218 HOW OBEDIENCE IS TAUGHT 



He should not he given any occasion 

 to lose obedience. 



We ourselves are guilty of teaching the horse 

 the greater part of oppositions and reactions as, 

 by our illogical method of treating him, and by 

 placing and allowing him to be under circumstan- 

 ces ^Yhicll produce in his mind associations in con- 

 flict with the idea of obedience, we give him occa- 

 sion to see that he is stronger than we are, that he 

 can do as he will, and that we cannot prevent it. 

 In order to preserve in the horse the idea of our 

 superiority and of obedience when it has been 

 taught him, there is required on (uir part suitable 

 treatment which consists in avoiding giving him the 

 opportunity, and placing him or allowing him to 

 ])e under circumstances wliich admit of his doing 

 as he likes and do not allow us to prevent him. 



In order to avoid these oppportunities we must 

 avoid doing many things. He must never be given 

 occasion to struggle with us so that he should 

 not see that our strength is slight and apparent 



