CHAPTER VIII. 



VICES, TRICKS, AND FAULTS, 



The severity with which a horse has been punished for 

 a fault is, usually, the measure of the violence with which 

 he will repeat it. It is this violence that makes the horse 

 so dangerous in his rebellion, for until he loses his reason 

 he will take care not to injure himself, and so in a mea- 

 sure protects his rider. Few young horses are dangerous 

 in their resistances until they have met with cruel treat- 

 ment. It is seldom that a colt in breaking will bolt with 

 his rider ; it is usually the old ofEender who is guilty of 

 this most dangerous of vices. Although nearly every 

 young horse will rear at the pressure of the bit, he will 

 seldom rise to a dangerous hight, and he soon ceases to 

 offend in that way. A horse must be corrected and put 

 right, but it is never necessary to resort to severe punish- 

 ments. Fortunately the horse is an animal of one idea, 

 and when he has determined upon his line of opposition 

 he is easily circumvented and humbled. If he refuses to 

 turn to the right he will be so intent upon opposing the 

 right rein that he may be turned around to the left until 

 he is confused, when he will very gladly go in any direc- 

 tion. If he declines to go forward he is not prepared to 

 resist a demand for a backward movement, and he will 

 soon tire of that unusual mode and start forward at the 

 first hint from his rider. But a horse properly broken 

 (68) 



