SECRETS OF UORSE TAMING. 17 



fail to understand them. A story is told of a farmer who had 

 recently purchased a new yoke of oxen, and was driving them in 

 a cart. Slipping from his seat he fell before one of the wheels 

 and very naturally got run over. ■^'Bapk! back!" he cried to 

 the oxen, meaning for them to stop^ but, like many another man, 

 using words which meant something else. The oxen happened 

 to be better linguists, or else had been accustomed to obey 

 literally, and in this case did so by backing as ordered, running 

 ever the man for the second time. 



CHAPTER II. 



HORSE TAMING AND HORSE TRAINING HORSE MAJN^AGEMENT — 



WHIP TRAINING — CURING BAD HABITS, ETC. 



SOME few persons imagine that to possess a proper mastery 

 over their horses, they must maintain their authority by 

 brute force. This is a great mistake. More work, within the 

 limit of safety, can be got out of a horse by kmdness than by 

 cruelty, and as far as inanaging a horse is concerned the chief 

 point is to teach him confidence in you. If he believes you to 

 be his friend he will not only strive to please you, but will have 

 less fear of strange objects which otherwise might startle him 

 and render him refractory. 



The Rareys — there are two or threeof them — taught the world 

 ^ most important lesson when they taught it the " power of 

 kindness" and '' self-^control" in the management of horses, 

 donkeys, zebras, and other animals. How often do we see 

 inconsiderate parents fly into a passion and, without reason or 

 religion, thrash the object of their displeasure. So of brutal, 

 heartless drivers, when the '' blinded '^ horses chance to misstep, 

 get ofi" the track, stumble, or in the wrong place. By their 

 actions it would appear that they expected a horse or an ass to 

 reason quite as well as themselves. Employers may not look 

 for the same talent in their apprentices as in their foreman. 

 Teachers may expect every little urchin to be self-regulating 

 and to mind his books; but this it is his duty to teach him to do, 

 and he should be all patience, all kindness, affection^ persever- 

 ance, if he would produce the best results. The same spirit is 

 required to subdue and manage a horse. If you say you are 

 not equal to the task ; if you say your child, your horse, or 



