HOW A HORSE WAS CURED OF A BAD HABIT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 341, 1 March 1911, Page 7

HOW A HORSE WAS CURED OF A BAD HABIT.

The late Duke of Northumberland once purchased a valuable horse, but the horse had one very bad trickthat of suddenly lying down when his rider was on his back. This could not be endured, so the Duke ordered his servant to get the horse properly broken in. Accordingly away went the groom to a celebrated horsebreaker in the city of Durham, and without mentioning the animal's particular frailty, left him with a general commission to break him in. The next day the teacher of horses rode out on an experimental trip, and presently found himself rolled upon the soil, and the horse by his side, very much at his case. "Oh," said the horse-breaker, not at all embarrassed, " : is that your custom?" So he provided himself the next day with several strong stakes and plenty of sound rope, and took the unceremonious steed to a large field adjoining Durham Cathedral. The animal, according to his character, soon stretched himself comfortably, rider and all, on the green sods. The horse-breaker, getting up, seized upon his wooden stakes, drove them deep and firm into the ground all around the wilful brute, and then, by means of the rope, fastened him down exactly in the position chosen by himself, so that neither legs nor body could stir one inch. Of course, after a time the horse was willing to get up, but. the teacher was willing he should lie still, and there he kept him, with plenty of hay and water within reach, for three days and three nights, himself sitting on his back for must of the time smoking his pipe. The horse never again lay down with his rider on his back.— "Weekly Telegraph,"