422 SUBJECTION.— ILLUSTEATIVE CASES. 



Avas two months before my visit there, when he was brought 

 to a pretentious horse-tamer, with orders to break or kill 

 him ; but after a week's continuous efibrt, he was pro- 

 nounced as " haA^ng no brains," and impossible to subdue. 

 As a test experiment, he was controlled by me in about 

 thirty minutes, in the presence of the owner and Mr. 

 Bonner, in the last-named gentleman's stable. 



He Avas a Avell-brfed trotting horse, nine years old, a 

 bright bay of medium size, quiet and gentle ordinarily, but 

 Avhen excited by being touched or handled, he AA^ould kick 

 and strike Avith great violence. Touching his nose or head 

 Avould cause him to strike like a AAdld mustang, Avhile to 

 touch his feet, or to attempt to take them up, would make 

 him kick desperately. A singular characteristic in this 

 case, rarely to be found among domesticated horses, was, 

 that if irritated he could repeat the resistance, if he tried, 

 a thousand times in succession ; there seemed to be no let- 

 up to him. When studied carefully, at such a time, it 

 would be seen that the expression of the eye indicated the 

 untamable nature of a Avild animal. In moving, his tread 

 and actions seemed to be like those of a cat. While stand- 

 ing, he Avould, Avithout moving, or changing the position of 

 his ears, out of the corner of his eye Avatch every movement, 

 seemingly listless, but ready at any moment to strike or 

 kick. He had in fact the true mustang nature, Avith any 

 amount of endurance, and Avas treacherous to the last 

 degree. 



This horse should have been subjected to the Second 

 Method, Avhich Avould have made his control simj)le and 

 easy ; but the circumstances under which I was led to take 

 him in hand compelled me to handle him in a box stall, and 

 consequently I Avas limited to the Third Method, Avhich 

 was not in reality at all adapted to his case, and I barely 

 succeeded Avith it. I have repeatedly stated that this 



