CHAPTER III 

 THE FIRST HANDLING 



THE best thing is to get him with the 

 old horse into a straw-yard, and for a 

 day leave them together and take no notice 

 of them, except to bring them a Httle hay, 

 not too much, because you want both to be 

 hungry on the day of the first encounter. 

 The wild animal will have much to distract 

 his attention, and, if left quietly alone, wiU 

 go round snorting and smelling everything. 

 The placid demeanour of the old horse wiU do 

 much to give him confidence ; and in twenty- 

 four hours he wiU have so assimilated the 

 novelty of his surroundings, that if you enter 

 the yard he will be prepared to attend to you 

 and nothing else. This first seance with the 

 wild horse you must carry out by yourself, 

 and no one must be allowed to approach the 

 yard. His attention must be concentrated on 

 you alone, to the exclusion of every other 

 excitement. Tie up all dogs. Enter with as 

 httle noise as possible and quite slowly. Bring 

 an armful of fresh hay with you ; sit down 



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