HORSE DOCTOR. 2S 



able coercion, but no cruelty ; for the brutality which 

 IS often exercised in attemptin*:^ to compel a gibbing 

 horse to llnow himself habitually into the collar, never 

 yet accomplished the purpose. The horse may, per- 

 haps, be wliipped into motion ; but if he has once begun 

 to g'\h, he will have recourse to it again whenever any 

 circumstance displeases or annoys him, and the habit 

 will be so rapidly and completely formed, that he will 

 become insensible to all severity. 



It is useless and dangerous to contend with a horse 

 determined to back, unless there is plenty of room, and 

 by tight reining, the driver can make him back in the 

 precise direction he wishes, and especially up hill. Such 

 a horse should be immediately sold, or turned over to 

 some other work. In a stage-coach as a wheeler, and 

 particularly as the near-wheeler; or, in the middle of a 

 team at agricultural work, he may be serviceable. It 

 will be useless for him to attempt togilS there, for he will 

 be dragged along by his companions whether he will or 

 not; and, finding the inutility of resistance, he will soon 

 be induced to work as well as any horse in the team. 

 The reformation will last while he is thus employed, 

 Jbut /ike restiveness generally, it will be delusive when 

 the horse returns to his former occupation. The dispo- 

 sition to annoy will very soon follow the power to do it. 

 Some instances of complete reformation may have oc- 

 curred, but they are rare. 



When a horse, not often accustomed to gib, betrays a 

 reluctance to work, common sense and humanity will 

 demand that some consideration should be taken before 

 measures of severity are resorted to. The horse may 

 be taxed beyond his power. He soon discovers whether 

 this is the case, and by refusing to proceed, tells his 

 driver that it is so. The utmost cruelty will not induce 

 many horses to make the slightest effort, when they are 

 conscious that their strength is inadequate to ihe task. 

 Sometimes the withers are wrung, and tlie shoulders 

 sadly galled, and the pain, whicli is intense on level 

 ground, and with fair draught, becomes insupportable 



