156 METHODS OF HORSE-CONTROL. 



it into Australasia and England. I am inclined to think that 

 he utilised it in a more competent manner than did any of 

 his predecessors, The principle of its application, as ex- 

 pounded by Sample, is to place the horse in such a position 

 that the only movement of which he will be capable, while 

 in it, will be a more or less circular one ; and then to induce 

 the animal by every possible means, short of striking or 

 otherwise hurting him, to go round and round, so that he 

 will at last find that this involuntary form of waltzing is 

 more irksome to him than having to bear unaccustomed 

 though innocuous, sights, sounds, and touches. The 

 feeling of having, under strong provocation, to submit to 

 irresistible control, often helps in this case to form the 

 habit of obedience. The carrying out of this method, which 

 had best be practised in a suitable enclosure or in the 

 corner of a field, is as follows : Having put a headstall on 

 the horse, tie one end of a rope or cord by a double sheet 

 bend (see Fig. 65) to his tail, draw the head about a third of 

 the way round, and tie the free end of the rope to the head- 

 stall, so that the head may be kept in this position. 

 The longer the tail, the thicker may be the rope ; and 

 the rope or cord should be so fixed to the head-stall 

 that it can be readily loosened or tightened. I have 

 found that it is a great improvement to attach a short 

 rope or strap (a stirrup leather will do) to the side of the 

 headstall away from which the horse's head is turned (see 

 Fig. 77), so that the operator may catch it and thus stop the 

 revolving horse, when he sees that the animal is getting 

 giddy and in danger of falling. To begin with, the length 

 of the cord which connects the head and tail should be so 

 regulated, that it will be just sufficient to make the animal 

 turn round without being able to go forward. In order to 

 obtain increased control, the cord should be gradually 

 tightened from time to time, according as the pupil becomes 



