Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-02-17
BAD HORSES,
Not Often Born Wicked, but Some Achieve
Wickedness.

that no horse is ever foaled with a vi
cious propensity, my own idea is that
the Development of what we call vice,
though it may be FASTENED by i'll treat
ment or accident. is very closely allied
to courage In other words, I cannot
call to mind more than one instance of
a phlegmatic, lazy horse developing
signs of vice.
Under the head of vice as understood
in the stable and in the law courts We
may set down such shortcomings as
biting, kicking, rearing, boiling, buck
jumping, sbying, crib biting, etc. My
own experience of biters has, | am
thankful to say, been small, but SO far
as have been able to gather it is more
prevalent among race horses than with
half breds, though the number Of muZ-
zles seen on van horses in our streets
would suggest that the vice is not I'M
known in those which are not by any
means of pur sang. The only bitter I
ever owned was not really bad bitter,
but he would sometimes try to catch
hold either i'll the stable or out of it, It
must not, however, be forgotten that a
horse's teeth form one of his means of
attack, and so it is not perhaps surpris-
ing if he desires to show resentment
that he should do Sc by means of his
teeth. A horse with a long tail can
whisk fly from almost every part Of
his body, but locked horse is at dis
advantage in this respect, and if he be
at pasture with others and requires
scratching on any part of his body be-
yond the reach of his teeth and tail he
will gently bite another horse on the
spot which requires scratching, and the
companion being thus appealed to will
render the requisite assistance. The
horse, therefore, in some way or an
other knows the use of his teeth, and it
is only an easy step from making use
of them for his own purpose to employ
ing them as means Of attack.
A vicious horse is necessarily more
or less unstable article, for if his vice
be shown in the stable a man hesitates
to expose his groom to risk, while if
vice shows itself on the road or in the
field the rider or driver would not take
the horse at all, Or only sat price. "
Vice, therefore. is a matter which nei-
Their breeder nor dealer can afford to ig-
more, and as an ounce of practice is
worth toh of theory propose to give
my experience Of vicious horses, which
in nearly every instance l have owned.
For the modest sum of guineas l
once bought at farmers sale a colt
about 10 months old, said to be thor
oughbred by Mogador. Whether his
dam was thoroughbred do not know,
but he was certainly very well bred.
The colt was turned out; few oats
were given him daily; he was handled
gently and frequently from the very
first. His breaking was carried out so
gradually that he gave no trouble, and
he did not at last object to being mount
ed. He was perfectly familiar with
trains, vehicles, bands, etc., for he was
led about good deal, and in due course
he was taught to jump, and when he
was years old l used to hack him
about. For about a month he went cap
itally-he was ridden in a thick plain
snaffle-and then one day, on coming
to a turn in the road which did not
lead to the stable, he went up and came
over backward. He did this on another
occasion, and l determined to ride him
no more. A colt breaker to whom |
was telling this story of course sug-
gested that an experienced iron nerved
professional was the only person who
could manage horses Of that description,
and he was only too anxious to have
him, but the colt soon came back. The
colt was the most determined rearer
ever saw, and what made him rear the
first time cannot imagine. He did not
know what sharp bit was, nor had he
ever been pulled about, but he be-
came confirmed rearer from the first
time he went up and over, so falling
back did not cure him. Not liking to
be beaten, l broke my resolve not to
mount him again, but | could do moth
ing with him unless his head were tied
down, and SO he earned the rest of his
living alongside the pole of a country
bus
AaOOu0E ASdr6T 1d0 Was q morse
bought from the late Charles Symonds
of Oxford, and this was the only lazy
horse can remember which became vi
cious. He was a big horse, required
some getting along and was clever
hunter, though a somewhat sticky Jump
er, but he showed no signs Of rearing
until took him into Devonshire. After
being lunged few times he jumped the
banks fairly well, until one day ON be-
ing ridden slowly at small one he put
his forelegs as near the top of the bank
as he could get them, and there he stood,
for all practical purposes rearing, but
with something to lean against. The
only thing was to get him on the fat
again and make fresh start, but no
sooner did set him going at the bank
again than he went up ON his hind legs,
and from that moment he, too, took to
rearing whenever he made up his mind
to refuse bank. He no doubt discover
ed that SO long as he was on his hind
legs he was master Of the situation. -
London Live Stock journal