SWEATING HORSES. 317 



By taking the above precautions in not irri- 

 tating a vicious horse more than can possibly be 

 avoided, and if the plan of turning him round 

 and securing his head be adopted, he will be de- 

 prived of nuich of the powerful advantage he 

 would otherwise have in being held by a boy 

 alone. Notwithstanding the savage disposition 

 of some horses, yet, generally speaking, most of 

 them, as I have elsewhere noticed, if properly 

 treated, appear to be more inclined to shew 

 kindness towards us than otherwise; even a vi- 

 cious horse seems to attach himself to, or make 

 a favourite of, the boy who looks after him. I 

 speak here from a tolerable share of experience. 

 The former is seldom known to injure the latter, 

 unless indeed the boy should be so churlishly 

 rash as unprovokedly to insult him by unneces- 

 sarily striking him. As a proof of what I have 

 here stated, the vicious horse I looked after, 

 and which I described as seizing the boy by 

 the arm that was put to hold him while be- 

 ing scraped, I was once travelling with alone, 

 and I well remember being tired of sitting 

 on his back as he walked along. I got down, 

 leaving him loose with the reins on his neck. 

 I moved a little in front of him, and then spoke 

 to him to follow me, which he did very quietly 



