CHAPTEE II. 



GENERAL RULES FOR THE TREATMENT OF RESTIVENESS. 



THE first and most important rule to be observed is, to 

 ascertain the cause of the restiveness, and the circum- 

 stances under ivhich it was first displayed and is usu- 

 ally repeated. This alone will frequently suffice to 

 suggest the proper remedy, as it will also show us how 

 vicious habits may be best prevented, especially with 

 young animals. 



It is worse than useless to take your horse to the 

 street-corner, the crossroads, the bridge, the railway 

 crossing, or the house, &c., where it is in the habit of 

 offering opposition to your will, as this only leads even- 

 tually to a trial of strength, in which the horse is al- 

 ways superior. You must choose a more favourable 

 ground namely, intelligence in which man ought 

 to be superior to the brute creation, which, however, 

 by no means precludes the necessity of administering 

 judicious punishment when necessary, and altogether 

 excludes the idea of tamely truckling to the animal's 

 insubordination. 



The principal causes of restiveness are to be sought, 

 either in some physical defect of conformation, in the con- 

 dition of the animal, in its disposition, or in its temper, 

 and sometimes in a combination of two or more of these. 



