THE SPURS AND THEIR EFFECTS 



mal, who has no dread whatever of death. It is, 

 therefore, not by inflicting physical pain that the 

 man dominates the brute; but rather by the 

 skillful use of the sensations which the man is able 

 to impose. Whenever pain becomes the custom, the 

 animal no longer heeds it. But agreeable sensa- 

 tions are retained in memory, and so dispose the 

 animal to obey for the sake of the caresses and 

 rewards. 



I have already explained that the purpose of the 

 flexions is to obtain equal contact of the bars upon 

 the bit by the effect of the two legs used equally. 

 Evidently, if the legs do not act equally, the contact 

 of the bit will also be unsymmetrical. So much the 

 more, then, must the vastly more powerful spurs 

 be used with precise equality if the animal is to be 

 kept straight and equal in all his steps and gaits. 



It is for this reason most important that the 

 teeth of the two rowels be equally sharp or dull, 

 and that the spurs be set immovably at the same 

 height ; otherwise the attack will occur sooner, or at 

 a different place, or be more severe, on one side 

 than the other. I hold my own spurs in place by 

 having a small piece of leather at the top of the heel, 

 on which the spur rests, and a very short strap 

 which passes in front of the heel below the boot. 

 But the best method is to follow the advice of 

 Fillis and to have box spurs set permanently in the 

 boots. These cannot be displaced and will always 

 act equally. 



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