120 FEAR. ITS EFFECTS. 



fear. It is the principal cause of kicking and running away, 

 as well as many other annoying or dangerous habits, which 

 make the horse partially or wholly worthless for use. 



A colt that once had the habit of feeding around and 



poaching in neighboring 

 yards, was so gentle and 

 indifferent to fear that 

 he could scarcely be 

 driven away. In order 

 to frighten him off, an 

 old tin pail was tied to 

 his tail and a dog set on 

 him. At first he cared 

 nothing about it, but 

 when he started to run, 



FIG. 110. Nervous, excitable character. 



the pail rattled and 



thumped against his heels so severely that he became fright- 

 ened^ and kicked. The faster he ran, the more the pail 

 rattled and thumped against his legs, and he ran until he 

 was exhausted. As the result, his nervous system was so 

 shaken and injured that afterward the stirring of the grass, 

 or drawing of a stick on the ground behind him, would so 

 excite him that he would scringe, switch, and kick. 



The effect is the same upon a colt or horse, which by 

 some accident or imprudence has been excited to kick and 

 run away while hitched to a wagon. The striking of the 

 wagon against the legs in kicking, makes him think it is the 

 wagon hitting and hurting him, and he tries in the most 

 desperate manner to get away or free himself from it ; so 

 the fear, kicking, and running are increased until freed from 

 the wagon, disabled, or caught. Thus the wagon becomes 

 the same in respect to frightening and exciting the horse 

 and spoiling him, that the tin pail was in frightening the 

 colt. The same effect, of exciting and frightening the 



