304 REACTIONS 



he was able to do so, that he frightened his rider 

 and made him leave off inflicting punishments. 

 Thus rearing becomes a deliberate and malicious 

 reaction and by repeating it the horse acquires the 

 habit of doing it, i. e. the vice of doing it. 



Suppose a horse be ridden outside the riding 

 school before he has been taught to yield to the 

 reins and to the riding aids for exciting him to go 

 and to remain in hand and not be afraid. Going 

 on the road will give him the opportunity of seeing 

 objects of fear and he will swerve, will swing 

 round without his rider being able to prevent it, 

 because the horse has not yet learnt to obey his 

 aids and punishments. The rider will become irri- 

 tated and will inflict even severe punishment the 

 first time, but not being able to hold him the horse 

 will turn back, or will swing round on his hind 

 legs notwithstanding the punishments, or else he 

 will swing round, replying to the punishments by 

 croupades and jumps. 



On these reactions the rider ceases to apply 

 aids and punishments and the horse sees that he 

 can run away from the object of which he is afraid 



