CHAPTEK II. 



GENERAL RULES FOR THE TREATMENT OF RESTIVENESS. 



THE first and most important rule to be observed is, to 

 ascertain the cause of the restiveness, and the circum- 

 stances under which it ivas first displayed and is usually 

 repeated. This alone will frequently suffice to suggest 

 the proper remedy, as it will also show us how vicious 

 habits may be best prevented, especially with young 

 animals. 



It is worse than useless to take your horse to the 

 street-corner, the cross-roads, the bridge, the railway- 

 crossing, or the house, &c., where it is in the habit of 

 offering opposition to your will, as this only leads even- 

 tually to a trial of strength, in which the horse is always 

 superior. You must choose a more favourable ground 

 namely, intelligence in which man ought to be superior 

 to the brute creation, which, however, by no means 

 precludes the necessity of administering judicious punish- 

 ment when necessary, and altogether excludes the idea 

 of tamely truckling to the animal's insubordination. 



The principal causes of restiveness are to be sought, 

 either in some physical defect of conformation, in the 

 condition of the animal, in its disposition, or in its temper, 

 and sometimes in a combination of two or more of these. 



With young animals especially, defects of conformation 



