80 HOW THE HORSE LEABNS 



desire to derive utility from the horse, to ti-eat him 

 well, to associate good tTeatment with our persons 

 so that he may get the idea that we are a benefit 

 to him, and that he may come to and remain wil- 

 lingly with us. This predisposes and persuades him 

 to obedience, renders his mastery easy, and dimi- 

 nishes his susceptibility to the feeling of fear, as, 

 never having been rendered afraid by us by bad 

 treatment, he takes fright less readily at the objects 

 he does not know, and more easUy overcomes and 

 gets rid of such fear, if it has arisen, on our ca- 

 ressing him, and this is a great advantage as the 

 horse is so prone to fear 



Good and had associations. 



As has been said the horse deems good those 

 things Avith which is associated a pleasure for him, 

 and deems had the things with which is associated 

 a pain or threat of pain or fear. In this respect 

 Ave have it within our power to give the horse 

 good or bad associations, i. e. associations of plea- 

 sure or pain, but we should give good associations 



