Part 1

HORSE SECRETS

WRITTEN, COMPILED AND NOW DISCLOSED

BY A. S. ALEXANDER

Professor of Veterinary Science, and in charge of the Department of Horse Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin.

ALAS! HE CANNOT TALK! “I don’ see much use in de scientis’ folks studying monkey talk, but a study of hoss talk dat ’ud let de animal tell all about hisse’f befo’ a trade comes off ’ud save a heap o’ hard feelings.” “Uncle Ezra,” in Washington Star.

PHILADELPHIA—1909 WILMER ATKINSON COMPANY Price, 25 Cents

Copyright, 1909 WILMER ATKINSON CO.

INTRODUCTION

Dr. A. S. Alexander, the writer and compiler of “Horse Secrets,” has had upward of 25 years’ experience in matters pertaining to agriculture, horse breeding, veterinary science, press writing and teaching. He was the author of the first stallion service legislation and inspection regulation in America, the first law of the kind having been written by him and enacted by the Wisconsin Legislature in 1905. Similar legislation now is in force in some 16 other states, and it is accomplishing much for the improvement of horse breeding.

Horse trading offers unusual opportunities and temptations for sharp practises. Both buyer and seller equally need to be horse-wise and alert. Dishonesty is discountenanced in the great horse markets, but it is common among scalpers, “gyps” and small traders outside of the recognized markets and is likely to be practised by either the buyer or the seller.

The items published in these pages disclose many sharp practises which, aside from their interest as facts not generally known, are valuable as information for the man who would engage intelligently in horse buying and selling.

The writer and publishers of this book desire to expose these tricks, and to decry their practise in the markets and among outside dealers and breeders. “Forewarned is forearmed,” and the information here given will doubtless save many a man from loss, and tend to make dishonesty less rife because less likely to succeed.

In mentioning the various tricks herein disclosed, the exact methods have not been given in detail. We have no desire to instruct readers so that they may “go and do likewise”; for the same reason doses have not been given for the administration of the various drugs and “dopes” used by tricksters.

The matter relating to the purchase of stallions should prove specially interesting and valuable. It is a matter of general knowledge among the initiated that stallions are frequently sold at excessive prices to companies of farmers, and that “peddlers” of such stallions are unscrupulous in their methods of obtaining signers to the notes taken for the purchase of such horses. The facts published with respect to this business should serve to warn farmers that they are apt to be cheated in purchasing a stallion on the “company plan,” and that it is always best, safest and most profitable to purchase a stallion direct from a reputable breeder or importer, for by so doing much money will be saved and the horse bought will be much more likely to prove sound and suitable and to give satisfaction.

Dr. Alexander desires in this place to acknowledge his indebtedness to the publishers of the various farm and stock papers from the pages of which extracts have been taken.

WILMER ATKINSON CO.

Contents.

Page

HORSE FEEDING SECRETS 7

Secret of Hand Raising a Foal 7

Secret of Feeding Silage to Horses 8

Secret of Fattening Drafters 9

Secret of Feeding Molasses 10

SECRETS OF VARIOUS VICES 12

Secret of Stopping Halter Pulling 12

Secret of Preventing Mules from Kicking 13

Secret of Tying a Mare with a Foal 13

Secret of Handling a Balky Horse 13

Secret of Curing a Stall Kicker 16

SECRET TRICKS IN HORSE TRADING 18

Secret of Shutting a Heaver 18

Secret of Plugging a Roarer 18

Diamond Cut Diamond 19

Making a Horse Act Mean 20

Blowing Air Under the Skin 20

Stopping a Switcher 20

Turpentine and Gasoline Tricks 21

Gingering a Show Horse 21

Unnerving and Cocaining 22

Keep an Eye on the Sign Board 22

Secret of Hiding a Spavin 23

Artificially Induced Knee Action 23

Artificial Tail Trick 24

Keeping a Horse “In the Air” 24

The Loose Shoe Trick 25

Wire Marks Over Side-Bones 25

Wedging a Cribber 25

Making an Artificial Star 26

Black Spots on a White Horse 27

Broken Crest or Wrong Lying Mane 27

Concealing Discharging Sinuses 27

The Galloping Past Dodge 28

Keeping a Horse on Edge 28

An Eye for An Eye 28

Examine the Ears 29

Bishoping—An Old Trick 30

How Bishoping is Done 30

MISCELLANEOUS SECRETS 32

The Widow Trick 32

Landing a Sucker 33

A Horse That Was Right There 34

An Honest “Hoss” Dealer 34

A Sharper’s Smooth Sayings 35

The Winter Board Trick 35

How Horses Catch Cold 36

Tricks in Measuring Horses 36

SECRETS ABOUT STALLION SELLING 37

Palming Off a Grade Stallion 37

Stud Books Approved by the Government 38

Stud Books Not Certified by the Government 39

Story of a Company Stallion Deal 39

Horse Peddlers’ Confessions 41

The Sale of Les Epinards 41

The Sale of Transmigrator 42

SOME VETERINARY SECRETS 44

Secret of Preventing Navel and Joint Disease 44

Symptoms of Bad Teeth 45

Remedies for Tail Rubbing 45

A Cruel Cure for Heaves 46

An Astringent for Scours 47

An Old Operation for Spavin 47

Facts About Pigment Tumors 48

SECRETS OF BUYING AND SELLING HORSES 49

Auction Sale Rules 49

Reputable Dealers Protect Their Patrons 50

Two Sides to a Horse 51

A little Ill to Distract Attention From a Big One 52

Beware of Hoof Dressing 52

Buying a Pair 53

A High English Guarantee 53

An Unsound Horse Sometimes a Good Bargain 54

A Second-Hand Horse 54

“Protecting” the Buyer 55

Splitting the Profit Three Ways 55

A Glossary of Market Terms 56

Horse Feeding Secrets.

Secret of Hand Raising a Foal.

An orphan foal can be successfully raised on cows’ milk if the work is intelligently and patiently conducted. Mares’ milk is sweeter than cows’ milk, but less rich in butter fat; therefore, in using cows’ milk for foal feeding, choose that which is poor in butter fat—3 per cent. or thereabout—and sweeten it with sugar or molasses. The latter sweetening has the advantage of acting as a mild aperient.

It should be remembered that the first milk (colostrum) of the mare contains a purgative principle for the removal of the meconium from the intestinal tract of the foal, and as the orphan foal does not receive this natural cathartic it is apt to suffer from constipation, which may prove fatal. To prevent this inject into the rectum of the foal, twice daily from birth, two or three ounces of warm water containing one to two teaspoonfuls of glycerine, and continue this treatment until the bowels have been moved freely.

A mixture of equal quantities of cream, molasses and warm water also makes a good injection fluid for a young foal, and some horsemen insert a small, thin tallow-dip candle into the rectum for a like purpose.

At first the foal should be fed once an hour, but gradually the times of feeding may be reduced in number. Feed the milk blood warm, giving at first half a cupful at each meal and with it three tablespoonfuls of lime water to the pint of milk. The foal will take the milk readily from a large rubber nipple fitted on the neck of a feeding bottle which must be often well scalded. A kid glove thumb perforated and fitted over the spout of a small teapot will do almost as well as a rubber nipple and feeding bottle.

Hand-fed foals tend to scour. When such trouble starts withhold two or more feeds of milk, and give one to four tablespoonfuls of castor oil in milk, according to the severity of the attack and the size of the foal, and repeat the dose every time there is any derangement of the digestive organs.

Soon the foal may be fed but six times a day, then four times, and in a few weeks it will freely take milk and lime water from a clean pail. At this stage sugar may be omitted and the lime water be given only once a day. The secret of success is to feed a little milk often and to keep all utensils scrupulously sweet and clean. As soon as he will take to it, the foal may be allowed to lick oatmeal in small quantities; gradually increase the amount and add wheat bran. After six weeks give a little sweet skim-milk in place of a part of the new milk, and by increasing the amount day by day the foal may at three months old take skim-milk entirely and continue to drink it freely three or four times daily while eating grass, grain and bran.

Secret of Feeding Silage to Horses.

It is commonly believed that corn silage cannot safely or profitably be fed to horses. Investigation shows that this belief is ill advised, for some horsemen feed silage successfully.

A noted Wisconsin breeder has used corn silage extensively as a feed for horses as a part of the winter ration during the past eighteen years. The number wintered each year averages about 100. His method is as follows:

In making silage for horses the corn is allowed to stand until nearly out of the milk, as better results have thus been obtained than when it is cut greener. The silo is filled as rapidly as possible, and when full is allowed to settle for four or five days, when it is again filled. Care is taken to pack the silage tightly around the walls.

The silo is opened about November 15th, when the herds have been brought in from the pastures. Care is taken to feed the horses lightly at first so that they may become accustomed to the new food.

A large bin has been built, connecting with a room below the doors of the silo. This bin is filled from time to time with a mixture of four parts of hay and one of straw, cut about 3 inches long, by being run through a silage machine. The silage is always mixed with this cut hay and straw before feeding. The proportions are about one to five of silage by weight. By cutting the hay and straw, the amount wasted is reduced to a minimum.

The corn is never taken out of the silo before it is ready to be used. The entire top is removed each day to a depth of about two inches. Any silage that is spoilt is thrown away. The silage and hay-straw are mixed thoroughly by forking over several times in the room, already referred to. By doing this the horses do not obtain all the silage at one time. Any grain that is fed is put in the manger with the silage.

The amount of ensilage fed to different horses varies with the animal. It is found that no two horses eat the same amount and they are never given more than they will eat. The average amount fed will be stated in each case below.

Aged stallions, used for breeding purposes, receive during the winter season about 24 pounds of silage per day. This is divided into three feeds, morning, noon and night. Besides this they are fed long hay and grain. During the breeding season they do not get any silage, as it has been found that if it is fed at that time there is difficulty in getting mares in foal and in raising a large percentage of colts. The reason for this is not known.

Two-year old stallions receive about 20 pounds of silage per day with their other feed. Yearling stallions receive about 15 pounds, with grain and hay. Mares with foals receive about 20 pounds, and also grain and hay while the colts are sucking. This is reduced to about 15 pounds, fed twice a day in the stable, after the colts are weaned.

Mares and geldings, from one year up, run in a herd together. They are fed morning and night about 15 pounds per day. During the day, if weather permits, they are turned out in a pasture and fed hay upon the ground.

Colts, soon after they have learned to eat grain, are fed a little silage in the box stalls with their mothers. For this purpose small feed boxes are put in each stall near the mangers, where the mares eat. After being weaned the colts are fed about 7 pounds of silage a day with the grain. Alfalfa hay also is put in a rack in the yard, in which the colts are turned out each day, and they eat as much of this as they care for.

The ration fed is higher than a balanced ration. There has never been any sickness resulting from the use of silage. The animals always come through the winter in good breeding condition and in proper shape to be turned on to pasture in the spring.

Secret of Fattening Drafters.

The business of buying young draft horses and feeding them off for the market has been profitably followed by many farmers during the past ten years. The work requires skill and experience and is thus described by Prof. W. J. Kennedy, of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station: “In one of the large horse-feeding establishments of the West the following method is practised: The horses are purchased, their teeth are floated and they are all put in the barn and their feed increased gradually, as great care must be taken for a few days to avoid colic. It seems preferable to feed them grain about five times per day, due to the fact that as the stomach of the horse is proportionately smaller than the stomach of a cow, he needs his feed in smaller quantities and more often. The hay is placed in racks so that access may be had to it at all times. The horses are given all the water they will drink twice a day. The daily practise is as follows: Corn is given at 5 o’clock in the morning; water at 7; the hay racks are filled at 9 o’clock, when the horses are also given oats and bran, the proportion being two-thirds bran and one-third oats. At 12 o’clock they are fed corn again; at 3 in the afternoon oats and bran are given and the hay racks are refilled; at 4 they are given a second watering, and at 6 the final feed of corn is given. The proportion for each horse when upon full feed is as follows: Corn from 10 to 14 ears to each feed; oats and bran, about 3 quarts per feed, making in all from 30 to 40 ears of corn and 6 quarts of oats and bran per horse per day. The horses are not given any exercise from the time they are put in the barn until a few days before they are to be shipped. As a substitute for exercise, and in order to keep the blood in good order, thus preventing stocked legs, Glauber’s salt is used.”

In some instances horses fed in this manner have made a gain of 5½ pounds a day for a period of 50 to 100 days. One horse gained 550 pounds in 100 days. In many instances from 12 to 20 horses have made an average daily gain of 3⅓ pounds per day each for a period of 90 days.

Secret of Feeding Molasses.

The feeding of black strap molasses came into vogue when the United States artillery and cavalry horses in Porto Rico required “plumping up.” By free use of this readily assimilated fattening food mixed with cut hay or grass, horses that had run down to skin and bone and become covered with harness sores quickly gained flesh and acquired sleek, polished, sound hides so that their former drivers or riders failed to recognize them. Although large quantities of molasses were fed to each horse daily, neither colic nor scouring was caused.

Dr. W. H. Dalrymple, veterinarian of the Louisiana Experiment Station, says that the amount of molasses fed to the large sugar-mules of 42 plantations in his state is from 8 to 12 pounds per head per diem, or an average of about 9.5 pounds; a gallon of black strap molasses weighing 12 pounds. He advises that less than this should be given at first and gradually increased as the animals get used to it, though he adds: “We have not experienced any ill effects from feeding the amounts alluded to.” In fact, as high as 21 pounds per day has been fed in Louisiana without any untoward results. The molasses is mixed with concentrates and cut hay.

Here is a recommended formula for molasses feeding on a lesser scale to working draft horses:

Molasses, 1 quart; water, 3 quarts; cut hay, 5 pounds; corn-meal, 4 quarts; coarse bran, 2 pints. Feed morning and night. Give usual quantity of oats at noon, and add long hay at night.

The Department of Agriculture, in Farmer’s Bulletin No. 107, states that molasses is an excellent food for horses and cattle. It produces energy, maintains the vital heat, stimulates the appetite and increases the digestibility of the other constituents of the ration. That cane molasses is a satisfactory substitute for starchy foods, being readily digested and transformed into work: that 5 quarts of molasses can be given daily to a 1,270 pound horse with advantage to its health and the efficiency of its work.

Secrets of Various Vices.

Secret of Stopping Halter Pulling.

There are many different ways of managing halter pullers and of these the following methods seem most effective:

Take a strong but thin rope about 20 feet long. Put the middle of it under the horse’s tail like a crupper. Bring the two ends forward along the back, knotting them together at the loins and withers. Then pass one on each side of the neck, through the ring of the halter and tie to the manger along with the halter shank.

Pass the end of tie rope or halter over the manger and tie it to one fore foot, so that the pull is equal on the head and foot. This is simple, safe and efficient.

Put a good strong halter on the horse with a rope that he cannot break; then put him either on a plank floor that is about 4 inches higher behind than in front, or on a hard earth floor of the same slope. Have the floor very smooth, and wet it a little to make it slippery, if he is a bad one, and pad the sides of the stall with old sacks or blankets, tying them on with binder twine. As soon as the horse finds that he cannot keep his feet he will give up pulling.

Use a good halter and 10 or 12 feet of strong rope or strap. Tie one end of the rope around the pastern of a front foot and pass the other end through the halter ring and fasten to a stout post or manger and let the horse pull. This will cure an ordinary case. If it does not cure a bad one, tie the rope to a hind leg, passing it through the halter ring and between the fore legs to the hind pastern.

Tie a rope around the hind leg at the pastern and pass the rope to the opposite side of the body; run it around the neck where the collar rests and tie the foot up so that it will not touch the floor. Put a good halter on the horse and he will not pull very hard.

Mr. J. S. Teesdale, of Multnomah County, Oregon, contributed the following amusing account of the curing of a halter puller to the Breeders’ Gazette: “I owned a horse that pulled back every time he was tied up in or out of his stable. I got very tired of it. I took him one day to a wharf over a river. There was, as is usual, a wall on the dock a few feet from its edge. I led him on so that his face was near the wall and his tail toward the water; and I stood him with his right side close up to a partition that ran from the wall to the edge of the wharf. I stood with my body close to his left eye, hiding the river from his view, so that he could not see the water from either side. The river was a very silent one. I held him in that position almost an hour until I thought he had forgotten the river entirely, then I tied him to a ring in the wall, holding a sharp knife in my teeth as I did so. As soon as I had tied him he hung back as badly as ever. I cut the rope. He turned a back somersault and dropped 10 feet into the river. When he came to the surface and recovered from his daze, he swam down stream to the end of the dock and landed. He never hung back again so far as I know, although he was tied a thousand times.”

Secret of Preventing Mules from Kicking.

Mr. F. M. Walker, of Vernon County, Missouri, contributed the following to the columns of the Breeders’ Gazette: “Take two straps 1½ inches wide with a good ring; have the straps long enough to buckle around the hind legs, one above the hock and one below. First buckle the ring in both straps; then take a stout rope, put a ring in the rope, and tie it around the breast of the collar so that the double will come back behind the belly-band and make the ring stay. Now take another piece of stout rope, tie in the ring on the hind leg, bring it up through ring at the belly-band and back to the other ring on the hind leg. Do not leave any slack for the horse or mule to get his feet over. An animal can walk or trot in this rigging, but he cannot kick. I have broken several mules in this way.”

Tying a Mare With a Foal.

To tie a mare so that her foal will not get hung in the halter strap, use a ring in the manger instead of a hole. Thirty inches is plenty long enough for the stale. Put a weight on end of the stale—an old bar shoe will do all right. All good horses in Great Britain are tied this way, except that the chain is used.

Secret of Handling a Balky Horse.

A tired, balky horse is less apt to balk than one fresh from the stable, and such horses are oftentimes kept in harness right up to the time of sale. This is a “David Harum” trick and well worth remembering. Also, when a horse balks, be careful to examine his shoulders. Soreness of the skin may be the cause. It is a trick of the “gyps” secretly to bathe the shoulders of a horse with an irritating solution which in 12 hours or less makes the animal refuse to pull in harness. They do this with horses on which they purpose making a bid the following day in the hope that when the victim balks the owner will become disgusted and discount the price. Some horses balk when worked in single harness but go all right when hitched double. Chloroform is sometimes used to make a balky horse stupid, so that he will forget to balk.