38 HORSE DOCTOR. 



« 



the object which he chose to select as the pretended 

 cause of affright, he will pass it ahinost without notice. 



Shying on coming out of the stable is a liabit that can 

 rarely or never be cured. It proceeds from the remem- 

 brance of some ill-usage or Iiuit which the animal has 

 received in the act of proceeding from the stable, such as 

 striking his head against a low doorway, or entangling 

 the harness. Coercion will but associate greater fear 

 and more determined resistance with the old recollection. 

 Mr. Castley gives an interesting]^ anecdote, which tends 

 to prove that while severity will be worse than useless, 

 even kind treatment will not always break a confirmed 

 habit. '• I remember a very fine grey mare that had got 

 into this habit, and never could be persuaded to go 

 through a doorway without taking an immense jump. 

 To avoid this, the servants used to back her in and out 

 the sta!)le ; i>ut the mare happening to meet with a se- 

 vere injury of tbe spine, was no longer able to back ; and 

 then I have seen the poor creature, when brought to the 

 door, endeavoring to balance herself, with a staggerin'g 

 itiotion, upon her half-paralysed hind extremities, as if 

 making preparation and summoning up resolution for 

 some great effort ; and then, when urged, she would 

 plunge beadlong forward with such violence of exertion, 

 as often to lose her feet, and tumble down, altogether 

 most pitiable to be seen. This I merely mention,' he 

 continues, ''as one proof how inveterate the habits of 

 horses are. They are evils, let it always be remem- 

 bered, more easy to prevent than to cure." 



When the cure, however, is early attempted, it may 

 be so far overcome that it will be unattended with daf)ger 

 or difficulty. The horse should be bridled when led out 

 or in. He sl»ou!d be he'd short and tight by the bead 

 that he may feci lie has not liberty to make a lenj), and 

 this of itself is ofien sullicient to restrain him. Punish- 

 ment, or a threat of punishment, will be highly impro- 

 per. It is only timid or high-spirited hor.*<es that acquire 

 this habit, and rough nstge invariably increases their 

 agitation and terror. Some may be led out quite at 



