APPENDIX. 241 



ner, but one who understands the natural laws governing animal life and 

 the movements of horses generally, their peculiar traits of character, and 

 is in harmonious association with them, one who loves horses and who the 

 horses take kindly to and loves to obey without fear of punishment. i 



Hundreds of instances can be cited showing the intelligence of horses 

 and their ability to comprehend through the use of words alone the directed 

 duties to be performed, which have been taught and thoroughly understood 

 through practical, demonstrated lessons with words and associated actions 

 in contradistinction to the too generally and apparently too willingly ac- 

 cepted idea that the horse is but a mere brute, without sense or feeling, to 

 be used as the most degraded, menial servant, with only abuse and punish- 

 ment, to the gratification and sometimes delight of the self-boasted "hoss- 

 man," who often knows less — devoid of sentiment or sympathy — than the 

 humiliated animal that submits to his inhuman treatment, and under such 

 circumstances it would be only fair, if it were possible, to harness the man- 

 brute and give the humane-horse a chance to demonstrate his higher order 

 of development. 



SPECIFIC WORDS FOR DEFINITE ACTIONS. 



For the very best results there should be a general adoption of specific 

 words for definite actions all over the land, and whenever this becomes a 

 fixture in horse education by universal adoption, then we can buy, sell and 

 exchange horses with benefit to ourselves and some satisfaction to the 

 horses themselves in many cases. If everybody would use the same vo- 

 cabulary in the handling of their horses then the horses would understand 

 the meaning of the words used and conduct themselves accordingly with- 

 out any fear of punishment for failure to understand a command. But 

 just as long as every horseman has a way of his own (and no two alike) 

 what can we expect in the actions of our horses? Is it not plain that a 

 horse may be very valuable in one man's hands and comparatively worthless 

 in that of another, simply because he understands what to do in one case 

 and knows nothing in the other but confusion, fear and punishment And 

 right here is where the troubles ensue in trading horses generally — both 

 parties may be benefited or beaten, or one the gainer and the other worsted 



A TEN WORD HORSE VOCABULARY. 



After years of study and experiment the writer has adopted the follow- 

 ing: 



Already. — To let the horse know that a command is about to be given. 



Start. — For a forward movement, modified in tone for prompt or delib- 

 erate action. 



Hurry. — For increased movement in gait, used in modulation or em- 

 phasis, as may be required 



Faster. — When the gait is to be increased, also with modulation of 

 voice, rapid repetition, emphasis or slight touches of the whip. 



Steady. — Is to be used as a governor to maintain the speed attained and 

 satisfy the horse that he is doing just right. 



