The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



shouting and waving their arms, his whole 

 attention would have been so centred on them 

 that he would not have seen the open gate 

 behind him, and, in his scared condition, he 

 would have determined instantly that the 

 only way of escape was to bolt, through the 

 widest gap in the advancing line of enemies, 

 into the more open space beyond them. Con- 

 vinced that he was in danger of his life, he 

 would continue to race round the field, and it 

 would take him at least a fortnight to get 

 over the experience, and he would retain the 

 impression that all men were his enemies. 



But the silent pressure, slow and obhque 

 advance, leaves no such impression on the 

 mind of a wild unhandled horse. He has been 

 inconvenienced, but that is all. When you 

 have got him into the next field the day's work 

 is done, because any horse put into a new 

 pasture will gallop all round it lq excited 

 exploration before he quietens down to feed. 

 If of his own accord he goes through the next 

 gate, well and good, but don't try to force 

 him. Your ultimate object is the speediest 

 breaking of the animal, and by proceeding 

 slowly at the beginning you are in reahty 

 making the quickest advance. You want to 

 get him into the straw- yard, or stable, with the 

 least disturbance to his equanimity. If he is 

 terrified by the procedure, you will find him 

 in such a condition of antagonism that it will 



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