io8 HUMANE HORSE-TRAINING 



I had a bad rearer sent to me to break last year. 

 The peculiar thing about this horse was that as 

 soon as he saw the harness, especially the collar, he 

 would stand up straight on his hind legs, and although 

 not vicious, he was certainly dangerous, flinging his fore- 

 feet about wildly in all possible directions. 



He had been twitched by previous owners, and ap- 

 parently to no good purpose. I had him led to the field, 

 and there I fixed the surcingle, long reins and master 

 rein without exciting the horse. I caressed him and 

 fed him with a few handfuls of oats. I then instructed 

 my assistant to carry the harness with collar foremost 

 towards the horse. Immediately he saw the harness he 

 reared up straight. I then pulled the master rein tight, 

 and drew his legs under his body so that when he came 

 down he landed heavily upon his knees. It took about 

 fifteen minutes to impress the horse that it would be 

 much more congenial for him to stand quietly. When 

 the harness was on I long-reined him, and reminded him 

 occasionally by a pull on the master rein. This scientific 

 method effected a permanent cure. 



THE NERVOUS HORSE 



Nervousness is not a vice but bears a great resemblance 

 to it at times. It oft-times renders an animal dangerous 



