THE MIND OF THE HORSE 13 



diately to save himself from all and everything 

 that threatens him or which he believes to he 

 threatening him, or which causes him pain, by 

 dashing away at the utmost speed. 



His extreme susceptibility to fear is a grave 

 inconvenience and a great evil on many occasions, 

 but it is the factor by means of which mastery 

 is obtained over him. Our dominion over the horse 

 is based on his trust and confidence in us, but 

 also on his readiness to obey, which largely de- 

 pends on his fear of punishment. The instinct of 

 fear, which is the instinct of self-preservation, in 

 many cases so over-powers him that he does not 

 feel the aids employed nor the punishments inflic- 

 ted and can no longer be controlled. 



A resort to actual force inspires him ^vith fear, 

 excites him to reaction and often desperate resi- 

 stance with all Ills strength, until either he frees 

 himself or does himself such injury as to be able 

 to react no longer. Thus if he feels himself drawn 

 by force towards an object which inspires him with 

 fear he backs, and it is in many instances impos- 

 sible to get him to advance again even by severe 



