SHYING. 453 



entangled with the collar rein, and being cast. Yet, although the horse is cast, 

 and bruised, and half-strangled, he will roll again on the following night, and 

 continue to do so as long as he lives. The only remedy is not a very pleasant 

 one to the horse, nor always quite safe ; yet it must be had recourse to if the. 

 habit of rolling is inveterate. " The horse," says Mr. Castley, " should be 

 tied with length enough of collar to lie down, but not to allow of his head 

 resting on the ground ; because, in order to roll over, a horse is obliged to 

 place his head quite down upon the ground." 



SHYING. 



We have briefly treated of the cause of this vice at page 133, and observed 

 that while it is often the result of cowardice, or playfulness, or want of work 

 it is at other times the consequence of a defect of sight. It has been remarked 

 and we believe very truly, that shying is oftener a vice of half or quarter- 

 bred horses, than of those who have in them more of the genuine racing 

 blood. 



In the treatment of shying, it is of great importance to distinguish between 

 that which is the consequence of defective sight, and what results from 

 fear, or newness of objects, or mere affectation or skittishness. For the first, 

 the nature of which we have explained at page 133, every allowance must 

 be made, and care must be taken that the fear of correction is not associated 

 with the imagined existence of some terrifying object. The severe use of the 

 whip and the spur cannot do good here, and are likely to aggravate the vice 

 tenfold. A word half encouraging and half scolding, with a gentle pressure of 

 the heel, or a slight touch of the spur, will tell the horse that there was nothing 

 to fear, and will give him confidence in his rider on a future occasion. It should 

 be remembered, however, that although a horse that shies from defective sight 

 may be taught considerable reliance on his rider, he can never have the cause of 

 the habit removed. We may artificially strengthen the human sight, but that 

 of the horse must be left to itself. 



The shying from skittishness or affectation is quite a different affair, and must 

 be conquered : but how ? Severity is altogether out of place. If he is forced into 

 contact with the object by dint of correction, the dread of punishment will after- 

 wards be associated with that object, and, on the next occasion, his startings will 

 be more frequent and more dangerous. The way to cure him is to go on, turning 

 as little as possible out of the road, giving a harsh word or two, and a gentle 

 touch with the spur, and then taking no more notice of the matter. After a 

 few times, whatever may have been the object which he chose to select as the 

 pretended cause of affright, he will pass it almost without notice. 



In page 322, under the head " breaking in," we described how the colt may 

 be cured of the habit of shying from fear or newness of objects ; and, if he then 

 is accustomed as much as possible to the objects among which his services will 

 be required, he will not possess this annoying vice when he grows to maturei 

 age. 



Mr. John Lawrence, in his last work on the Horse, says, " These animals 

 generally fix on some particular shying butt : for example, I recollect having, 

 at different periods, three hacks, all very powerful ; the one made choice of a 

 wind-mill for the object or butt, the other a tilted waggon, and the last a pig led 

 in a string. It so happened, however, that I rode the two former when 

 amiss from a violent cold, and they then paid no more attention to either wind- 

 mills or tilted waggons than to any other objects, convincing me that their 

 shying when in health and spirits was pure affectation ; an affectation, however, 

 which may be speedily united with obstinacy and vice. Let it be treated with 



