The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-26
A Noted Horse-Trainer's Methods.

Prof. Gleason, in New York Mail and Express.
1--WE will start at the beginning and commence
with the unbroken colt. The first thing to do is
to give him the whip training that makes him
understand that If he does wrong he will be pun
shed, and that if he does right nothing
will hurt him. To do this. place the colt in an
inclosure about thirty feet square and turn him
loose Directly he gets into the Enclosure crack
your whip, and he will Immediately run into the
corner, placing his heels towards you. ready to
defend himself. Then strike his hind legs and he
will turn right about Directly he faces you call
him, and if he comes caress him. By this means
you can soon teach him that if he runs
away he gets the whip and If he comes
to you he gets caress. Next show
him the bride and let him smell it. A
horse uses his sense of smell the same as a man
does that of touch. Always let your horse smell
and look at everything you use, SO that he will
get used to it. Horses and colts especially must
be educated not to fear anything. The nett
thing to teach him is to back, and stop at the
word whoa To do this use what is called the
Bonaparte bride. 1t consists simply of piece
of rope at end of it make a small stationary
loop just large enough to slip over the lower
jaw. After placing it in the lower jaw bring 1t
oyer the middle of the neck from the off side,
pass it downward through the loop on the near
side then bring it up to the lower corner OF the
cheekbone on the near side; hold it there with
the right thumb, pass the slack under the upper
lip and over the upper jaw from the near side;
bring it over the neck just behind the ears from
the OH sue, then through LUG IUUp Heiu ny tLO
thumb, but don't fasten. With this on you can
teach the young horse anything. To break
kicking horse this bride is also used by taking
the end back into the wagon, and when the horse
attempts to kick. give it sudden jerk, and at
the same time say Take carep
after having somewhat tanned your colt, the
next thing to do is to train him to answer the
lines. For this | use a simple straght-bar bit;
put on part Of the harness and the back straps,
and bring the lines along each side of the animal
A. 70
teach him to stop first. To do this call out
whoa to him, at the same time giving the lines
sudden jerk. After few lessons he will stop at
the word. After having accustomed him to the
lines and harness, hitch him to a light skeleton
wagon-it should never weigh more than fifty TO
seventy pounds-at first. and, if possible, should
be placed a slight incline, SO that 1t will al
most run along of it's own accord. After having
pulled the light wagon, you can gradually in
crease the weight.
1.-THE majority of balky horses are cansed by
giving them, when young too heavy load to
start with. which causes them to lose all spirit.
Five years old is good age to break horses for
work. but they should first have been broken AS
yearlings. A horse has q good memory, and
never forgets lesson.
Here are one or two little points that are
good to all interested in the horses To stop
horse paving in his stall and SO annoying you
In the night take q piece of trace-chaln about
seven inches long, tie to one.end q block of
wood about two inches in diameter and six
inches long, strap the other end of this chain TO
the front of the leg just above the knee. When
the horse paws, the block will rub his shin, and
he will soon stop. To stop horse kicking in
his stable, take piece of elastic and sew but
ton on it, buckle this not too tight above the
knee joint over the leader the hind leg.
When the horse draws up his leg to kick this
will cause an unpleasant pressure the leader
and he will stop. This will tell you how to pur
chase horse: 1t horse has large neck, ears
hairy inside small fat eyes sunk into his head.
sr1ail thick nostrils, and if he is narrow between
the ears and between the eyes and very broad
from the eyes to the jowl, he is horse of no
sense and can be taught nothing. On the con
trary, when a horse has small. thin pointed ears.
furry inside, large round full eyes, standing out
well from the head, large, thin nostrils. and is
broad between his eyes and between his ears,
and narrow from his eyes to his jowl such a
horse has intelligence, will learn quickly and re-
member WELL"