56 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



sight ; and then he must be taught to rely on his rider, 

 and to learn from him that the object of his terror is 

 not at all formidable. The tone of the voice, half 

 chiding, half encouraging, and a gentle pressure of 

 the heel, will be perfectly understood by the animal, 

 and he will soon come to trust his rider's judgment : 

 on the other hand, if the latter show any symptoms of 

 timidity, they will be instantly detected by the horse, 

 and the mischief will be greatly aggravated. In other 

 cases the vice proceeds from skittishness or affectation, 

 and must be differently dealt with. " Horses," says 

 Mr. Lawrence, "generally fix on some particular shying 

 butt ; for example, I recollect having at different periods, 

 three hacks, all very powerful : the one made choice 

 of a windmill for the object or butt ; the second a 

 tilted wagon ; and the third a pig led in a string. It 

 so happened, however, that I rode the two former when 

 amiss from a violent cold ; and they then paid no more 

 attention to either windmills or tilted wagons, than to 

 any other objects, convincing me that their shying, 

 when in health and spirits, was pure affectation ; an 

 affectation, however, which may be speedily united 

 with obstinacy and vice. Let it be treated with mark- 

 ed displeasure, mingled with gentle but decided firm- 

 ness, and the habit will be of short endurance." 



Mr. Elaine once purchased a horse with an excellent 

 character for steadiness, except that he was always 

 much alarmed at a passing carriage, whether it was 



