The New York herald., 1922-08-13
High Spirited Horses
Are Interesting Ones

breeding. and is apt to be accompanied
by superior physical powers.
Expert technical horsemanship Is not
as necessary to the successful control OF
such animals as is good sense. Also
the master must be good tempered. Two
cranky fellows on a morning canter is
q fatal combination,
1t occasionally happens. for this
reason, that some one who has little
real knowledge OF horsemanship gets
along better with a high strung horse
than do those who know more, and
should know better. Thoroughbred
horses will resist some proficient riders
at sight. They seem to know instinctively
that this man has hard hands and a
bullying manner, and they refuse point
blank to tolerate him. If they are
forced they quickly become very dan
gerous.
Handling Thoroughbred.
thoroughbred horses by the way, are
often accused of being violent tempered.
should say, when these horses are
persistently uncomfortable. that the fault
is practically always with come one
who has had charge of them. They :e-
quire to be treated in particular way,
and there is no use in hoping that some
other way will do. / spent much of my
childhood playing around a racing
stable, and the horses were my chuuls.
I never saw q Thoroughbred horse who
could not be managed if it were properly
treated. But believe me, some or them
know Just what they want.
Some of the greatest feats OF horse
manship in the world have taken place
before bystanders who were not aware
that they were beholding supreme horse
mapship. Because the horse walked
quietly or stood calmly there was moth
ing to thrill grand stand. But 1t takes
the greatest of all horsemen to keep
some horses quiet The ability to rough
ride mustangs is only elementary beside
this power.
Careful attention to few small points
will enable nearly any one who is not
timid and has a. normal liking for
horses to get along serenely with de-
cidedly irritable animals. Pet the horse
Handle it gently, talk to it-horses love
to be talked to by human friends--feed
it little things it likes. Again, when
using it. never jerk 1t or drag on Its
mouth or make very sudden movements
Give Nervous Horse Time.
II the horse is high strung quick mo-
tions are only for established friends
When it wants one thing and you want
something else take the time to persuade
it to do what you want. The mental
processes of even clever horses are a
bit involved, and it is always best in the
long run to wait for what you want un-
til the horse thinks the demand out In
its own way. Also, too many people
have too little trust in the horses men,
tai capacity. They will try everything
they can think Of to get 1t to do as they
wish. except to tell it plainly what they
want.
or course. II the horse Is headstrong
the persuasive process takes little
time, but any one who is unwilling to
give the animal reasonable time ought
not to handle horses.
A horse who is really extreme goes
Off it's feed II a stranger enters the
stable, breaks into lather II a door
bangs. flies into rage at sight of q
color 1t dislikes, or anything of that sort.
is a case to test the wisdom and tact
OF the most gifted horseman. The
whims, notions and preferences of such
horses are simply beyond the powers
of belief of the man in the street. But
consider the intelligence, the personality
of this class Of horses. They have emo
ton, reason. will, When they give the
master friendship they give it greatly.
They are not kind OF equine oxen to be
pulled here and pushed there and go
dumbly But It Is more than worth the
while of an animal lover to get one
and study the right approach to Its
particular nature.