The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-08-08
BALKY HORSES.


A Cure Not Usually Effected by Whipping
and Cruelty.
Baking is not natural to horses. IN
deed they know nothing about it until
they are brought into it by improper
management, and when a horse balks
it is generally from mismanagement
excitement, confusion, or from not
knowing how to pull, but seldom from
any unwillingness to perform his duty.
High-sprted, free-going horses are
the most subject to baking, and only
so because drivers do not prop
erly understand how to manage This
kind of free horse in a team may
be so anxious to 90 that when he hears
the word he will start with a Jump,
which will not start the load, but give
him such a severe jerk in the shoulders
that he will fly back and stop the other
horse. The teamster VIII continue his
driving without cessation, and by the
time he has the slow horse started again,
he will find that the free horse has made
another lunge and again gone back,
and now he has them both badly
baked. and so confused that neither of
them knows what is the matter, or how
to start the load.
Next will come the slashing and
cracking of the drivers whip, till some
thing is broken. or he is through with
this course of treatment 1t takes Il
steady pressure against the collar to
move a load, and you cannot expect
him to act with a steady determined
purpose while you are whipping him.
Almost any team, when first baked.
will start kindly if you let them stand
five or ten minutes as though there was
nothing the matter, and then speak
kindly to them and turn them a little
to the right or left, SO as to get them
both in motion before they feel the
pinch of the load. But if you want to
start team that you are not driving
yourself, that has been baked, fooled
and whipped tor some time, 90 to them
and hang the lines on their names, or
fasten them to the wagon so that they
will be perfectly loose; make driver and
spectators stand off some distance, 50 as
not to attract the attention of the horses,
and unlOOse the check rcinS so that they
can get theirhcadS down if they choose:
let them stand few minutes in this
condition till you can see they are Il
little composed
When you have them ready to start,
stand before them, and as YOU seldom
have but one balky horse in a team, get
As near in front of him as YOU can. and
if he is too fast for the other horse. let
his nose come against your breast; this
will keep him steady, for he will 90
slow rather than run on YOU. Turn
them gently to the right without let
ting them pull on their traces. as far as
the tongue will let them 20. stop them
with a kind word, gentle them a little
and turn back to the left by the same
process: as you turn them again to the
right, steady them in the collar. and
you can take them where you please.
If YOU want to break a horse that has
long been in the habit of baking, you
ought to set apart half day for it, Put
him by the side of steady horse, have
check lines on them. tie up all the
traces and straps so that there will be
nothing to excite them. Do not rein
them up. but let them have their heads
loose, walk them about as slow as pos
sible, stop often and 90 to your balky
horse and gentle him; do not take any
whip about him, or do any thing to eX-
cite him, but keep him just as quiet as
you can; he will soon start off at the
word, and stop whenever you tell him.
As soon as he performs right. hitch
him to an empty wagon and have it
stand in Il favorable place for starting.
1t would be well to shorten the stay