22 MENTAL QUALITIES OF THE HORSE. 



man knows, feel considerably reassured it he be allowed 

 to touch with his muzzle the hand of the man, who, unless 

 he sees the danger signal of drawn back ears, should on 

 no account pull his hand abruptly away ; for the fact of 

 his doing so will usually be regarded by the horse as a 

 menace. The smell of a camel is extremely distasteful to 

 the horse, who, as a rule, does not at all object to that of 

 the elephant, which is quite as peculiar a looking animal 

 as " the ship of the Desert." The smell from a tannery 

 inspires almost all horses with fear. 



Scratching his mane is the form of caress most appre- 

 ciated by the horse,, especially if he be in a wild state, in 

 which case his crest will be more or less itchy from the 

 presence of scurf and insects. 



As the actions of the horse are prompted far more by 

 instinct than by intelligence ; one of his chief character- 

 istics is -uniformity of conduct, which fact can be utilised with 

 advantage by the breaker. What a horse does once, we 

 may generally count upon him performing a second time 

 under similar conditions. Hence, if his progress in educa- 

 tion be slow, it will, as a rule, be sure. The treachery 

 which is noticeable in many men and women, and even 

 in a few monkeys and dogs, is almost absent in the horse. 

 If we find that the horse which previously was quiet to 

 handle and ride, suddenly wants to take one's life, or 

 to " play up " in some outrageous fashion, we may be 

 certain that his change of demeanour is not due to the 

 fact of his having thought out some nefarious plan to 

 gain his own ends by our discomfiture ; but that it is 

 the outcome of provocation which he has had just reason 

 to resent on some previous occasion. The few treacherous 

 horses which I have met were, I feel certain, rendered so 

 by cruel or injudicious treatment. 



The feeling of submission to superior power is the chief 



