The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-04
ANIMALS MUCH LIKE MEN
Treat Them With Kindness II You
Would Secure the
Best Service.
Much Harm Is Done by the Use
Of Whip and
Spur.
How to Cure Balky Horse-The Cruel
Check Rein-Blinds Cause Con.
slant Constraint

How to Cure Balky Horse-The Crue
Check Rein-Blinds Cause Con-
slant Constraint
The American Humane, Educational 80
ciety of Chicago has published little trac
entitled "a Chapter on Horses; Their Car
and Their Rights which embodies man,
excellent and practical suggestions. Tn
text of the tract is: ''Always deal will
every animal as you would like to be deal
with if you were the animal"
This is an excellent precept for dealing
with any animal. but it is especially usefu
in its application to treatment of the horse
says the New York Times. The horse is ,
noble animal, combining with a sensitive
ness almost womanly intelligence almos
next in rank to that of man. More thar
that, he is capable under proper treatment
of developing great deal of affection and
may be made to do more for his master thar
for anybody else. It would be we'll for all
horse owners if they bore this fact contin.
ually in mind. Kindness, coupled with pa
thence, will get more out of horse than
whips and spurs. There Is another fact
worth remembering in this connection: Il
is cowardly and ignoble to abuse an ami
NAL.
swatch the horses in our crowded
Streets" says the tract under consideration.
distressed as their sensitive nerves are BY
the dlstractlng noises about them, to which
are added, perhaps, the harsh tones of the
driver. suffering with bit that is too Sc
we're, in fear of master who is too ready
days history of too many ho,ses.'' Mr..
Rarey was one of the first to point out the
noble, tractable nature of the horse
his patient endurance, his willing
ness to work, his ready submission to
easonable master who knows how to ex-
plain in a manner which the horse can un-
derstand what is required of him. Mr..
Rarey says: "Almost every wrong act
the horse commits is from mismanagement,
fear or excitement; one harsh word will so
excite nervous horse as to increase his
pulse ten beats in minute. With all our
intellect it would be difficult for US to un
derstand the driving of some foreigners of
foreign ways and foreign language, We
should always recollect that our ways and
Language are just as foreign and unknown
TO the horse as any language in the world
is to us, and should try to practice what we
could understand were we the horse, en-
deavoring by some simple means to work
on his understanding rather than on the
different parts of his body.''
The tight check rein is one of the great
GOV w e1o4os HdOiIuauy ana tloughtlesSly
practiced on the horse. It binders the full
use of the muscles ''called into play'' when
the animal has a load to draw. It impairs
the circulation, causing heat and suffering
in the eyes and brain. It holds back the
horses head SO that the full force of the
himself prevented from dropping his head
and thus shielding them from this suffer
ing. And lastly, besides destroying grace
and ease OF motion, the poor animal suffers
increasingly with nervousness and restless
ments which not infrequently call forth
punishment from the ignorant driver. Yet
the excuse for the check rein is to give
''stylishness'' to the horse. The check
rein is cruel just in proportion as
It HAD = t f4a efn nf'ggh to prevent his
position: If any one doubts this statement
let him for moment loosen that relentless
strap, and ne can have no more convincing
argument against it's use than that afforded
by the impatient manner in which the
horse instantly stretches his neck when re- |
leased from its uncomfortable constraint.'
Blinds cause constant constraint, because
the horses eyes being on the side Of his |
head, they compel him to look ahead,
(which is just as much cross-eyed for him''
as a., it would be for US to look sideways.
They also TACT as reaectors'' and throw |
''the SUMS glare into the animals sensitive
eyes," But care should be used in taking
them OH horses accustomed to them Never
put frosty bit into horses mouth when
the temperature is below the freezing point.
1t lnhlcts acute present suffering and often
or rubber bit should be provided for such
weather, or else leather covering as
smooth as possible should be put on the
metal bit. A real mouthpiece can be made
by any harnessmaker at small cost.
Horses know nothing about baking mn
int IT. NV hoI
ment. When horse balks in harness il
Is generally from some mismanagement.
excitement, confusion or from not KNOWING
how to pull, but seldom from any unwili.
ingness to perform all that he understands.
A free horse in team may be SO anxions
to 60 that when he hears the word he will
start with jump which will not move the
load. but give him SO severe q Jerk on the
shoulders that he will fly back and stop the
other horse. Next will come the slashinp
and cracking OF the whip and hallooing Of
The driver until something is broken OF the
driver is through with his course Of treat.
ment. But what q mistake the driver
makes in whipping his horse for this act! .
and common sense should teach
him that the horse was willing and anxious
20 go. but did not know how to start the
1t is common thing to sssee horses that
AVE been baked a few times turn their
laads and look back as soon as thew are a
title frustrated. This is because thew have =
'een whipped and are afraid of what is be- n
lind them" Again and again in his book !
Ar. Rarey dwells on the Importance Of
'eing gentle with the horse, approachinp
him gently and deliberately, SO as NOT to
tartle or excite him. He speaks Of the
necessity of having entire control over
mes self, because the horse, being timid :
nlmal. is easily bewildered and frightened.
nd is thus made the more unfit to under
tand what is required of him. Patting
nd caressing have quieting effect. and
re conducive to understanding the animal
nd the man. The horse is quick to learn n
nd quicker to recognize who can command =
i'm. The baking horse should first be pac- 6.
lied, then his attention be diverted from
he thing that made him balk. Agood sug-
estion contained in the tract is to lift one
+ his fore feet from the ground and tap it
emily several times with stone II have
ever" says the writer. "failed to start
orse In that very simple way. and I have
n several occasions had balky horses which y
'ouId exhaust the patience of all former
wnels." Another method that will often
acceed when all others fail is to unhitch
ne morse. lead him a little way, then pull
ne vehicle to him and hitch him up again.
ever Jerk or pull at the bit of q baiky Sc
orse. BY all means refrain from whip ce
Ing MIN. Those methods only make him Fl
orse. Apportion his load to the distance tn
pc travelled and the condition of the
,ad, ana never under any circumstances