EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 57 



horses myself that I did not know that I had ever given them 

 a cross word or blow of the whip in my life that would hardly 

 allow me to go into their stall unless the groom was there. 

 They seemed to say, you have no business here ; you drive me 

 and you get out or I will kick you out or eat you up. So I 

 rarely go into their stall to do anything with them, and I have 

 several of that kind at present. If a man comes and wants to 

 see one of them, I call the groom, no matter what he is doing, 

 to come and pull off the blanket rather than have a row with 

 and irritate them. Great care should be taken not to irritate 

 a horse's disposition more than that of a child. They know 

 just as well who belongs there and whether yOu are in your 

 proper place as you do, for I don't believe any man gives a 

 horse credit for the intellect he possesses. 



A good groom usually sleeps in the stall with his horse 

 while in training, especially in warm weather, and it is won- 

 derful how much affection a horse will show for the man. I 

 have often went around to the stalls late at night, say eleven 

 o'clock, and found the horse closely snugged up to the man, 

 so close that it would seem almost impossible that he was not 

 Ijing on him, both asleep, many times the horse's head lying 

 on the man, using him for a pillow. I have had men who 

 were sometimes addicted to drink, be out an evening and get 

 full, would just be able to get to the stable, would manage to 

 get in the stall, and perhaps fall down in the middle of the 

 floor. The horse would step over him and around him, try- 

 ing to find a place to lie down, but either stand up all night 

 or wait until the man got sober enough to move along and 

 give him room enough to lie down without getting on him. 

 And again I have been to the stable early in the morning be- 

 fore the man was up, on occasions when they both had their 

 natural rest and both were sober. I would find the horse up 

 standing over the man — he had perhaps pulled the blankets 

 off him. The horse would be rooting the man with his nose, 

 and really acted as though he was trying to turn him over, es- 

 pecially if the man was lying upon his face. You will often 



