14 ILLUSTRATED HORSE-BREAKING. 



principle of association of ideas to the breaking 

 of vicious horses, is one by which the animal 

 arrives at the right conclusion from wrong pre- 

 misses ; as with Pratt's rope-twitch (see page 113), 

 when making a horse steady to mount. Evidently 

 mistaking the cause of the pain inflicted on him 

 by its employment, he connects the idea of 

 punishment with the word "steady," and not with 

 the application of the cord. Were he able to 

 argue rightly on this subject, he would remain 

 quiet only when the twitch was on, and would 

 entirely disregard the verbal admonition, for 

 which he entertains such marked respect. 



Value and scope of breaking. The scope of 

 breaking is wider than persons might generally 

 imagine ; for not alone does it include the educa- 

 tion of the untutored animal, but it also embraces 

 the correction of faults, which, while seriously 

 detracting from the horse's value, are usually 

 looked upon as unavoidable dispensations that 



