Th e horse.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 6, 13 August 1874, Page 5

Th e horse.

Starting and Shying Horses. {Continued.) . I have no doubt many of my readers nave found a horse, or seen one, in techhical term, " buck "on coming to a (say) larg-e white stone on the road, .^without Its appearing to have attracted*^ a|t*§ntion till close upon it. I have no hesitation in giving an opinion that a horse In the habit of doing this is near-sighted. Ifj on the contfary, he cocked his ears and raised his head on seeing the stone at a distance, I shonld infer hia sight was confused, and that the stone was magnified to his view, or appeared what it was not j but the sudden start on seeing it, as it were, under his feet, clearly shows be had not seen it till close on it —^-then he starts, often producing an almost eleotric shock to the rider. I have seen a horse thus start so suddenly and-vioiently, as almost to bring himself on his nose. Depend upon it, no horse \dil do; this but under the influence of defective -vision.. The attempt to cure a failing the result of an infirmity must prove abortive, unless we could cure or palliate the original Icause of it. I have already mentioned the different causes that occasioned shying and starting ; there is, however, another cause — this is^nervousness, which will frequently cause hor3es to start on hearing any unusual sound or noise 5 some carry this to such apitch that, figuratively speaking we might be led to suppose that Mr, Pine, the celebrated acoustic apparatus maker of the Strand, had applied one of his instruments to the animal's ears, so that sounds unheard by other horses fell with unusual loudness on the tympanum of his ear. Such horses are in many cases extremely dangerous. We can use our own eyes and judgment if we see anything approaching likely to 'cause the horse alarm ; but a gun fired off, a drum struck, or a simultaneous shout often takes place without our having notice of its vicinity, consequently we have no notice to enable us to guard against its effects. In all situations a nervous horse is more or less dangerous. One bit of advice I unhesitatingly give: never, under any circumstance, strike a horse for starting or shying. If he does so from imperfect vision or timidityj a moment's reflection must show any man the folly, and, in fact, "cruelty of doing so. If it arises from habit, it will not prevent the sudden act, but will occasion such agitation on the part of the animal as will cause him to become so unruly through fear, that the rider will have great trouble to pacify or reassure him, I have seen many a horse who had been punished for starting or shying, start off before the rider was aware of the intent, or jump and throw himself about so violently as to render itdifficult remain on his ba.clf~-a sure indication of his having been ridden by a bad, or at least hasty- tempered man, and "one whom we could not compliment on his judgment. There is & most mistaken measure people often practise with horses, which is— if ahorse shies at anything stationary, to force him up to it. I have seen an ignorant groom thus battle with a horse till he drove the animal almost to desperation ; and, even if such practice •succeeds so far as getting the horse up to it, what is gained by it ? It will be found that, so far from being reconciled, and bis fears removed, as regards the object of 'his alarm, he will, the moment he is permitted to do so, retreat from it withincreased fear, from the fact of its having been made to him what his fears suggested, namely, an object likely to produce hurt and annoyance to him. He will again shy from it or its simili tude. A horse seldom shies in passing an object without giving some hint that it is probable he will do so. The moment we find this to be the case . the wisest plan is to stop him, and, while we encourage him, let him stand and gaze at it. Findingit not attempt to harm hi m , and that he is encouraged, he becomes collected and reassured. He at first, probably, snorts — then timidly or mistrustfully regards it — then seesit without alarm — and, lastly, quietly walks up to it on the slightest indication of the rider's wish that he shoidd do so. If, on approaching it, he stops, let him do so, nnd have his stare out. He then, "most probably, will go up to it. Let him stand some time j for, if you turn him away either quickly or before he has become quite in confidence with the object, your work is only half Bone, Do not let him leave it till you are convinced he wiUxlo so as composedly as he •^quitted his own stable-door. It may be said, are we all our lives to be thus tampering with and coaxing a faulty horse? By no means; but, faulty aa be is, the usual so common "mode of treating him will make him worse every day he is thus treated. By the mode 1 advise he will, from being "encouraged instead of brow-beaten, gain confidence in his rider; and, finding that on submitting to his wishes as regards approaching objects that he beheld with alarm, he only meets with encouragement from him, and no harm from the object, he will in a short time feel bis rider as a guarantee that no injury will arise from compliance with his wishes. Ido not mean to say that courage is to be absolutely taught even man; but daily int^rcpur^,|n^cQinpanionship with a manly and fearless companion will go a long way towards Tendering one nervous and timid bold iand enterprising. So custom and en-

couragement will render an animal, if not bynatureahigh-couraged one, at least sufficiently fearless to answer most purposes required of him. Starting and shying in harness is a serious failing in a horse. I once saw the shafts of a light gig both snapped by the sudden violent start of one, and a sad catastrophe was the consequence. In a phaeton such a horse is very likely to upset it locked under j but even then the alarm and confusion it creates is , great. In any sort of light vehicle it is attepded more "or less with danger. Horses will start or shy in various ways : some seem only to fear (or, in sooth, perhaps see) objects above the usual range of sight — for instance, an omnibus, load of hay, or a wild- beast caravan; others shy at objects on the level with the eye ; and, again, others from objects on the ground. Though with judicious treatment we may cure or palliate the failing of shying in a horse ridden, I am not aware of any means by which we can accomplish the same with a harness horse ; probably, if cured of it when under the saddle, he might not Eractice*it when in haimessj but, never aving tried the experiment, I am unable to decide the point. However, supposing a horse thus to start or shy, as we cannot make him familiar with objects, our only resource is to prevent his seeing them j this is only to be effected by the winkers. In some cases.s where this is not sufficient, we must shut them from his sight by a piece of leather attached to the winkers. I£ he starts at elvated objects, the shade or blinker must be fixed so as to prevent his range of sight reaching upwards. If he shies ; at objects near at hand and below him, the additional blinker must be fixed so that he cannot see objects beneath him. If he shies at things on the level with his eyes, the extra blinker must be fixed from one winker to the other, so that he can only see the sky and the ground close to his feet. Horses will frequently shy from the winkers being too small, or the bridle carelessly adjusted ,* when both these causes have occiired I have frequently from a coach-Jbox actually seen a horse's eyes from over tho winker — this arises from the winkers, from a supposed smartness of shape, being cut too far away on the top part ; added to this, if the side pieces of the bridle are not tight enough, and the nose-band is . left 100 loose, the cheek or side pieces of the bridle will at times admit the winkers to stand away from the horse's eyes, and he sees above, below, or behind him, as the case may be, There can bo no doubt but that most horses might bo used to go in harness without winkers as steadily as with them ; but from our not being accustomed to see them thus harnessed we should think ifc unsightly, and, moreover, they would be constantly watching the whip ; so a free-going horse would he kept in a constant fret by every motion of it, as horses frequen lily are when they watch its shadow on a sunshiny day. But be it borne in mind that a horse without winkers would be a very different case from a horse with them, and at times getting glimpses of objects from a momentary circumstance, which probably would be attended with dangerA Farrier.