454 SHYING. 



marked displeasure, mingled with gentle, but decided firmness, and the habit 



will be of short endurance*." 



It is now generally admitted by all riding-masters and colt-breakers, 

 that a great deal more is to be effected by lenient than by harsh treatment. 

 Rewards are found to operate more beneficially than punishments; and therefore 

 the most scientific and practised riding-masters adopt methods based upon the 

 former. The writer of the present work remembers a very remarkable instance of 

 the efficacy of this plan, or rather of its vast and decided superiority over violence 

 of the worst description. A vicious thorough-bred horse had baffled the efforts of 

 every one into whose hands he had been put in order to be rendered tractable : 

 at length a foreigner of considerable repute among the equestrians of the "school," 

 took him to make trial of; and in the course of a twelvemonth had rendered 

 him so quiet that not only could any person ride him with the utmost safety ; 

 but, at the same time, he was so docile and tractable that he could be induced, by 

 certain signs, to lie down and permit his rider to mount before he arose again. 



The same forbearance and humanity have been practised with the same bene- 

 ficial results upon shy horses. With all such persons as are best able to give 

 counsel in cases of shyness, the language is now-a-days, "let the horse alone" 

 — " take no notice of his shyness " — " work him well and accustom him to the 

 objects he dislikes, and in time he will of himself leave off his trick of 

 shying." 



This is good advice ; but, let it not be misinterpreted. Let it not be under- 

 stood to mean that the animal is to receive any encouragement to shy ; for by 

 no other expression can be characterised that erroneous and foolish practice of 

 patting the horse, or " making much of him," either just before or during the 

 time he evinces shyness. The former is bad, because it draws the attention of 

 the animal to the object he dreads ; the latter is worse, because it fills him with 

 the impression either that the object itself is really terrific, or that he has acted 

 right in shying at it, and ought to do so again. 



Whether .we are approaching the frightful object, or the horse is actually 

 shying, " we should let him alone " — " we should take no notice whatever of 

 him" — neither letting him perceive that we are aware that we are advancing 

 towards anything he dislikes ; nor do more with him, while in the act of shying, 

 than is necessary for due restraint with a steady hand upon the rein. We may 

 depend upon it, that battling on our part will only Berve to augment affright and 

 arouse resistance on his, and that the most judicious course we can pursue is to 

 persevere in mild forbearant usage. 



Shying on coming out of the stable is a habit that can rarely or never be cured. 

 It proceeds from the remembrance of some ill-usage or hurt which the animal 



* *' We will suppose a case — a very common grow tranquil again and proceed on their jour- 

 one, an every-day one. A man is riding a ney, though not for some time afterwards in 

 young horse upon the high-road in the coun- tbeif former mutual confidence and satisfac- 

 try, and meets a stage-coach. What With the tion. Should they in their road, or even on a 

 noise, the bustle, the imposing appearance distant day, meet with another coachf what 

 altogether, and the slashing of the coachman's is the consequence ? The horse is not only 

 whip, the animal at its approach erects his head more alarmed than before, but now, the mo- 

 and crest, pricks his ears, looks affrighted, and mcnt he has started, being conscious of his 

 no sooner comes alongside of the machine than fault and expecting chastisement, he jumps 

 he suddenly starts out of the road. His rider, about in fearful agitation, making plunges to 

 annoyed by this, instantly commences a round strike into a gallop, and attempting to run 

 of castigation with whip, spur, aud curb, in away. So that by this correction, instead of 

 Which he persists until the horse, as well as rendering his horse tranquil during the passage 

 Himself, has lost his temper ; and then one of a coach, the rider adds to the evil of shying 

 whips, spurs, and pulls, aud the other jumps, that of subsequently plunging, and perhaps 

 plnngcs, frets, aud throws up his head, until running away." — Tfte Veterinarian, vol. i., 

 both, prctcy well exhausted by the conflict, p. 96. 



