MANAGING REFUSERS. 163 



wise and temperate way ; but never enter into a determined 

 warfare with him unless you are absolutely certain that 

 you can come off the victor. 



My experience is that once a horse resolutely baulks, with a 

 fixed determination to continue to do so, no man on earth — 

 and certainly no woman — can by any possibility conquer 

 him while on his back. Under such circumstances it will 

 be better to strive to accomplish the desired purpose in 

 some other way ; either get off, if you are in a suitable 

 place for it, and that your reins and whip are long enough, 

 and by so doing make him have it, or — which will be better 

 — take him to another part of the same fence, and don't 

 begin by fighting him, but rather leave it to his honour to 

 carry you generously over, and ten to one he will. I 

 greatly disapprove of punishing a horse severely at one 

 spot ; it is highly calculated to give him a thorough hatred 

 of jumping, and to spoil his temper also in a way that may 

 not easily be remedied. Moreover, it is cowardly in the 

 extreme, for the battle is almost entirely one-sided. Were 

 the dumb combatant able to whip and spur and swear in 

 return, the rider would have a very small chance of abusing 

 him for any length of time together ; but it is because the 

 creature is ignorant of his own strength and power that he 

 submits himself a slave to man's too cruel rule. 



Now, another hint or two before proceeding to a different 

 subject. 



Horses will sometimes refuse through feeling themselves 

 " out of hand," or being ridden timorously by inexperienced 

 riders. Where this is likely to be the case, such a bridle 



M 2 



