TRAINING OF ANIMALS

Shannon News, 31 August 1928, Page 1

TRAINING OF ANIMALS

SERVICEABLE HINTS. In most sect'ons of agricultural practice, says an English writer, we have made a decided advance, and it is somewhal singular that in the rearing, .training, and breaking of animals, whicli we might style tne education of animals, so conducive to the comfort or discomfort of man, we still pursue a course that is closely associated with the dark ages. One common foundation cause that forms the basis of the nonsuccess of many in the education of animals is the assumption that all animals at birth possess hereditary vice, and that that vice must be eradicated before the ar-imal can become a useful servant to man. This is most certainly a "mistake, and one that leads up to numerous evils. It is probably in the case of horses that the greatest mischief results. In the education of a colt or a. filly (or a young bull) the same'care is needed as in that of a child. The, disposition should be studied and defects eradicated by kind, yet firm treatment. At present if a foal is of a lively temperament it is at once put down as vicious, and if cither of its parents has shown what is miscalled ( vice, the result of mistaken brutality in their education, then the foal's liveliness is put down as hereditary vice and a prolonged course of harsh conduct and beating is deemed necessary to effeet a cure. If, on the other hand, the animal ia

of a slow and heavy nature it is erroneously supposed to be the result of vicious sullenness, and the same treatment as in the case of a lively foal is —harsh treatment and beating to bring them into so-called subjection. In each ease this cruel discipline has just the opposite effect UV that sought and hence we have too irany kicking, biting, jibbing and bolting horses. In place of having horses which entertain affection for man, we have them in constant fear of man, ever expectant of a blow, and their worst actions often leading up to acci-. dent or death are too often the result , of this fear possibly some movement of the driver not connected with them being misconstrued into the intention to inflict a blow. In the breaking and education of all young animals firmness should blend with kindness, but never with harshness or brutality.