Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-03-28
HINTS ABOUT HORSES.
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE MAN WHO
 STAYS AT THE STABLE.
4 Combination of Good Traits as Hard to Find in a Horse as in a Man Treatment and Punish
 ment.
rBos,on Budset.I

Have time 10 give you few remarks about horses. Why. certainly, don't you know man always has time to talk re- hgion. politics or 'hossr You don't ex. pect me 10 give away any tricks of the trade. Well, l shan't-not that there aren't plenty of tricks in the horse trade. but we're established here with a good reputation, and we have 10 deal squarely so We leave the funny business tO gyp- sies and other outside dealers. We have to study buyer often and humor him a good deal, especially the chap who does not know any more about a horse than horse knows about him If a man really knows something about a horse We can deal with him comfortably enough. but the chap who only knows horse bOoks-he's the daisy to deal 'ith. He'll twirl his eye glasses and ask Latin question enough to paralyZe a first class veterinary surgeon. We can always pick out the man who is buying his first horse and he's another daisy He'll pound the horse all over, muss his kid gl yes try- ing to open his mouth for age-maI as. and then come the questions Is he a free driver. speedy. gentle if driven by women or childrenl Will he stand without being tied? Is he afraid of bands of music. steam cars or whistles? Is he apt to shy or kick or balk? In fact. he seems to want to buy a cheap horseangell
 Ou see it's as hard tO ind long com bination of good traits in a horse as it is In a man. Any horse that is toug' and sound enough to be free driver with good speed is pretty sure io have some lit tle kinks that horseman wouldn't mind al all of course nobody wants an out right kicker or otherwise 'cious beast but horse often gets Dad reputation through the ignorance of the driver Take shying for instance, a horse isn't near as nervous as most humans. He quite naturally notices an unusual object and expresses his surprise by variation in gait or q side jump Now the first thing amateur drivers think it best 10 do in this case is to yell at the beast and give him a slash or two with the whip We'll. the horse thinks-oh. you may laugh. but he does think all the same-well, he thinks his driver is frightened too. and that he has a double reason Co be scared, and perhaps runs away. Who knows. he may do it with the intention Of putting himself and driver in place of safety
 Now horse never shies without first notifying a waichful driver If a cause is
  sharply m that direction; if behind. he will point an ear inquiringly back, then. an experienced driver, who ought always to be on the lookout. at once gets ready to hold him and at the same time reassures him win a calm, firm stable word or two that he is used to Yes, sir, any horse that can see is likely tO shy; and when any one tells you he will not. il will be about as near the truth as that hostler or waiter who told Mir Pickwick that his horse wouldn't shy if he vas Co meet a vaggin load of monkeys with their tails burnt of, That's the funniest horse story ever read-oh, you've read it, have you Good
 Speak of punishing q horse; always he careful about uning a whip on a horse you don't know, see how differently horses take a whipping; just like youngsters- some will tremble and loose their spirit, others will become stubborn and b. K q spunky one will jump right out O. your hands. and you might not get him back in time enough 10 save a broken wagon or head And here's a bad practice you ought 10 speak of. the lighting of those snappy parlOr-matches on a wheeltire; many a horse has been startled in that way. Smoking on horseback is a very bad practice A falling spark from a pipe or cigar has caused many riders broken bones or bad bruises
 {. @Whst is the best color for a horsel Well that is about as much a matter of taste as importance. To be sure, few per sons want calico or circus horse, as the boys call them. nor do they want e con spicuous cream colored animal White horses are objectionable because they be come unsightly in muddy weather Sor- rels. bays and the darker hues are the most popular, and they are more easily matched than light ones Grays. iron-grays and roans have a settled reputation for strength and toughness-but you might i'll a big book with the conceits and traditions about the marks and cOlors of horses