PERSONAL INFLUENCE. 59 



naturally sulky horse work with the gaiety of heart and 

 pluck which an honest one will display. This is particularly 

 true out hunting with " faint-hearted " horses, which, no 

 matter how carefully they may have been broken, and how 

 well they are ridden, are often apt to refuse if they get 

 interfered with, or to hang back in a crowd, when we want 

 them to go boldly forward and give a lead over some 

 awkward fence. 



Personal influence in breaking. — I do not believe in the 

 possession of any special power over horses, with which some 

 people are supposed to be gifted, apart from skill, know- 

 ledge, pluck, and physical advantages. The great objection 

 to the practice of personal influence as a breaking agent is, 

 that although the animal may be perfectly obedient to the 

 man who has had the exclusive handling of him, he may be 

 refractory with other people, and may even jealously resent 

 interference from anyone else. I have frequently been 

 struck w^ith this fact when breaking savage horses who 

 would not, if they could help it, allow anyone except their 

 groom to meddle with them ; and have always found that they 

 were more vicious to approach when their stable attend- 

 ant was near them, than when he was absent. We may 

 often see the same feeling evinced by dogs which would fly 

 at any stranger who dared to touch them, as long as 

 they were with their master ; although they might be fairly 

 amiable if he were not present. However much we may 

 admire in the abstract this fidelity to one, it is apt, in the 

 horse, to detract from the animal's usefulness under civilised 

 conditions ; especially if the owner be not regarded as the 



