SHARP HINTS. 241 



We will suppose a horse has a trick of hanging back 

 in his stall when not rack-chained up : flogging him 

 and shouting at him, which I will answer for it most 

 grooms would do, would certainly cure him of doing 

 so when they were present ; but the moment the 

 stable-door is closed, back he would come. All they 

 would teach him by this flogging would be, that if he 

 hung back while they were present, he would be 

 flogged. This is not teaching him that the hanging- 

 back in itself produces inconvenience. I had a horse 

 that did this : I never allowed him to be struck or rated 

 for it. Why frighten a horse, and make him vicious 

 or dislike one, when we can make him punish himself 

 for his ill-habits ! I got a deal rafter, and had it well 

 clothed with strong furze, which I fastened behind the 

 horse so as in noway to inconvenience or confine him. 

 I watched him : he shortly stepped back plump on to 

 the furze : this gave him, I conclude, about five hun- 

 dred sharp hints to jump forward, which he did with 

 a movement quicker than he ever made in a stall be- 

 fore: he looked back, and appeared a good deal as- 

 tonished : I thought he seemed disposed to give a 

 kick : I went up to him, and made much of him, that 

 he might not be alarmed or get angry ; for in either 

 case I knew he would have sent the whole concern 

 flying. I made a man stay in the stable all day, with 

 directions, whenever the horse got pricked, to speak 

 kindly to him. I did not want to frighten him, but 

 to make him feel that whenever he did a certain thing 

 he hurt himself. A few days effectually cured him. 

 The simple fact was, he forgot the trick, and did not 

 attempt it afterwards. 



This reminds me of a lady who had a favourite 

 large fat pet spaniel : this dog would not have been 



VOL. II. R 



