STABLE VICES. 151 



in hand by one. The horse appears to gel alarmed, to expect 

 something painful, when surrounded by a crowd. It is not 

 wonderful that he should, for there are always several as- 

 sistants at the performance of painful operations. 



Some are awed when harshly commanded and boldly ap- 

 proached ; some must be soothed and cherished ; and some 

 must occasionally be well flogged. There are many that, to 

 be managed at all in safety, must be managed in perfect 

 silence. To horses of this kind, every word increases their 

 suspicion and terror ; they must be treated as if they were 

 quite docile ; an attempt to bite or strike should pass without 

 the least notice, and this sometimes confounds and tames the 

 horse more than anything that could be said or done to him. 

 Caresses and chastisement are equally pernicious or useless. 



Grooms and others often err in their treatment of vicious 

 horses. They punish those that are not to be improved by 

 punishment, and they apply the lash either before the horse 

 has done anything to merit it, or some time after he has for- 

 gotten the oflence. No horse should ever be chastised with- 

 out knowing why ; the object should be to prevent repetition 

 of the offence ; but this is seldom thought of; the horse is 

 flogged merely because the man is angry. There is a very 

 common piece of stupidity which may be cited in illustration 

 of this. By some means the horse gets free and runs ofT or 

 scampers about, giving the man a great deal of trouble to 

 retake him. While free, he gets kind words, he is called in 

 a soothing tone, and perhaps coaxed to submit himself to the 

 halter by an offer of oats ; he is patted and caressed till he 

 is fairly secured, and then he is flogged, kicked, and knocked 

 about, as if he had been caught in the act of committing a 

 great crime. If this is ever to do any good, it should be 

 done directly after the horse deserves it. As it is, he can 

 not understand why he receives this treatment, or he must 

 suppose it is the penalty of submitting himself, and the next 

 time he gets free, he will delay surrender as long as possi- 

 ble. This is but a sample of the way in which a horse, and 

 especially a vicious horse, is often chastised : he is caressed 

 and soothed till it is convenient and safe to punish him, and 

 by that time he has forgotten the crime. If correction can 

 not instantly follow the oflence, none should be given. The 

 horse may be injured, and there is not the least chance of 

 his being improved. 



Biting. — There are horses who delight in biting. Some 

 are so much addicted to it that it is not possible to enter their 



