124 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



standpoint if they had had the mare to clean 

 when she had attained her growth. She bit 

 viciously at the man when he was an^^where 

 within reach of her teeth, and every time the 

 brush touched her she either struck out or stamped 

 furiously. When a man went up to her to rack 

 her up, for it was impossible to dress her unless 

 she was racked up closely, she always either tried 

 to crush him against the side of the box, or kicked 

 at him. Now all these abominable tricks were 

 as much taught to that mare as if the foolish 

 sentimentalists had set out with that purpose 

 in view and she never forgot them. Indeed 

 she was nearly unmanageable in the stable in 

 her later years and it was a dangerous as well 

 as a trying task to clean her when she came in 

 very dirty from hunting. I have dwelt upon 

 this mare's shortcomings because hers was 

 perhaps the worst case I have known, and it 

 was entirely brought about by wilful folly. 



There is another cause of Stable vice which 

 calls for mention. A horse has been well de- 

 scribed as a bundle of nerves with a good memory. 

 This is apt to be forgotten by a groom who has 

 a young newly broken horse in his charge. Men 

 whose work is in a great measure of a routine 

 character, are apt to do everything by " Rule 

 of Thumb " as the Yorkshire proverb has it. 

 They get into a certain groove and forget that 

 every horse which comes under their charge has 

 an individuality of his own and they treat a 

 young and timid horse that has just been broken 



