To Educate Horses Not to Be Afraid of Objects When Driving
It is impossible to overestimate the value of the subjoined instructions respecting nervous and shying horses, therefore on this topic I wish to be particularly clear and explicit. Let the reader understand that horses take fright at objects because they fancy those objects will harm them, and if you can by any means appeal to the horse’s brain, and satisfy him that he is not going to be hurt, you have accomplished your object, and in order to do so, you must have control of your horse. I do not mean by this that you are to adopt the too frequent course pursued by many, viz., subduing with the whip, or other harsh means, which will, without almost an exception, increase the fear instead of removing the habit; again, when a horse shies, the driver commences to jerk on the rein nearest to the object, and at once applies the whip, fully determined to master his horse; both man and horse get excited, and the horse comes off victorious, because he cannot control him by the means used, and the result is that the next time the animal is frightened it bears a two-fold character, the fear of the object, and the fear of the whip-punishment.
In order to properly educate your horses in this department, I would specially direct the reader to observe and practice the following directions: Select, first, the most prominent objects at which he becomes frightened, then make the Bonaparte bridle of small cord, and place it on your horse under the bridle, carrying the end of the cord into the carriage, and when approaching an object at which he takes fright, get out of your carriage, stand nearly in front of him, give a quick downward pull, and say, “Come here!” At first do not punish him too severely; but if he will not obey, increase the punishment, and so soon as he complies, caress him. Bring him quite near the object, and, if possible, let him smell of it, as by adopting this method he will quickly understand that the object will not hurt him. Now turn him around, and drive him past the object two or three times, and you have accomplished your end.