The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-10-09
A CURE FOR eALKY HORSES,
Electricity Has Been Put to a New and
Novel Use.

Electricity Has Been Put to a New and
Novel Use.
Electricity has been put to a new
and so far successful use, that of con.
quering balky or lazy horse. In
one case very high-spirited and valu.
able animal, but extremely vicious
and balky, was cured in one hour with
the aid Of three-volt dry battery,
says the Pittsburg Dispatch.
The officials of the Western Penn.
sylvania Humane Society were mott.
fed some time ago that Thomas Rod.
gers, of Avalon, was using the div
battery on his horse, which was as bad
as valuable high-bred horse could
be. Superintendent Thomas NJ. Por-
ter investigated the case, and Friday
he gave Rodgers q hearing before
Justice William Griscom, Of the place.
Rodgers said his horse was worth
$1,000 to him if he could be cured of
baking and one or two other vicious
habits. He had offered $500 to any
one who could manage the animal, and
at last consulted DR.. 7. G. Mcneil,
the city veterinary. The doctor ad.
vised Rodgers to try electricity, and
ne bought three-volt storage battery,
and by means of three wires connected
each side of the bit and the crouper
with the battery. The horse waa
hltched to a road cart, and at first re-
fused to move, standing with oil four
feet in braced position.
1EMr. Rodgers then had the wires con,
nected to the battery, which was
placed in the cart, and at the first
push of the button the horse jumped.
snorted and then moved off. Each
day for a week he went through the
same lesson and is now the pride
road horse Of Avalon and never ballzs.
bites or kicks.
That was the testimony brought out
at the hearing, and as the veterinary
and Squire thought three volts was
not sufficient shock to hurt the AMI.
NAL, Rodgers was discharged.
Superintendent Porter had a SINH.
lar case some months ago. He found
that one of the rich suburban resi-.
denters was using the fluid battery
on lazy horse in cultivating his sum.
mer garden. After several unsucces.
full attempts to catch the gardener
using the horse, he was at last re.
warded one bright, sunny morning by
catching the gardener wedding the
potato patch with the horse hitched
to a harrow, and, after introducing
himself and informing the man why
he visited him, he was shown the
continuance.
Strapped to the backband was q
small fluid battery with wires running
from it to the martingale and crouper. |
A sponge was fastened to the wire at
each place and kept moist by the heat
of the horses body. When the AMI.
NAL got tired it would stop, and, by
pressing two buttons together, the
circuit was formed and the horse
would move on for several hours.
Porter tested the full strength of the
battery on himself, and found that the
sensation did not go above his elbows
md that the voltage was only frac.
ton over two. He said he thought il
was better and more humane to use 9
small amount Of electricity on horse
than to whip it, and was satisfied it was
not a case of cruelty. He has written
% several of the best known horse
doctors in the United States, asking
heir opinions on the subject, and is
Waiting for their replies with good
leal Of interest.