168 HUMANE HORSE-TRAINING 



it on the platform too ; next encourage him to put the 

 other hind foot on the platform. After all four feet 

 are up you should caress him and treat him kindly. 



Repeat this lesson until he will walk toward the 

 platform and mount it with all four feet at word of 

 command. Any sort of command will do for this 

 action, so long as you use one entirely different from 

 anything else that you have taught him, and so long as 

 the command is given while teaching the trick he will 

 understand that the command means to mount the 

 pedestal. Many persons use the word " pedestal," 

 and at the command the horse will walk it and mount. 



After he will mount the pedestal readily, then you 

 are ready to increase the height of it. After a little the 

 horse will mount a pedestal so high that he can barely 

 spiing up on it. Always be sure that everything is 

 made secure, for should your platform break or give 

 way in any manner it would be almost fatal to success. 

 The beauty of the pedestal trick can be greatly improved 

 by having a post fixed up very substantially at the 

 front of the pedestal, about a foot higher, to begin with, 

 than the pedestal proper. After the horse will mount 

 the pedestal by word of command, assist him in putting 

 the left front foot on this post, and by gentle movements 

 and an occasional reward give him to understand that 



