Mind-power Horsemanship 243 



nervous quiet, and the vicious tractable under their magic 

 influence. Such things are sometimes explained by the 

 sceptics as the results of " doping." From personal know- 

 ledge, however, as a pupil of Rarus, and from personal 

 acquaintance with the late Professor Norris, and since with 

 his son Mr. Stuart Norris, who is following in the foot- 

 steps of his illustrious father in the training and exhibition 

 of trick horses, I am positive in saying that there is abso- 

 lutely no foundation in attributing to this " doping " theory 

 the wonderful power of control which these men display. 



Let us see if an attempt to puzzle out or analyse this 

 power will not result in establishing its source. We may 

 start with the assumption that the numerous terms in com- 

 mon use to define this power — "charm," "gift," "per- 

 sonal magnetism," "will power," "natural instinct" — go 

 to show that its existence is recognised beyond doubt or 

 question. An analogous power of control existing between 

 man and man is familiar under the names of hypnotism, 

 magnetism, mesmerism, or kindred mind-power manifesta- 

 tions. All mind-power manifestation, under whatever name, 

 is, I believe, subject to one universal condition, namely, con- 

 sent. The resemblance between the terms generally adopted 

 in attempting to describe the power that some men have over 

 their mounts, and the terms by which we try to describe hyp- 

 notism and other mind-power manifestations between men 

 and men, is significant. One set of words applies just as fairly 

 to the power some men are capable of exerting over some 

 other men as they do to the powers which great animal- 

 tamers or our peculiarly gifted horsemen have over the 

 animals they bend to their wills. That some men possess 



