8. on the treatment of spirited horses

Until now we have discussed, how to protect from being cheated when buying a horse, how to ruin a horse least, and finally how to educate a war horse best.

Now maybe the place is right, also to write briefly about how to treat a horse that is too spirited or a lazy, slow horse.

One has to consider that spirit in a horse means the same as anger in a man. A man is least likely to get angry, when one does not tell or do something inconvenient to him, and the same with the horse. The rider who does not harm him does not make him angry. Already when getting seated, one shall take care, not to hurt him. When seated, one should let him stand still longer than usual. Then let it go slowly with gentle help, increasing the speed so that the horse is not aware of the transition to faster going. A sudden help, given unexpected, may confuse a spirited horse, like a unexpected sight, sudden noise or a movement can also scare a man easily. One has to remember, that the unexpected causes confusion to the horse. If one wants to keep back a spirited horse when going faster than expected, one must not pull the rein suddenly, but pull the reins very gentle and calm down the horse with tender means, not by violence.

Long rides calm horses rather than frequent stopping and turning. And the quiet, but long lasting rides calm a spirited horse and make him tired, and excite him less. If somebody thinks he can calm a horse by fast and long rides to tire him, I have to disagree according to my experience. For in these cases of speeding, a horse in most cases tries to bolt, and has in anger already often, like an angry man, caused unrepairable damages to himself and his rider.

So one has to keep back a spirited horse, for not going top speed. That's why one should entirely avoid racing with other horses, because the most spirited horses often are also most ambitious.

Further the smooth bits are more useful than the rough and hard. When using a sharp bit one must temper it's effect by light leading.

One should also get used to sit still and touch as little as possible with something else than the riding equipment. One must also know to calm him with a sound of the lips and to rouse him by a cluck with the tongue. If somebody uses the gentle helps with the tone of the tongue, and the cluck aids with the lips, then the horse will learn to be roused by the lip-sound and calmed by the tongue-sound. It is also important not to get confused by shout or a trumpet signal and cause the horse a panic. Especially in these cases one must calm his horse as much as possible and give him if possible morning and evening feed. But the best advice is not to buy a spirited horse for war purposes.

For the treatment of a lazy horse according to my experience in everything the opposite is appropriate.

Translation and Copyright
by Stefan Welebny 2000, All Rights Reserved