The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-01-17
THE sHYINq HORSE.


When street cars first appeared
horses had to become used to them
in order to be safe drivers, and the
auto on the road is new alarm for
horses, and both the auto driver and
horsemen will have to learn to be
cautious. A writer on the shying
horse makes same good suggestions
that are worthy of noting and we give
q few paragraphs below from the
Farmers, Advocate:
The chief difficulty was to accus-
tom them to the trolley cars which
came along the roads at any speed
up to thirty milem an hour.
My plan was to ride quietly to the
terminus, and wait, at respectful
distance, the advent of car. When
It was stationary spent the ten min
utes of its stay in riding round it in
circles of gradually diminishing size,
but never trying to force the horse
nearer than he could be coaxed to
approach Generally, in less than an
hour, the horse would go right up, to.
the car and accept caresses from the
conductor.
The next step was to follow. the
starting car. which, luckily went SLOW
iy for the first mile, trotting behind
and alongside, till the horse took me-
notice of 1t whatever. After, that it
was merely matter of meeting cars
at points where they moved slowly,
all gradually, the horse grew accus
somed to face them at any speed.
In teaching horse to be fearless
# any strange, and therefore to
him, alarming object, there are three
ules of conduct to which there is no
exception: Never speak sharply.
Never use your whip, and Never urge
him forward with a tight rein. A
frightened or nervous horse is
,sychologically the equivalent of
frightened child. Would any one in
his senses expect to cure his child's
amidity. by scolding or whipping him.
Or by yanking him suddenly by the
urn?
It is impossible to condemn too
strongly the pulling of a horses mouth
and laying the whip smartly across
his back, which is the practice usual
" seen and popularity advocated ito
distract his attention" when a horse
shows symptoms of alarm at an APP
preaching object, such as motor
car: a greater mistake or one more
productive of future trouble for the
driver, was never made.
The ancient superstition that
horse can think of only one thing at
a time. and that, therefore, the whip
will divert his attention from the OBJ
ject of his fears, is neither logical
nor tenable in practice.
Put yourself in his place. Is
good motto when dealing with horses.
A sudden curtailment of his usual
freedom of movement, by tightening
the reins, when a nervous horse is
looking suspiciously at some strange
approaching object, naturally in
ereases his alarm; while use of the
whip engenders fear of the object,
which it will take no end of time and
trouble to eradicate.
The fact that the approach of the
alarming ODJect WAS quIChiy AOAfoWSu
by punishment naturally produces an
association of the two in the equine
mind. and logical objection to face
that object again.
The psychology of the free hand in
the .non-frightened shier, is not so
easy to follow, but can vouch for its
success. Do not go to the extreme
of letting your reins fall loose; hold
them so as to have instant control
of your horses head. but just relax
whatever pull you have on his mouth.
If he knows you talk to him soothing
iy; a horse will pass with rider or
driver, whom he knows, many an OBJ
|ect that no stranger can persuade
him to face.
If riding, never leave your saddle;
driving, you may be compelled from
reasons of safety to lead him; when
you do SO. walk between him and
The cause of his alarm.