Some horses balk by lying down and refusing to budge. If the four feet of such a sulker are “hog-tied” together and he is abandoned and allowed to remain tied for an hour or two, he will usually be thankful to get up and go on when set at liberty.
One owner broke a balker by working him on a mower for a few days with his tail tied to the singletree tight enough to take part of the strain. After that he would pull by the tugs without having his tail tied.
The “guy rope” plan is sometimes effective. A small rope is tied around the horse’s neck and a half hitch taken with it on his lower jaw. A husky man then pulls steadily upon the rope and the horse will usually start forward with a lunge. If not a confirmed old balker he may give up the standing habit if treated in this way a few times.
Light, rapid switching across the nose with a light whip sometimes starts a balker, but severe whipping has an opposite effect.
The writer once was called to see a draft work-mare that was “down” in an Irish teamster’s yard and refused to get up. The poor brute was surrounded with whips and sticks that had been broken over her back, and her body was covered with welts from the whipping. The neighbors thronged around to see what would happen when the “Doctor” tried his hand at a job which had baffled their attempts. Examination of the pulse showed a normal condition and the membranes of the eyes gave no indication of sickness. After the mare’s head and neck had been patted and stroked for a few minutes, and she had been spoken to kindly and gently, she got up at once when the halter was pulled upon and the word of command given. Then she followed the veterinarian about the yard like a dog, recognizing him as her only friend, and ever since that teamster has said, “Sure that mon has the power iv healin’ in his hands!” Whereas, the abused mare only needed and wanted a little kindness and coaxing.
Here is a cure for balking recommended by E. A. Gerrard: “In order to break a balky horse it is necessary to have the appliances, though the first requirement is a cool head. Next you will want a steady horse to hitch with the balky one, together with a strong hopple strap, a rope and a covered swivel pulley, and a good harness and wagon with a long tongue, though one of ordinary length will do.
Fasten your pulley on the end of the tongue so that it will work free; put the hopple on the balky horse’s hind ankle, next to the tongue, and tie the rope in the hopple ring. Now run it through the belly-band, up through the pulley and back to the end of the doubletree on the side of the balky horse, and tie it fast. See that your horses are standing even, making the rope snug, so that the horse can stand easy. Take off your stay chains, sever the line from the terrets on the balky horse, get into the wagon, gather your lines so that you can have control, keep cool, and wait half a minute; then speak to the team and start the steady horse. As he starts he pulls his end of the doubletree forward and draws on the wagon, the other end of the doubletree going back, pulling the rope through the pulley and lifting the balky horse’s foot. He tries to put his foot down and in doing so he takes a step.
Say, ‘whoa!’ and stop your steady horse. Do not let the balky horse make more than one step. Now sit still for half a minute, then start again, stopping as soon as the first step is made, by the same process. Sit still for another half minute, then repeat. Each time you will have taught your horse that when you told him to go he had to step.
Now if you are a horseman get down, go to your horse’s head, pat his neck, tell him he is doing well and that he will be the best pulling horse on the place. Then try him again. If he is very anxious to go at the word, let him make six or eight steps, then stop and sit quiet for half a minute. Gradually increase the distance you allow them to go each time, not forgetting to stop long enough to allay any excitement before starting again. When you have driven half a mile be sure you are back at the stable, take your horse out, have a bottle of strong borax water at hand and bathe his ankle for five minutes where the hopple rubbed it.
On the next day hitch up with the balker on the other side of the tongue. With most balky horses two lessons will prove enough; often one will answer. But if the horse is old he may forget in two or three weeks, if rested much, so you will need to keep your appliances ready and put them on at the first sign of balking.