HORSES CUTTING. 196 



hold of his head," that is, take up the curb bit ; clap 

 your legs to his sides, or, if that is not suflScient, 

 touch him with the spurs ; make him trot alertly 

 ten miles an hour, instead of six lazily. He will 

 cease cutting ; it produces a different style of action 

 and a different motion of the legs. This shows the 

 difference between mere instinct and reason ; the 

 latter would teach the horse that by going in a cer- 

 tain way he cut his legs and hurt himself ; he would 

 voluntarily alter his mode of going. Instinct does 

 not go thus far ; consequently, we must use our 

 reason, and cause him to do it. 



A friend of my father's had a very nice horse, a 

 good goer, and one who never touched a stone on the 

 road, yet sometimes would make a drop, as if one of 

 his legs was broken. Trotting him along over some 

 level turf one day, he did so, and down he came. It 

 was considered unaccountable. I begged to see him 

 out, and, standing before him, had him trotted 

 towards me. I saw at once that he passed the lifted 

 leg within the eighth of an inch of the resting one just 

 under the knee. The matter was explained at once. 



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