Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-02-08
Agricultural.
HON no TREAT HORsEs.

We have already announced the fact that
the celebrated horse-tamer, Mr. Rarey, has
been giving a course of lectures in this CITY
upon the proper methods Of treating horses
and other dumb beasts, such as are adapted
10 the service Of man. These lectures, ac-
companied as they have been by practical de-
monstrati0n, have met with extraordinary
success, and have convinced the public that
pounding, punching, kicking and otherwise
maltrcating this noble animal will never cure
him Of vice Rarey assumes that when the
horse has been brought to realize his masters
supremacy, he will cheerfully obey his slight
est command as soon as he fairly understands
what is required Of him, And he never can
be made to understand his masters wishes If
maddened by cruel treatment, or frightened
out Of his wits by angrily-shouted orders
We must allow time for impressions to be
made on his intelligence, and never confuse
/ him by giving fresh orders before the preced-
/ ing one is thoroughly comprehended and
obeyed.
1t is a peculiarity of the horse to examine
all suspicious objects by touching them with
his nose, as man touhes them with his hands.
Show him drum, saddle, butfalo-robe, a
string Of bells, wagon, or any other thing
and let him touch and smell it until he is sat-
ished it will not harm him, and he loses all
fear Of it. But suddenly thrust at him a
strange object, without giving him time 20 ex-
anime it. and he flies away from it as natural
ly as we would under like crcums stanc>J.-
Hence il horse is very nervous, and diff
cult to saddle, harness, or hitch. it only re-
quires a little forbearance on our part, and
little time, TO overcome his restveness and
make him willing to be saddled, harnessed,
/ or hitched. Show him saddle harness, and
wagon, instead Of hiding thom from him let
him touch, smell. and even taste them if he
will until he understands that they will do
him no harm, repeat the lesson a few times,
and your victory is certain. But fling a sad
die or harness suddenly on his back and he
will make a wild jump to save himself from
his imaginary foe, as naturally as man would
if even so harmless a thing a twig should
fall on him when travelling at night in dense
forest in a strange land. You may club the
Toor horse for jumping until you smash his
skull or break his legs. and he will only jump
the more in the increased agony of his fear
Rareys system is thus correctly epitomized
by the Tribune Obedience to man ia the
ruling principle of the horse ; disobedence
the penalty of bad teaching. To make him
obey, it is only necessary to make him fully
comprehend what his required Of him. He
has originally no conception Of his strength
as compared with his masters, and never will
have until they are foolishly matched in a
struggle. 1t is the part of wisdom to keep
him ignorant in this respect, by mastering
him by gentle but thorough treatment at an
early age. In the horse. as in man, fear is
the result of ignorance hence he may be ac-
customed to locomotive any other fright
ful object, by giving him time and opportuni-
ty to examine it in his own way. All these
fundamental laws which underlie the Rarey-
system are very simple to understand, al
though very little understood at present by
the public. Simple as they are, they have
required years experience and observation on
his part to develop and define them. When
they are once generally recognized the trouble
and danger of horse-training will be at an
end Scientific American.