The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-06-11
WHEN YOUR HORSE
IS RUNNING AWAY
Suggestions On What You
Should Do and How.

some forty years ago. when frst be-
gan to handle horses. asked my father;
whist shall do n horse starts to
run avn w
'sit tight keep your mouth shut. ant
trust In the LORD" was his iaconic ans
wer
Prolonged experience has taught me
that there Is no better general rule for
application IN a runaway OF any des-
cription.
no cit tight Is Of prime Importance.
The man who jumps from his saddle or
from a vehicle Is very little the better
slide Of an idiot. A runaway horse gets
over ground at about the speel Of an
accommodation train, and how many men
would think Of riskIng life and limb In
leap from a train7 The average man
IN jumping from a trolley car after IL
has slowed down. and before It has stop
ped. has some dihicuity IN retaining his
footing. What hope then would he have
OF maintaining his equilibrium after
ieaping from a madly careening buggy
or runabout. or from the badk Of a flying
horse7
Suppose he does aiight on his feet?
The chances are 30 out OF 100 that the
next instant he viii be rolling heels ov-
er head along the street. TO be picked
up unconscious and bleeding. with a
broken leg and a fractured skull some
moments later by passersby. for the mo-
mentum win be such that he win strike
the ground with terrific force, and only
miracle VII save him from serious IL
not fatal injury.
Ny two score years Of observation
have taught me this one fact above all
others--that four out OF every Ave per-
sons vho areeither killed or injured in
runaways have brought calcmity upon
themselves By failing TO sit tight And
believe your memory will bear me out
IN this assertion fof I dare say It viii
recall for your benefit the accounts OF
fatal runaways you have read from time
to time and bring out my point with
startling clearness.
! To the women say, for Gods sake
never jump such a course is infinitely
more dangerous for her than man. It is
very nearly suicidal
sit tight. everybody. Also keep your
mouth shut.
The average man shouts wildly. and
the average woman screams hysterically
when IN a runaway. Both methods are
| equally pernicious. Your cries only tend
20 excite the horse further. and make
him run the harder. Your open mouth
IN its effect ON the horse Is on a par
with the wildly swung hat OF the citizen
/ vino rushes out IN the roadway when a
runaway happens his way. Then. too
1 the more you shout or scream the more
excited you become and the first thing
you know you VIII be doing just what
you should never do--junIping.
Keep your mouth shut. not only wher
the horse is running away. but also keer
II pretty well shut when horse is res.
tive. A calm, cool voice is the com
manding voice. and calls forth obed.
ience in man and beast alike. A quici
though commanding voice has prevented
more than one runaway, while a voics
with ristng excitement in II has incite,
many horse through malice or fright
I to take the bit IN his teeth and run foi
Sit tight and keep your mouth shut
Then you viii undoubtedly keep cool
and so you win be able to put in prac.
tice these few specific rules that horse
men generally approve and recommend
and which In the average case viii prove
effective II applied inteliIgently.
II you are driving get well over Tho
horse 20 pun on the lines-to put you
strength and ingenuity against his
strength alone. Most persons lean away
back the instant the horse starts run
ming. Don't You place yourself at
disadvantage by placing yourself furthe
away from the iiorse's mouth the ful
crum as II were. Instead lean well for
ward and bracins yourself firmly OF
your feet. grasp the lines as far ovei
the horses loIns as you can without en-
dangering your balance. You win I'm,
that you can get well out over the horsl
and stlll run no risk OF being drawn owe
the dashboard. This position viii Civ
you easy control Of the lines and enable
you TO feed them out and pull them Ii
quickly at will.
DO not pun steadily on the reins. Civ
and take with the horse steady puI
win break down very strong wrist Il
a very little while. Your object Is 4
Nurse your wrist strength. II is all I'm
portant 20 make II last until you hav'
gotten the better Of horse by some trlcl
Gf the reins or tired him out. Try
steady pun and you can throw ava.
your strength. for Il can never stop
horse,
steady pull soon hardens and numb
/, horses mouth. just as continuous pali
deadens But a give and take puu 1
akin TO the jumping toothache IN effect
Because there is an interval betwee
jumps the ache never deadens So wit
the give-and- take pull Every other mo
meat OF 50 the horc, after one painful
sensation in his mouth has pasted, sud
denly feels the biz cutting into the ten
der flesh again. And Just as drppinl
water Will wear away stone. SO thu
ever recurring rain viii. bring the hors
back 70 his senses and usually unde
control
See-saNing often works wonders Man
a morse, running away. literally gets tn
Bit IN his teeth; hence the expression
A little see-sawing will compel him {
loosen his hold on the metal Then b
further vigorous see-saWing. send IN
Z metal cutting vlciousiy into the nesl
first on one side OF themoutA. then on IN
other, and be sure that you give IA loos
s rein on the side on which you are no
supposed TO pull In this way ySu ais
! conserve your wrist str>ngth
8 Besides tending 20 stop the hors
through pain, see-sg@ins jerks him NOR
: or less out OF his course by sending hi
{ head suddenly from side TO side.
Throwing Is a trick OF last resort an
J requires not little strength. X IS a
= I..NN.