THE DEFENSES OF THE HORSE 



the cause may be bad will, fear, confusion, or fa- 

 tigue. 



When fear is the cause, the terrifying object may 

 be seen, heard, or, very rarely, smelt. The cure is 

 to reestablish the animal's confidence, by proving 

 to him that the object is inoffensive. 



If the horse resists because he is confused, the 

 fault is the rider's own. He should, therefore, dis- 

 tract the horse's mind until the confused images 

 have faded from its memory. Then he should begin 

 again, avoiding his former error. 



If fatigue is the cause of the resistance, the rem- 

 edy is to proceed with moderation, and to ask only 

 euch work as is proportionate to the horse's age, 

 strength, and training. 



But if the fault is in the horse's evil will, the rider 

 should first make perfectly certain that all his sig- 

 nals meet the same resistance, without the smallest 

 sign of any return to submission. This done, he 

 should punish, with severity, but without passion. 

 Only thus can the horse be made to understand 

 that its will is to be submitted to the rider's control. 



Veterinary science is no doubt correct in the 

 opinion that there are defects in the horse's brain, 

 analogous to those in the brain of a man, which 

 cause obstinacy, if not insanity. My own experi- 

 ence, nevertheless, goes to show that the cause of 

 resistances, refusals, and similar difficulties have 

 their basis in ordinary physical defects, which can 

 be cured by moderate and proper education. 



