The Portland daily press., 1888-03-14
Hints TO Aorsaman.

just now, and during the next few weeks
is time when drivers ought to use care and
judgment whether to 60 upon runners or
wheels. In some Of our streets the sleigh
ing is still tolerably good; while upon the
main streets where the snow has been re-
moved to accommodate horse car travel, there
are long spaces Of bare ground where it is a
hard strain for horse to draw has load upon
runners. No owner or driver of a horse
ought to mind the trifiing trouble
of taking out wheels or runners according to
the state Of the roads at the time. When
the earth cries out as the runners drag and
CRATE over it, it says: Get out your wheels
and save the strength OF your horse.
The annoying habit which some horses
have of starting suddenly before the driver
has time to seat himself, is due to the stupid
way in which some persons start horse, by
blow of the whip instead of by the voice.
Naturally horse dislikes to be struck; and
he hopes, by starting before the driver can
take up the whip, to escape the undeserved
blow. If your horse has acquired this trick
from the bad managementof former driver
you can easily teach him that he has not to-,
fear blow from your hand. Whenever he
starts too soon, check him quietly with the
voice and the rein, make him stand still for
a moment, then start him with the voice,
taking care not to move your hand toward
the whip. if you are so far behind the fash
ion as to carry one. The horse will learn his
lesson after fewlrepetitions.
The Hampshire Gezette tells good story
with moral, concerning the management Of
balky horses.
was attracted yesterday by considera-
BILE gathering of people in a downtown
even the policeman himself could not per-
suade to "move on" All kinds of plans
were tried First, about dozen men showed
the wagon behind, but even then, by firmly
planting his fore feet, the determined beast
managed to resist progression, although |
piece Of cloth was then carefully tied over
his eyes, and, after short pause, he was
gently requested to proceed; but he stood
still and the crowd jeered. Next, rather
standing on tiptoe, so that he could reach
the ehorse's ear, whispered into it something
which he evidently thought would have an
instantaneous and miraculous effect; but the
animal was deaf to this siren, and the conse-
quental person skunk off, pursued by the sar-
casms of a bootblack. The driver was now
In rage which vented itself in blows and
imprecations.
But just as he was passing from this con-
dtion into one Of stony despair, quiet
young fellow waved him aside. embarrassed
the horse, took him out OF the shafts, ana,
after leading him across the street and back,
re-harnessed him and handed the reins to
the driver, who now drove off without the
least trouble. The expedent was simple
but effective, and it suggests what Is, be-
lieve, the true philosophy of the balky horse.
The effort should be not to overcome his
fixed idea of standing still, but to supplant
that notion by diverting his attention to
something else.
A correspondent of Our Dumb Animals
describes model stable-keeper and his mod
ell stable in these words:
Not long since was spending night with
a friend in New York, and was invited to an
early ride in Central Park. The offer was
gladly accepted. as | knew he had number
Of valuable blood horses, which were kept
at public stable. When | expressed sur
prise at his willingness to entrust such valu-
able horses to the care OF any one but his
own trained groom, he said: The man who
keeps this stable is born stable.keeper and
a gentleman. His men are carefully select
ed. and the following are his rules: First,
no man will be employed who drinks intoxi-
eating liquors. His men, like his horses,
must drink water, cold water only. Second,
no man must speak loud to any OF the
| horses, or in the stable where they are.
| Horses Of good blood are nervous, and loud,
| excited conver sation is felt by every horse in
| the stable who hears it, Excited words ad-
| dressed to one horse are felt by every other
| horse who hears them, and keeps them all
| nervous and uneasy. Third, no man may
use profane LANGUAGE in the hearing of the
| horses.
/ was not surprised, after this, that my
| friend was willing to leave his horses in
such hands,