t38 



CHAPTER XII. 



SHYING x^ND JIBBING. 



Persistent shying in horses is a disagreeable as 

 well as a dangerous habit to encounter, and it can 

 generally be traced to three distinct causes — viz., 

 extreme nervousness, defective eyesight, and dark 

 stables. Some horses are also addicted to shying 

 when too fresh and fit, but as this is simply the 

 result of idleness the prevention is obvious. When 

 hunters are laid idle by adverse weather — frost and 

 snow — it is easy to give them exercise in the long 

 rein without risking their limbs on slippery roads 

 or causing sprains by overreaching and " balling " 

 amongst deep snow. When the track becomes fairly 

 consolidated both slipping and " balling " are avoided. 



SHYING FROM NERVOUSNESS. 



A horse that shies from nervousness can rarely 

 be cured, although by kind treatment he will gener- 

 ally gain more confidence, but when anything unusual 

 occurs to excite him he will probably manifest symp- 

 toms of fear, in some degree, as long as he lives. If 

 he is being ridden along a road and shy at some 



