The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-08-07
Secret of Horse Tanning.
TO HITCH UP THE COLT.

then carefully hitch him up; having every
thing safe, let him start the buggy empty,
and pull it at first in that way; then get
in, and let him take it slow, and he will not
be near so apt to scare, and by degrees you
will be making good work-beast.
If you want to have horse that will
be true to pull, and that thinks he could
pull mountain, never hitch him TO any
thing that he cannot pull, and after he is
used TO pulling he just thinks thst he can
pull anything, because he alwaysk las, and
he does not know anything a out his
strength beyond his experience.
THE KIND OF BIT, AND HOW TO ACCUsTOM y
COLT TO IT.
You should use a large, smooth, snailie
bit, 40 as not 10 hurt his mouth, with bar
on each side to prevent the bit from pulling
through either way. This you should at
tach 10 the head stall of your bride and
put it on your colt without any rcins to it,
and let him run loose in large stable or
shed some time, until nc becomes little
used to the Bit and viii bear it without
trying TO get It out Of his mouth. Ii would
be well, if convenient, TO repeat this several
times before you DO anything more to the
colt; as soon as he will bear the bit, attach
n single rein TO il, without any martingalc.
You should also have halter on your colt,
or bride made after the fashion of a hal
ter, with strap TO it, so that you can hold
or lead him about without pulling on the
bit much. He is now ready for the saddle.
HOW TO MOUNT TIE COLT.
First soothe him well on both sides about
the saddle, and all over, until he will stand
still without holding, and is not afraid 70
see you anywhere about him.
As soon as you have him thus gentlcd,
get small block about one foot or eighteen
inches in height, and set it down 10y the
side Of him, about where you want 10 stand
TO mount him; step up on this, raising
yourself very gently; horses Notice every
change of position very closely, and if you
were to step suddenly on the block, it would
be very apt to scare him; but by raising
yourself gradually on it, hc win see you
without being frightened, in a position very
near the same as when YOU are on his back
AS soon as he will bear this without
alarm, unite the stirrup-strap next to you,
and put your left. foot in the stirrup, and
stand square over IT. holding your knee
against the horse and your toe out, so rs not
to touch him under the shoulder with the
toe of your boot. Place your right hand
on the front of the saddle, and on the oppo-
site side of you, taking hold of a portion of
the name and reins, IS they hang loosely
over his neck, with your left hand; then
gradually bear your weight ON the stirrup
and on your hand, until the horse feels your
whole weight on the saddle. Repeat this
several times, each time raising yourself a
little higher from the. block, until he will
III l.
! and place yourself in the sable.
There are three great advantages in hay
ing block to mount from. First, q sudden
change of position is very apt to frighton a
young horse who had never been handlcd.-
He VII allow you TO walk up to him and
stana oy his side without soaring at you,
because you have wonted him to that posi-
ton, but if you get down on your hands
and knees and crawl toward him, he will be
very much frightened; and upon the same
principle, he would frighteu at your new
position if you had the power to hold your
self over his back without touching him.
Then, the first great advantage of the block
is to gradually accustom him to that new
position in which he will see you when you
ride him.
Secondly, by the process of leaning your
weight in the stirrups and on your hand,
you can gradually accustom him to your
weight, so as not to frightcn him by having
him feel it all at once. And, in the third
place, the block elevates you SO that you
will not have to make a spring in order to
get on the horses back, but from it you can
gradually raise yourself into the saddle.
SUBSEQUENT EDUCATIONAL LESSONS IN HORSE
TAMING-How TO sCBDUE \ KICKING HORSE
y kicking horse is the worst kind of 4
horse TO undertake to subdue, and more dread
cd by man than any other; indeed, it would
not bc too much TO say that they are more
dreaded than all the other bad and Viciou.
horses put together. You often hear tn,
expression, even from horse Jockeys them
! selves, - | don't care what he does, 50 hC
: doesn't kick" Now, a kicking horse can b,
broken from kicking in harness, and etIcctu
, ally broken, too, though it will require
o some time to manage him safely; but perse
/ verance and patience by this rule will do i
, efiectualy. When you go to harness
: horse that you know nothing about, If yol
want TO find out whether he is a kickin,
= horse or not, you can ascersin that fact b,
stroking him in the flank where the hal
F lies upward, which you can discover easil,
e on anv horse; Just stroke him down witt
v the ends of your fingers, and if he does no
i switch his tail, and shake his head, and Ia,
back his ears, or some of these, you nee,
not fear his kicking; if he does any or al
d of these set him down for kicking horse
and watch him closely.
When you harness kicking horse, hav
a strap about three feet long, with buckl
on one end have several holes punched il
= the strap; wrap it once around his leg jus
T, above the hoof; lift up his foot touching hi
.. body put the strap around the arm of hi
III leg and buckle it; then 60 behind him, an
- pull back on the traces you must not tea
; his kicking while his foot is up, for it is in
possible for him to do it. Practice him j
\. this way awhile, and he will soon learn I
r. walk on three legs. You should not hitc
of him up until you have practiced him wit
vi vi his leg up two or three times pulling OH th
= traces, and walking him along. After yo
have practiced him a few times in this wa,
- take up his foot as directed; hitch him I
= something, and cause him to pull it a sho
= distance; then take him out; caress hil
y. every time you work with him.
You will find it more convenient to faSte
~ up his left fore foot, because this is the siC
ei you are on. After you have had him hitch(
or trNrp ,t..., 1rr