Hi 146 THE HORi^r EDUCATOR, caress him for it\Z •. t ^^^ ^'^ ^^''t put it forward telliri- . ^°''*^ *"'' «.e, and ^ iTj^TZCl "" "^ strokes with the foot a! T ' ""^"^ •Vour hand and I^LT. TfeTL"'" g'ven in this ^,„^,, ^ teachH, 7°"' to mark off his ace at fi, "^ '^'''"'^ mand. ^ ^* *^^ ^ord of com- I i 'IIIIN" THE nORSE EDUCATOR. 147 HISTORY OF THE HORSE. To man, whether as a civilized being or a barbarian, no animal is more useful than the horse. The beauty, grace and dignity of this uoble creature, when In a properly developed state, are as marked as his utility. As an intelligent animal he ranks next in the scale to the dog that other companion and friend of man. lakmg into consideration then his useful- ness, his attractive appearance, and his intelligence, what is known of his history cannot prove unacceptable. "' H ^ 118 TEE HORSE EDUCATOR. I t i i i In order to ascertain the special land which can claim the proud honor of being the parent country, the birth-place of this noble animal, recourse must be had primarily to the pages of Scripture, as being the most ancient and best authen- ticated of all existing histories. By re- ference to those pagf . we find that, al- though the ass was in early use among the children of Israel, the horse was un- known to them until after the commence- ment of their dwelling in Egypt; and strong evidence exists for the belief that he was not brought into subjection, even in that country, until after their arrival Clear it is, at all events, that Arabia which many have supposed to be the native home of the horse, did not possess him until within a comparatively recent period; while his introduction into Greece, and thence into those countries of EuropJ and Asia in which he is now found. LL THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 149 either wild or domesticated, may be traced with much certainty to an Egyp- tian source. Although in the history of Abraham frequent mention is made of the ass, of the camel, of flocks and herds, sheep and oxen, there is no allusion to the horse; nor do we find any such until we reach the time of Joseph. In the reign of that Pharoah, in whose service Joseph was, waggons were sent by the King's com- mand into Canaan to bring thence into Egypt, Jacob and his sons, their wives and their little ones, during the preva- lence of the famine against which Joseph had provided. It is not recorded that those waggons were drawn by horses; but the inference that such was the casj i« by no means irrational, when we re- member that it was during the continu- ance of this famine that horses are urst mentioned, having been taken by Joseph »*, m 160 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. !■ I in excbanfte for bread from the Egyptian cultivators and cattle-breeders; that on the death of Jacob, his funeral was attended by "both chariots and horse men;" and lastly, that we know from the writings of Homer, and from the ancient sculptures of Persepolis and Nineveh that the horse was used for purposes of draught for some time pre- vious to his being ridden. From this time the horse appears to have been speedily adopted for use in battle. At the Exodus some fifteen hundred years before the Christian Era, the pursuing army contained "six hund- red chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt," together with all the horse- men. And when the Israelites returned into Canaan we find that the horse had already been naturalized in that country, since the Canaanites " went c it to fight against Israel with horses and chariots very many." TEt) B0R8E mUGATon. 161 From these considerations, and from the fact that so late as six hundred years after this date, Arabia had still no horses, It IS by no means an improbable conclu- sion that the shepherd kings of Egypt, whose origin is unknown, introduced the horse into Lower Egypt; and that, after this period, the country became the prin- cipal herding district of this animal, whence he was gradually introduced into Arabia and the adjoining Asiatic coun- tries. From the same stock is doubtless derived the entire race in all the souths eastern parts of Europe. As Egypt is not, in any respect, a favorable country for horse-breeding, still less for his orig- inal existence in a state of nature, the source whence he was first introduced into that country is in some degree enveloped in uncertainty; though the better opinion, based upon much indirect testimony, is that he was an original IP : • «'' r, lii I 'I I 152 TUE HORSE EDUCATOR. native of the soil of Africa, which alone was the parent country of the Zebra and the Quagga— in some sort his kin. It is questionable whether the horse is still to be found in a state of nature in Arabia; although it is asserted that they exist thinly scattered in the deserts, and that they are hunted by the Bedouins for their flesh, and also for the purpose of improving their inferior breeds by a differ- ent kind of blood. In Central Africa, however, whence the horse is supposed to have been first introduced into Egypt, and thence into Arabia, Europe and ^he East, wild horses still roam untamed far to the southward of the great desert of Sahara, where they have been seen by Mungo Park in large droves. At the period of the first Roman invasion the horse was domesticated in Britain, and m such numbers that a large portion of the forces which resisted the invaders were charioteers and cavalry. TUB UORSE EDUCATOR. '1S8 In Europe, however, with but few exceptions, the horse, for purposes of war- fare, was slowly an.1 not till the lapse of ajres brought into use; even the Spartan, the Athenians, aud the Thebans, when at tlm height of their military renown, hav- •ng but inferior and scanty cavalry ser- vices. In the oldest sculptures probably in existence-those removed by Layard from the ruins of Nineveh, and illustrative of almost every phase of regal and military l.fe-the horse is uniformly represented as a remarkably high-crested, large- leaded, heavy-shouldered animal; rather long-bodied; powerfully limbed; his neck clothed with volumes of shaggy mane often Plaited into regular amffan'-fui' braids; and his tail coarse and abundant, frequently ornamented similarly to his own mane and to the beard and hair of his drner-an animal, indeed, as unlike 154 TUB HORSE EDUCATOR. oon^derable attention was paid to the' Enghsh breed of ],orses; an.l after tl.e reiRu of Alfred rnnninj. horses were •■nporte,! from Germany, this being the fli-«t intimation given „s in history of running horses in England. English horses after this were so hi,h,, pH.ed upon the continent, that in order to pre- serve the monopoly of the breed, in A. D. J^O a law was passed prohibiting thr exportation of the animal, m Athel- stan's reign many Spanish horses „ere jniported; and Willian. the Conqueror introduced many fine animals from Nor- mandy, Flanders and Spain,-circum- stances which sho»v the strong desire im THE HORSE EDUCATOR. m .r 11 ! f ■ I even in that early period, to improve the English breed. In the reign of Henry I. is tlie first account of the importation of the Arab horse into the country, at which time it is evident that the English had become sensible of the value and breed of their horse; and in the twelfth century a race-course had been established in London— namely, Smithfield— at once horse market and race-course. King John imported Flemish horses for the improvement of the breed for agri- cultural purposes; and in his reign is found the origin of the draught horse, now in general use in that country, Edward II. and Edward III. imported liorses for the improvement of the stock, tlie latter introducing fifty Spanish horses In the Teign of Henry VII. the exporta- tion of stallions was prohibited; but that of mares was allowed, when more than two years old, and under tlie value of six J;"' THE HORSE EDUCATOR, 257 shillings and eight pence. I„ the r^. of Henry VIII. many very arbitrary statutes were passed for the improvement of the horse; and it was during the same period that an animal race was run at Chester, m the reign of Elizabeth the number and breed appear to have degen- erated; for it is o.i +i ^ , „„ii /i, ^^^'^ *•"** ^lie could collect but three thousand horses through- With the accession of James I. to the throne, a great improvement was system- atically wrought in the English breed- and from this period a constant and pro- gress,. attention was paid to the matter Lv. of r' '* *'' *''•'" extraordinary price of five hundred pounds; but he proving deficient in speed, Arabi'ans for a toe fell ,„to disrepute. Race meetings were then held at various places (Hay 15^ THE U0R8E EDUCATOR. market, among others) throughout the klr ,dom, the races being mostly mates against time, or trials of speed or bottom for absurdly long and cruel distances. Although Cromwell, during his Pro- tectorate, was obliged to forbid racing, yet he w^as fin ardent lover of the hort-e and an earnest patron of all pertaining to horsemansnip, and to his strenuous exer- tions the present superior condition of the English blood-horse is in no small degree owing. Before proceeding to the history of the American horse— which is the main con- cern in the present branch of this work — — a concise summary of the different var- ieties of this useful quadrupc'i cannot fail to interest. We commence with the horse of Asia. TUB nORSB EDVOATGB. Horses of Asia and Africa. THE ARABIAN. In this country the horse, even In it^ wild state (in which condition, as before remarked, it is rarely found), is possessed of a beautiful symmetry of form, and a disposition of the j^reatest gentleness and generosity. His size is small, averaging in height generally between thirteen and fourteen hands (the hand being reckoned at about 4 inches of our measure); color, a dappled gray, though sometimes a dark brown; mane and tail short and black. The only mode of capturing him is by snares carefully concealed in the sand, as his exceeding swiftness prevents all possibility of taking him by the chase. The fondness of the Arab for his steed is well-known, having long since passed into a proverb. TJ^e horse of the poorest n *'i t 11 160 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. wanderer of the desert shares with his master and his family every attention and caress which the strongest attach- ment can prompt. Mares are always pre- ferred by the Arab to horses, as they endure fatigue and the hardships incident to a desert life much more patiently, and can be kept together in greater numbers without the risk of quarrels and mutual injuries. Great attention is paid to the coat of the animal. He is carefully washed each morning and evening, or after a long r^le; is fed only during the night, receiving throughout the day noth- ing but one or two drinks of water. The head oi the pure Arab is light, well made, wide between the nostrils, forehead broad, muzzle short and fine, nostrils expanded and transparent, eyes prominent and sparkling, ears small, neck somewhat short, shoulders high and well thrown back, withers high and arched, THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 161 legs fine, flat and small-boned, and the body somewhat light. THE PERSIAN. This horse is slightly laller than the Arab; is full of bone and very fast. The 1 ersian feeds his horse as does the Arab, he food given him being coarse and scant. Hay IS utterly unknown for the purpose ^bstitnted. Although this variety is in most respects less esteemed tha'n the Arab, It IS in some points its superior. THE TARTARIAN. buf ttJ'^t ''"'■''^"' ''''' ^«"«ty is swift; wardlv nnt f "'^ ^ «"°g'^t»ier very awlt- milt r., ""■ '''"■'«'« «»»»««l«»A,i 162 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. quently from five hundred to a thousand dollars. Its average h-ight is some liiieen hands, and in general appearance it bears a strong resembionce to a well bred Eng- lish carriage horse. Tlu^^gh possessed of considerable speed, it is n. t. enduring. This variety is often foi,?u-d upon the ignorant as the pure Arabian. THE TURKISH HOPvSE. This iiorse is a cross between the Per- sian and the Arabian, and is of slender build, carrying his head high, liveb and fiery, and possessing a genfcle and affec- tionate disposition. The tail of the horse is regarded in Turkey and Persia as a badge of dignity, princes measuring their rank by the number of tails they carry; those of the highest rank being allowed three. HOUSES OF HINDOSTAN. In India, the horse, owing to the peculiar climate of the country is invar- iably found to degenerate, ul>.s great . ^'^' HOfiSfi EDUCATOR. jgg attention be paid to breeding."^ pnnapal bvcod. are tlxe Ta^ee, thf Takan t.^eJoiaree, the Outcb and 'tbe ^. Passing from tlie Asiatic horse to the African, it is to be remarked that EgypI ■as long since lost its character af a -eding conntry, its horses being j„ tlj deemed much inferior to those of Vers a Baibary or Arabia. ' THE BARB AND OTHERS. This variety-the principal of the African race-is taller than the Arabian and remarkable for the height aJd f"' ness of its shonlders, drooling of he haunches, and roundness of the barrel The^Bornou race, in the central parts o Africa, IS described as possessing the qualities of the Arabian, with the beauty of Barb, as being fine in shoulder and of neral elegance of form. The Nubian "•" ^s are stated by travellers to be even i^ 'V (TT- 164 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. superior i o the Arabian. Dongola has a noticeable breed, of larj^e size, their chief peculiarities being extreme shoitness of body, length of neck, height of crest, and a beautiful forehead. European Horses. THE RACER. As the varieties of the horses in Great Britain are the most noticeable of any in Europe, we append a brief description of the principal breeds at present in use. The Eacer, which excels in beauty, speed and endurance, that of all other nations, was gradually formed bv the in- troduction of the best blood of Spain, Barbary, Tui-key and Arabia, which bears a strong family likeness to each. The characteristics of this breed are a high THE nORSE EDVCATOIt. ig; la has a eir chief tness of •est, and Q Great any in )tion of ise. beauty, I other the in- Spain, 1 bears . The a high and lofty head, bright and fearless eye small ear, expanded nostril, arched neck' cnrved on the upper surface, with no' curve underneath, the neck gracefully set on, the shoulder lengthened and layin-^ «-en back, the quarter ample and muscu" lar, the fore legs straight and fine, but w.th sufficient bone, the hinder legs well bent and the pasterns long and springy. THE HUNTEK. The best horses of this breed stand fif- teen or sixteen hands high, head small, neck thm, especially beneath the crest firm and arched, and jaws wide; iX orehead, shoulders as extensive and ob bicker, broad chest; mnscular ar„r W Shorter than that of the racer, body a o more short and compact, lo ns Ltd quarters long, thighs n^Lsculal. Zt ^ell bent and under the horse. ^, ir***^-" ! ! i. 166 THE HORSE EDUCATOR, THE HACKNEY. This horse is still more compact than the Hunter, with more substance in pro- portion to his height, forehead light and high, head small and placed taperingly upon the neck, shoulders deep and spa- cious, laying well back, back straip-ht, loins strong, fillets wide and withers well raised. Too high breeding is considered objectionable in this species, as beino- ill adapted for ordinary riding upon ^he road. TPIE CART HORSF. The principal varieties of this class are the Cleveland, the Clydesdale, .e ]S[^,fth- hamptonshire, the Suffolk Punch, and the heavy black or dray horr The Clydesdale breed obtains its name from being -bred chiefly in the valley of thr^ Clyde. They are strong and hardy, ha^ a small head, are longer necked than the Suffolk, with deeper legs and lighter 3act tlian e ill pro- ight and iperingly and spa- straii^ht, lers well •nsidered being ill pon the 'lass are ^ N-rtli- ?li, and 2. The le from of tho y, hav ban the lighter ^^^^ '!ORSE EDUCATOR. ig7 ^-clies. The Suffolk Pnnch orlginatedby- ~"g the Suffolk cart mare with the Norman stallion. Its colour is yellowish or sorrel, large head, wide between'he e;^rs muzzle rather coarse, back Ion! and ^^t. Sides .at, fore-end low 1^ ders thrown much forward, high at the S T"' "'^^^ ^^-^'* ^>-terns, deep >elhed .„a f,n barrel. The moderr^ bred cart horse of ^n,,,,, J^^^^^ «tall on, and is of mu,h ligvter form and stands much hio-her Th\^ . 7 -1 -ef„,, ,,:,,;• a^"v "v?r' ThA ii^o 11 ^^^^ feeder. The heavy Waok horse is chiefly bred in L.ncoJn.shire and the Midland counties OEKMAN, FRp^NcH AND SPANISH HORSES. eeS TtT 1^^™^°^' -th the ex- S he ^"»««"'''°. are generally tZT ..r. 7'^ ^'■^«*- P-t o^ the 'll U ^aT iiir y are procured from H >1- Ml 168 TUB HORSE EDUCATOR. I i}!' Stein. They are of a dark, glosny bay colour, with Hiiiall heads, large nostrils, and full dark eyes, being beautiful, active and strong. The horses of Sweden and Finland are small but beautiful, and remarkable for their speed and spirit, those of Finland not being more than twelve hands high, yet trotting along with ease at the rate of twelve miles an hour. The Iceland horse is either of Norwe- gian or Scottish descent. They are veiy small, strong and swift. Thoue-nds of them live upon the mountains of that barren country, never entering a stable, but taught by instinct or habit to scrape away the snow or break the ice in quest of their meagre food. The Flemish and Dutch horses are large, and strongly and beautifully form- ed, The best blood of draught horses is Tin: llOlt^E EDUCATOR. im my bay nostrils, 1, active and are iblo for Finland Is liigli, be rate Norwe- pe vei'A' nds of )f that stable, scrape I quest ?s are form- rses is owing, iu a gri..at degree, to crosses with these. The best French horses are bred in Linionsiii and Normandy, tlio provinces of Auvergne and Poitou producing ponies and gallowavs, which are excellent saddle horses and hunters. The Spanish horse of other davs, as the Andalnsian charger and the Spanish jen- nets, exist bnt in history or romance. J he modern Spanish horse resembles the Yorkshire, half-breed, with flatter legs and better feet, bnt a far inferior figure. The Italian horses, particularly the Neapolitan, were once in high repute, but owing mainly to intermixtures of Euro- pean rather than eastern blood, they have sadly degenerated. If mi ssmem^SSi 170 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. The American Horse. At a very remote period in the history of America the horye began to be im- ported from Europe by the early settlers, it being conceded that, although the horse had at some former time existed on this continent, as is proved by his fossil remains which have been found in abun- dance in various parts of the country, he had become extinct previous to its coloni- zation by the white nations. It is generally believed that horses which are found in a Avild state on the pampas or plains of South America and the prairies of North America as far east as the Mississippi River, are the descend- ants of the parents set loose by the Span- iards at the abandonment of Buenos Ayres. This opinion, however, is com- batted by some on the ground that this oate IS lOo recent to account for the vast THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 171 numerical increase, and the great hordes of these animals now existing in a state of nature, and they are inclined to ascribe their origin to animals escaped, or volun- tarily set at liberty, in the earlier expe- ditions and wars of the Spanish invaders, the cavalry of that nation consisting en- tirely of perfect horses or mares. An opportunity of such an origin must undoubtedly have been furnished in the bloody wars of Mexico and Peru, since upon the issue of many battles which were disastrous to the Spaniards, the war horses, their riders being slain, could have recovered their freedom and propagated their species rapidly in the wide, luxu- riant and well watered plains, where the abundance of food, the genial climate, and the-absence of beasts of prey capable of successfully contending with so power- ful an animal as the horse, would favour t-lieir rapid increase. ^m i-M i' ■'•■. ^A ' 'i lii: Midi ft Hi 172 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. We know, moreover, that De Soto had a large force of cavalry in that expedi- tion in which he discovered the Missis- sippi, and found a grave in its bosom, and when his warriors returned home in barques which they built on the banks of the " Father of Waters," there can be little doubt that their charges must have been abandoned, since their slender ves- sels, built by inexperienced hands for the sole purpose of saving their own lives, must have been incapable of containing their steeds. The first horses imported to America for the purpose of creating a stock were brought by Columbus in 1493, in his second voyage to the Islands. They first landed in the United States, were introduced in Florida in 1527, by Cabeca de Vaco, forty-two in number, but these all perished or were killed. The next importation was that of De Soto, I : THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 173 before mentioned, to which is doubtless to be attributed the origin of the wild horses of Texas and the prairies, a race strongly marked to this day by the characteristics of Spanish blood. In 1604, L'Escarbot, a French lawyer brought horses and other domestic ani' mals into Acadia, and in 1608 the French then engaged in colonizing Canada intro- duced horses into that country, where the present race, though somewhat degener- ated in size, owing probably to the incle- mency of the climate, still show the blood, Hufficiently distinct, of the Norman and Breton breeds. In 1609 the English ships landing at Jamestown, in Virginia, brought, besides swine, sheep and cattle, six mares and a borse, and in 1657 the importance of in- creasing the stock of this raluable animal was so fully recognized that an Act was passed prohibitino- jf. p^..^^^-.. , ., . ^ ^^-^ t^M^ortiition from the province. I.; I fill ;rfh- I VI i! THE HORSE EDUCATOR. In 1629 horses and mares were brought into the plantations of Massachusetts B'dj by one Francis Higgins, formerly of Leicestershire, England, from which country many of the animals were im- ported. New York first received its horses in 1625, imported from Holland by the Dutch West India Company, probably of the Flanders breed, though few traces of that breed yet exist, unless they are to be found in the Conestoga horse of Penn- sylvania, which shows some affinity to it, either directly or through the English dray horse, which latter is believed to be originally of Flemish origin. In 1750 the French of Illinois procured a considerable number of French horses, and since that time, as the science of agri- culture has improved and advanced, pure animals of many distinct breeds have been constantly imported into this country, which have created in different sections and districts distinct families easily recog- THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 175 nized— as the horses of Massachusetts and Vermont, admirable for their qualities as draught horses, powerful, active, and ca- pable of (,iiick as well as heavy work; the Conestogas, excoiJent for ponderous, slow ehorts, in teaming and the like, and the active, wiry horses of the West, well adapted for riding, and being in most gen- eral use for American cavalry purposes. It is evident, then, that the original stock of the unimproved American horse IS the result of a mixture of breeds, the French, the Spanish, the Flemish and the English horses having all sent their representatives to some one portion at least of the United States and British provinces, and probably still prevailing to a considerable degree in some loca- tions, though nowhere wholly unmixed— while in others they have become so thoroughly mixed and amalgamated that their identity can no longer be discovered 'I 176 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. !lli In New York, for example, the early importation of thorough blood and the constant suppoit of horse-racing, appear to have so changed the original Dutch or Flemish stock, that the characteristic of her horses is that of the English race, with a decided admixture of good blood. In Massachusetts, Vermont, and the Eastern States generally, the Cleveland bay, and a cross between that and the English dray horse blood, with some small admixture of thorough blood, pre- dominate. In Pennsylvania, the most distinct breed appears to be of Flemish and English dray-horse origin. In Mary- land, Virginia and South Carolina, Eng- lish thorough bloods prevail to a great extent; so much so as to render the iu- feiior class of working horses undersized. In Louisiana and many of the Western States, French and Spanish bloods partly prevail, though with a mixture of Eng- lish blood. It may, in short, be generally THE HOBSE BDVGATOR. 177 assumed that, with the exception of the thoroughbreds, there is scarcely any breed in any part of America wholly pure and unmixed; and that there are very tew animals anywhere which have not some mixture, greater or less, of the hot blood of the Bast transmitted through the l-nglisU race-horse. Indeed, with the exception of the Con- estoga horse, there is in the United States no purely-bred draught or cart horse, nor any breed which is kept entirely for labor n the field or on the road, without a view to being used at times for quicker work and for purposes of pleasure and travel Every horse, for the most part, bred in Amenca, is intended to be in some sense "sert ur,on the road; and it is but assert- ing a well-known fact when we say that for docility, ten.per, soundness of consti- :; :x:if ~^-°' '^"^"^' ^^^'"--- ^ _.^..... jness ami speed, the American III ■■ft f I f .1 f-'Tjidwi 178 THE HOUSE EDUCATOR. W roadster is not to be excelled, if equalled, by any horse in the entire world, not purely thoroughbred. Of roadsters, two or three families have obtained, in different localities, decided reputations for different peculiar quali- ties; such as the Narragansett pacers, the families known as the Morgan and Black Hawk, the Canadian, and generally what may be called trotters. No one of these, however, with the single exception of the Narragansett, appears to have any real claim to be deemed a distinctive family, or to be regarded as capable of transmitting its qualities in line of here- ditary descent, by breeding within itself, without further crosses with higher and better blood. Of the Narragansetts but little can be said with certainty, for there is reason to believe that as a distinctive variety, with natural powers of pacing, they are extinct. THE BOUSE EDUCATOR. ' — — — -1 to and their origin i« ;^ ~^ tain. Theot£;,J/''"\'^ '"'^'^^ ""-er- one-tliird part som. .1 ^^^e-fourtli or ^' ^ ftome three or f*ui« tions back. ^"^ genera- ^ATMAL HisroRr OF THE Horse. r-t Of the ;Z '''''^\^-'^^^<^ frona the -din,,, nL::i f;--etie« are ex- 1%-ea, appearance'. l^^^' ^^'^ ^ mates and otl.Pr ^^'''^*^ "^ '•«■ «>ough not on .sufficient haJ:\rr'' nves aMhe greatest perCS,nK , " the fifteenth and the fifty fif,^ "'*"" northern i»«..... \°"^fi«l> degrees of " '""^"''" ^^*^ mare i« fou„d '^ .M! f If-Hi M r''?*i« 180 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. capable of generating her species as early as the second year of her existence; but it is detrimental to her form and the fu- ture energies of her offspring, thus pre- maturely to tax the productive powers of her frame. It would be far more profit- able to delay this important function to the fourth or fifth year, whe" the outline of her form approximates i] ^ rr closely to that of the adult, and the vital energies of the animal economy become more con- firmed. Mares, in common with the fe- males of many other quadrupeds, are sub- ject to a periodical appetency for the male, which in them is termed horsing. The natural season of its first occurrence is from the end of March to July, and so providential is this arrangement, that the foal will be produced at a time when nourishment is plentiful for its support. lOommon assertion fixes the period of gestation, or the time intervening between conception and foaling, at eleven months; THE HOJfSE EDUCATOR. 181 Whether luncar or caUmdar is not explained. This discrepancy will appear the more unsatisfactory when it is recollected that eleven calendar months want but two days of twelve lunar months. By vari- ous investij?ations made in France it has been established that the term of eleven calendar months was often exceeded by several weeks; and sometimes, though less frequently, parturition took place within that period. Some breeders en- tertain an opinion that old brood mares carry the foal considerably longer than young ones; but no satisfactory evidence is offered by them in support of this opinion. The indications of approaching parturi- tion are enlargement of external parts of generation, and a gummy exudation from the orifice of the teats. Birth generally takes place within twenty-four hours after the appearance of the latter symptom; ^'1 i h iU ^ ..< m V] <^ /a ^> 0% '\ '^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1^ U£ 2.0 IL25 i 1.4 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN ITRIIT WHSTIR.N.Y, MSIO (716)I73-4S03 &^ (./ f/i •1>' fV V <^ v 0^ ^ J 182 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. but the first acts as a warning by preced- ing it for several days. It is but seldom that the mare requires manual assistance at the time of foaling, which generally takes place without difficulty or danger in the night. The mare, unlike the gen- erality of quadrupeds, foals standing. She rarely produces twins, and when double births do occur the offspring almost in- variably die. As a great facility of motion appears to have been designed by nature in the for- mation of the horse, many physical pecu- liarities contribute to insure that end. A bulky pendulous udder, like that possess- ed by some of the ruminantia, would be incompatible with that quality. The uwmma, therefore, is small, and furnished with only two teats, which supply milk of a highly nutritious character, and pos- sessing a larger quantity of saccharine matter than any other animal is known to possess. V TEE HORSE EDUCATOR. 183 The disproportionate length of the foal's legs, which is so strikingly apparent, when compared with those of the adult animal, is thought by some naturalists to be provided by prescient nature to enable the young animal to keep pace with its dam during flight from menacing danger. Linnaeus attempted to ascertain the fu- ture height of the colt by admeasurement of its legs; but so much is found to de- pend upon the quantity and character of the nutriment with which it is provided during the period of its growth, that little reliance can be placed upon early experi- ments of this kind. The historian, the warrior, and the horseman Xenophon, has long since alluded to the same sub- ject in his treatise upon horsemanship. " I may now explain," said he, " how a man may run the least risk of being de- ceived when conjecturing the future height of a horse. The young horse I ! J! in .1 1 ■ * i 184 THE nORSE EDUCATOR. Which, when foaled, has the shank bono the longest, invariably turns out the largest. For, as time advances, the shank bones of all quadrupeds increase but little; but that the rest of the body may be symmetrical, it increases in pro- portion." Puberty commences in both sexes as early as the second year, but all the structures continue to be gradually de- veloped until the end of the fifth year, by which time the changes in t> :eeth are perfected, and the muscles have acquired a growth and tone which give to the form the distinctives of adolescence. It is during the term wliich elapses between the period of ad alt age and that of con- firmed virility, tliat a further progressive change takes place in the animal eco- nomy; the powers of the whole frame continue to acquire strength, and although there is no further increase in lieight, the ;;3 THE IIOKSE BDlWATOrt. 185 paricic, of the largo cavities and tlie mnscles <,f voluntary i.u.tiou assume a linisi.ed and rotund ai)pearance, and ren- tier tlie animal more capable of enduring ««ntinued privation and exertion; the vital enduran.e and resistance bein-' greater than during the period of a.loles o «,.ed„inK of H,o .oat .•,„„„.e„,..« , "ocly s forme,], winch is soon .levelono.l |nto the new h„i,.. t,„„ ,„^ ^^^ ^I^P^ to new hair i. „ot the oI„ bn,h, h ^ it i, »a«e, in another prod,„.tive folli ,e The "ns.airofthe.nane,tai.a„„felLJis .:^tr:;;'r«""^^-'-'-vithth.!:t';; more uniform process. The Inir nf ti -no an,, tail will, U ...otec^e U ^ : an almost incre,lible leriyth. The -property of el.anging the color „f many auirnals of the Avoi\o ..^ • , ing them to the temperature, is manifested ''' W I nw .1 188 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. in the horse, although in a much less de gree, for it may be seen that when con- stantly exposed to the elements, the long winter coat assumes a much lighter hue than that of its predecessor. The horse, in common with many other animals, is provided with a thin sub- cuticular muscle, covering the shoulders, flanks and sides, whose use is to corru- gate the skin, shake off the flies and dis- lodtre other annoying substances. ■ The sense of smell is so delicately acute in the horse that perhaps he is not ex- ceeded in this function by any other animal. The nose is provided with a very extensive surface for the distribution of the olfactory nerve by the curious fold- ings of the turbinated bones. It is prin- cipally by means of this faculty that he is enabled to distinguish the qualities of the plants upon which he feeds, and to reject such as are of a noxious or poison- THE BORSB EDVCATOR. 189 ous description. "Nature," said Liu- naeus, " teaolies the brute creation . to distinguish without a preceptor, the use- ful from the hurtful, while man is left to Ills own inquiries. On putting the fingers into the nostrils, at the upper and out- ward parts, they pass into blind pouches of considerable dimensions. These cu- rious cavities have nothing to do with smelling, because they are lined with a reflection of common integument, but they may possibly be of use in mef ani- eally distending the external entrance of the nostrils, and thus materially facilitate respiration during violent exertion. They are also brought into use when the animal neighs; and the Hungarian sol- diery slits them up to preclude the possi- bility of being discovered to the enemy by the exercise of this habit. It is wo'rthy of remark in this connection that the preference of Arabs for the mare to the ■f'l I II ill I I'JO TUE UOIISH EDVOATOR. horse, for warlike i)uri,oses, is attributable to tlie fact tl.at tliey do not neigl, when they scent the vicinity of otlier horses I's stallions invariably do-the Arabs never attacking save by surprise. Those nations which figbt by open force have no such preferences, but mainly use the stallion. On the lower part of the nostril, towards the outer edge, may be seen the mouth of a small tube, which conveys the tears from the inner canthus, <.r corner of the eye. It opens on the skin just before it joins the lining mem- brane of the nose. This little cavity has often been mistaken, by unqualified per- sons, for an ulcer common in glander- ous affections, and the poor animal has frequently fallen a victim to the error. Their eyes are large in proportion to those of some other quadrupeds, and the pupiliar opening is of an oblate elliptic form, with its long axis parallel to the TUB IIOJt.su KDUCATOIt. 191 I'oHzon, thus increasing ti.e latoral field of vmion. Round tl.e edges of tl.e pupil IS a curious fringe of deep, plun.-,.oIored eminentes, supposed to be serviceable in absorbing tlie superabundant rays of liglit which may be transmitted to the eye rUe horse-s sight is excellent, and although not regarded as a nocturnal aiumal, he can distinguish objects at ugh with great felicity. There are but few horsemen who have not benefited by his power When the shades of night have fallen around them. The ears are . mparativelv small, but the conch IS e.do.vod witli oxio-si™ motion, so as to catch the sound com^^.^ from any quarter. Their hearing is quicir and, although blindness is so dist^ : prevalent among borses, deafne ^ exceedingly uncommon. During ,ej, one par ia i,o,,«n„ ,. . , „ '^ ^^i* directed forward and : When on a march at the .0 1 !|: I*' ':'5J L 192 THE HORSE EDUVATOIf. f night in company, it has been noticed " that those in front direct their ears for- ward, those in the rear backward, and those in the rear laterally, or across; the whole troop seeming thus to be actu- ated by one feeling, which watches the general safety." In contests of speed the ears are generally laid backward, so as to afford no opposition to the rapid progress of the animal. It must be evident that if the concave surface of these organs be presented forward they would gather the wind and slightly impede progression. Another reason assigned for this deflec- tion is that the animal may avoid the in- convenience, if not pain, which the current of air produced by this velocity would inflict on that delicate organ. The different vocal articulations to which the horse gives utterance, are col- lectively termed neighing; but some variety of intonation may be discovered TUE HORSE EDUCATOR. 193 in the expression of its passions; as, for instance, a cry of joy or recognition differs in a marked manner from that of desire; and anger from playfulness. The females do not neigh so frequently no^ (vith so much force as the males. Castration is kixown to have a modulating effect upon the voice. It is supposed that neighing is produced by the vibration of two small triangular membranes found at the extremity of the Glottis. In the ass and mule the structure is wanting; but they are supplied with a more singular appara- tns. Hollowed out of the thyroid car- tilages is a small concavity, over which is ■ stretched a membrane similar to the parchment on the head of a drum. When air is forced behind this substance a very considerable noise is produced, though from the absence of muscularity < the vibrations are without modulation, and consequently dissonant. M\ II ■i' ■ I If J • if 194 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. h 1 The intellectual character of the horse is scarcely excelled by that of any other quadruped. His perceptions are remark- ably clear and his memory excellent. At- tachment to those who attend him with kindness, forms a prominent trait in his character. The feats which he is often taught to perform, evince a high intel- lectual capacity. Travellers in the desert assure us that horses possess the faculty of directing their course to the nearest water when hard pressed for that neces- sary article. Horses swim with the greatest felicity, and the distances they have been known to perform in the water exceed our expec- tation. A horse that was wrecked off the coast of South America swam seven miles, thus saving his life. There exist some important differences in the animal economy of the equine family and that of other herbivorous THE HORSE EDUCATOR. 195 animals, which, as the inferences from tnem are of some consequence, it is necessary briefly to notice. The hor>-e naturally requires but little sleep, and even that it often -akes standing. In a state of nature, w^en fodder is short, to support itself properly, it is compelled to graze twenty hours out of the twenty-four Kuminating animals eat with greater rapidity, and lie down to chew the cud 'n.e horse eats no faster than It digests." Digestion in the former is interrupted, in the latter continuous. This explains why the horse has no gall-bladder, as it requires no reservoir for that necessary flmcl; for, as fast as the bile is se- creted by the liver, it is carried to the intestines to perform its important action on chymous mass. The stomach of the horse is also remarkably small and sim- ple, differing widely from the capacious and complicated structures of the rmm- I : 'I 1 i I } lliij i It i SI t 196 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. antia; but the intestines are long, and the cacum capable of containing a large quan- tity of fluid, of which it is considered the receptacle. The mamma of the mare is by no means so pendulous and bulky as that of the cow. The horse's feet, from their compact, undivided nature, are much less liable to injury during fleet exertions thaa those of the ox. All these circumstances tend to establish the individuality of the horse, and are so many proofs of admir- able design for the purposes to which man has applied him; for without these pecularities he would not be so valuable and superior, as a beast of continued and rapid motion, and would consequently oc- cupy a very inferior station. Linnaeus asserted that the male horse was without the rudimentary mamma in- variably found in males of other animals; but this naturalist was mistaken, for they may be seen on each side of the sheath. I i THE nOnSE EDUCATOR. 197 and, although of no possible use, still their existenoe preserves the uniformity of nature's operations. The horse and tlie zebra possess horny callosies on the inside of the fore legs above tlie knees, and on the hocks of the liind legs; the ass and the quagga have them only on the fore extremities. In a state of nature the horse is purely a herbivorous ani.ual, but under the res- traint which due mastication imposes, his habits become changed, and grain and •Jry grasses form the principal article of 1"« diet Domestication is known to originate many diseases totally unknown in a natural state, -but it appears to have the effect of augmenting the muscular power of the animal far beyond its uncul- tivated state. JL r^' K^' '■™'''»-'^<'1- in addition to what has been previously said as to the limit of 1 f e alJottpri +^ +i i allotted to the horse, that 11 , ■ k ■, i!«i 108 THE nOh'H^E EDUCATOR. i ihovo is soinc' (lilllcuHy in osllinniinj? tho nvonij;o loii^iii of liis lifo, sinco ninny obstnclos ()])])oso an iMuiniry on a Hcalo of sufKiciiMii ina^niitndo (o bo satisfactory, o nnniorons ovils onlailod on liini by tlio ardnons labours and llio rostricl(Ml and nnnahiral babifs of a doinosticntod slalo lond oroady 1o abbroviato lifo. Vvom llieso and oMior reasons it cannot Til bo much doubled tliat 1 lis aj»"o is jrn^atly Tindorratcd. Ilorsos arc most tcrnKMl MTonoonsly a«»(Ml on llio oblitoration of the mark from Uio lower incisor todh, wliich occurs by cho com])lotion of tho oisbtli y(ar; and tliouf>h it is far from being the natural term of aj>e and debility, or even of the decline of the vital enerj:ries, it too frequ(Mitly happens that by that time bodily infirmities have been prematurely induced by over-exertion of their powers. Horses at twenty years of age are often met with in eases where the least human- TIIM llOliSM EDIWATOR. 100 it,y luiH b(MMi boHiowcd on ihvlr nianagc*- iHoiit. KclipHc (lied iil, Mie jijr(» „f (vvcnty- nvc; Flying (^hildci-H at twcntyHix; Broin'H iimrc, Majrjrio^ reached more iliaii tweiiiy-iiinc .ycai'M. HiUM'pluilcH, I he colc- bratcMl horn* of Alexander of Macedon, lived till tl.irly. The nnhirnl ajj:<^ Ih ve nnd thirly. certjiin jrulde ih fonnd in probably betvv(>en iweniy-li A faint ]ind an the refriHic.,. (,f u^. „^.,.„ ,,f ^j,^. ,^,^^^^ ^.^,j^, braled rai'inj,^ HinllionH, recollecfinjr, how- over, that Heverjil of them were d<'Hf royed on beeominK nneleHH for the i)urpoHeH of th(? turf. The united ji^ch of ninety Ihreo of these horneH Jinioimted to two thonnand and five years; or rather more than twenty-one and a half years to each horse. As a matter of civil economy it is im- portant to jad^e correctly of the a^^e of the horse. This is chiefly accomplished by observinfr the natural changes which t:i W j ;:* i!' ; I II 200 7///; llOlt^E EDliCATOn. occur in bis teeth, the periods at which they appear, are shed and replaced, and the alterations in their form and mark- ings. The teeth of some animals offer some criterion by which their age can ])e esti- mated with more or less accura(?y. Vhe teeth are nearly the sole indices of the age of the horse, ass, elephant, camel, dog, and the polled varieties of the ox and sheep; while in other domesticated animals, as the elk, deer, goat, common ox and sheep, the horns also present legible indications of the progress of time. Reference to the teeth to ascertain ihe age of a horse is not by any means of re- cent origin. Xenophon, in his work on horsemanship, from which we have al- ready quoted, alludes to it as an estab-' lished custom used in the selection of cavalry for the Grecian armies; he pro- fllE nOKSK EDUCATOR. 201 perly advised the rejection o( such horses as have lost tlieir dental mark. Tl,e same facts are subsequently noticed by Varro Columella, Vegetius „„,, other" Ronmn writers. The horse, when fully mouthed, pos- Besses forty teeth-twenty in each jaw. ri'oy are nan.ed from their use, position and character. Those in the front of the mouth, whose office is to gather food when Srazing, are termed hwim:^, „r more properly nippers. They are twelve in number; six above and six below. They do not overlap each other as is the case in man, but meet in a broad tubular sur- face. From these teeth the age of the animal is principally deduced. For the sake of description they are usually ranged >n pairs, as they appear; and the first pair is called the central, he second the rf"wr/m, and the third the comer nip- '^^'' '"'''f'' or canines, come next, per u ihli h h. 202 THE 1I0R8E EDUCATOR. one above and one below on each side. They are of a pointed form, and are con- vex on the outer sides, and slightly con- caved on the inner surface. They scarcely ever appear above the gums in mares, although their rudiments may be discovered on dissection imbedded in the maxillary bones. Thev are consequently regarded as sexual distinctions. It is difficult to assign their use; their position precludes the possibility of their being used as weapons of offence or defence. They may be viewed as a link of uniform- ity so commonly traced in the animal world. The grindm's or molars are twenty-four in number. They are teeth of great power. By them the food is crushed or ground into small particles and prepared for the digestive action of the stomach. In order to fit them for this office they possess additional interlayers of enamel, which prevent their too rapid wear. run IIOIISB EDVOATOn. 208 In common with most animals tlie liorse is provided witli two sets of teetli- those appearing first are known as the temporary decidnons or mill< teeth, and are suecoeded by the permanent set. On comparing the different magnitudes of the jaw-bones of the colt and the adult horse, the necessity of such a change is at ouce apparent. By it the teeth are adapt- ed vo the maxillary bones. The teeth, from their peculiar character and mode of growth, do not admit of any material mcrease of dimension; and nature was therefore forced either to place the large permanent teeth in small and dispropor- tionate jaw-bones, or to adopt the size of teeth by displacement to the growth of the bones that contained them. The latter process is adopted, and constitutes one of those remarkable evidences of creative power with which the living frame is replete. I m ;;l: !' i JA- J' i, ! : L UH. I 204 THE nORSE EDUCATOR. Three substances enter into the struc- ture of the teeth; first, the enamel; secondly, the dental bone or ivory; and thirdly, a cortical envelope surroundino; the fanp;. The enamel differs but little in chemical constitution from the bony body of the teeth, and that principally results from the absence of animal nmtter in it. It appears closely analogous to the univalve procellaneous shells, and is the hardest and most indestructible substance of the bod}'. The dental bone is distinctly tubular in structure, these tubuli taking a perpendicular direction, being exceedingly small, but capable of absorbing ink by capillary attraction. No such tubuli have been traced in the enamel. The teeth, both incisors and grinders, are being con- stantly worn away at the crown; but the loss is supplied by the gradual, continuous and equivalent growth from the root. The horse^s teeth are sometimes, but not •T. THE UOIiSE EDUCATOR. 205 freqently, subject to disease. It is sel- dom that any of them are lost from ago, as is the case with man and most other animals. It has been remarked that the constitu- tion of horses and men may be considered as in an equal degree of perfection and capability of exertion, of debility and decay, according as youth or age prepon- derates. Thus, the first five years of a horse may be considered as equivalent to the first twenty in man; or thus, that a liorse five years old may be comparatively considered as a man of twenty; a horse of ten years a man of forty; a horse of fifteen, as a man of fifty; a horse of twenty as a man of sixty; of twenty-five as a man of seventy; of thirty, as a man of eighty; of thirty-five, as a man of ninety. So far from this comparison being in favour of the horse, it may rather be regarded as too little. Horses of thirty-five years of age i' f ■ |l! 11.: it't If i H k "\t 206 ar/ZA' li'iiSE educator. are as coniineii as men of ninety, provided it be taken into account that there are twenty human subjects for every horse; and unquestionably a horse of forty-five is less rare than a man of one hundred and ten. To this it may be added that the early English racers appear to have been more addicted to lonj^^evity than those of modern days, aiui the American horse generally than the English, probably because, in the former case, the horse was not put to hard work until his powers were developed by an advance toward maturity. Two and three year old train- ing w^as unknown until a recent date; and in the latter ^ase in Amen . 'lorses are little used in harness, or io. general work, until thev have attained to five or six years. , ; i , THE HORSE E DUG AT on. 207 WARRANTY. In the purchase of a horse the bu ver should take with the receipt what is termed in law a warranty. The best means of expressing it is in this form: St. Thomas, August 1, 18 — . Received of William Inglis, three hun- dred dollars, for a black mare, warranted only five years old, sound, free from vice, and quiet to ride and drive. $30^- ' Edward Riddle. A receipt which includes simply the word "warranted," extends merely to soundness. "Warranted sound," has no greater extent; the age, freedom from vice, and quietness to nd^ and drive. !'f! 208 THE HOME EDUCATOR. should all be especially named. This warranty embraces every cause of un- soundness that can be detected, or that is inherent in the constitution of the animal at the time of sale, as well as every vicious habit which he has previously shown. In order to establish a breach of the warranty and then be enabled to r(?turn the horse or recover the price paid, tlie purchaser must prove that it wjis unsound or viciously disposed at the time of sale. In case of cough the horse must have been heard to cough previously to the purchase, or as it was led home, or as soon as he had entered the stable of tlie purchaser. Coughing even on the following morning will not be sufficient; for it is possible that he might have caught cold by a change of stabling. If he is lame it must be proved to arise from a cause that could not have occurred after he was in the pur- chaser's posseB^ion. ^^o price will imply THE HORSE EDUCATOR. m 209 a warranty, or be deemed equivalent to one, the warranty must be expressly stated. A fraud in the seller must be proved, in order that the buyer may be enabled to return the horse or maintain an action for the price. A warranty should be given at the time of sale. A warranty or a pro- mise to warrant the horse given at any period previous to the sale, is of no effect; for the horse is a very perishable commo- dity, and his constitution and his useful- ness may undergo a considerable change in a few days. A warranty after the sale is also of no effect, as it is given without any legal consideration. In order to com- plete the purchase there must be a transfer of the animal, or a written memorandum of agreement, or the payment of some sum, however small, as earnest money. No verbal promise to buy or sell is bind- ing without one of these accompaniments; ' si (J i' I i 210 77//<; II OR SI'] EDUCATOR. and the luoiiuvnt oithor is cllVclod the le^Jil traiisior of tho property, or its de- livery, is made, and whatever may happen to the liorse the seller retains, or is en- titled to the money. If the purchaser exercises any act of ownership— as by using the animal without leave of the seller, or by having any operation per- formed upon him, or medicines given to him — he makes him his own. If the horse should afterwards b(^ discov- ered to have been unsound at the time of warranty and sale, the buyer may return him. Although not legally compelled to give notice to the seller of the discovered unsoundness, it is best that such notice should be given. The animal should then be tendered at the house or stable of the seller. If he refuses to receive the ani- mal, humanity dictates that he should be sent to a livery stable in preference to TIll'J noiiSIJ EDLCATOIi. 211 ' I tyiiiK him 11], ill tlio Hlm't; an .•iction vun bo lujiintained, after lh(. ]„)rso 1w,h Ik'cu tendered, for I lie iieeessary exijeiiHen of keepinjr hiin, as well as for the price paid. The keep, however, can be recovered only for the time that necessarily intervened between the tender and the determination of the action. It is not lo^JiUy necessary to return the animal as soon as tlie un- soundness is discovered. The animal may be kept for a reasonable time afterward, and even proper medical means may be resorted to for the removal of the un- soundness, but courtesy, and ind(M'd jus- tice, will require that the notice should be given as soon as possible. Although it is laid down, upon the authority of an emi- nent English judge, that " no length of time, elapsed after the sale, will alter the nature of a contract originally false," yet there are record(Ml cases in which the buyer was prevented from maintaining his !;! ^'i: 212 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. action, because he did not give notice of the unsoundness within a reasonable time after its discovery. What will constitute a reasonable time depends upon many circumstances. It was formally supposed that the buyer had no right to have the horse medically treated, and that he would vitiate the warranty by so doing. The question, however, in such a case would be whether the animal was injured, or his value lessened by such treatment. It may be remarked that it is generally most prudent to refrain from all medical treat- ment, since the means adopted, no matter how skilfully used, may have an unfortun- ate effect, or what is done may be misre- presented by ignorant or interested obser- vers. When a horse is returned and an action brought for the price, it is indispensable that in every respect except the alleged THE UORSE EDUCATOR. 218 unsoundness the animal should be as per- fect and valuable as when sold. The purchaser may, possibly, like the horse, notwithstanding the discovered defect; in which case he may retain him and bring an action for the depreciation in value on account of the unsoundness. Few, however, will do this, because the retaining of the animal will give rise to a suspicion that the defect is of no great consequence, and consequently will occa- sion much cavil about the amount of damages: the suit terminating, probably, in the recovery of slight, if any, damages. When there is no warranty an action may be brought on the ground of fraud, but as this is very difficult to be main- tained, few people will hazard it. It will, in such a case, be necessary to prove that the seller knew the defect, and that the I ;U 214 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. im buyer was imposed upon by bis false representations; and that, too, under cir- cumstances in which a person of ordinary carefulness and circumspection might have been imposed upon. If the defect was palpably evident, the purchaser has no remedy, for he should have exercised more caution; but if a warranty was given it covers every unsoundness, evident or con- cealed. Although a person should ignor- antly or carelessly buy a blind horse, warranted sound, he may return it— the warranty is his protection, and prevents him from examining the horse as closely as he otherwise would have done: but if he buys a blind horse, supposing him to be sound, and without a warranty, he is without any remedy. The law supposes every one to exercise common circumspec- tion and common sense, '4 THE nORSE EDUCATOR. 216 A person should have a more thorough knowledge of horses than most possess, together with perfect confidence in the seller who ventures to buy a horse with- out a warranty. If a person buys a horse and warranted sound, and discovers no defect in him, sells him again, relying upon his warranty, and the unsoundness is discovered by the second purchaser and the horse returned to the first buyer, or an action commenced against him, 'the latter has his claim upon the first seller, and may demand of him not only thj price of the horse, or the difference in value, but all expenses which may neces- sarily have been incurred. Exchanges, whether of one horse abso- lutely for another, or where a sum of money is paid in addition by one of the parties, stand upon precisely the same ill >ifi Hi 216 THE HORSE EDUCATOR. ground as simple sales. If there is a warranty upon either side, and that is broken, the exchange is violated; if there IS no warranty, deceit must be proved. m INDEX. ILLUSTRATIONS. I Prof. W. A. Brush.... "'^^ Prof. H. D. Brush !.!!!!!"!"^ 3 Group of Horses War Bridle 08 Showing loop behind for leading 31 To tie a coil; Bitting Jack Bit to use on colt qo Teaching colt to back [[[[[[[ 30 Triprope How to crupper the colt 43 How to shoe a bad horse on front feet 53 How to clinch a bad horse on front feet ......* 55 How to shoe a bad horse on hind feet 57 How to drive a kicker in single harness 62 Switching crupper and back strap " 33 Switching rig on the horse n. Double hitch [[ ^* How to break an old haJter puller,..*...... .,. ,.,...' qq 218 INDEX. I:l! How to make a horse stand tied outside "7*1 Trotting rig ' ""' p^g Trotting rig on the horse 75 How to lay the horse down 79 Breachy rig , o-. Breachy rig around the arm ^3 The teeth- Two weeks— Six weeks— One year go Two years— Two' and a-half years -Tliree • years — Four years 97 Five years — Six years gg Seven years— Eight years 99 Full mouth— Parrot mouth joo Horse's face— Molar tooth— Upper jaw ......... ]01 Horse's head, left and right face 105 Horse tricks -.-.g ''''llill lilllii ll'M hVi 1-f INDEX. 219 PAflE 71 78 75 78 81 83 9G fl SUBJECTS. PAOE Introihiction -. g Preface j 2 History of the Horse ^47 American Horse, The jyQ EUROPEAN HORSES— Cart Horse jpg German, French and Spanish ig7 Hackney jg^ Hunter 2^.^ The Racer 2^^ HORSES OF ASIA AND AFRICA— The Arabian j rg Barb and others jgo Horses of Hindostan ig2 Persian , jg-, Tartarian jgj Turcoman jgj Turkish jgo HORSE'S AGE— How to tell a horse's age by the teeth 103 220 INDEX. I '^ HORSE'S kG¥.-Contimu'