Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-02-15
From the Ohio valley Farmer.l
A CHAPTER ON BALKY HORSES.

All will readily perceive that balky horses
are hard upon themselves, hard upon the whip.
hard upon the gears, hard upon the feed. hard
upon their mates, and hard-very hard-up-
on their drivers And surely, many hard
things "all in a row. ought not to exist in
this beautiful and pleasant world and hence
it is. as all will readily agree, that such
intolorable annoyance or nuisance should at
once and forever be abated.
But how is it to be abated inquiries the
reader and thousand other voices at once,
Attend, one and all and that important ques-
ton shall receive a plain, simple, logical and
categorical answer. And, as in the language
of a time -honored adage, "An ounce Of pre-
ventive is worth more than pound Of cure.
so we should anticipate the balks in colts and
horses, and remove them if possible, before
they really exist or exhibit themselves, by
properly guard NJ against them. Every man
should expect that his untutored colt will balk
and should govern himself accordingly. And
until his colt is "bridle-wise' and well used
to the harness and to a long. steady draft, he
should never put on a load which the balance
of the team cannot draw readily anywhere
without his help. and. worst come to worst
draw him along also. A colt, well broken
and properly managed. never knows what
ualh iltdNNs Nt AlN NHtll ltlHtiiNliN 'HNNN'N' ~
NAV II may reqairo patience. great patience,
and often does but "let patience have her
perfect work, and it will accomplish won
ders and pay well in the end, both to man
and beast Il speak that / do know, and
testify that have seen
What, A man get foamingly mad at a
poor little inexperienced colt o, for shame !
And a greater shame 20 see how he often NAL
treats his pretty little colt. In starting, al
ways be sure 20 have the steady horse or
horses on the draft before you move your colt,
that when he comes up to the work you
may move off readily and at once. The error
is that we generally start the colt first, and
he, finding it all mo go, gives back. The
other horse or horses coming up to the draft
find that You have overloaded them, they
relying upon the colt which has failed aud
thus you find yourself in a balk "for keeps
And all for the lack Of little precaunon, and
a good, sound judgment upon your part
Your colt and team are truly unfortunate, aud
nothing more. But you are criminally and
cruelty wrong and repIehensble. Should
you at any time overload your team, (for the
best men miss it occasionaly,) and find your
self in a bad place. with balk staring you
full in the face, don't let your team, especial
ly your colt, know single word about IT,.
Scan the premises carefully, calmly and cool
Is; exercise good. sound udgment, and, if
need be. tighten your load at once, or hitch
on a horse or two more before you attempt to
start, cost what it may and look out and be
little more careful and iudgmatica in future.
All this will pay we'll in the end Better be
a little incommoded once, than vexed and
tormented for life time-spend dollars for
whips-shorten your own days by the use OF
them, (only think Of that)-and scourge your
truly unfortunate colt and team all the days
of their lives, and like yourself, hasten them
on to death, too. Now, my dear readers, is
that not good counsel Is it not logical and
conclusive; II speak unto wise men
judge ye what ! say.
If at any time, in the exercise Of good,
sound Judgment, you have recourse to the
whip, as you occasionally will, never apply
"a single lash, no, not one, after your nag comes
up properly to the work, for if you do, all
you have gained by the of the whip you
Immediately lose by it, aye, more, much more
1t is like pouring in at the spgot and out al
the bung-hol or in other words, it is "pen-
ny wit and pound foolishness. And here it
where the mischief originates The wonder
Is that everybody don't at once see it and
avoid it. 1t stands forth so prominently that
but wa i"itus ilauf NubuSu "a luol, hecu NO
err therein SO prominently, in characters
of living light that "he that runneth may
read" In order to simplicity we will elabor
ate this self-eyident proposition little righ
here. Now then, we will suppose that your
colt. or even your horse, has really baked
You apply the whip so hot and heavy that h,
can stand it no longer, and concludes that h,
had "better be out Of that aud pitches in
with a will, and away goes the load and all
but the whip is all the time going also.
Now, how can poor Charlie determine ful
ly whether he was really whipped for stopping
or for "going ahead when he is whipped
alike for both. viii he not rather think al
before suggested, that mudhole, hill and
whipping are inseparably connected, anC
prompt him to dread the next hill he come
to. as "a burnt child breads the fire." an,
bring him to a stand ''dreading the dread en-
counter;" And this | am fully persuaded i
the way all horses are made permanently balky
We whip on after he gets under way, as "
say, to whip the balks out of him, but in trut
that is false issue. We whip on becaus
We are mad. "mad as wet hen," and W
whip to cool the fame Of passion which i
burning within us. without any regard to tn
right training Of our team. The latter is los
sight Of in the rage of our burning passion