Part 5

The discussion of the subject of the horse’s mouth has been prompted by observing the thoughtlessness and carelessness of otherwise good horsemen and lovers of horseflesh with regard to the horse’s mouth. If a horse has a sore mouth he manifests it in some way unpleasant to his driver or rider, but it is rarely that an examination of that organ is made in order to determine the nature and extent of the trouble. Such an examination is not difficult to make by one at all accustomed to the handling of horses, and can be made as follows: Take the horse into a place in which the light is good. To examine the near side of the mouth, pass the left hand into the off side of it, grasp the tongue gently, and pull it a little to one side--it is not necessary to pull it out of the mouth--in order to expose the branch of the lower jaw, or bar, as it is sometimes called. The thumb of the right hand should be placed in the roof of the mouth so as to separate the jaws, when the part that the mouthpiece of the bit presses on can be easily scrutinized. The other side can be examined in the same manner by using the hands in the opposite way.

The soreness, however, is not always confined to the bars of the lower jaw, the result of the pressure of the bit, for it is not infrequently found that the lining membrane of the cheeks is excoriated by the bit forcibly pressing the cheeks against the anterior grinders. This form of injury is seldom found in a horse that readily bends his head upon his neck or “gets his nose in,” as it is often expressed, unless it is from the use of tight pulley-bridoon bearing reins, which is almost certain to cause it, particularly if a horse bores on it. In the majority of instances it is where a jointed or snaffle bit is used, when a horse “takes hold,” and in the case of one not inclined to “bend,” that the lining of the cheeks is injured. It can be readily understood, where a jointed bit is used on a horse that does not get his nose in, that when force is exerted upon the reins, it presses the cheeks directly against the teeth, and we can at once realize the great liability to injury of the soft and sensitive cheeks when pressed between two hard bodies, such as an iron bit and unyielding teeth, which frequently have sharp projecting hooks and angles at the very point at which pressure is brought to bear. Horses driven with tight over-checks are particularly subject to this form of injury to the mouth, as can be understood from the explanation already given. In horses that cannot be made to get their noses in, in riding or driving, and which show evidence of soreness of the mouth in the lining of the cheeks, the front grinders should be kept as smooth as possible. It is impossible for a horse to have a pleasant responsive mouth when the pressure comes upon the cheeks. Nature evidently intended the yielding lower jaw to bear the pressure of the bit, with the soft and elastic tongue to aid in avoiding injury to the sensitive structure which covers the branches of that jaw. Many horses which do not bend their heads upon their necks, when used with a snaffle bit can be made to get their noses in with a curb, which is consequently, when rationally used, the more humane and also the much more effectual in promoting style and action. Occasionally, however, one finds that a horse goes better in a snaffle than in any other kind of bit unless it is one with a smooth and slightly curved, unjointed mouthpiece.

In addition to those already referred to there are many other ill-results from sore mouths, and among the more serious of these are the restless and irritable habits horses develop when being ridden or driven out of the stable, such as going off with a rush, rearing, plunging and balking. A great deal depends upon the sensitiveness of the individual as to the manner in which he shows his restiveness and irritability when with a sore mouth again facing the bit. A horse of a good, mild temperament may do nothing but show a hesitation in going into the bit and if in double harness hang back for a time, or he will not go up with his mate. Others will go sideways, cross their jaws, press on one side of the bit, or toss their heads in an irritable manner that makes it almost impossible to guide them. High-strung, nervous, determined horses may show their irritability in the more dangerous manner of rushing, plunging or rearing. Drivers of horses are sometimes very much astonished to find a previously well-mannered horse go off with a rush, rear or plunge, but it is remarkable how seldom they think of looking to the mouth to find out the cause for the unexpected display of ill-manners, when in the majority of instances it is to be found there. Even when the lips are tinged with blood from the injured lining membrane it is seldom that an examination is made to determine the extent of the injury. Frequently when an injury to the mouth is pointed out to an owner it is thought lightly of, the extreme sensitiveness of that organ not being realized.

Pinches, abrasions and cracks about the commissures of the lips usually attract attention because they are easily observed, but they really, as a rule, do not cause nearly the amount of irritation and pain that an internal injury to the mouth does, and they are easily prevented by the use of a circular leather cheek piece on the bit. Some horses that show a disinclination to go into the bit for the first mile or two, after a time begin to pull, and the farther they are driven the more they pull. This is usually the result of a sore mouth, and veterinarians frequently have to remove small portions of bone which have been detached from the jaw by the extreme pressure of the bit. Bad “side-liners” are caused by a chipped jaw or else an extensive excoriation of the soft tissues on one side of the mouth where the bit exerts its pressure. In the healing up of such injuries the tissue with which nature repairs the breach seldom seems to attain the ability to stand the pressure of the bit to the same extent that one not so severely injured does. The fact that such permanent ill-effects are apt to follow injuries to the mouth from the bit should cause the exercise of due care when there is any evidence of soreness. Certainly high-couraged, ambitious horses are predisposed to injuries of the mouth, but they can be largely guarded against by the exercise of care, and it is very important never to disregard “soreness,” however slight.

There is probably no animal in which a bad habit is more apt to become confirmed than the horse, and the restless, irritable habits he is liable to develop on leaving the stable are among the most disagreeable. Some horses do not what is called “settle down” when first driven out, but either prance, hop or canter for a varying distance. This is generally accounted for by the owner as being evidence that the animal in question is “feeling too well,” or, in other words, is suffering from an exuberance of spirits. This may be the cause, but in the large majority of cases it is attributable to uneasiness in connection with the mouth. Sometimes this discomfort may not be the result of absolute soreness, as a change of bit may cause it. It may be noticed in an otherwise well broken horse where a curb bit is first substituted for a snaffle, particularly if it is placed too low in the mouth and if, as very often happens, the tongue is put over it, in which case a horse is very unlikely to go steadily, and his mouth is almost sure to get sore in a very short time.

The placing of the bit in a horse’s mouth is a very important matter in influencing his manner of going. Some horsemen say there is one proper position for a bit in a horse’s mouth and that it should always be placed in that position. My experience is that this is best determined by experiment with each individual, and one can tell, by driving or riding a horse a few minutes, as to where the bit should be placed in his mouth. It is usually best to place it rather high at first, particularly when changing to a curb bit, but if he keeps his tongue under it and does not respond readily to pressure, lower it as much as he will stand without showing restlessness. The lower the bit in the mouth, within certain limits, the better, provided the horse will keep his tongue under it and not fuss with it, and face it with a reasonable degree of firmness.

How frequently we see horses go off their feet when going well within their speed at the trot. Sometimes this is the result of excitability, but in nine cases out of ten it is due to a feeling of discomfort or want of confidence in connection with the mouth. Very often this is caused by the arrangement of the curb in giving too much leverage, especially if the hands of the driver are not good. Some horses that go unsteadily with the reins in the bar will go much better in the half-check, or it may be in the plain check, but very often the breaking at the trot is due to an injured mouth. Horse owners sometimes endeavor to overcome this tendency to breaking by giving long drives, and fatigue will temporarily overcome it as a rule, but there are horses that go unsteadily when almost jaded. This tendency can usually be overcome in a moderately worked horse if the bitting is made comfortable for him and the soreness of the mouth relieved.

Soreness of the mouth is by no means an uncommon one among the exciting causes of “interfering” and may frequently be observed even in well broken horses when a change of bit, particularly a change to a severe one, has produced some injury to the mouth. Fatigue, bad shoeing, rough or slippery roads, and the swaying of a heavy two-wheeler are all exciting causes of “striking,” and the awkwardness arising from an imperfectly made (not thoroughly bitted) mouth, with the incidental soreness, is an important factor.

Driving green horses in double harness is a very fertile cause of sore mouths. There are undoubted advantages in handling green horses in double harness, particularly shy, nervous ones, as the break horse inspires confidence in the green one and he is more easily controlled if badly frightened; but one can make more rapid progress in making a mouth in single harness, or in the saddle, than in double harness, for the opportunity of humoring it is better, and there is only one temper to consider. Trainers of green horses usually change the side horses are driven on every day, which is a good plan, as it tends to make them drive straight; but it is a tacit acknowledgment that there is more or less soreness of the mouth.

If the mouth is bruised or excoriated on the portion of the bars of the lower jaw where the bit presses, keep the bit out of it, if possible, until it heals. This need not prevent the horse being exercised, for if a suitable place is available, he can be lunged a sufficient time daily to keep him in condition and under control. The lunging line can be buckled in the noseband of the halter, and no bit need be used. If a suitable place for lunging is not available and it is necessary to lead the horse alongside of another that is ridden, it can be done without the use of a bit by using a tightly applied standing martingale, made with a headpiece and attached to a girth that is kept in its place by a crupper. The headline should be attached to the noseband of the headstall. In some instances changing to a bit that exerts its pressure so as not to interfere with the sore part will answer, as, for instance, the substitution of a snaffle for a Liverpool; but in most instances it is better to keep the bit out of the mouth altogether until it heals. When the mouth is sufficiently healed to stand the pressure of the bit again it is a very necessary precaution before driving for the first few times to take the sharp edge off the spirit of the horse by lunging him so that the sore part will not be so likely to be reinjured by the animal’s “taking hold.”

It is well to emphasize what has already been stated, that the front grinders should be kept in condition, so that they can inflict no injury to the cheeks, by having them thoroughly beveled or rounded off with the tooth rasp. This does no harm, provided it is done in a rational way, and is frequently of much benefit in preventing injury to the lining of the cheeks.

TURNING HORSES OUT

In the large Eastern cities the practice of horse owners turning all or some of their horses out for a portion of the year is a very common one. Consequently it is an important matter for them to study this question from every standpoint. For instance, is it wise to turn a horse out if he is going sound, and is in good working condition? Many owners express themselves and act as if it were a benefit to a horse to be thrown into complete idleness at intervals for a time. Others do it with the object of saving expense. Mr. C. J. Hamlin, of Buffalo, whom everybody knows as a gentleman of long experience and also as one of good judgment in horse matters, is said to have given expression to the following aphorism, viz., that “two let-ups are as bad as a break-down.” This statement may be considered rather an exaggeration by some, but those who have had an opportunity for fully observing the effects of “turning out” on horseflesh will agree that there is a large measure of truth in it. If you throw a horse into complete or comparative idleness for any length of time, every active tissue of the body becomes relaxed and incapable of standing anything like severe work. The tendons and ligaments lose their strength, the muscular fibres their tone, the nervous system its power of supplying energy for any lengthened exertion. The relaxing effect of idleness on muscular fibre is well exemplified in connection with the circulation. Take, for instance, a saddle-horse that has been carrying 200 pounds on his back every day all winter and well into the spring, with impunity. The owner is going abroad for three months and turns his horse out. When he comes back he thinks that his horse has had a long rest, and should therefore carry him particularly well. In a short time, however, the horse begins to show signs of fatigue by dropping his head, going heavy in hand, and very likely by “forging.”

The next morning the owner goes to look at him and finds he backs out stiffly, and is more or less swollen about the fetlocks, and his feet may feel a little warmer than usual. He is suffering from muscular soreness, the tissues about the fetlocks are congested, the coats of the blood-vessels in the extremities have not tone enough to return the blood with proper force to the heart, so there is stagnation of a portion of it in the dependent parts. That delicate and intricate network of blood-vessels in the feet, from long and comparative inactivity, cannot carry on their function with integrity, so we get congestion and consequent stiffness and shortening of the gait.

“Ah, but,” someone explains, “this is only temporary. If you bandage his legs, give him laxative food and light walking exercise for a few days he will be all right again.” The chances are he will, but two or three days’ work have been lost, and if you then subject him to the same course you will very likely have a repetition of the condition. Yes, and it will be several weeks and more likely months before he is in as good condition to stand work as he was before he went out. During all these weeks or months that have been spent in reconditioning, the muscles, ligaments and tendons are more or less soft and consequently susceptible to strains of varying intensity which may necessitate lying up for treatment. It is not only strains we have to fear, but the comparative inactivity of the circulation during rest renders the legs and feet subject to congestion and inflammation at various susceptible points when abruptly called into activity in doing hard work.

No doubt, by taking time and bringing a horse gradually into work he can be restored to good condition, but to do this there is required management, some expense and tantalizing delay.

When owners are not prepared to bring their horses gradually back into condition, they will soon have stale-legged and lame horses. One or two seasons of “turning out” and bringing up and abruptly putting into work will often transform a valuable, sound horse into a “screw.” Although the legs and feet are the parts that suffer most from this treatment, a horse shows it also in his “top,” for it takes a long while to bring back the bloom and finish that go with good condition, after being turned out.

Of course it is a problem for many owners difficult to solve satisfactorily, what to do with their horses when they go away for three months, particularly those horses that are practically sound and in good working condition. It is such an easy solution of the problem to turn them out at some good farm, where they will be sufficiently fed, and kept in safety in a loose box and have a run in a paddock, and only cost fifteen dollars per month apiece. The question is: Wouldn’t it pay better to give thirty dollars and have the horses kept in condition, so that they are ready to work as soon as their owners need them? When we come to consider the danger, loss of time, and wear and tear incidental to reconditioning, we must emphatically answer, yes. In the above remarks we have only considered this question from the standpoint of horses that are practically sound and in good condition, but it is quite another matter when we have to deal with horses that are run down from overwork and other unfavorable conditions, or with pavement-sore and lame horses.

In horses that are run down comparative idleness is almost imperative, and there is nothing much better than a run in a good, shady, well-watered pasture in the early summer, before the flies get too bad. In that way they get the gentle exercise they voluntarily take and get the advantage of the alterative effect that good, fresh grass has upon the system. This, too, is good treatment for slightly pavement-sore horses, particularly if the pasture land is not too dry. Lame horses are, in almost all cases, benefited by rest, and if it is necessary that the rest shall be at all prolonged, the most economical and favorable place to treat them is in a loose box in the country. A horse is bound to get out of condition, anyway, if resting for lameness, and he is usually better in the country, getting lots of pure air and sufficient space for comfort. The beneficial effects of treatment and rest must be followed up by a very gradual process of reconditioning after the lameness has subsided, otherwise the lameness will be apt to recur.

IMPROVING ACTION

BITTING, SHOEING AND CONDITIONING FOR ACTION--I

Horses that have a tendency to show action can undoubtedly have it very much increased by the adoption of a proper system of training, but there are many without this inclination which it is hopeless to develop to a degree that makes it worth while spending time and effort on them. The influence which contributes most to the development of action is bitting. This requires knowledge, time and patience. Some horses’ mouths are much more easily made than others, and there are some it is almost hopeless to try to make anything like perfect. A good mouth is a responsive one. Pressure from both reins should cause the head to bend readily on the neck, while that from either near or off-rein should cause correspondingly prompt flexion. There are some horses that it is almost impossible to bend, owing to the defective anatomical relations of the head and neck, and unless they naturally have a lot of action, they are not likely, even in the best hands, ever to show very much. A horse with his head well put on his neck, that has a responsive mouth and some ambition, will, when urged, get his head up and nose in, and if restrained at the same time by moderate pressure of the bit, will step much higher than if he has a free head when going at the same rate of speed. Some horses, when going fast, show a considerable amount of action, that at a slow pace will exhibit very little. If such horses have their mouths well cultivated, so that when restrained their force will be exerted to step up instead of stepping on, their action, in front at least, will be much increased. If, however, a horse’s mouth is not cultivated to a proper degree of responsiveness, and he is urged into the bit, he will lug or bore and go ahead instead of going up.

To those who are anxious, then, to develop action in their horses, the first step is to endeavor to cultivate a responsive mouth. As has been stated, this requires time and skill. Many horses’ mouths are frequently permanently injured by insufficient time being taken for this process. It is a very similar one to teaching a child to write. The tyro at writing cannot regulate the movements of his hand and arm so as to make smooth and regular lines in an easy, flowing manner. The nerves and muscles of his hand and arm have to be cultivated by degrees to be able to accomplish this. So with the horse’s mouth; the nerves of it have to be educated to make prompt and easy response to pressure, and the muscles, acting under the influence of the nerves, have to be strengthened and developed, so that the head can be bent on the neck and properly carried without discomfort to the individual. The head should not only be bent on the neck to a reasonable degree, but should also be steadily carried.

The first step in the process of making a horse’s mouth is to get him used to the pressure of the bit without showing restlessness. No pressure should be brought to bear upon the tongue by means of the reins until the horse will stand a bit in his mouth without fussing. The bit should be placed sufficiently high in the mouth, so that there is no temptation for the horse to get his tongue over it. The old-fashioned plan of putting a big, thick bit, with keys hanging from it, placed low in the mouth, is entirely erroneous, as it gets the colt into the way of fussing with his tongue all the time, which is a habit to be avoided. In a good mouth, if the horse is comfortable, his tongue lies quietly in the groove formed by the branches of the lower jaw, and acts as a protective cushion in preventing injury to the delicate and sensitive covering of the bars and the bars themselves. If, then, through faulty management, the tongue is not by degrees trained to stand the pressure of the bit, the horse is sure to develop some irritable habit with that organ, such as putting it over the bit, drawing it up in the mouth, or “lolling” it. The result of the two former habits is that the bars of the jaw lose the protection of the tongue and become exposed to the pressure of the bit, which they cannot stand without suffering pain and injury. Consequently the mouth becomes very unsteady, loses its responsiveness, and the horse is put off his balance, so that he is apt to go off his feet, hitch, and go cornerwise instead of straight.

Putting the tongue over the bit and retracting it in the mouth has the further ill-effect of making a horse show irritability in a variety of ways, such as crossing the jaws, carrying the head sideways, throwing the head up, keeping the mouth open, slobbering, frequent movement of the head instead of a steady carriage of it, which is so important in conducing to a responsive mouth. Putting the tongue over the bit soon becomes habitual with some horses, and it is quite a difficult matter to remedy effectually. Spoon bits and all such mechanical contrivances to prevent it are very unsatisfactory, as a horse is never comfortable with them, and never carries a steady head with any of them in his mouth. It can, however, be cured by gradually getting a horse used to the presence and pressure of the bit on his tongue. Putting the tongue over the bit becomes such a confirmed habit that some horses will do it as soon as the bit is put in the mouth and before any pressure whatever is brought to bear on the tongue by the bit. This aggravated form of the habit can be remedied by using an ordinary ring bit with a straight mouthpiece. This should be placed high in the mouth, so that it is impossible to put the tongue over it, and left in all day except when the horse is feeding. In two or three weeks’ time the horse will become accustomed to keeping his tongue in its proper position with respect to the bit and stop trying to get it over.

This, however, is only the first step, and the next and most important one is to get the tongue used to pressure. To accomplish this, attach reins to the bit and buckle them to a roller at the withers. For some time they must be left very loose, so that the bit will exert no pressure unless the horse extends his nose beyond its usual position. In this way he will be brought to experience, by degrees, a little pressure on the tongue. For a time he should be lunged daily with the reins loose, so that he will get used to the presence and occasional pressure of the bit when in motion. Very gradually indeed the reins may be tightened, so that after some weeks the subject may gradually be brought to stand moderate pressure on the tongue, and by still slower degrees may the bit be lowered in the mouth until it reaches the lowest position the individual will stand and still keep his tongue in place and carry his head steadily. Very great vigilance must be exercised to see that the tongue never goes over; if it does so by any chance, immediately raise the bit, and lessen the pressure.

When sufficient progress has been made, as evidenced by the ability of the tongue to stand pressure when the subject is in motion, he may be ridden or driven. A rider with good hands can accomplish much in cultivating the mouth and can humor it so that the horse may gradually be brought to stand pressure. It is better to use the horse in single harness than in double, as his mouth can be better humored where there is only one temper and mouth to consider. The necessity for getting the tongue used to standing the pressure of the bit cannot be too much emphasized, but of course there is a limit to this, and some horses that are lacking in sensitiveness will stand pressure on their tongues until they become black and blue, thoroughly dried up in some cases, projected from the mouth, and the mouth kept more or less open. The most important exciting cause of this fault is placing the bit so high in the mouth that the horse will not bend his head upon his neck in response to the pressure of the bit. All this may be overcome in many instances by lowering the bit an inch or two in the mouth, when pressure of the bit will cause responsive giving of the jaw and thus relieve the tongue of undue pressure.

A horse should never be allowed to go with his mouth open, as it becomes dried, which lessens the sensitiveness and responsiveness of that organ and encourages pulling. If a horse shows a tendency to keep his mouth open, try to determine the cause, as it is sure to be due to some discomfort in connection with the mouth. In addition to removing the cause, any tendency to this fault should be checked by the use of a tight noseband. The mouth must be kept closed, as a horse never goes nicely with it open. Although faulty mouths are usually the result of careless, thoughtless, unskilful management, it must be acknowledged that there is a decided predisposition in some horses to what are called bad mouths. When this tendency does exist, however, it can usually be overcome by rational management and a pleasant, valuable, useful horse kept from becoming an uncomfortable brute, much lessened in value from the possession of a bad mouth.