276 CONFESSIONS Of A HOUSE DE1LEK. 



is made upon him, and by continuing the system (no 

 other person but the operator using or handling him in 

 the mean time), he is rendered permanently docile with 

 him, but with him alone. 



The beauty of the system is that it can be imparted 

 to any man having a knowledge of handling horses, and 

 a good nerve. To others, who know nothing of horses, 

 neither this system, nor any other, is of any use until 

 they have learned to apply it. 



We will suppose, for instance, that the reader is a 

 timid rider, and has a rearing, jibbing, kill-devil of a 

 horse that will not pass a certain lane or street end with 

 him ; he sends him to the most skilful breaker (by the 

 old system) he can find, and that by dint of rough riding 

 with whip and spur, the breaker succeeds in making 

 him pass the particular spot where he has chosen to 

 stop with his owner, yet I'll lay my life to an orange 

 (and all practical men will endorse my assertion) that 

 when the owner rides him to the same place again he 

 will stop the second or third, if not the first, time, and 

 be as obstinate as before, unless the hands, nerve, and seat 

 of the rider have undergone a change for the letter. 



A vicious horse can tell when he is ridden or handled 

 by a nervous " Miss Nancy" sort of individual, and will 

 not be long in taking advantage of his power in the way 

 it suits its fancy best. 



The same practice applies to the approaching of 

 a biter or a kicker in the stable ; if a man be nervous 

 er inexperienced, he falters and hesitates in his step ; 



