90 METHODS OF SUBJECTION. 



of resistance, whatever it was. Then, another point I learned was 

 that making one part of the body gentle is. no assurance that the 

 other will be so. For example, making the forward part gentle, would 

 not make the hind part so ; that I could make one foot submissive to 

 be shod, and yet leave the other foot as difficult to handle and control 

 as ever ; that making a horse fearless of a handkerchief when brought 

 around his head or in front of him, no matter how indifferent to 

 it he became, if thrown from behind, under his belly, upon his hips, 

 or behind him, would be as'likely to frighten him as if he had not 

 seen it before. 



In a hundred ways these little points could be shown, and are 

 fully explained in details of treatment under special heads. But 

 because these conditions are not understood, or those requisite for 

 overcoming them are not known or understood, these troubles 

 necessarily follow. Now, in no respect is this more strongly shown 

 than in the management of the mouth. By experimenting a little 

 upon a variety of horses with the War Bridle in teaching to lead, it 

 will be found that a horse will sometimes at first resist with such 

 persistence that the united strength of several men would not be 

 sufficient to make him lead ; yet, by repeating, as explained, the 

 short little pulls in such way as he is the least able to resist, the 

 horse will in all cases soon learn to follow in any manner, even run- 

 ning after the trainer, without being pulled upon or perhaps without 

 the use of the halter at all ; and he will do this ever afterward. 



Now, the principle is exactly the same in obtaining such control 

 of the mouth as will enable securing unconditional submission to the 

 slightest restraint of the bit, — a point that took me at least twelve 

 years of the closest observation and practice to catch the idea of 

 intelligently, and even up to the time of leaving the road I was con- 

 stantly learning new points of advantage in this respect. The 

 results I would sometimes be able to bring about in doing this were 

 really striking, in many cases truly wonderful. Though a digres- 

 sion, I will refer to a few illustrative cases in point. 



A runaway horse, eight years old, the last time hitched up, 

 jumped over a toll-gate, ran away, had not been driven for over a 

 year afterward, and was regarded utterly unmanageable. After 

 thirty minutes' treatment he, was driven down a steep hill to a 

 buggy, without breeching, the wagon running against his heels, 

 guided by a six-year-old boy who sat near me on the seat ; and the 

 horse remained gentle afterwards. 



A strong, large-boned Western horse, in New York City, nine 

 years old, was sold for $275, on condition that he could be driven to 



