Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-02-15

you will cool off quite as quickly, and the
process be much better, both for you and your
team Try it, one and all, and report.
lfyou whip horse when he stops OF wont
draw, and at once cease when he comes up
to the work, then he soon gets to understand
e, and will govern himself accordingly. And
then balky horses would be as rare as "white
crows or white blackbrds." You should
love your horse, foi be is a noble animal you
should load him reasonably and treat him
kindly, and my word for it, again. you will
get along both smoothly and pleasantly to-
gether, and thus at once and forever would
abate the nuisance recorded in the text Try
it, verybody, "and all the rest of mankind" j."
Finally, would say, that it is both a cruel
and hopeless undertaking to whip the balks
out Of horse, when they have been whipped
in, and olinched at that You must rosass 90
some new and untried expedient, and if happy
in your remedy and application, the balks Of
the worst kind and the longest standing may
be cured or abated at once and forever."--
Let me here treat you TO case in point, to
which | myself was once a party. Nearly
half century ago, away down in Maine,'
when was A lad Of about thirteen years Of
age, ! was tarrying for a season with gentle
man by the name OF Reuben Haskell, Esq,
who was captain of light horse company"
the most graceful rider and the best teamster
IN all that community. He seldom used the
goad or whip, but always spoke kindly to his
team he was NO brawler and as occasion re-
quired. he would speak little sharp. as much
as to say, There's hard pull on hand boys,
do your best :" aud il WAS done at word.
/ And then he would pat his team and call them
good fellows, and they seemed to understand
and TO enjoy it all frst-rate, and then to re-
turn the compliment by thinking, Yes. and
you are a first-rate owner and driver, too {"
He really loved his team, and his team appear
ed to love him. He made less noise, could
draw a heavier load, and come and 90 quicker
than any other man in those diggings. The
whole thing explains itself to the weakest ca
pacity.
Well, as ! was going to say, one bright
morning. gentlemen residing several miles
distant rode up, aud seeing Mr.. Haskell at
the door said Friend Haskell. ! have a.
long with me one of the prettest and best hor-
ses that | ever owned, only lie will balk at
every hill; and have whipped him and whip
ped him, but all TO no purpose, and have
given it up as hopeless case. If any man
can break him of that bad habit you can
Now just take him aud break him for me-
and | will pay you almost any price"
He was a beautiful dark chestnut sorrel |
think, as | ever saw, either before or since.
seem to see him now as ] saw him then, years
and years ago As Mr. Haskell scanned him
carefully and critically, and pronounced him
well made, lofty and noble animal " truly"
said he, | see by the sparkle Of his eye.
which is not wild and fiery. but boaming with
Intelligence, that he has mind and me,tle,'
and fear that he has had the balks so long,
and so deeply whipped into him, tlat cure
is almost hopeless, and / will not undertake
the JOB on your account. But ike the make
and the appearance oi the animal very much
indeed and 1 will give you so much for him,
at a venture, and then 1 will either cure or
kill him in the attempt
Enough said although it is not half his
value, If he would not balk,' said his owner.
He was accordingly passed over, and Mr.
Haskell then said to me Now, Alfred you
see that we have job on hand which may
just as well be attended to now as a: any 9TH
er time and am anxious to know the worst
of it. Go and yoke up Star and Bright. put
them to the wagon, and we will hitch on
Charlie and go down upon he interval, (which
we in the West call bottom and get a load
OF bark, and see what we can do with it at
the foot Of the hill"
All things in readiness, started off, Char
lie working first rate under the line and upon
the lead, Ga yoke Of oxen and a horse in front
being our common team.
We loaded up and started off finely. and no
horse ever worked better or more kindly, and
we seemed to have won the day without
single struggle. But no when we arrived
at the foot of the hill, he seemed to say: This
road is already long enough" and he would
not " bulge another inch,' no way we could
fix it, lie would fly about, right and left.
right merrily, but the go-aheadativeness
was all out Of him, and paiting and coaxiug
, we're all unsuecessiully applied to get it into
him again. Mr. Haskell, who was certainly
quite a philosopher, said We'll. here we
are sure enough. Now, il would kill me
and the horse too, before this thing could be
{ whipped out Of him. We must try some
: thing else And SO, dropping the wagon, we
; went nearly to the top of long, steep hill,
hitched Charlie and Star and Bright tail
aud tail together, Charlie facing up and Star
and Bright down hill with view Of hauling
him right over backwards. ! had charge of
the bride to keep him from flying around
sideways, with orders to let 60 as soon as he
e fell on his launches All things being now
! understood and in readiness. Mr., Haskell
S spoke kindly and gently to his horse, and
| told him to "go." That moment he gave
. symptoms Of the baks again. and before he
had time TO say 0, don't" Sta, aud Bright
t were under full way with him down hill, back
e. wards, and over he went kerwholiop," but
with terrible grunt and a struggle he was on
7 his feet again, all safe and sound. Well
4 Alfred you played your part well that time -
I Charlie, in apparent amazement and confu-
t son seemed to inquire What does all this
, mean :" Well, Charlie, we will administer
y little more of the same medicine, and then
= perchance you will understand IT, The sec
t ond time he gave back at the word "go,' but
r not liking to go it blind again, the way he
!. could see, he soon began to gather himself up,
e but be was too late, and after quite prolong-
e ed struggle, over he went again, "kerwhol-
- lop," without harm to himself or gears. He
!, picked himself up right soon, with snort and
a sneeze, as much as to say " You cant do
! that thing again, no way you can fix it,
g Aud sure enough, at the next word go he
d was =" off like a tangent, and the way he
s made the dirt fly was sights" Star and
a Bright being backed up hill to accommodate
d him. And then Mr.. Haskell perfectly shout
IS ed Well, Alfred, the day is ours and the
d victory won" We went down and hitched