The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



and ears open, he will himself have discovered 

 that there is much in the different foreign 

 practices and methods of handling and training, 

 which is worthy of adoption here, and that 

 therefore what you are asking him to do, in 

 continuation of the special handling of your 

 " wild " horse, may after all have something 

 of value in it. If he is sensible, he will give 

 your system a perfectly straight and genuine 

 trial. If he does so, he will be astonished as 

 to the amount of unnecessary work he will be 

 saved personally. Let it be left at that ; 

 except that you can say with absolute truth, 

 if there is any kick in him against foreign 

 practice, that your system is that of an English- 

 man whose family have been English and 

 horsemen for a thousand years. That ought 

 to settle him all right. 



Your recently " wild " horse is in the stable, 

 and has had time to make himself quite at 

 home there. When you or any of your men 

 go in, make it a practice to speak to him before 

 opening the door, which should be done as 

 quietly as possible. You can make even an 

 old and steady horse quite nervous by the 

 constant sudden and noisy opening and shut- 

 ting of his stable door — much more so a young 

 horse, but newly brought up from pasture. 



83 



