56 THEORY OF HORSE-CONTROL. 



stincts, can be easily subverted by accustoming him to 

 practices opposed to them, or even by allowing his instincts 

 to resume their former and natural sway over him. We 

 must remember that, however firmly held in check by train- 

 ing instincts may be, their influence on the mind remains 

 constant ; and that the influence of discipline may become 

 gradually effaced by the opposing action of these instincts, 

 unless repeated from time to time. Consequently, in order 

 that the effects of breaking may be permanent, the state 

 of discipline induced by them should be rigidly preserved. 



However well a horse may have been broken of a bad 

 habit, he will be far more likely to acquire it again under 

 injudicious management than he would have been had he 

 been originally free from it ; for no course of discipline, 

 although it may keep him under perfect control, can efface 

 out of his mind the memory of the practice of a former 

 habit. Hence, a teacher of breaking will be wise to confine 

 himself to showing " how it is to be done," and not risk his 

 reputation in making the impossible attempt of " curing " a 

 vicious horse for other people. Besides, it is only " human 

 nature " for the owner, rider, or driver of a wayward horse 

 which has reverted from a state of discipline to his former 

 evil courses, to tlame the breaker and not himself. 



The correct method, as I have already explained, in estab- 

 lishing the habit of obedience, is first to make the horse 

 obey, and then to repeat the process as may be needed. 

 Although, in a few exceptional cases, one victory over a 

 horse may produce a permanently good effect on his mind, 

 as far as mere obedience or docility is concerned ; the effect, 

 however strongly it may have been enforced, will, in the vast 

 majority of instances, soon wear off unless it be repeated. 

 I have often, and I think unjustly, incurred blame after I 

 had practically demonstrated to the members of a class I 

 was teaching, the feasibility of making a confirmed jibbei\ 



