VICIOUS WHILE CLEANING. 
381 
without some one holding his head ; and no sooner did 
the servant quit the reins, than he plunged and leaped 
about in all directions. However, I refrained from hogging 
or spurring him, but patted him on the neck until he be¬ 
came quiet. I overcame this by making the groom hold his 
head, while I mounted and dismounted a dozen or more 
times successively. After repeating this once or twice a day 
for upwards of a week, I then led him out to a broad 
garden walk, and commenced by patting him on the neck 
and shoulder, and then putting my foot in the stirrup, 
quickly mounted him. When seated, I gently walked him 
about, soothing and speaking kindly to him all the while ; 
and then dismounted, and led him about for a few minutes, 
and again mounted many times, which he became quite 
reconciled to. This I repeated several times daily for about 
a week, but never rode him out of the grounds during this 
time. At last he became so tractable by kind treatment 
that he never afterwards was troublesome to mount. I 
sometimes rewarded him with a handful of oats while pur¬ 
suing this treatment. When a horse has such a propensity, 
he should be mounted quickly and without fear, and not 
allowed to proceed on his journey until he is perfectly 
quiet. Instances are not few where horses that are generally 
pleasant and easy to mount, become restiff when too high 
fed and having too little work. The remedy for this is 
obvious. But when animals continue to manifest this vice, 
they should be sold. 
VICIOUS WHILE CLEANING. 
Very great difference exists in the temper exhibited by 
horses under the operation of cleaning. Some that are 
steady and quiet on the road and in the field, cannot be 
cleaned without great hazard to their grooms, as well as th* 
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