88 HUMANE HORSE-TRAINING 



old coper's practice of driving a horse fifty miles to tire 

 him out has ruined many a good animal, laminitis having 

 set in and proved fatal. 



I always like to tackle a horse when he is in good 

 spirits and in good condition. He then becomes quieter 

 when he is in regular work. It is poor credit to a trainer 

 to tackle and break underfed, low-spirited colts, for 

 I have known them to turn out very troublesome after- 

 wards when well-fed and conditioned. After a few 

 drives in my long-shaft cart I drive the horse in a sulky, 

 and he hears his trainer's voice close behind him all the 

 time he is being driven. This inspires confidence, and 

 when once the animal has confidence in his master he 

 never kicks again. The master rein is very effective in 

 the case of a dangerous kicker. 



The old saying, " When a horse once kicks he always 

 kicks/' is absurd, and those who thoughtlessly use the 

 remark are very poor specimens of horsemen. If a 

 horse kicks through fright it is a sure sign that he was 

 badly broken, and, of course, if the owner does not 

 know how to cure him correctly, and buys a kicking-strap 

 as a preventive, the horse will always kick. But give the 

 horse a course of my training, and I guarantee he will 

 never kick the second time. In the case of an old and 

 confirmed kicker who has mastered every owner he 



