TREATMENT OF FEAR. 63 



first and most obvious point is to give him an understand- 

 ing of its appearance and character. Blinders are admissible 

 only when there is a desire to conceal the defects of a large 

 head, and to cause a naturally lazy horse to drive steadily, 

 by preventing him from seeing when the whip is about to 

 be applied. 



MUST SEE THE OBJECT FROM DIFFERENT 

 POSITIONS. 



It is one of the peculiarities of the horse to understand 

 and be reconciled to an object or cause of excitement only 

 from its position and circumstances as brought to his 

 notice. This seems to be on account of the horse's rea- 

 soning powers being so limited as to be unable to retain 

 the same understanding of the object beyond the position 

 from which it is brought to notice. 



Every progressive change of position requires almost the 

 same care and patience as that preceding. For example, 

 if in teaching a horse to submit to an umbrella, if it were 

 shown only from the near side, upon carrying it to the off 

 side, would inspire nearly as much fear as at first from the 

 near side, or there may be an aversion to some particular 

 object, or resistance may be inspired only under certain 

 circumstances. You may succeed in getting a colt gentle 

 to be rode from the near ride, but an attempt to mount him 

 from the off side, would in all probability be resisted. 



If a horse is afraid of an umbrella while in harness, he 

 may be taught to care nothing about it out of harness, but 

 if not taught to feel and understand its character in harness, 

 would be apt to be as much frightened at it in that position, 

 as if he knew nothing about it. 



This seems to puzzle many well-meaning men, and is 

 often the cause of much disappointment. 



A horse that is afraid of an umbrella, is brought forward 

 to illustrate the management of such habits. In a short 

 time the horse will bear the umbrella over and around him 

 in any manner, without seeming to care anything about it. 

 The owner is pleased with the belief that his horse is bro- 

 ken, when in harness at some future time, he raises an 

 umbrella behind the animal, and is astonished to find him 

 almost as bad as ever, and he is disappointed. But when 



