Lesson LXVII

The Horse

Leading thought—The horse as a wild animal depended largely upon its strength and fleetness to escape its enemies, and these two qualities have made it of greatest use to man.

Method—Begin this study of the horse with the stories of wild horses. “The Pacing Mustang” in Wild Animals I Have Known, is an excellent story to show the habits of the herds of wild horses; Chapter first in A Country Reader and the story of horses in Life of Animals are excellent as a basis for study. Before beginning actual study of the domestic horses, ask for oral or written English exercises descriptive of the lives of the wild horses. Get Remington’s pictures illustrating the wild horses of America. After the interest has been thus aroused the following observations may be suggested, a few at a time, to be made incidentally in the street or in the stable.

Observations—1. Compare the length of the legs of the horse with its height. Has any other domestic animal legs as long in proportion? What habits of the ancestral wild horses led to the development of such long legs? Do you think the length of the horse’s neck and head correspond to the length of its legs? Why?

2. Study the horse’s leg and foot. The horse walks on one toe. Which toe do you think it is? What do we call the toe-nail of the horse? What advantage is this sort of a foot to the horse? Is it best fitted for running on dry plains or for marshy land? Does the hoof grow as our nails do? Do you know whether there were ever any horses with three toes or four toes on each foot? Make a sketch of the horse’s front and hind leg and label those places which correspond to our wrist, elbow, shoulder, hand, heel, knee and hip.

3. Where are the horse’s ears placed on the head? How do they move? Do they flap back and forth like the cow’s ears when they are moved, or do they turn as if on a pivot? What do the following different positions of the horse’s ears indicate: When lifted and pointing forward? When thrown back? Can you tell by the action of the ears whether a horse is nervous and high-strung or not?

4. What is the color of the horse’s eyes? The shape of the pupil? What advantage does the position of the eyes on the head give to the wild horse? Why do we put blinders on a horse? Can you tell by the expression of the eye the temper of the horse?

5. Look at the mouth and nose. Are the nostrils large and flaring? Has the horse a keen sense of smell? Are the lips thick or thin? When taking sugar from the hand, does the horse use teeth or lips?

6. Describe the horse’s teeth. How many front teeth? How many back teeth? Describe the bar where the bit is placed. Are there any canine teeth? If so, where? Do you know how to tell a horse’s age by its teeth? (See Elements of Agriculture, Warren, page 304, and The Horse, Roberts, page 246.) Can a horse graze the grass more closely than a cow? Why? When it chews does it move the jaws sidewise like the cow? Why? Why did the wild horses not need to develop a cud-chewing habit?

7. What is the nature of the horse’s coat in summer? If the horse runs in the pasture all winter, how does its coat change? When does the horse shed its coat? What is the use of the horse’s mane, forelock and tail? Do you think it is treating the horse well to dock its tail?

8. Why do colts need to be so long-legged? How does a colt have to place its front legs in order to reach down and eat the grass? Does the colt need to take its food from the mother often? How does it differ from the calf in this respect? How has this difference of habit resulted in a difference of form in the calf and colt?

9. When the horse lies down which part goes down first? When getting up which rises first? How does this differ from the method of the cow? When the horse lies down to sleep does it have its legs partially under it like the cow?

10. In walking which leg moves first? Second? Third? Fourth? How many gaits has the horse? Describe as well as you can all of these gaits. (See pictures illustrating the word “movement” in the Standard Dictionary.)

11. Make a sketch of a horse showing the parts. (See Webster’s Unabridged). When we say a horse is fourteen hands high what do we mean?

12. In fighting, what weapons does the horse use and how?

13. In training a horse, should the voice or the whip be used the most? What qualities should a man have to be a good horse trainer? Why is shying a good quality in wild horses? How should it be dealt with in the domestic horse?

14. What sort of feed is best for the horse? How and when should the horse be watered? Should the water be warmed in cold weather? Why? Should the bit be warmed in winter before putting it in a horse’s mouth? Why? Should a tight over check-rein be used when driving? Why? When the horse has been driven until it is sweating what are the rules for blanketing it when hitched out of doors and when hitched in the barn? What is your opinion of a man who lets his horse stand waiting in the cold, unblanketed in the village street? If horses were kept out of doors all the time would this treatment be so cruel and dangerous? Why? Why should dusty hay be dampened before it is fed to a horse? Why should a horse be groomed? Which should receive the most attention, the legs or the body?

15. How many breeds of horses do you know? What is the use of each? Describe as well as you can the characteristics of the following breeds: The thoroughbred, the hackney, and other coach-horses; the American trotter, the Percheron, the Clydesdale.

16. Write English themes on the following subjects: “The Prehistoric Horses of America,” “The Arabian Horse and Its Life With Its Master,” “The Bronchos and Mustangs of the West,” “The Wild Horses of Tartary,” “The Zebras of Africa,” “The Shetland Ponies and the Islands on Which They Run Wild.”

Supplementary reading—The Horse, Roberts; Elements of Agriculture, Warren; Life of Animals, Cram; Neighbors with Claws and Hoofs; A Country Reader; Agriculture for Beginners; Black Beauty; John Brent, by Theodore Withrop; Half Hours with Mammals, Holder; Chapters on Animals, Hammerton; “Kaweah’s Run” in Claws and Hoofs.

Many horses shy a good deal at objects they meet on the road. This mostly arises from nervousness, because the objects are not familiar to them. Therefore, to cure the habit, you must get your horse accustomed to what he sees, and so give him confidence.... Be careful never to stop a horse that is drawing a vehicle or load in the middle of a hill, except for a rest; and if for a rest, draw him across the hill and place a big stone behind the wheel, so that the strain on the shoulder may be eased. Unless absolutely necessary never stop a horse on a hill or in a rut, so that when he starts again it means a heavy tug. Many a horse has been made a jibber and his temper spoilt by not observing this rule.

—H. B. M. Buchanan in “A Country Reader.”