14 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 



every day. Shall I not believe my own senses V The answer 

 is, No, not if it can be explained how the senses are deceived: 

 otherwise we should still believe, as, till some few centuries 

 ago the world did believe, that the diurnal motion was in 

 the sun, and not in the earth. Otherwise we must subscribe 

 to the philosophy of the Turk, who 



" Saw with his own eyes the Moon was round, 

 Was also certain that the Earth was square, 

 Because he'd journey'd fifty miles and found 

 No sign of its being circular any where." 



But these errors are not harmless errors. They induce an 

 ambitious interference with the horse at the moment, in 

 which he should be left unconfused to the use of his own 

 energies. If by pulling, and giving him pain in the mouth, 

 you force him to throw up his head and neck ; you prevent 

 his seeing how to foot out any unsafe ground, or where to 

 take off at a fence : and, in the case of stumbling, you pre- 

 vent an action dictated alike by nature and philosophy. 



