Personal Requirements in the Trainer 21 



stubborn. If their lack of understanding or willful 

 disobedience causes their trainer to lose his temper, 

 he will frighten the timid ones out of their senses and 

 provoke the stubborn ones to resistance and perhaps 

 to retaliation. Thus a quick-tempered or irritable 

 trainer is quite likely to develop a bad-tempered 

 horse, while the trainer with an uncontrollable tem- 

 per is equally as likely to develop a really vicious 

 and dangerous horse. To be most successful in 

 training horses, one should possess an even temper, 

 much patience, readiness of resources, sympathy, 

 skill and pluck, all of which can be attained and de- 

 veloped, in part at least, by thoughtful study and 

 much practice. 



Personal influence of the trainer. — In practical 

 horse training the influence of the trainer is often 

 significant. It often happens that the animal is 

 completely taken up by the one in charge. When 

 the trainer is the onlv one to work the horse sub- 

 sequently, the possession of such personal influence 

 over the animal is often of much advantage. On 

 the other hand, if the trainer is only to educate the 

 animal, then such influence may be a positive hin- 

 drance. The horse may be perfectly safe while 

 under the influence of the trainer, but become re- 

 fractory or even resent interference from any one 

 else. It is the work of the trainer to render the 

 horse perfectly obedient to the commands of his 

 master. No horse can be said to be thoroughly 



