SHYING. 215 



Cuses for it. This is not at all uiicouiinon, and with timid 

 riders leads to a discontinuance of the ride, by which the horse 

 gains his end for the time, and repeats the triclc upon 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 irritability of the nervous 

 system. Thus, there are many that never shy at meeting wagons, 

 or other similar objects, but which almost drop with fear on a 

 small bird flying out of a hedge, or any other startling sound. 

 These are also worse, because they give no notice, whereas the 

 ordinary shyer almost always shows by his ears that he is pre- 

 pared to turn. 



For shyers the only remedy is, to take as little notice as 

 possible, to make light of the occurrence, speak encouragingly, 

 yet rather severely, and to get them by the object in one ivay or 

 another. If needful, the aid of the spur and whip may be called 

 in, but not as a punishment. If the horse can be urged to go 

 by the object at which he is shying without the whip or spur, 

 so much the better ; but if not, he must be compelled to do so 

 by their use. Wherever fear is the cause of shying, punishment 

 only adds to that fear ; but where vice has supplanted fear, 

 severity should be used to correct it. 



As a general rule, the whip need never be used, unless the 

 horse turns absolutely round, and not then unless there is reason 

 to suspect that he is pretending fear. If he will only go by the 

 object, even with "a wide berth," as the sailors say, he may be 

 Bufl'ered to go on his way unpunished ; and nothing is so bad 

 as the absurd severity which some horsemen exercise after the 

 horse has conquered his reluctance, and pa?sed the object. At 

 this time he should be praised and petted, with all the en- 



