112 HOW THE HORSE LEARNS 



In order to be able to teach liim it is absolu- 

 tely necessary that the horse should have the idea 

 of obedience. If the horse has not this idea of sii- 

 periority, of respect for us, if he does not fear us, 

 does not know, does not see that we can give him 

 jjunishment, i. e. pain, when we need to compel 

 him to do what we wish done, we are deprived 

 of the means of mastering him. The idea and feeling 

 of obedience are suggested to the horse from gi- 

 ving him the idea of our superiority, from letting 

 Iiim see that we can prevent him (in what way 

 does not matter) from doing his own will, that we 

 can threaten and inflict punishment, i. e/pain, on 

 him if he does not do what we tell him to do. 



The idea of our superiority is not innate in the 

 horse. The horse when wild lias only an instinctive 

 fear of man which makes him flee from us preci- 

 sely because we are the worst of all the beasts. 

 In order to give him the idea of our superiority 

 flireats or punishments should sometimes be used. 

 The resort to threats or punishnwtits i. e. giving him 

 pain, makes liim see our superiority but gives him 

 likewise the idea of dislike to us, which is running 



