50 THE MIND OF THE HORSE 



his own way and not to yield to the will of others, 

 ani^er wliich makes him resent being touched, or 

 respond rebelliously to the actions of others towards 

 liimself; the feeling of vicionsness or aggressiveness; 

 tlie excess of xjhysical sensibility in any part of the 

 body, or sensitiveness of the month; the sensation 

 of tickling, and excitement induced by the spurs; 

 the excess of excitability to motion owing to which 

 he always desires to run and break away; the ex- 

 cessive feeling of fear or dread owing to which he 

 is always in great apprehension. 



The whole of these qualities of the will together 

 with the degi'ee of individual sensibility constitutes 

 the individual cliaracter or disposition in various 

 horses, wliich may be more (u* less timid, good, 

 subject to fear, bold, choleric, vicious. 



Gaiety and melancholy also influence their na- 

 ture and are qualities Avhich contribute to forming 

 the disposition. Writers in the sixteenth century 

 regarded gaiety as an advantage, for they coined 

 a proverb attributing cheerfulness as a good quality 

 to the liorse and melancholy to the dog. They re- 

 garded melanchol} as a bad quality as they thought 



