MANAGING REFUSERS. i6i 



week, or even a fortnight, without grumbling, provided that 

 you were obHging enough to carry him his water and corn 

 with tolerable regularity. If, on the contrary, he gallops 

 boldly up to the obstacle, throws his head forward, pulls it 

 suddenly back, shivers slightly, and at once commences a 

 retrograde movement, while signs of sweating break out 

 upon his skin, you may be certain that he is refusing from 

 timidity and net from vice. He lacks confidence in his 

 powers, for some reason or another, unknown perhaps to 

 you, but of which he himself is perfectly cognisant. He 

 may have weak hocks, and be afraid to venture upon 

 propelling himself, for fear of falling short. The hind 

 quarters— hind legs, in fact— are the real propellers, the 

 front ones being chiefly serviceable as supports : and if a 

 horse feels that he cannot depend upon himself behind, he 

 will naturally hesitate about rising to a leap. Watch, for 

 example, a dog when recovering from a fit of sickness. He 

 may, perhaps, be very anxious to get upon some particular 

 chair, couch, or window cushion, which in the days of his 

 robust health was a perfectly easy jump for him — yet now 

 he is so weak on his hind legs that, althoug-h a strono- 

 desire to take the leap is palpably present with him, timidity 

 nevertheless keeps him standing looking at it, and moving 

 uneasily about in front of it ; crouching at one instant as 

 though prepared to make his spring, and the next rising 

 upwards with a sort of whine, as though he gave it hope- 

 lessly up. It is just because he is timid about propelling 

 himself. The goal cannot be reached by a mere extension 

 of the body, or by any action of the forelegs, and the 



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