20 The Horse and his Master 



a horse past an object that is causing him fright. 

 Since he can think of but one thing at a time and 

 since he learns by association of ideas, he may as- 

 sociate the pain with the object or he thinks the 

 object is causing the pain. In horse training, a 

 free use of the whip will break the spirit of high- 

 couraged animals and increase the sulkiness of 

 stubborn ones. One sharp cut, or at most a few, 

 immediately following the command ^'take care," 

 is sufficient punishment to warn him against wrong- 

 doing. 



The horse should never be punished by striking 

 with the whip and jerking on the lines at the same 

 time. This punishing the animal at both ends serves 

 to confuse him, and if he possesses a high spirit some 

 desperate act is likely to follow. To avoid such con- 

 fusion, administer punishment at but one end at a 

 time. 



REQUIREMENTS IN THE TRAINER 



The most important essential in the trainer is 

 that he either possess or acquire complete control 

 over himself and his temper. Without complete 

 control over himself it is not possible for him to at- 

 tain the ability to control a horse. Horse training 

 is partly an art and partly a science. To execute 

 the work efficiently requires much patience. Horses 

 vary widely both mentally and physically. Some 

 are quick and docile, while others are stupid and 



