Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-04-09
Pscullarllies Of Horses.

ton of some bad habit or vice INDUCED
in by horses belonging to our different
correspondents AS We have often re.
marked in connection with several mat
ters other than horse breaking and train
ing. cures are not effected by the system
but by the man. 1t is. as most persons
with a practical knowledge of horses
know almost useless TO give any minute
directions for the cure of some particu-
lar bad habit, unless it be some mechan-
ical 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 whicn
succeeds with one horse works no gooa
result on another. though tried by 1ne
same operator. Those with lengtheheu
experience of the rougher side OF horse
nature are perfectly aware OF the ldct
that they cannot apply with any chahee
of success. some cut-and-drled RUE "
meet all cases; and that. though suaaeil
conversions are not unknown either III y
out of the stable, a considerable aHioui.t
of time is usually required to brlnS apous
a cure. To be able to ascertain WIZ
brought on the bad habit complalHea VI
is to be halfway toward getting rlu oi
it; but some peculiarities there are Whici,
cannot be accounted for. AS lopss sa'e
of herself. II 'spect | growed. 50 uo q
horses vices sometimes appear 10 come
existent it takes a practical hand y e.
face them: rule of thumb seldom or never
brings about the required result. Qi.e
recently correspondents nave askeu nov
to treat a horse whicn sudoehis a.opS - at,, ,ha
turns round, or which will not turn TO the
right and how to manage cattle "nlSi
otherwise misbehave themselves. ,ti nie
most that can be achieved IN cases iihe
these is to describe the measures "hlcii
have been effectual in similar instances
49, ct
system as he may find it necessary.
For most vices and bad habits there Is
a reason could we but find 1t out ana II
frequently happens that a morse MiiiGh
leaves the breakers hands IN doche
state contracts bad habits through some
want of knowledge or skill on the part
of those who subsequently use MIN
When Mr. Braidwood, the head OF the
London Fire Brigade, was buried alter
losing his life at the Tooley-st hre. the
coffin was borne upon a fire-engine drawn
by the horses which had worked IN hre-
engines and considerable dlf11culty was
experienced in inducing them to settle
down to a foots pace Their memory
told them-memory is horse 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 con
fagration they would stand like I'M
ages. undisturbed by the glare, the crowd
or the noise of pumping. NOW. many
horses are made impetuous starters III d
week or so by their owners tWho may
perhaps have a train to catch) cutting
things too fine. They postpone their de-
parture till the last minute, jump in IN Il
hurry and at once start the horse OIL al
best pace. 1t does not take a horse very
long to connect being drawn up at the
front door with hasty departure. men
the horses engaged in the musical ride at
the Royal Military Tournament are
drawn up in line preparatory 10 the
charge down the arena, they know that
the trumpet is about to sound the charSe
and they are prancing about and eager TO
he off before the signal is given. The
civilians horse learns his lesson quite as
quickly; the opening of the front door,
the hurried footstep on the stones ana
the hasty mounting of the venice tell MN
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 MN
of it. The omnibus horse starts at the
sound of the conductors whistle ana IN
the old days of omnibus doors some OF
our readers may remember picture IN
Mr. Punchs collection of the wild horse
which was to bear iMaZeppa being start
ed on his terrible journey by the SIAM
ming of a property door. for he was sup
posed to have worked in bus; while
today the teams drawing the London
coaches soon start quite handily on hear
ing the brake taken off.
Some of our more elderly readers may
call to mind the riding school kept by
Mr.. Hall (formerly riding-master in one
of the household cavalry regiments), at
the lower end of Albanyst.; it is now a
furnture-storing place. The stud there
included some rather curious animals.
one was a black horse, which. on being
asked to canter invariably kicked. and
hundreds of beginners have gone over his
head before they knew where they were
but the uuietest horse in the stable was
one which had passed in and out of many
hands as perfectly incorrigble. There
was simply no holding him; and Mr.. Hall
bought him cheap at one of the reposi-
tories. only to find himself completely
beaten when he tried to ride his new pur-
chase in the park. After some trouble he
bethought him of a nose-band and stand
ing martingale. and the reformation WAS
complete. The martingale was ulspensed
with and was not missed. but the use of
the noseband was adhered to, and the
horse was as quiet as the proVerbial
sheep and remained until the break
up of the establishments when Mr.. Han :
pupils and some of his stud Were trans
ferred to the GlouceSter-C Crescent Riding
school, There the horses peculiarity was
not known, and an accident was narrow
ly averted, but on Mr.. Hall being told OF
the circumstance he remembered that he
had omitted to mention the nose-band.
There was no necessity for 1t to be tight,
SO long the horse had noseband on.
:,
which really effected nothing, should
have acted like a charm cannot be eX-
planned. but the fact remains that it did
so work. Then there is the story told by
Harry Heover" of some one buying.
unknown to himself. a horse which had
Il most unenviabe reputation for sitting
up with his rider on the road. On the
first occasion his new owner mounted
him a regular fight took place, and the
horse was only induced to proceed after q
1nnp str tntrla and Il af
opinion became frequent that the own
er at one time thought of getting rid of
the horse. One day he was in the act of
lighting cigar. when the horse sudden
ly stopped and was about to turn. The
rider had dropped the reins. and instinct
lively tapped the horse over the nose with
his stick, when, to his surprise. he gave
UP trying to turn and at once walked
off in the required direction. Thus. by
the merest chance. was the secret OF
managing the previously unrulv horss
acquired. In another instance a horse
would always kick violently, TO the dan
ger of his attendant. if the bucket Were
taken from him while any water re-
manned in it. So long he was allowed
to finish the last drop. even though there
We're no more than half pint in the
bucket when he began to drink he never
offered to kick
Inquiries for hints how to treat horse