298 THE HORSE. 
in the field is worth all the reading in the world; but, in default of this, 
the preceding observations will serve to assist the young aspirant for 
honours in riding to hounds. 
OUT-DOOR VICES AND BAD HABITS. 
OutT-poor VICES depend upon the temper of the individual, and include 
shying, rearing, kicking, lying down, plunging or bucking, shouldering, and 
running away. Bad Habits arise from a defective formation of the body, 
and are confined to stumbling and cutting. 
SHy1ne generally arises from timidity, but sometimes it is united with 
cunning, which induces the animal to assume a fear of some object for the 
sole purpose of finding an excuse for turning round. ‘The usual cause of 
shying is doubtless the presence of some object to which the colt has not 
been accustomed, and if he has buck eyes, which render him short-sighted, 
it will be difficult to convince him of the innocent nature of the novel 
object. There are endless peculiarities in shying horses, some being 
dreadfully alarmed by one kind of object, which to others is not at all 
formidable. When a horse finds that he gains his object by turning 
round, he will often repeat the turning without cause, pretending to be 
alarmed, and looking out for excuses for it. This is not at all uncommon, 
and with timid riders leads to a discontinuance of the ride, by which the 
horse gains his end for the time, and repeats the trick on the first occasion. 
In genuine shying from fear the eyes are generally more or less defective ; 
but sometimes this is not the cause, which is founded upon a general irri- 
tability of the nervous system. Thus, there are many horses which never 
shy at meeting tilted waggons, or other similarly alarming objects, but which 
almost drop with fear on a small bird flying out of a hedge, or any other 
startling sound. These last are also worse, because they give no notice to 
the rider, whereas the ordinary shyer almost always shows by his ears that 
he is prepared to turn round. 
THE BEST PLAN OF TREATMENT which can be adopted, is to take as little 
notice as possible of the shying, and to be especially careful not to show 
any fear of its recurrence when a waggon appears in the distance. When 
the horse begins to show alarm, but not till then, the rider should speak en- 
couragingly to him, and, if necessary, with a severe tone, which may even 
pe supported by the use of the whip or spurs, if his onward progress 
cannot be otherwise maintained. ‘The principle which should be carried 
out ig to adopt such measures as will get the horse to pass the object 
at which he shies somehow or other, and this should be effected with as 
little violence as possible, always commending in an encouraging tone as 
soon as the purpose is gained. Nothing has so great a tendency to keep 
up the habit as the plan so common among ignorant grooms, of chastising 
the shyer after he has passed the object of his alarm. If he can be per- 
suaded to go quietly up to it and examine it with his muzzle as well as 
with his eyes, great good will be effected ; but this can seldom be done 
with moving waggons, and heaps or stones are generally only alarming 
from defect of vision, so that each time they assume a new phase to the 
active imagination of the timid animal. 
Rearine is seldom met with excepting among raw colts, or if it is con- 
tinued to a later period it is generally incurable. When existing in an 
ageravated form it is a most dangerous vice, as a fall backwards over the 
rider has often led to fatal consequences. 
THE USUAL REMEDY for it in the colt is the ordinary running martingale, 
