THE REASONED EQUITATION 



the most exacting of all our means. They act upon 

 the physical forces of the animal, and upon his 

 moral forces. They affect especially his will. They 

 are, therefore, a most important means of control 

 if employed for their strength of effects. But they 

 are most dangerous when used as effects of strength. 



Masters of the equestrian art have all assumed 

 that the spurs have two uses one for conduct 

 and one for punishment. I admit their use for 

 conduct, but I deny their use as a corrective in the 

 sense in which other writers have taught. I admit 

 their use as a corrective in so far as they augment 

 the effect of the legs. I grant that, when the legs 

 alone are not sufficiently powerful, as a means of 

 conduct, to impose upon the horse, by my will, 

 the position of equilibrium, so as to paralyze 

 movements of revolt originating in the animal's 

 will, I employ the spurs. But the effect of these is 

 always to reenforce the effects of the legs, which are 

 of themselves impotent to obtain the position of 

 assemblage. By means of the spurs I am able to 

 correct a wrong position which the horse takes in 

 revolt, and which would otherwise put in jeopardy 

 my control over him, and bring my intelligent 

 will into subordination to the enormous physical 

 strength of an unintelligent brute. 



I do not believe that the animal is influenced by 

 sharp physical pain in any such degree as a man 

 is, who by his education is always more delicate 

 physically, and morally more fearful than the ani- 



126 



