Evening star., 1895-08-28
EQUINE BAD HABITS
Various Methods Of Curing Horses Of Kick
ing, Biting and Baking.
Some Interesting and Queer Informal
The Horses Weakest Points.


New York Corr. St. Louis Globe Democrat.
The other day I happened to be in a
circle Of men who were all lovers OF
hcrses,. and were posted on many pecu-
liarities Of the equine nature.
DO any of you gentlemen know sure
way to cure a horse of kicking?" said the
down easter, addressing the others defer
entially.
why" answered the New York horse
dealer, II always do it by tying part Of the
horses tail to the shaft. That usually
fixes him.
YES" remarked the man from the
better one"
Hold on minute" I interrupted. IT
want to understand why tying a horses
tail to the shaft will prevent him from
kicking"
That's easy enough" said the New
Yorker. You see. horse can't kick until
he gets his head down and his tail up.
Isn't that so, gentlemen"
The others all assented.
But why can't her persisted.
'Simply because he can't. No horse ever
did. Consequently, when you tie his tail
down you upset his calculations. My idea
is that he gets SO distracted studying
what's the matter with his tail and trying
to lift 1t when he can't that he forgets
to kick"
very likely" said the down easter.
Now. what's your way?"
why" answered the man from the
plains, ''the way We fix a kicking horse
is to tie one Of his forelegs with a rope to
the hind leg on the other side. Then, as
soon as he starts to kick he jerks his front
leg OFF the ground and goes down in a
heap. Two or three doses Of that treat
ment will cure the worst case you can
find"
= But suppose" I suggested. your horse
That's not the way bad kicker acts.
Once in g. while horse will let out side
ways with one hind foot alone, but as a
general thing the ones you have trouble
with kick with both hind feet at the same
time, and my rope brings 'em down every
clip"
Ball<y Horses.
The talk ran along for a little WHILE and
presently came to the best method of deal
ing with balky horse. Various old-fash-
ioned ways were suggested, and finally tie
down easter went them all one better
with the following system. which he
claimed as his own. He prefaced his re-
marks with a little story.
1.-The last time I was down in Boston
happened to see two fine, black horses
standing in front of a store. There was
a private coach behind them, and a coach
man Oh the seat who was trying to start
up the team, but he couldn't do 1t. As fast
as one Of the horses would start ahead
the other would pull back. and there was
no budging them. I Joined the crowd
standing around and found out that the
and nobody had been able to start the
balky horse.
II looked on for awhile, and pretty soon
the owner came along, very mad. because
ho f,, h,,~r 60 nrrrha Iya
told the coachman to get a move on those
horses pretty blamed quick or he'd make
things lively. The coachman said he'd
dc ne his best and didn't know any other
was, SO I stepped up and asked the man il
he would like to see the horses go.
Would t. he said. very red in the
face. III just make it worth your while
IL you get 'em off,
".Ali right said l. I'll make 'em co.
So I walked up to the balky horse and
patted his neck little and talked to him,
and the first thing anybody knew that
team was. going down the street so fast
How did you do it?" said /.
That's what the man wanted to know
and all the other people. AS far as they
could see, I hadn't done anything. but I
You walk up to a horses head and pre-
tend to fool around little. and then. as
quick as you can, run a pin through the
tip of one of his ears, and let 1t stay there.
You know the ears are a horses tenderest
point; he can't do anything without his
ears: he can't think without his ears. Well,
as soon as the pin goes through his ear
you can make up your mind that he knows
It, because it hurts. He probably thinks
it is some new kind Of a fly that won't
shake off, and the whole force of his mind
is centered on getting away from that fly,
SO he does the only thing there is left, that
is. tear away at full speed. 1 don't believe
that scheme ever failed. There are balky
horses thatll let you build a fire under
them without moving, but there amt any
through one of their ears"
DO you mean to say that there ever was
balky horse that would stand still when
there was a fire burning under him. l
asked incredulously.
Certainly, I do. They won't let the fire
burn en, though; they simply kick 1t away
with their hind legs as fast as you can
build it up"
The Biting Habit.
What is your way of making a horse
stop biting?" asked the New York man.
why, the pin'I answer there just as
we'll as before. When a horse snaps at
you. catch him by the nose and run pin
right through between the nostrils He'll
do the same thing once more, and before
long you will have him cured for life. No,
1t isn't cruel; it's the kndest way in the
long run, because it's the quickest"
ITS funny what fool a horse is about
some things broke in the man from the
plains. Now, our bronchos out there,
take one that's been bred on the prairies.
If you come in from a ride and get off,
leaving the reins over his neck, he will
start away on a dead run, because he
knows he's not hitched, but If you pull the
rens over his head and let them hang
down from the bit, why, you can leave him
standing all day, and he won't run, be-
cause he thinks he is held by lariat He
may walk away, slowly. eating grass, but
you couldn't make him run until you pulled
up the Bride"
What you were just saying about a
horses ears spoke up a stableman who
had Joined the group. reminds me of
trick the circus riders have. 1 heard it
from one of the performers in the Barnum
show. He claims that horse can't shy or
balk or rear until he throws his ears for
ward.'
He can't kick until he throws his ears
back; 1 know that said the down easter
well, 1 am talking especially about shy
ing This circus rider told me that all the
men in the ring, whenever they think a
horse is going to shy, just tuck his ears
back under the bride band, and then they
know they're all right. The horse is SO
surprised to find his ears won't come for
ward when wants to do anv daviltr,,