Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-03-04
AGRICULTURAL.
Two Tricks of Horses Cared.

'''ow was called Never Mind Before he
hltched to the wagon, / must acquaint
you With another bad trick he has, though
luckily he has not had frequent opportunity
to practice it. When harnesscd, If not al.
lowed to start right of, he will rush back
at a tremendous gait, and it is astonishing
how fast he can perform this crawfsh move
ment. Ifthc wagon or sulkcy hits anything,
he is sure to break it or the harness. When
had him at home, the inside Of the track
was planted with corn. AT the time / speak
Of it was just high enough to commence
tasseling-say six or seven feet. In making
his ret.ograde rush, he backed the sulkey
into the corn. The slightest resistance led
him to break it, and back 'ho threw his
whole weight in the breeching. Hearing
nothing but the crushing Of the corn, and
not the crash he expected, he kept backing
at fright lively gait, and never stopped
till the entire field was traversed, nearly
three hundred yards. As the sulkey struck
the back stretch, and there was no longer
any resistance from the standing corn, he
was fairly nonplussed; and stopping mo.
mept. as il cogitating on the probable rca.
son why the sulkey was not broken, he
swung round and juggcd off as If nothing
unusual had taken place We had no more
trouble with him the rest of the season.
do not think he will make the attempt now;
as by never furnishing him, or trying to
force him forward, always hitching him
where he could have leeway, and trying to
attract his attention till everything is ready
for him to go, he has nearly forgotten it
In connection with this, and brought to my
remembrance by recounting Never Minds
memorable backing out scrape, l will relate
circumstance something analogous.
A ncighbor Of mine had bay mare that
would match one of minc Both were good
steppcrs, and finally succeeded in trading
for her. On the completion Of the deal, he
told me that the marc had only one failing.
which was that she would not stand when
person was getting into the wagon I told
him that was annoying, but I had cured
several Of the same habit. The next day
harnesscd her to road sulkey and drove
eight miles and back The trip was made
So aisGactorily The day following friend
was to accompany me few miles to see
race. We put the marc to top buggy by
the side Of q steady old trotter; threw the
top back, the mare standing very quietly +,
though as soon as l took up the rcins she
wanted to start. said whoa, very gently,
and accompanied the command with slight
pull. Down she dropped, as though she
had been struck on the head with an axe,
lying quietly and apparently comfortably to
herself I could not help laughing, provok.
ing as the situation was. My frienG did not
see the reason for being amused, telling me
he would give her good thrashing instead
Of laughing at her. I told him was not
laughing at the mare, but at my own ig-
norance. The man got her of told me
literally what she would do, and I had not
sense enough to understand him. l suppos-
cd she would rear and fret when restrained
from starting it never coming into my head
that she would drop down and lie perfectly
quiet.
We unhitched her from the wagon, and
from the sullcn way she laid, it was appa
rent she expected beating, and was going
70 endure it like stole. She never offered
to rise while we were divesting her of the
harness, and made up my mind what to
do before the last strap was unbucklcd. Old
Quaker, her companion, looked on surprised
We had broken many colt by his side, yc'
this was something new to him, as his look.
plainly showed. We strapped both the
mares fore-legs up, fastening the pasture te
the arm, brought both hind legs up agains
her belly, securing them there so they coult
not be moved in the. least; put strong bri
die on, the bit having long check pieces
drawing her head up on one side, where
that was also fastened. A bundle of straw
was put under her head, SO that it would
support without pulling on the rein. Whcr
all was completed she could not move al
inch, though she never made the attempt
We put another horse in by the side o.
Quaker, leaving strict orders for no one tc
go near her, and went on our way to the
quarter race. Four hours elapsed before w
returned. The straps were removed, ant