The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-28
TOwsON, MD. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER
HANDLING HORSES.

Experts on the subject do not rank
horses high Intellectually. Many
other quadrupeds surpass them in in
telligence. The dog, the elephant,
various species of apes, and even some
of the lower orders Of animals surpass
the horse in cerebral development.
In fact, from the standpoint of the
reasoning faculties, the horse is set
down as rather a stupid. He is all
right in nother respects, has many good
qualities, such as strength, gentleness,
reliability, docility, but he is some
what lacking In the upper story"
Perhaps, however, it is not necessary
that he should know more, consider
ing what he has to do, and his efhci-
ency may be greater from the very
fact that he is not too smart. In train
ing and managing him, however, all
authorities agree that the greatest in
strumentality is kindness. This fact,
true of all living creatures, is of es-
pecially value to those whose business
it is to deal with horses so as to fit
them for their duties under the sad
die, in harness or for the show ring.
The method pursued by those semi
savages on the plains, called cowboys,
in breaking wild mustangs, was di-
rectly opposite to that taught by ex-
perience and common sense. These
fellows think great courage and brute
strength is demanded in "broncho
busting" and In their efforts to SUBJ
due the wild animals of the plain,
both man and beast are often "bust-
ed" These crude creatures, often
more ignorant and british than their
mounts, after years of experience new
er learn that one ounce of kindness is
worth thousand pounds of their hur-
rah methods.
A horse that is subdued by fear
and brutal beating is never the same
animal again and his value IN dollars
and cents is lessened by this stupid
process. Many celebrated trainers
have given evidence on the subject
and it is all to the same conclusion
much more can be done with horse
by kindness than by force; by gen.
tie caress than a cruel stroke; by a
lump of sugar than with the heavy
whip. The men who train horses for
the circus and teach them to do so
many wonderful tricks are never built
on the cowboy pattern. They under
stand that in dealing with horses as
we'll as men, "the gentle answer
turneth away wrath" Daniel Boy
ington, the most successful horse
trainer of this age, says the first i'm
portant thing is to secure the animals
confidence. By knowing his business
as we'll as the nature of the creature
with which he Is dealing, he has no
difficulty in making friends" with
even the widest mustang in an hour
or so after he he has been in its COM
pany in a small corral. He never
uses whip, rope or halter, his only
weapons" being along pointed fish
ing pole, some oats, corn or lump OF
sugar. He declares that no horse Is
originally vicious, gentleness and sub
missiveness being its natural charac-
teristics. Its reason for rearing or re-
sisting is due to terror, which is in
creasing with each blow or spur-thrust.
Manifestly, therefore, the man ap-
preaching should above all things con-
vince the animal that he means nc
harm, for with this conviction the
battle is half wen.
Many men who should know better
are beset with notions that horses can
only be kept under control by brute
force. Colts growing up on the farm,
which should be as gentle as lambs,
are often subjected to violent beatings
while being broken to the halter. As
a matter of fact, no man who can't
break in colt without violence is fit
to manage horse and tits pity that
he should own one. Itisin vain that
laws are passed prescribing humane
treatment of horses, as long as brut.
ish and ignorant men are left In charge
to work off their angry passions on
their helpless beast. In Russia,
which we are apt to regard as but
semi-civilized, the whip is entirely
forbidden and this should be dore
here. The use of horse whips, spurs,
check-reins and all the abominatious
of barbarism should be strictly pro
hibited by the law of every state
Sensible and experienced farmers un
derstand these things, but here ant
there in the country as well as in the
city are found men who are utterly
unfit to manage horses for themselves
or others. Valuable and indispensi
BILE as the horse is, his value will al
ways be greatly increased If he knows
nothing but kindness and gentle treat
ment from the moment of foaling un
til, after years of faithful service, h'
gets ready for that heaven which il
deserved by, and many think has beef
prepared for, all good horses.