MENTAL QUALITIES OF THE HORSE. 7 



to lay down. At the same time, it would be most 

 unwise to ignore the fact that the repetition of 

 any trick, however it may be caused, the practice 

 of which renders the animal difficult of control, 

 has an increasingly bad effect on him the longer 

 it be continued. 



Mental qualities of the Horse. The possibility 

 of our being able to obtain an easy mastery over 

 the horse, who is greatly our superior in strength 

 and activity, and quite our equal in pluck, rests 

 on the fact that instinct, rather than reason, 

 guides his actions. To investigate this, we may 

 try the experiment, when standing to the side 

 and a little to the rear of a kicker, of touching 

 him about the hocks or quarters with a con- 

 veniently long stick, when, if he " lets out" 

 straight behind him, we may conclude that this 

 is a purely reflex or instinctive action on his 

 part. If the animal kicks at the stick, as the 

 cause of annoyance, he certainly conducts himself 



