CHAPTER IV 

 THE SECOND HANDLING 



THE scheme of the first handling has 

 been the voluntary attraction of the 

 horse, when at full liberty, to the trainer. 

 At its end the old horse can be removed from 

 the straw-yard. There is no longer any advan- 

 tage in his presence; as the wild horse, who 

 to you is no longer wild, has now no fear of you 

 and will welcome your coming. He will of his 

 own accord come right up to you at the gate, 

 and, in a day or two, will salute your arrival 

 with a delighted neigh. 



The scheme of the second handling is the 

 very gradual coercion of the horse, until you 

 have full control of his movements. Like the 

 first handhng, it must be done so slowly and 

 gradually that he does not reahse that he is 

 being coerced or controlled. You must so 

 manoeuvre things that he does voluntarily 

 what you want him to do. When a horse 

 gets really fond of you it is a pleasure to him 

 to do for you whatever you can make him 

 understand you want him to do. Some horses 



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