NATURAL DIFFICULTIES. 



33 



FIG. 18. Docile, Intelligent. 



dispensable condition of his successful education is that he must be 

 given no opportunity to learn that he is not in every respect subor- 

 dinate to man in physical power, until his 

 character becomes fixed. 



Second : His methods of reasoning be- 

 ing dependent upon and limited to the ob- 

 servation and experience of his senses of 

 seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling, to 

 prevent his becoming excited or frightened 

 at objects and sounds with which he is 

 necessarily brought in contact, he must be 

 convinced in his own way, through these 

 faculties, of their harmless and innocent 

 character. Consequently, if he be treated 

 according to these laws of his nature, he 

 can be made to do willingly, without fear 

 or resistance, anything for which he is by 

 nature adapted. 



Third : The horse, being unable to understand the meaning 

 of articulated language, excepting so far as words are associated 

 with actions, we must address his intelligence on this plane of his 

 reasoning, because it is only by doing so that he can be expected to 

 comprehend our wishes clearly. 



Fourth : To the degree that the horse becomes excited, fright- 

 ened, or confused, he must necessarily be, both unable to under- 

 stand what is required to be 

 done, and correspondingly 

 less inclined to submit to re- 

 straint in his management. 

 Hence, whatever the treat- 

 ment, it must be of a charac- 

 ter not to confuse- or excite 

 him, nor to expose him to 

 such excessive fear as would 

 shock and derange his nerv- 

 ous system. 



Taking these conditions in 

 order, we see, for example, 

 that if a horse learns to pull 



away, break his halter, resist the blacksmith in shoeing, or run 

 away, etc., he will be encouraged to and try to do so afterward 

 until the habit becomes fixed. On the contrary, when a colt is 



FIG. 19. A Noted Vicious Horse. 



