18 The Ho/se and his Master 



the voice as a means of rewarding animals for obedi- 

 ence is very efficient. The horse readily under- 

 stands the meaning of a soft tone, and is likely to 

 take a harsh tone for a rebuke. Patting and strok- 

 ing the horse with the hand, particularly in the re- 

 gion of the mane and along the neck and shoulders, 

 affords a very expressive means of rewarding him 

 for obedience. Giving a handful of hay, or better 

 still of green grass, a carrot or a lump of sugar, often 

 has the desired effect of associating the command or 

 given signal with the event desired. Resting or 

 ceasing the discipline is also a very efficient means of 

 gaining the good will of the horse, and ma}^ be used 

 to advantage in the management of the reins. 



Punishing the horse for disobedience is much 

 more difficult than rewarding the animal for obedi- 

 ence. There are many ways of rebuking a diso- 

 bedient animal, the most common being the voice 

 and the whip. The horse will take a harsh tone for 

 a rebuke in much the same manner that he takes a 

 soft tone for a caress. The words used, however, 

 should be few, distinct and significant. No matter 

 what form of punishment is used, we must remember 

 that the benefit to be derived is to induce the horse 

 mentally to associate with it the particular event 

 that we wish to convey. From this it follows that 

 we are justified in inflicting pain only as a means of 

 educating the animal, and never as a penalty for 

 doing wrong. 



