OUT-DOOR VICES— SHYING. 243 



no one is likely to do much in this particular style ; hence it is 

 that so few men can " creep" well, even though they have horses 

 accustomed to it under other hands. When the horse has been 

 thoroughly taught to creep, his head may almost be left without 

 control, merely guiding him quietly to the gap, and then letting 

 him take his own way; but where the horse has to be made to 

 creep, a rein should be taken in each hand, and the head guided 

 as if with a silken thread, to the right or left, or wherever the ani- 

 mal is required to go. These remarks will perhaps be useful to all 

 who have no experienced friend ready to afford a practical demon- 

 stration of the same fundamental points. One actual lesson in the 

 field is worth all the reading in the world ; but, in default of this, 

 the preceding observations will serve to assist the young aspirant 

 for honors in riding to hounds. 



OUT-DOOR VICES AND BAD HABITS. 



Out-door vices depend upon the temper of the individual, and 

 include shying, rearing, kicking, lying down, plunging or buck- 

 ing, shouldering, and running away. Bad habits arise from a de- 

 fective formation of the body, and are confined to stumbling and 

 cutting. 



Shying generally arises from timidity, but sometimes it is united 

 with cunning, which induces the animal to assume a fear of some 

 object for the sole purpose of finding an excuse for turning round. 

 The usual cause of shying is doubtless the presence of some object 

 to which the colt has not been accustomed, and if he has buck 

 eyes, which render him short-sighted, it will be difficult to con- 

 vince him of the innocent nature of the novel object. There are 

 endless peculiarities in shying horses, some being dreadfully 

 alarmed by one kind of object, which to others is not at all for- 

 midable. When a horse finds that he gains his object by turning 

 round, he will often repeat the turning without cause, pretending 

 to be alarmed, and looking out for excuses for it. This is not at 

 all uncommon, and with timid riders leads to a discontinuance of 

 the ride, by which the horse gains his end for the time, and re- 

 peats the trick on the first occasion. In genuine shying from fear 

 the eyes are generally more or less defective; but sometimes this 

 is not the cause, which is founded upon a general irritability of 

 the nervous system. Thus, there are many horses which never 

 shy at meeting tilted wagons, or other similarly alarming objects, 

 but which almost drop with fear on a small bird flying out of a 

 hedge, or any other startling sound. These last are also worse, 

 because they give no notice to the rider, whereas the ordinary 

 shyer almost always shows by his ears that he is prepared to turn 

 round. 



The best plan of treatment which can be adopted, is to 



