Chapter IV 



THE KICKING HORSE 



NATURE has provided all animals with some means of 

 defence, and kicking is the horse's natural method. As 

 we know the horse, he has no more need to kick than a 

 goat to use her horns, but the fact remains that an 

 enormous number of horses have this habit. 



The causes of kicking are numerous, but I will reduce 

 them to two. Certain horses have the instinct of self- 

 defence developed so highly that at the least indication 

 of danger or mistreatment they are prepared to defend 

 themselves. The tendency is so marked in some that 

 they kick at almost anything, and the habit becomes so 

 fixed that we say they have a disposition to kick. The 

 other type is the nervous colt, who kicks when you 

 approach him, yet when you make friends with him 

 he forgets to kick and invariably licks your hand. 

 There is no reason to class the previous type of kicker 

 as an outlaw and think it cannot be handled because it 

 has this disposition ; its natural tendencies will only 



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