MAKE THE FAULT BKING ITS OWN PUNISHMENT. 245 



No horse ever was made better by this, but all worse. 

 I may be asked, what, according with my views of 

 educating horses, I would do with such a horse, or 

 whether I would let him blunder over all his fences 

 as he pleased ? This I certainly would not do, for, 

 though not particularly choice of my neck, I should 

 not like to have it broke in so unhandsome a manner ; 

 and to prevent it I should consider what made such 

 a horse so bungling a performer. If it proceeds from 

 ignorance and not knowing how to do better, teach 

 him, which is easily done ; but for mercy's sake do 

 not punish him for ignorance. If it proceeds from 

 sheer laziness and sluggishness, rouse him before he 

 comes to it, and clap the spurs and double thong to 

 him when he ought to take off: this will teach him 

 to be on the alert, and not to blunder over from the 

 want of exerting himself. If it is from carelessness, here 

 is a case where we must make him feel the conse- 

 quences of carelessness; and one in which I would 

 tempt him to do wrong to show him the result. Lead 

 him over a few places, where, if he is careless, he 

 must go in, and then flog him till he gets out: ivhen 

 outj if you do any thing, caress rather than again 

 strike him, for it would not do to punish him both in 

 and ouL Such a horse would never become careful 

 till he had personally felt the penalty of carelessness. 

 We should recollect the horse does not know it is 

 wrong to blunder, or to get into a ditch ; therefore 

 till by experience he finds that if he does not take 

 care he will get into a ditch, and that when he is 

 there we take care it becomes a most uncomfortable 

 berth to him, he will not seek to avoid that from 

 which he anticipates no inconvenience, but when he 

 has found the inconvenience he will avoid it, 



R 3 



