12 The Horse and his Master 



vice, since the removal of the cause of such ailments 

 is the best treatment. The more resourceful the 

 trainer and the greater the number of methods he 

 has at his command, the more successful will be his 

 work. 



Selecting a method. — The method to select in 

 training a horse is the one that will give the desired 

 results and establish the proper habits. To deter- 

 mine this we must make a careful study of the ani- 

 mal. Note the temper, the disposition, the general 

 action ; in fact, nothing is too insignificant to be con- 

 sidered in this preliminary study of the animal whose 

 habits, either for good or bad, are soon to be estab- 

 lished. In the process of developing a horse it may 

 be necessary to employ many methods. This is 

 particularly true in training for the more exacting 

 work, as fast trotting or pacing, high acting coach 

 work, saddle work, and the like. 



Rapid methods vs. slow methods. — The methods 

 of training may be divided, in a general way, into 

 two classes : the rapid method and the slow method. 

 In America, the rapid method is usually employed, 

 whereas in the Old World the slow method predomi- 

 nates. A study of these methods reveals the fact 

 that the rapid mode relies on intensity of impres- 

 sion in fixing ideas in the horse's mind, while the slow 

 method depends on repetition to fix the ideas. 



The most common rapid methods are the '^Rarey 

 method " (p. 208) and the ^ ' Gal vayne method " (p. 2 19) , 



