336 THE HORSE 



hence it is that so few men can " creep " well, even though they have horses 

 accustomed to it under other hands. When the horse has been thoroughly- 

 taught to creep his head may almost be left without control, merely guiding 

 him quietly to the gap, and then letting him take his own way ; but where 

 the horse has to be made to creep, a rein should be taken in each hand, and 

 the head guided as if with a silken thread, to the right or left, or wherever the 

 animal is required to go. These remarks will perhaps be useful to all who 

 have no experienced friend ready to afford a practical demonstration of 

 the same fundamental points. One actual lesson in the field is worth all 

 the reading in the world ; but, in default of this, the preceding observations 

 will serve to assist the young aspirant for honours in I'iding to hounds. 



OUT DOOR VICES AND BAD HABITS 



OuT-DOOR VICES depend upon the temper of the individual, and include 

 shying, rearing, kicking, lying down, plunging or bucking, shouldering, and 

 running away. Bad habits arise from a defective formation of the body, 

 and are confined to stumbling and cutting. 



Shying generally arises from timidity, but sometimes it is united with 

 cunning, which induces the animal to assume a fear of some object for the 

 sole purpose of finding an excuse for turning round. The usual cause of 

 shying is doubtless the presence of some object to which the colt has not 

 been accustomed, and if he has buck eyes, which render him short-sighted, 

 it will be difficult to convince him of the innocent nature of the novel 

 object. There are endless peculiarities in shying horses, some being 

 dreadfully alarmed by one kind of object, which to others is not at all 

 formidable. When a horse finds that he gains his object by turning 

 round, he will often repeat the turning without cause, pretending to be 

 alarmed, and looking out for excuses for it. This is not at all uncommon, 

 and with timid riders leads to a discontinuance of the ride, by which the 

 horse gains his end for the time, and repeats the trick on the first occasion. 

 In genuine shying from fear the eyes are generally more or less defective ; 

 but sometimes this is not the cause, which is founded upon a general irri- 

 tability of the nervous system. Thus, there are many horses which never 

 shy at meeting tilted wagons, or other similarly alarming objects, but which 

 almost drop with fear on a small bird flying out of a hedge, or any other 

 startling sound. These last are also worse, because they give no notice to 

 the rider, whereas the ordinary shyer almost always shows by his ears that 

 he is prepared to turn round. 



The best plan of treatment which can be adopted, is to take as little 

 notice as possible of the shying, and to be especially careful not to show 

 any fear of its recurrence when a wagon appears in the distance. When 

 the horse begins to show alarm, but not till then, the rider should speak en- 

 couragingly to him, and, if necessary, with a severe tone, which may even 

 be supported by the use of the wliip or spurs, if his onward progress cannot 

 be otherwise maintained. The principle which should be carried out is to 

 adopt such measures as will get the horse to pass the object at which he 

 shies somehow or other, and this should be efiected with as little violence 

 as possible, always commending in an encouraging tone as soon as the 



