rarey's mistake. 153 



342. — Rarey's advice to take a whip with you and to cut a 

 pugnacious animal on the hind legs when he turns his heels to 

 you has done a good deal of mischief. It is a total violation' 

 of his professed principles, and although a man with his 

 eye, courage, and experience could do almost anything with a 

 horse, without getting or giving much harm it was by no means 

 the best way for him to go to work, and was very bad advice to 

 the general public. Most of his American followers fall into the 

 same mistake, and approach the colt for the first time, in a way 

 which they admit may possibly call for a fight with him with his 

 own tools. Nothing makes a man so cruel and violent as fear, 

 and for that reason, if for no other, we would always approach 

 a colt in a way that implied no unnecessary danger. The 

 presence of the old horse is calculated to establish a desirable 

 degree of coufidence both in the breaker and the colt. 



343. — The horse that has never been handled, instinctively 

 dreads the approach of your hand, just as he would dread the 

 paw of a wild beast, so that before you attempt to put anything 

 on him, you must show him that your hand has no sting, or claw, 

 or tooth connected with it, or anything about it to hurt him. It 

 is often easier and safer to do this by lengthening your dreaded 

 arm by taking something in your hand and touching him with 

 the end of it. It must be something quite smooth and pleasant 

 to the touch. It matters little how long it is, as he will take it 

 for a part of yourself, and you can shorten it by degrees until 

 you are near enough to use your hand. 



344. — Encourage him and meet him half way in the attempts 

 he will make to touch your hand with his muzzle, as he will not 

 be satisfied with it until he has done so. Then let him feel it on 

 his neck, with a pleasant rub and pat. Rub backwards and 

 forwards until you get to his head. Rub under and between his 

 jaw bones, and then very cautiously round his eye, and don't 

 leave his head until he will bear your concave hand over his eye 

 without much impatience, as you will find that the best evidence 

 of having gained his confidence. Don't grip him tightly round 

 the lower part of his face, as so many persons do ; that obstructs 

 his nostrils and always irritates a horse. Eub back over his back 



