164 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



another example of the folly of punishment. If 

 a horse jumps badly, blame yourself or your 

 training, and try and improve both or either, but 

 don't start hitting him. If horses are impatient, 

 and pull, or fret, then see if the situation cannot 

 be improved by exercise or feeding, but don't put 

 cruel bits into their mouths, or start hitting them 

 over the head. If you find one that is really too 

 much for you, then sell him to some one who can 

 manage him better, and don't be afraid to admit 

 that you can't ride him. There is nothing to be 

 ashamed of in that, but what one should be ashamed 

 of is being seen riding the horse in monstrous bits, 

 which are nothing more or less than instruments of 

 torture. 



In the colonies, where time is of importance 

 and horses of none, it may be expedient to break 

 their horses in in the method above described. 

 I have no practical experience whatever, and I 

 have neither the intention nor desire to criticize. 

 I only ask those colonials who have done me the 

 honour of reading these few pages through, to 

 think the matter over again, and see if there 

 cannot be some improvement organized in their 

 training and handling. 



After all, there must be progress in the world, 

 and the worst argument that can be proffered is 

 that it always has been done that way. We must 

 reorganize and reconstruct our methods from time 

 to time, and it seems to me that a system of 

 terrorizing and inflicting pain on any animal 

 must, ipso facto, have in it the elements and 



