PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT. 



37 



To teach a horse to make a bow, first 

 prick him lightly on the back with a pin, 

 and repeat this until, in his efforts to avoid 

 the annoyance, he drops his head, after 

 which caress him, repeating the pricking 

 until the head is again dropped, when again 

 repeat the caress and give him something 

 of which he is fond, and continue to alter- 

 nate in this way with the pricking, caress- 

 ing, and rewarding, until at ;the least motion 

 of the hand toward the back he will drop> 

 -his head. ,,L 



To teach him to kick, simply prick him 

 on the rump until there is an inclination 

 to kick up, when, as before, caress him, and 

 so repeat until the least ' motion of the 

 hand toward the rump will induce him to 

 kick up. 



In teaching any kind or number of tricks, 

 the principle is the same,, the only differ- 

 ence being that instead of a pin, other 

 means adapted to the requirements of the 

 ^case must be used. 



But one thing should be taught at a 

 time, and that slowly and carefully re- 

 peated until thoroughly understood. The 

 duller the horse, and the more complicated 

 o£ difficult to the understanding the point 

 to be taught, the less can be safely at- 

 tempted, and the more time must neces- 

 sarily be taken ; while the more intelligent 

 the horse, and the simpler the thing re- 

 quired to be done, the more can be ac- 

 complished. And each point thus made 

 should be made the foundation for the 

 next, until the education is complete. 



Again, fo have prompt obedience, 

 the same signal and word given in 

 teaching the trick, or whatever is re- 

 quired to be done, must be repeated 

 exactly, even to the tone and pitch of 

 the voice; otherwise a horse is liable 



Fids. 27-30— Modifications of Good 

 Character. 



