THE MIND OP THE HORSE 51 



they had perceived tliat a melancholy horse was 

 also inclined to anger. Horses of different disposi- 

 tion require correspondingly varying treatment in 

 training. 



The qualities of bodily structure i. e. lightness 

 or heaviness, may be seen on inspecting the horse 

 at rest. But all the other qualities and especially 

 the mental ones, require some time to determine, 

 and the horse must also be observed when ridden. 

 The character of some of them requires a greater 

 length of time to be understood. 



Generally horses are more or less timid and 

 good and but rarely bad. An excess of nervous 

 excitability, which always keeps him in an excited 

 or convulsive condition resulting in a constant en- 

 deavour to break away renders it impossible to master 

 the liorse and makes him dangerous and therefore 

 imsuited to the purpose of riding. Some of these 

 nervous horses may be useful when employed alone 

 and not in company with other horses by whom 

 they are excited to run and break away. Others 

 grow excited and break a^vay only if made to gallop 

 and should never be put to the gallop. Excessive 



