DEFENSES OF THE HORSE. 275 



verity, such as scolding and whipping, will only 

 render him more fearful, and since he will al- 

 ways regard the object of his fright as being 

 the cause of his punishment, he will, conse- 

 quently, the next time of meeting with it be- 

 come still more unmanageable. But, having 

 passed it at first without experiencing any pain, 

 he will gain confidence in the judgment of his 

 rider, imagine he has made a mistake in being 

 alarmed, and be satisfied that, after all, there 

 was no occasion for dread. 



A horse should never be caressed, patted, or 

 coaxed, either just before or just after he has 

 passed any object he dislikes, because he may 

 misinterpret these acts, and imagine that he 

 has done just right in shying, and will, there- 

 fore, be very apt to repeat the act in order 

 again to receive the praise of his rider. It will 

 always be better, in such cases, to ride on as 

 usual, and act as if the matter were of no con- 

 sequence. On the other hand, a horse should 

 never be whipped after he has passed an object 

 that terrifies him. Some riders are afraid to 

 whip the horse while he is in the act of shying, 

 but will lay on the lash after he has passed the 

 cause of his dread ; this will not only be " a 

 tardy vengeance that crowns a cowardly act," 

 but will cause the animal to conclude that he 



