INSANITY. 135 



It being impossible, with safety, to go near enough to 

 this colt to tcuch him, the halter was put on with pole, as 

 explained in "Colt Training," when he was easily subjected 

 to Second Method, by which he was made so gentle and 

 manageable in about fifteen minutes that he was harnessed 

 and driven to breaking-cart, without breeching, acting as 

 well as any ordinary, quiet colt. 



A great many cases illustrating the effects of bad 

 treatment at such times, have been repeatedly brought to 

 my notice. 



INSANITY. 



It is not uncommon to find horses insanely afraid of 

 some particular object, as blood, or the sound of the cars, 

 etc., while perfectly indifferent to other objects or sounds. 

 The causes we cannot always trace, though we can see 

 the effects. In all ordinary cases, there is but little 

 difficulty in overcoming such fear by proper treatment, 

 but it is possible to find cases so extreme as to render it 

 difficult, if not impossible, to make reasonably safe. I am 

 satisfied, as before explained, that many of the extreme 

 cases of this character which I have treated, have been the 

 effect of prenatal causes. But the nervous system can be 

 so impressed by direct causes of fear and injury as to 

 destroy life or produce insanity, as shown by reference to 

 several cases in the first part. 



This insanity in horses is shown by the intense re- 

 pugnance to special objects and sounds. . Horses that have 

 once been frightened by something giving out, or running 

 against the hind quarters, cutting or injuring them, per- 

 haps severely, are afterward uncontrollably afraid of the 

 noise of the wagon, or the shafts touching the parts. One 

 of the worst horses I ever handled was a small bay, in 

 Vermont, that was perfectly gentle, except being afraid of 

 the shafts touching one quarter. This was caused by the 



