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Show CONTROL OF UNRULY HORSES As Ealkiness Is Largely a Nervous Disorder, Quietness and Kindness Kind-ness Are Essential. (Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.) Some work horses, although a littlo cold shouldered, will pull when once started. As balkiness seems to be largely a nervous trouble, quietness and kindness must be used at all times, says the United States Department of Agriculture. Before any persuasive treatment is tried the bearing of the harness should be examined to determine deter-mine if it is hurting the horse and thus causing the balkiness. If nothing noth-ing is wrong, place a rope or strap around the knees of the horse and pull straight to the front, which will generally gen-erally induce him to move a step at a time, and thus gradually resume his work. Where It is repeated several times this persuasive . treatment Is usually sufficient to get the horse to pull. In case the horse Is a confirmed balker, throws himself, and refuses to get up, something out of the ordinary must be done to attract the animal's attention. The horse should be hitched with a good pulling animal and when down should be held in that position by having two men sit on his head and neck. Then take a bucket of water wa-ter and pour a very small stream on the animal's nose, occasionally allowing allow-ing a little to fall into the upturned nostril. The animal will struggle to rise, but he should be held down for about two minutes, with the water trickling on tha muzzle all the time. The horse then should be permitted to get on his feet, and If he goes down a second time the treatment should be repeated. It Is only rarely that a balky horse of this character will throw himself a third time where this treatment is followed. If the animal still refuses to move forward, however, a loop should be dropped under the tall as a crupper, extending forward through the halter ring, and fastened to a good pulling horse. As the word Is given, the horse shouM be started, the wagon being pulled by the mate of the balky horse and the balky horse being pulled by the horse at the end of the rope. As soon as the balky animal shows an Scotland, an Excellent Specimen of the Mors?.n Breed. Inclination to move by himself, the tension of the rope should be released re-leased and should be tightened again only when the balker hesitates hesi-tates or stops. This treatment Is generally gen-erally effective in curing a balky horse and should never be attended by punishment pun-ishment with the whip. |