58 



THE ART OF TRAINING ANIMALS, 



CHAPTER VI. 



BREAKING AND TRAINING MULES^ — PERFORMING AND " COMIC " 



MULES, 



MULES appear fated ta labor under an unfavorable and 

 unenviable reputation. Not only has that rather objec- 

 tionable quality of stubbornness been supposed to exist in their 

 disposition to such an undue degree as to give rise to the saying^ 

 ^^ as stubborn as a mule/^ but this general reputation for intelli- 

 gence is by no means first rate. That the mule is by nature 

 inclined to be rather stubborn is undoubtedly true, but it is 

 very questionable.whether the wonderful displays of this quality 

 sometimes met with, are not actually as much due to the very 

 measures adopted to overcome the fault as to the natural dispo- 

 sition of the animal. With proper treatment and a little judi- 

 cious training the objectionable features in a mule's dispositioE 

 might be easily remedied. 



A LAZY CURE FOR LAZINESS. 



