TREACHERY AND STUBBORNNESS. 57 



having found out a method by which he can thwart the 

 wishes of his would-be master, craftily adheres to it, and 

 thereby lays claim to the possession of a large amount of 

 intelligence. From this we may see that the assertion made 

 by many "horse-tamers," that they can cure any form of 

 equine vice, is absurd. 



Of all kinds of vice, treachery and stubbornness are the 

 most difficult to eradicate ; for the horse who sets his will 

 in deliberate opposition to ours, questions the validity 

 of our erroneous assumption of physical supremacy, the 

 acceptance of which is our strongest means of horse control. 

 Or we might say that such an animal fights us with the 

 weapons — those of intelligence — by which, alone, we can bring 

 into subjection our physical superiors. Vices due to nervous- 

 ness or impatience of control can be readily overcome, and, 

 as a rule, " refusing " and jibbing in saddle. A jibber in 

 draught, however, is apt to find out that, although the 

 breaker may be all-powerful in the absence of the cart, the 

 advantage is all the other way as soon as the horse gets 

 between the shafts. Besides, it is impossible in many cases 

 to apply, on the spot, breaking methods to animals which 

 have played up in harness. For instance, if a trapper be 

 accustomed to jib as soon as he comes to a stiff incline, to 

 back into the ditch or fence, and then to proceed to kick 

 the vehicle to pieces ; all the breaker can do is to take him 

 out, and try to indirectly counteract the fault in some con- 

 venient place. He may apparently succeed ; but the old 

 association of ideas may influence the mind of the pupil 

 more strongly than the new one, in the event of anything 

 going wrong ; as, for instance, an accidental halt the first 



