VICES. 65 



head on one side, his croup will be turned outward, 

 and his legs work in an opposite direction. This resist- 

 ance will increase proportionately to the exertions made 

 by the rider. A horse, in this manner, may fly from 

 imaginary, into real danger ; for he cannot see where he 

 is going, nor what he may run against. Pulhng in the 

 rein, therefore, on the side from which the horse shies, 

 is improper; it should rather be slackened, and the 

 horse's head turned away from the object which terrifies 

 him. By tliis mode, a triple advantage is gained : in the 

 first place, the horse's attention is diverted to other 

 things; secondly, — the dreaded object loses half its 

 terror when he finds no intention manifested on the 

 rider's part to force him nearer to it ; and, lastly, — he 

 is enabled to see, and, consequently, avoid any danger 

 in front, or on the other side of liim. 



A horse may be coaxed and encouraged to go up to 

 the object that alarms liim; and, if the rider succeed in 

 making him approach it, a beneficial effect will be pro- 

 duced: the horse will discover that his fears were 

 groundless, and be less likely to start again from any 

 similar cause. After the first impulse of teri'or has 

 subsided, the animal, if properly managed, will even 

 manifest an inclination to approach and examine the 

 object that alarmed him: but, while he is so doing, 

 the rider must be on her guard; for the least movement, 

 or timidity, on her part, — the rustling of a leaf, or the 

 passing of a shadow, — will, in all probability, frighten 



£ 



