FEAR 275 



it is always to be remembered that, as in other 

 things in life, prevention is better than cure. 



In ridhif/ tJte fact of the rider Tieepinff 



the ho7'se' s atte^ition fi.ved on himself assists 



in preventing fear. 



When his attention is engaged with the rider 

 tlie presence of an object of which the horse would 

 be afraid is not noticed, and he is not seized by 

 the idea and feeling of fear. 



Therefore the first precaution to take when ri- 

 ding, besides that of trying to discover the things 

 which may cause him fear, is the rider keeping 

 his horse attentive to himself by some aids (voice, 

 hand, whip, spurs) applied at intervals now and 

 then to make the horse remember that he has 

 somebodv on his back and is not alone and as soon 

 as he shows -a sign of incipient fear, collecting him 

 immediately, and endeavouring to remove the idea 

 of fear by conciliating voice and caresses, and by 

 preventing him with the reins from looking at the 

 object of fear, bending him in the other direction, 



