74 Our Noblest Friend, The Horse 



of your wishes, you can teach him, and that this 

 is very easy is proved by the fact that ninety per 

 cent, of us use wrong indications anyhow. If you 

 wish your steed to drive without reins, and to " gee " 

 and " haw " Hke Job's off-ox, you may gratify your 

 desire. One often thinks of the confusion that must 

 reign in the brain of a horse fresh from the country, 

 which is put into heavy harness for the first few 

 times. He has always been taught that he was to 

 hold his wagon back by his haunches. Now, to 

 his amazement, he finds no breeching provided, but 

 learns that he must perform that office by the root 

 of his tail and the belly-band buckled tightly around 

 his body; hitherto a check has meant, "hold your 

 neck straight up and your nose out " ; now it forces 

 him to arch the one and depress the other; a pull 

 upon his jointed snaffle-bit has always stood for a 

 turn either way, but now this straight and solid 

 arrangement, which pulls down on one side of the 

 lov\^er jaw, presses up on the upper and opposite sur- 

 face; while the chin-strap, which used to mean 



