58 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 



from fear and natural timidity ; nor have his mouth pun- 

 ished with the bit, as I am sorry to say, is the practice of 

 some who call themselves riders, so that instead of being 

 cured of his propensities, he grows every day worse, and 

 then, as a last resource, is sent to be ridden by a military 

 rough-rider ; and I, for one, have had many severe trials of 

 patience on the one hand, in acquiring the confidence of 

 horses that have been so treated, and much personal risk 

 on the other, from their violence. 



As a general rule, I have said punishment must be avoid- 

 ed as much as possible. In cases, however, of waywardness 

 and obstinacy, it must be had recourse to, since the fault 

 is in this case the horse's own ; but even then, the rider 

 must first consider whether he has properly applied the 

 aids, and be very careful not to punish the horse for his 

 own mistake ; for if one person wished to address another 

 on any particular subject, and did not put a proper ques- 

 tion, he could not in return expect a direct answer ; in like 

 manner, if the proper aids are not applied, the horse can- 

 not answer them; for some riders, when they see any thing 

 they think the horse will start at, begin to shorten the 

 reins and press him on with their legs, and thus set him 

 capering by their own act, whereas he would very likely 

 have passed the object quietly, if the rider had not been 

 the more frightened of the two. 



I am aware that this is not the usual method of treating 

 shying horses, and am quite prepared to hear it condemned ; 

 but the experience of many years has convinced me that it 

 is the kindest and most effectual method : and I repeat what 

 I have implied before, that one pat of the hand on the 

 horse's neck will gain more from him in the way of obe- 

 dience, than all the whips and spurs in the kingdom. The 

 former will inspire confidence in, and fondness for, his 

 master ; while the latter will only procure a sulky and 

 unwilling compliance, and very frequently not even that. 



Ahorse, to be well trained, must obey his rider's slight- 

 est indication, whether of hand or leg, with confidence and 



