THE-:- HORSE 



Bad cinch-binders will always fall over 

 backward if mounted and started off too 

 quickly. 



Shying. — Shying is a common habit of the 

 horse and is often caused by defective eye- 

 sight. It usually manifests itself by his 

 dancing away from an object, or suddenly 

 stopping dead in his tracks. Often, too, a 

 horse in shying spins away from the source 

 of fright. Fluttering paper, or almost any 

 other unusual object, will cause him to shy. 



Understanding well the nature of a horse, 

 and being able to anticipate what will 

 frighten him, will enable the rider to throw 

 his balance so that it will be more in har- 

 mony with the shying horse. If it is de- 

 sired to take him up to the object at which 

 he shies, infinite patience should be used, so 

 that, by degrees, the horse will accustom 

 himself to the object and see for himself 

 that it should give him no occasion for alarm. 

 Urge him forward at the object, then, if he 

 shies away, ride him a little further away 

 from it than shying would naturally take 

 him, and start him back again toward the 

 point of fear. The fact that he finds himself 

 actually going forward toward something of 

 which he is inclined to be afraid helps give 

 the animal confidence. Xenophon's observa- 

 tions in this matter are undoubtedly true: 



"As to those who force horses forward with 



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