BITING AND STRIKING. 93 



preaching afterwards, speak sharply "get round !" or any 

 signal that will attract attention. Let the left hand be put 

 on the shoulder, (near side,) glide it up the neck to the 

 head, then down to the nose piece of the halter. If there 

 is an attempt to bite now, the hand is carried up before the 

 head and held out of reach, while you can keep the head 

 from you with the greatest ease. 



An old horse subject to this habit must be watched 

 closely. So long as there is disposition to bite, the horse 

 must not be regarded safe. Carelessness and timidity, 

 especially if subjected to harsh treatment, may be regarded 

 as the primary cause. I have known horses to become 

 inveterate biters by being whipped once or twice. 



A gentleman informed me lately that a horse he formerly 

 owned became terribly vicious by being struck once with 

 whip in stall. He was, up to that time, as gentle as any 

 horse could be. Mr. Roberts' horse, a notice of which I 

 include in referring to my treatment in the first chapter 

 from the Utica Herald. This horse had been of a very 

 docile character. A rough, drunken groom, who was em- 

 ployed to take care of him, by irritating and abusing the 

 horse got him vicious. Mr. Roberts now took him in hand ; 

 one day while in harness the horse acted a little stubborn 

 and vicious ; Mr. Roberts struck him with the whip, when 

 instantly the horse struck and bit him, knocking him sense- 

 less under his feet, and would have killed him if not driven 

 off by two men, who happened at the time close by. He 

 had run in his stall seven months, and would jump at any 

 one with the ferocity of a desperate dog. As was stated, I 

 took him in hand and made him gentle in less than twenty 

 minutes, and he remained of a good character afterwards. 

 If the horse is young and thoroughly treated, there will be 

 but little trouble in reforming the animal. If old and bad 

 there is no hope of success, unless there is unusual nerve, 

 and genius to make every move just right, and follow up 

 the treatment until the mind relaxes from the purpose, and 

 the affections are won. The habit is clearly a mania when 

 once thoroughly formed. 



If the horse is allowed to bite without instant and posi- 

 tive reproof, after training, no matter how thoroughly the 

 training, the predisposition will be again so strongly devel- 

 oped as to make the animal watch for an opportunity to 



