The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-19
SH0EING THE KICKERS.
A BLACKSMITH EXPLAINS THE M
TRlCACIES OF THEWORK.

TRlCAC!ES OF THEWORH.
Magical Effect of the "Twitch"-Blood
VIII Make Horses Ilick-Niulcs That
Feel the Rafters With Their Hecls-Ex-
citing Experiences.
"How do you manage a horse when he re-
fuses to ba shod:' asked a reporter OF Dnrly
blacksmith in Soith. Baltimore ono morn
ing
The blacksmith drew the hoT Of q largo
hose betye" his legs before answering the
question. and, bending the too till it nearly
touched the forcloc!, replied: This is the
first thing we try as Icing the handieSt
remedy We Lave in the shop. We just
TWIST the 10, up in this manner and it
thightens the muscles of the les until the
horse can't move. 1t is the pain that makes
him docile lie stands there patiently after
that and taxes tho nai.s like all Old pine
board.
IF this don't work thcugh-as it often
does not with horses from the country-we
have another rensly. Do you see that
'twitch' yonder:''
Tho blacksmith nodded his head toward
carriage-spole dangling from the wall with
a piece OF clothes-line tied to the end OF it.
That is the most magical thing in horse
shooing you ever saw. We wrap that ropo
arounl tho Leasts upper lip AMI IL man
stands continually at his head hol'iing the
spoke The latter is used us a IacE-screw.
Every time the brute kicks new turn is
taken in the clothes-lino until the beast gots
as much as he can stand. The fight, as a
rule, never lasts long. Alter q few turns
the most obstleperous kicker is knocked out.
The pain ut his nose draws his attention
away from his feet SO completely that l
think you could cut hi; leg OF all he would
not know it. Hes, sir; il it were not for the
twitcn simple as it is-there would bo lots
of horses unShod or biackSmiths walking
around with broken heads. You may tal%f
about twisting q pigs tail or getting tho
bulge en- al elephant, but for bringing
beast to LII; senses this little device beats any
thing that ever was made.
HORSES WITH BLOOD IN THEN.
"The worst horses to shoe entirely arc
those that have what is known as 'UlooP III
them. Good stock will show itself in black
smith shop every time. l was shoelnS
freakness several years ago and was un-
aware OF tho fact until had wrestled with
BIN several minutes He had cast a shoe
while trainin at Pimli and was brought
to shop in northwest Baltimore where |
was employed Tlc beast laid lack his ears
and stood perfectly still until had got hold
of him and was in tic act of leveilng his
hoof. Then he came down OH me like
sloisehalnmer with both mis- thighs. His
l. 4. "A tnar n 1Anp
back to his Jaw-joints When he 1elt me
weaken ns drew back his leg like bow
string, and, before l could recover, sent me
sprawling into the dirt. Luckily, there
was no shoe on lis loot at the riine, or l
might have eceiveI an imprint that would
have followed Ire to my grave. l have sew
oral marks now from ho:sc-klcks all over
my body. n man is never horseshoer un-
til he has the trade marx STAMPED upon his
countenancc, they say.
In tui, part o. the city we shoe moro
MUGS than any otter kind OF stotk. Some
times we have as nigh as six in the shop
together. They doze an1 doe here be-
toro tie fire until u rel.hot cinder strikes
one Of them, or perhaps goes tumbl!ng
down his ear. Then there is fun. 1T
would have been just as safe to have
dropped a spark into key OF dyna-
mite, for u mule never stops kicking until
thare is nothing left in his vicinity for
twenty five feet all around. I have seen
muie glue his front feet down there to that
little hole in the pavement and feel all
round these ralters with his hinI legs. A
niue will kick you when you arc looking at
linn or kick you when you are turning
away. It has always been the policy OF
blacksmiths mover to trust the animal, even
when he is deal.
Young horses are also very fiery, but
they generally come to terms after recelv-
ing the second set of shoes \ horses su~
preme intelligence soon teaches him that
the operation is performed for his own
good, anu he submits to it, At first they
have often to be led into distant part of the
shop and u handkerchief ru. over their eyes
10 shut out the sparks. After few lessons
they become accustomed to the soun1 OF the
anvil, and it is hard to drive them past
chop without letting them come IN.
SOME TAoUBLE WITH a BAD MULE.
"The most difficult case to shoe ever en-
countcreI was in Chester county, Pennsyi-
yania, several years ago man named Push
had two mu @; that he wanted Shod. was
not working at tue business then, and the ami
mails was taken over to tue shop ut tue
crossroads Tie first black .mth who came
out was kicked tLrJe times before his body
struck tile ground, and had both legs broken
The two mules were driven homo anil had
to % all winte: without shoes, for there
was no Lac ksmith in tic county who ha!
courage enough to shoe them. In the fol-
<l,n htI!
tie bad muie and hired q nlau from nc;Eh-
boring county to como down aid snoo lln
The mule was tightly wedSel in between
the bars of the crib when the blacksmith
came up. At sight of the tool-box and the
blackslith's apron the mule gave an UNI
earthly yell and proceeded 70 klcl; the rear
end OF the crib away. Ono OF his Ieet got
through the lars, and before lie coull eS-
tricate himself threo farm hands had seized IT,
and in a few minutes the blacksmith wGs busy
hammcring on tho shoe. 10 put on the re-
manning three was found to b, compara-
lively easy
"Sometimes we have to string horse up
if he is unusually stubborn. Three weeks
aco we had case hire in which we had to
use that pulley. up yonier. We tie the ropo
around the lcg Ie:ow tie knec-jolnt, pass 1t
over the pulley AMI draw it tight. Tho
Least is tnrown forward OH MS front feet
and rendered helpless. His remaining hind
leg is used to keep his body from falling.
In this prelicameut he becomes an easy
victim OF tLo blacksmith.
"Yes, sir; it is not at all uncommon to
see IL horse standing on two legs and two
blucksmths peSginS away at his remaining
hoots with all their might. This saves
time, you see If wo had u hammock to
swing under his belly We could STICK I'LL four
of lis shoes OH at tho SAM time.
"Hors ,shoeins HIS its rodeeming sido, al
ur nav il