2 THE CARE OF HORSES 



a brutal blow or two with anything he can lay 

 hands on — generally a fork-handle. A week or 

 two of such treatment, and the horse becomes 

 dangerous to feed. I have just such a one in my 

 own stables at the present time. 



The horse is not a machine, but a living, breathing 

 creature, with the power to think and reason for 

 himself, and is gifted also with the power to love 

 and to hate. He possesses, too, a very retentive 

 memory ; he has his likes and dislikes and pecu- 

 liarities of character, just as any man living, and it 

 is the bounden duty of those who attend him to find 

 out all this, and treat him accordingly. 



Those who take pleasure in studying character, 

 and use the powers of observation which have been 

 given to every one of us, will readily be able to judge 

 the style of groom by the behaviour of the horse 

 under his charge — I had almost said ' care ' ; but, 

 alas ! in many cases care is conspicuous by its 

 absence. 



* Evil communications corrupt good manners ' 

 may be equally said of horses as of people, no matter 

 what their calling or station in life. 



A man who makes it his life's work to live among 

 horses, to train them (for it is easier far to train 

 them in all things gradually and patiently than to 

 break them of bad habits), and to put that training 

 to some practical use, must himself be intelligent, 

 self-possessed and firm, knowing well what he wants 

 the horse to do, and firmly but kindly insisting on 

 its being done, at the same time using few words, 

 and speaking them clearly and sharply. 



Horses properly treated learn quickly, and remem- 

 ber what is taught. They possess keen eyesight and 

 are quick of hearing, so there is no necessity to 

 shout or swear at them. The shouting only tends 

 to frighten them, and the swearing, so often heard 



