| Could a horse trainer, born about 154 years ago, | | | | the wagon. These are the fixed laws which |
| teach us anything new today? Would the | | | | govern the actions of all horses, and the training |
| methods be old hat or would they be useful? | | | | of a colt is merely teaching him not to fear the |
| The answer is a resounding Yes!, they are | | | | working apparatus, but to respect his master, and |
| enormously useful. | | | | to obey his commands as soon as he has learned |
| The horse training expert referred to is named | | | | their meaning. |
| Jesse Beery. Beery was a world famous horse | | | | Each one of these senses must be educated |
| trainer from the late 1800's who possessed | | | | before the colt is trained. A colt's education may |
| amazing ability with horses. | | | | be compared with that of a child to a great |
| Fortunately, Beery's secrets remain after all these | | | | extent. A horse's reasoning powers are limited to |
| years. His information can be found in his book he | | | | his past experience. So we must reason with him |
| wrote in the late 1800's. However, very few | | | | by acts alone. Hence the importance of beginning |
| copies of his book exist. It is virtually impossible to | | | | every step with the colt right; for by our acts he |
| find an original - much less one that is readable. | | | | learns. |
| Here is a partial reading from the first chapter of | | | | The successful school-master aims first to teach |
| Beery's book: | | | | the child to have confidence in him. Hence the first |
| Fear is the principal motive which causes the colt | | | | lesson we give the colt is simply to teach it to |
| to resist training. It is natural for him to kick | | | | have confidence in us and that we are its best |
| against an unknown object at his heels, to pull his | | | | friend and don't intend to hurt it. |
| head out of the halter as from a trap, and if of a | | | | The book continues with the first lesson a colt is |
| bad disposition, to strike and bite if he does not | | | | to have which is |
| thoroughly understand you. | | | | "How to gain a colt's confidence." |
| His fear is governed by his sense of touch, sight | | | | Fortunately, horse trainer Andy Curry discovered |
| and hearing; and it is through these senses we | | | | a legible copy and made it available for horse |
| obtain a mastery, and at the same time remove | | | | owners who want to learn this incredible |
| his fears of the halter, the robe, the harness and | | | | information. |