HOW TO RENDER HORSES OBEDIENT. 205 



ing a demand, especially an unreasonable one, are al- 

 most always the first causes of restiveness. Mankind 

 in its arrogance has thought fit to make the ass an 

 emblem of stupidity, and why? Is it not because 

 it seldom if ever opposes anything more than passive 

 resistance to the tyranny of its oppressors? it wants 

 the strength and the active courage that would enable 

 it to act aggressively and deserve the title of vicious 

 enjoyed by its near relative the zebra, whose indocility 

 is not considered to be stupidity. We doubt much 

 whether the horse is really more intelligent than the 

 ass; it has greater strength and agility, and a more 

 active courage, which, if it knew how to use, would 

 enable it to set mankind at defiance equally as well as 

 the zebra ; and it argues a certain amount of stupidity 

 when so powerful an animal suffers itself to be con- 

 verted, as it often is, into the abject slave of a misera- 

 ble taskmaster. The intelligence of the horse is, how- 

 ever, sufficient to enable it to find out very soon 

 whether its rider be or be not deficient in that self- 

 same quality, or in courage; and, in the former case, the 

 consciousness of superior strength encourages it to use 

 this " il se defend" that is to say, it sets the rider at 

 defiance and turns restive. 



There is another thing to be considered with regard 

 to the horse's character it loves to exercise its powers, 

 and it possesses a great spirit of emulation; it likes 

 variety of scene and amusement ; and under a rider that 

 understands how to indulge it in all this without over- 

 taxing its powers, will work willingly to the last gasp, 

 which is what entitles it to the name of a noble and 

 generous animal. JS"ow, whilst over -exertion, when 

 unfit, will very frequently make horses refuse work, 



