VICES PROPERLY SO CALLED. 883 



the gentleness and docility of the coach-horse of the Cotentin and the 

 indocility of the camargue horse. " It is a rare thing," he adds, " to 

 see balky and ill-tempered colts begotten by gentle and docile stallions, 

 whilst every day we see young horses disposed to kick and bite whose 

 sires and dams were affected with the same vices. A stallion stationed 

 at Alfort was very ill-tempered, and this ill temper was transmitted to 

 the majority of his get. In England there are examples of families 

 of horses, very superior otherwise, but vicious from sire to son, and 

 dangerous to the lives of those whose lot it was to mount them and 

 care for them." 



De Curnieu^ recommends the use of the half- thoroughbred mare 

 for breeding " only when she has done good service and has a good 

 temperament. If she kicks, bites, or is difficult to harness, to shoe, or 

 to groom, there is every reason to believe that the colt will be like 

 her, through heredity, education, bad example. ... If you wish to 

 produce a horse for your own use," he continues, " reject a vicious 

 broodmare, and try to obtain some reliable information concerning the 

 stallion, but do not let yourself be duped, especially if it be a question 

 of a thoroughbred horse ; for the slightest indication of irritability in an 

 ordinary mare, a shadow of an inclination to kick, laying down of the 

 ears, all this becomes a downright vice when it is increased from the 

 father's blood, especially if he has defects of the same nature. No 

 mare should be used as a broodmare unless she is perfectly known." 



All these statements are of great importance in guiding the breeder 

 in the choice of the stallion and the mare. All vicious stallions of 

 studs should be banished from the breeding farm. 



Excessive impressionability and innate irritability also 

 often give rise to serious vices, because they occasion violent reactions 

 in the presence of the simplest methods of leading, driving, or restrain- 

 ing the animal, and will soon provoke indocility, anger, aggressiveness, 

 and a spirit of revenge. 



Bad education, resulting from a bad example set by the 

 mother and, especially, by the attendants, has an undeniable influence. 

 How many horses are known to be kickers, biters, rearers, runaways, 

 irascible, or timid, which have learned these vices from their mothers or 

 have contracted them by degrees through the provocations and continual 

 teasing of man himself! 



Interference with already acquired habits sometimes ren- 

 ders the horse ill-tempered. Some horses, for example, will not toler- 



1 De Curnieu, Lemons de science hippique gSnerale, 3e partie, p. 313, Paris, 1855. 



