t^ 



which the horse habitually refused to go. He would 

 rear, plunge, and throw his rider on all occasions. 

 The owner, being a timid man, always withdrew his 

 feet from the stirrups on approaching this particular 

 place, making sure, at least, that when thrown he 

 would not be dragged. At length the owner grew 

 frightened to ride the horse, and offered him for sale. 

 A gentleman came to try him, got upon his back, and, 

 as luck would have it, turned him exactly in the 

 direction of the fatal road. On nearing the place, 

 the rider found the horse drawing himself together 

 as if to wheel, and, taking him well in hand, dug the 

 '' persuaders " full to the hilt immediately behind the 

 girths, with the result that the terrified brute bounded 

 past like a rocket — the first time he had been ridden 

 past for many a long day. Thus, by inserting the 

 spurs in his ribs, instead of withdrawing his feet 

 from the irons like his owner, who was always " riding 

 for a fall," the rider accomplished with ease what to 

 another man was impossible, simply by presence of 

 mind, and doing the right thing in the right place 

 at the proper time. 



Thus, as already indicated, there is a close sym- 

 pathy between horse and man, and, in bad hands, a 

 good horse may become a bad one, while, in good 

 hands, a bad horse may become a good one. Bad 

 horsemen are met with in larger numbers than bad 

 horses, force, rather than kindness, being the key 

 to their management generally. 



