THE DEFENSES OF THE HORSE 



and perfectly calm, with not the least passion or 

 anger. Have a whip brought, but hide it out of the 

 horse's sight, by holding it, handle down and lash 

 up, straight in line with his neck. 



Then begin to encourage the horse in a firm, 

 gentle voice. If it obeys, caress it, and let it go on 

 at a walk calmly. Then ask a more complicated 

 movement. If the horse refuses or hesitates, there 

 is a rending sound in the air, followed by a dull one 

 like that of a bullet entering a man's chest. All this 

 is very sharp, sudden, and surprising. The horse 

 turns his head to left and to right, not know- 

 ing whence the stroke has come. But the whip has 

 been felt, most certainly; and the horse is van- 

 quished. 



If it begins again, the rider is ready, and proceeds 

 as before. Two or three such corrections put the 

 horse back into the state of obedience as he was 

 before his revolt. But if the horse knows, after the 

 refusal, that the rider has the whip ready, it will 

 then obey; and later, when the whip is not at hand, 

 it will again refuse. It is important, therefore, that 

 the horse shall not know that the rider has the whip, 

 nor just what happens to him. Then, if he refuses, 

 the chastisement follows immediately, and there is 

 engraven on his memory the association between 

 the disobedience and the physical pain. But the 

 pain comes as a surprise to the horse, who does not 

 know what caused it nor where the instrument has 

 gone. 



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