Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-01
VALVE OF HANDLING HORSES

ritf
depart ment by b. 0. Van Bokkelen)
Each driver of horse or t1am as well
"a the owner or those that have to de-
mend upon the harness horse for pleas
ure or business, admits the great value
of systematic training or handling.
We all appreciate the advantage in a
team, yet as in many other matters, we
are negligent In the majority of cases In
taking the means 10 secure the desired
effects. The time has come in the his
tory of the horse with its established
lineage and high Individual merit,
that it must have care and treatment
commensurate with its inherent value.
No one would pretend to say that the
equivalent in time of half years work
should be spent upon broncho or any
such creature but il Is almost an axiom
that training must be applied to every
draft and roadster as well as the high
bred and sensitive horse. 1t is Only
economy in the true sense Of its signifi-
canoe to provide the most careful hand
ling and attention for the equine
which is to be sold for remunerative
prices. Material to work upon and
that too on an extensive scale is de-
manded if paying results are to follow.
With the great progress and rapid
growth of wealth in this country,
thousands of people are more ready to
give $500 and upwards for single well
broken horse or $1,000 for double team
than to pay $50 to 5000 for the common
roadster, yet this $50 roadster is often
times made the $500 horse all by close
and systematic training and attention.
1t must be remembered that this fiery
animal is, in q natural state far
more ungovernable than is the inspir-
ing steam engine or electric motor
In the case of such mechanical ap-
pliances for power, almost any skillful
artisan who understands a device of
one kind can almost at sight operate
any similar device and do it success
fully. Every colt, however, is separ-
ate new creature in the world, and
must be proceeded with in its training
and handling With trifle at least, of
variation in every case to meet its dis
position and to render it fully the
trained thing of beauty or joy, as may
be the case to its owner, who aims to
derive from it either pleasure or profit.
Starting with we'll bred colt whose
ancestors for two generations on both
sides are known to be of reasonably
good natural disposition one may feel
as confident In ultimate success In
training and developing the youngster
into finished, animate product as is
the machinist who works on an en-
pjne or motor. This statement must
be qualified however, with the further
limitation, namely that the trainer, to
accomplish positive and unvarying re-
suits, must be as skillful in his line OF
work as is the mechanic referred to.
Many farmers and people who have
only a few horses are disposed to under
value the Importance Of skilful labor
upon the young horse. think that they
or their farm hands or help can oc-
cupy their spare time in developing
what has cost them when old enough
to wean 500 or more; here great mis-
take is made. While a trainer with
less skill will require more time for &C
complishing the same results, bis time
as a rule is very much less valuable
than that of the skilled artist in this
important work. 1t is true that many
people lack method In their plaas
of exercising their horses aud
colts. The majority of farmers
and other people who have horses as an
incidental investment with other lines
of work think only of devoting such
bits of time as are not needed in their
regular line of work and consequently
the colt is neglected when he should be
receiving attention and receives dou'
BILE dose when half would suffice. Such
spasmodic efforts accomplish but little'
1t would be similar TO sending child
to school for only half q day once q
month and then be surprised that no
advancement is made, in which case
the horse as we'll as the child is liable
to forget in the Intervening time all
that it has learned during its brief les
sons. To guard against the extremes
of too little handling and of the dan
gers Of 100 much work, is the principal
occasion for anxiety in giving the first
lessons to the coming horse. and here
is where skilled lsbor is worth double
the amount of inexperienced. Horses
unfortunately cannot talk, and one
must be able to tell how far TO go, and
not go too far, from experience and
study of the various kinds he has han
died. 1t is the history OF too many an
imals that their owners having more
work to do than horses with which te
do it, put upon two-year old the worH
N "a a