The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-01
pEc1TLIARIT1Es OF HORSES.

From time to time there ma pldce III our columns questions as to the eradl- cation of some bad habit or vice m dulged in by horses belonging to our different correspondents. As We nave often remarked in connection with seV- eral matters other than horse breaking and training, cures are not effected by the system, but by the man. It is, as most persons with a practical knoWl- edge of horses know, almost useless to give any minute directions for the cure of some particular bad habit, unless it be some mechanical remedy which works itself and needs no skill on the part of the owner. In the first place. a remedy which succeeds in the hands Of one person is attended with failure when put into practice by some one else; while secondly, a remedy which succeeds with one horse works no good result on another, though tried by the same operator. Those with length ened experience of the rougher side Of horse nature are perfectly aware of the fact that they cannot apply, with any chance of success some cut-and-drled rule to meet all cases; and that, though sudden conversions are not unknown either in or out of the stable, a consid- erable amount of time is usually re- quired to bring about a cure To be able to ascertain what brought on the bad habit complained of is to be half way toward getting rid of it; but some peculiarities there are which cannot be accounted for. As Topsy said of her. self, "I 'spect I growed," so do a horses vices sometimes appear to come Into being spontaneously; and when once existent it takes a practical hand to ef- i. them; rule of thumb seldom or never brings about the required result. Quite recently correspondents have asked how to treat a horse which sud denly stops and turns round, or which will not turn to the right, and how to manage cattle which otherwise misbe- have themselves. The most that can be achieved in cases like these is to de- scribe the measures which have been effectual in similar instances, leaving the querist free to modify the system as he may find 1t necessary.
 For most vices and bad habits there
 
 frequently happens that horse which leaves the breakers hands in a docile state contracts bad habits through some want of knowledge or skill on the part of those who subsequently, use him. When MT. Braidwood, the head of the London Fire Brigade, was bur jed after losing his life at the Tooley street fire, the coffin was borne upon a fire engine drawn by the horses which had worked in fire engines, and con siderable difficulty was experienced in inducing them to settle down to a foots pace. Their memory told thenl-mem ory is is horses strong point-that they were hurriedly attached to the engine, and that almost before the last link or buckle was fastened they were off as hard as they could go, though when they reached the scene of a cOnf1agra ton they would stand like images, un- disturbed by the glare. the crowd or the noise of pumping. Now. many horses are made impetuous starters in a week or so by their owners (who may per baps have a train to catch) cutting things too fine. They postpone their departure till the last minute, Jump In in a hurry, and at once start the horse off at best pace. It does not take horse very long to connect being drawn up at the front door with a nasty de- parture. When the horses engaged in the musical ride at the Royal Military tournament are drawn up in line pre- paratory to the charge down the arena, they know that the trumpet is about to sound the charge, and they are pran- cing about and eager to be off before the signal is given. The civilians horse learns his lesson quite as quick ly: the opening of the front door, the hurried footstep on the stones and the hasty mounting of the vehicle tell him plainly enough that he must start at once; and when he has once taken to the trick it is a work of time to break him of it. The omnibus horse starts at the sound of the conductors whistle; and in the old days of omnibus doors some of our readers may remember nict1re in Mir. Punch's collection of the wild horse which was to bear Mazep- pa being started on his terrible journey