52 THE MIND OF THE HORSE 



susceptibility to fear is a great drawback to the 

 usefulness of a horse as he is ready to take fright 

 at everything. 



To incur as little fatigue as possible is a general 

 instinct, but laziness is particularly bad in a horse, 

 as it is a negation of its essential quality, which 

 is that of moving at the slightest instigation. 



Tlie anger felt by some horses on the legs and 

 spurs being applied is a great defect as it deprives 

 us of a ready and convenient means of guidance. 



There are strange and inconsistent horses just 

 as there are strange men Avho act in one way on 

 one day and difierently on the morrow. This may 

 be called a degree of insanity just as in man. The 

 morose, moody or melancholy horse was in ill 

 repute with the cavaliers of the sixteenth centnry 

 as they tliought him to be meditating attack and 

 rebellion. 



The horse may become bad owing to ill treat- 

 ment or because the man handling him gave 

 him opportunity for succcssfal resistance and thus 

 taughi liim his own strongth and tlie possibility of 

 his ()pj)()sing man. Such a horse may have his dis- 



