HOW THE HORSE LEARNS 93 



Biting is soon learnt by the liorse who feels 

 tickling behind the second bone of the shoulder, 

 in the flanks, or on the front and interior part of 

 the haunches. The horse is touched by the man 

 who grooms him and who usually takes amusement 

 in exciting the horse by rubbing him in the part 

 where he feels the tickling irritation; the hor8e na- 

 turally revolts, and, by threatening to bite, seeks 

 to reply, in order to put an end to the excitement 

 to which he is being subjected. The man excites 

 him more instead of ceasing to do so and then the 

 horse bites. The man shows himself to be intimi- 

 dated by this and ceases to touch him and with- 

 draws, and the horse has learnt that by biting he 

 causes the annoyance of tickling inflicted on him 

 by the man to cease. These things were not inven- 

 ted by the horse but were learnt by him because 

 the man Avho had charge of him taught them to 

 liini by bad associations unfavourable to himself. 



Biting is learnt still more easily if the man in 

 charge jmnches or kicks the horse in the belly, and 

 if in putting on the saddle instead of pulling the 

 girth straps gradually he tightens them by jerking 



