The Arabian Art of Taming and Training Wild and Vicious Horses

Published in 1856, The Arabian Art of Taming and Training Wild and Vicious Horses includes two sections. The first, by P R Kincaid, outlines his theory on horse training, discusses the theories of a few other trainers, and provides a list of cures and remedies. The second section, by John J. Stutzman, is primarily a list of cures and remedies, with a few sections on training.

Kincaid’s theory is based on three principles: the horse will not resist if he understands what is being asked; the horse does not understand his own strength, and so strength is not required to handle him; and that a horse will accept any object if he is allowed to examine it and discover it is not dangerous.

After outlining the basic principles of the theory, Kincaid moves on to explain how to handle specific training situations such as bringing the young horse in from pasture, bitting him, saddling and mounting him, and training him to drive. The sections are generally arranged in a progressive order.

Although readers today will find many of Kincaid’s suggestions relevant, some of the techniques will not resonate with modern training methods. For example, Kincaid suggests tying up one leg of a horse to teach it to drive, as it cannot kick at the cart while it is hopping on three legs.

The cures and remedies in both sections are all homemade recipes of unknown efficacy and safety, of interest primarily for their historical use.