460 FAMILIAR TALK 



It is evident that a very little carelessness or inatten- 

 tion is liable to cause irreparable damage to a finely con- 

 structed engine. The adjustment of parts must be kept 

 perfect, no friction permitted. Managed by a skillful 

 hand, it will do its work smoothly and reliably. But ma- 

 chines are of a fixed nature, governed by laws that are 

 unchangeable ; so that when the conditions and adjustment 

 of parts are understood, they are easy of management ; 

 while in horses, as explained, there are such greatly vary- 

 ing degrees of size, strength, intelligence, and endurance, 

 that their subjection and management requires, if any- 

 thing, a far higher order of care and skill than is neces- 

 sary in the management of even the most complicated ma- 

 chine. 



A man must have patience, and the courage, if neces- 

 sary, that borders upon rashness ; yet always holding him- 

 self within the limits of safety. Whatever the difficulties 

 or failures, like the skilled mechanic, he should only ex- 

 hibit the more care and patience, until successful. It is 

 especially important that there be no fool-hardiness, lack 

 of judgment, or carelessness that will expose the horse to 

 danger or accident. It is an invariable fault of those who 

 claim any skill or experience in the management of horses, 

 to be over-confident, to think too much of the little they 

 know of applying the treatment, and too little of the diffi- 

 culties and dangers of resistance in the horse to be treated. 

 I have known so many fine horses needlessly excited or 

 abused, strained, or even killed, by the sheer lack of judg- 

 ment and care in the man, that I regard it as proof of the 

 rarest qualifications of fitness and skill to succeed without 

 accident. 



A man who assumes to know all about horses, and 

 "can break any horse," etc., only gives to any sensible, 

 observing man the strongest proof of his ignorance. The 



