The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-06-22
Neglected Education Of the Horse.

]
When we reflect that the very young
colt has not learned to scare at objects
and sounds that will brighten an old
| horse, we can only conclude that les
| sons upon the horse have double ac-
| ton: First he learns to take fright at
sights and sounds; then he is made, in
a measure, to forget these lessons, by
! being convinced that certain things i'm
agined by him to be dangerous are en-
| tirely harmless. If this version be cor
rect, then how much easier to habit
uate the horse, from early cOlthOod up,
to such sounds and objects as are known
! to be common sources of fright to the
/ horse.
| The reason of the horse becoming
startled at certain unusual things when
he comes upon them suddenly, or if
they come upon him without warning,
is that they are unexpected; and the
fault in his education lies in the fact
that we fail to accustom him to sights
and sounds which we know he will be
/ exposed to when driven upon the street
or road. The very young cold accepts
what he is usheTed into the presence of,
and has no idea of having enemies to
! guard against.
The grown up horses about him be-
/ come dIEdIu Oh IHG S6uSeI6SS SEOOAug
and spring forward in their stalls or
| boxes when he comes near with whip
or pitchfork in hand. The young colt
! partakes of the fear, and from that mo-
ment is on the lookout for danger.
/ When he goes to the pasture with his
dam, it is to be in company with the no
tably timid horse of the farm, the one
| that the mischievous boys always de-
! light in starting on the run. The ti1nid
| horse elevates his head and tail, gives
his warning snort, and the whole herd,
including the sucking colt, obey the sig
nal-the relic of the wild state-and
! from that moment the young colt is
taught to look out for danger.
The dam driven upon the road with
the colt by her side, is given to shying.
The colt, having no suspicious before,
now learns to look upon the bush,
stump, flag, or whatever else its dam
shows fear of, as a dangerous object; a
thing to be avoided. Signals are pc
culiar to the domesticated state, as to
the state of wildness, and when the
dam circles away from the bush or
| stump, she gives the colt the signal OF
danger, and from that moment the colt
| learns to scare when on the road.
If the whip is used then the colt,
through the sudden springs of its dam,
is doubly impressed with the idea of
danger. On returning, as remembering
| localities is one of the strongest traits of
intelligence in the horse, both mare and
colt, as they near the spot where the
! imaginary danger is, will prepare for
the usual quick movement to one side,
and win be in an expectant state for the
whip. So, as the mare is taught, the
colt also learns. It's education begins
when its eyes first see the light, and its
ears first hear a sound.
If the mare is made to stop quietly at
the first intimation that she is about to
shy, and induced quietly to approach
the object, neither harsh word nor whip
being used, she is not only disarmed of
fear of the object, but the colt is pre-
vented from taking alarm, and the
danger of falling into very bad habit
is avoided.
We all know that early impressions
made upon the child, if at all startling,
are rarely, if ever. entirely effaced. The
sentiment of fear is more natural to the
colt than to the child, and fear in the
colt is blind and unreaSOning; not nee
essarily so. but made so by neglect in
his education; for all men know, or at
any rate all should know, that the horse
of average intelligence is quite as capa-
BILE of remembering lessons that are
given him with care as some men are.
We often hear it said of children that
they have been ruined in their educa-
ton. We rarely hear this said of a
horse; yet it is as often true of the latter
as of the former.
Intelligence and responsibility should
be as steadily required of the horse used
as a sire, as size or good breeding, for a
vicious stallion gives more or less of this
damaging trait to all his get. Bad tenn
per is sometimes so fixed in the animal
as to be beyond the power of man to
eradicate it, or even to keep it under
fair control. But in the case of a colt
of fair disposition and average intelli-
gence, there is hardly any emergency
liable to arise in ordinary driving, team
or farm work, that he will not face with
out fear, or danger of doing harm, if he
has been properly handled from the
start. A spirited horse, if he has been
properly taught, will go down hill with
out holdbaeks, allowing the cross-bar to
press against his thighs; while without
the training, he viii run away if sin
gle strap gets loose or disarranged. In
the one case we educate the horse as we
do the boy. that we may render him
valuable through his understanding, and
the knowledge of the duties we expect
him to perform. while in the other we
take the unframed horse, put him in
| places of trust, and then blame him be-
| cause he does not perform duties which
he can only fully understand through
training, and cannot by any possibility
know the first rudiments of through in
stinct. -Nati0Hal Lire Stock Journal