218 HOW OBEDIENCE IS TATTGPHT 



He should not be given any occasion 

 to lose ohedience. 



We ourselves are guilty of teaching the horse 

 the greater part of oppositions and reactions as, 

 by our illogical method of treating him, and by 

 placing and allowing him to be under circumstan- 

 ces which produce in his mind associations in con- 

 flict with the idea of obedience, we give him occar 

 sion to see that he is stronger than we are, that he 

 can do as he will, and tliat we cannot prevent it. 

 In order to preserve in the horse the idea of our 

 superiority and of obedience when it has been 

 taught him, there is required on our part suitable 

 treatment wbich consists in avoiding giving him the 

 ()pj)ortunity, and placing him or allowing him to 

 be under circumstances wliicli admit of his doing 

 as he likes and do not allow us to prevent him. 



In order to avoid these oppportunities we must 

 avoid doing many things. He must never be given 

 occasion to struggle Avith us so that he should 

 not see that our strength is slight and apparent 



