56 THEORY OF HORSE-CONTROL. 



mount, or quiet to shoe behind, or a sulky refuser to jump 

 '' kindly," We must surely admit that the intensity of an 

 effect, and not the time occupied in its production, is the 

 measure of its permanency. 



On the possibility of overcoming any form of vice. — 



Our problem here is to establish a new habit that will have 

 a stronger influence on the vicious animal's mind than the 

 old habit which had impaired his usefulness. If the " pain 

 in the temper " is due to the horse failing to understand 

 our wishes, we may easily eradicate the fault by utilising 

 the principle of association of ideas. When, however, the 

 dispute is one as to supremacy, our last and great resource 

 is to impress on his mind the erroneous conviction that he 

 cannot resist our orders. If, however, he finds out by 

 experience that he need not obey our orders unless he 

 chooses, our labour will be in vain ; supposing that he 

 makes up his mind, which he is fully capable of doing, not 

 to " give in." Herein lies the whole question of success 

 or failure, in making vicious horses docile. The fact of 

 our gaining our point, by the application of whip or spurs, 

 with some sulky horses, only proves that these particular 

 animals had not the necessary amount of resolution to 

 resist the coercion applied to them. There are, however, 

 many other horses upon which the only effect of such 

 punishment would be to still further increase the rebellious 

 state of their minds. Man-eaters, like the historic Cruiser, 

 the taming of whom made Rarey famous, being actuated 

 almost entirely by instinctive hostility, yield far more 

 readily to man's authority than the sulky animal who, 



