VICES 63 



simple remedy for this particular vice — if it is a vice ; 

 all depends upon the cause of the bolting — was 

 published. The writer says : 



' Bolting is called a " vice " in a horse, although I do not 

 like the term as applied to any animal, especially to one of 

 the noblest of all. In my experience it is but the result of 

 extreme nervousness, more frequently met with the more 

 highly a horse is bred. I have ridden and driven horses 

 called "vicious and unmanageable " and have always found 

 them, after kind and patient treatment, most tractable and 

 to be relied on in moments of danger and difficulty. But 

 " bolting " is incurable. A horse who poses his head once 

 and grips hold of the bit will do so repeatedly. 



' Some years ago I bought a very handsome horse at 

 Tattersall's. I knew when I bought him that there must 

 be something radically wrong wi:h him, as he was out 

 of a dealer's yard, and a dealer does not send in a hand- 

 some horse to be sold at Tattersall's unless he has some 

 fault which prevents him from being disposed of to cus- 

 tomers. However, the horse took my fancy and I bought 

 him. I was not long in finding out what was the matter 

 with him. One day, in the country, when I was driving to 

 the station, he bolted. Fortunately, the train was in and 

 the gates closed, and he dashed into them. It was a 

 general smash-up of the cart, but I and the horse escaped 

 with but small injury. However, I made up my mind to 

 part with him, as the next time the result would probably be 

 still more disastrous. I was then informed by a friend, who 

 understands a good deal about horses, of the following 

 preventative. He told me if I applied it bolting would be 

 an impossibility. I followed his receipt, and with perfect 

 success. The horse was six years old when I bought him. 

 I have driven him for twelve years, and he is still in my 

 stable ; and although he has several times, when frightened, 

 attempted to bolt, he has never succeeded in doing so — in 

 fact, I have perfect control of his mouth. 



' I am astonished that the remedy is so little known. It 

 is this : When a horse bolts he takes the bit between his 

 teeth, from which, without actually breaking his jaw, it is 



