TREATMENT OF HORSES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XV, Issue 832, 5 April 1882, Page 6

TREATMENT OF HORSES.

A writer in the Western Rural gives the following advice upon the treatment of horses: — "A horse cannot be screamed at and cursed without becoming less valuable in every particular. To reach the highest degree of value the animals should be perfoctly gentle and always reliable out if exyects every moment that it is in the harness to be jawed and struck it will be in a constant state of nervousness, and in tts excitement as liable through fear to do samething which is not expected as to go along what you started it to do. It is possible to train a horse to be governed by the word of mouth almost as completely as it is to train a child, and in such training the horsfis reaches its higbest valuer When a horse is soothed by. the gentle words of his driver — aud we have seen him calmed down from great excitement by no othea means — it may fairly be concluded that the man who has such power over him is a hume man and a sensible one. But all this eiinple means that the man must secure the animal's confidrnce. Only In exceptional peases is a horse stubborn or vicious. If he understands his surroundings andwhatis required of him he gives no trouble, As almost every reader mut kuow, if the animal when frightened can be brought up to the object he will become calm. The reason is that he understands there is nothing to fear. So he must be taught to have confidence in the man who handles him, and then this powerful animal, which usually a man could not handle if it were disposed to be vicious, will give no trouble. The very best rule therefore, which we would lay down for the management of the horse is, gentlenes and good sense on the part of the driver. Bad drivers make bad horses."