12 EXTREMES AND MODIFICATIONS OF CHARACTER. 



a time have I astonished myself even by my success in the 

 subjection of horses of noted vicious characters in this 

 way. I have frequently been able to gain complete con- 

 trol of notedly-vicious horses in less than thirty minutes, so 

 they would be gentle to drive in harness, and submit to 

 being handled with perfect safety and ease in less than 

 twenty minutes ; a little kind treatment, and care in 

 driving and handling, being all that was necessary to make 

 them entirely safe afterwards for any one to use. But you 

 must always handle horses that are really bad and danger- 

 ous out in the field or yard, where there is good sod and 

 no stones. It adds to the difficulty and danger greatly to 

 be confined to a barn, as I am frequently ; and in an or- 

 dinary barn, with a crowd of people around, it is very diffi- 

 cult and embarrassing. The change I can make in the 

 characters of colts and vicious, kicking horses, in illustrating 

 my principles, seems wonderful to the class. The most suc- 

 cessful horse-breakers are surprised to see how quickly and 

 easily we can drive even a bad, kicking, runaway colt without 

 breeching, letting the shafts come against the quarters, with- 

 out showing any fear, or kicking. Of course, the great point 

 is being able, as I can, to get absolute control of the nervous 

 system ; which I can do with entire safety, so that I can 

 neutralize and restrain the action of the will as desired. Of 

 the many thousands of horses in my varied career which I 

 have reformed, I will here refer to a few of the most noted. 

 The Press horse, referred to in my paper, was an eight- 

 year-old sorrel, with large brain, deep chest, a very 

 strong, courageous animal, owned by BILL PRESS of 

 GOWANDA, N.Y. This horse, in breaking, became fright- 

 ened, kicked, and ran away, and became one of the most 

 furious, desperate . beasts ever known in that country. 

 Every effort having failed to break him ; and it being deemed 

 impossible to do any thing with him, Press brought him to 

 Buffalo, twenty-four miles distant, -where I happened to be 

 at the time. The horse was so wild and dangerous, that, 

 as the owner said, " ten men could not either put him or 

 hold' him in shafts." There was a good deal of curiosity 

 excited to see if such a horse could be broken. I sub- 

 jected him to first and second methods of subjections, 

 pushing with rapidity. In fifteen minutes I had the horse 



