62 THEORY OF HORSE-CONTROL. 



habit. Hence, a teacher of breaking will be wise to confine 

 himself to showing "how it is done," and not risk his 

 reputation in making the impossible attempt of " curing " a 

 vicious horse for other people. Besides, it is only " human 

 nature " for the owner, rider, or driver of a wayward horse 

 which has reverted from a state of discipline to his former 

 evil courses, to blame the breaker and not himself. 



The correct method, as I have already explained, in estab- 

 lishing the habit of obedience, is first to make the horse obey, 

 and then to repeat the process as may be needed. Although, 

 in a few exceptional cases, one victory over a horse may pro- 

 duce a permanently good effect on his mind, as far as mere 

 obedience or docility is concerned ; the effect, however 

 strongly it may have been enforced, will, in the vast 

 majority of instances, soon wear ofT unless it be repeated. 

 I have often, and I think unjustly, incurred blame after I 

 had practically demonstrated to the members of a class I 

 was teaching, the feasibility of making a confirmed jibber, 

 obstinate refuser, or violent buckjumper, quiet and obedient 

 in one lesson ; because such an animal had afterwards 

 become just as bad as before, on account of his owner not 

 taking the trouble, as advised by me, of repeating the 

 lesson I had given. I may point out that the reason why 

 men usually fail to subdue " difficult " horses, is because 

 they do not know how to take the first step, namely, that 

 of enforcing obedience. If they be supplied with this all- 

 important information, their task will be one of increasing- 

 facility after each repetition, and, if persevered in, will be 

 rapidly completed. But to be successful, it must be re- 

 peated until the desired habit is established. 



