132 THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN 



failed altogether to wean it from its offensive 

 habit. 



A far more effective cure, in my opinion, con- 

 sists in pulling the horse over backwards in such 

 a manner as to make it fall on its spine and 

 strike its head upon the stable scraper. This, 

 however, demands extreme dexterity and agility 

 on the part of the rider, who must hastity dis- 

 mount as soon as the horse loses its balance, 

 and allow the animal to complete the latter 

 portion of the performance entirely alone. 

 Should the horseman omit to leave the saddle 

 in good time, there is every likelihood of his 

 being crushed to death beneath the body of the 

 falling steed, when the cure for rearing wdll 

 have been effected at a somewhat extravagant 

 cost. 



In the same way, on the principle that " a 

 burnt child dreads the fire," it is possible to 

 treat a horse addicted to kicking or biting, and 

 make it realize by painful experience that in- 

 dulgence in these unattractive vices entails con- 

 sequences as unpleasant to itself as they are 

 to others. 



Everybody knows the story of the bee- 

 keeper who became so tired of being stung that 

 he devised a plan for teaching his industrious 

 pets to respect the sacredness of his person. 

 Ha^dng made a collection of all the stings that 



