RAREY'S METHOD OF TAMINQ HORSES. 361 



days, the robe that frightened him so much at first will be no 

 more to him than a familiar stump. 



It might very naturally be supposed from the fact of the 

 horse's aj^plying his nose to everything new to him, that he 

 always does so for the purpose of smelling these objects ; but 

 it is as much or more for the purpose of feeling, and he makes 

 use of his nose, or muzzle (as it is sometimes called), as we 

 would of our hands ; because it is the only organ by which he 

 can touch or feel anything with much susceptibility. 



He invariably makes use of the four senses — seeing, hear- 

 ing, SMELLING, and FEELING — iu all of his examinations, of 

 which the sense of feeling is, perhaps, the most important. In 

 the experiment with the robe, his gradual approach and final 

 touch with his nose was as much for the purpose of feeling as 

 anything else, his sense of smell being so keen that it would 

 not be necessary for him to touch his nose against anything 

 in order to get the proper scent ; for it is said that a horse 

 can smell a man at a distance of a mile. Besides, if the scent 

 of the robe was all that was necessary, he could get that 

 several rods off; whereas, we know from experience, that if a 

 horse sees and smells a robe a short distance from him, he is 

 very much frightened (unless he is used to it) until he touches 

 or feels it with his nose ; which is a positive proof that feeling 

 is the controlling sense in this case. 



It is a prevalent opinion among horsemen generally that 

 the sense of smell is the governing sense of the horse ; and 

 with that view many receipts of strong-smelling oils, etc., 

 have been concocted in order to tame him. All of these as 

 far as the scent goes, have no effect whatever in taming him, or 

 conveying any idea to his mind ; though the acts that accom- 



