SHY HORSES. 
263 
decided upon the superiority of the operation; it is a point I am 
sure your readers, as well as myself, would wish to be set at rest, 
as it concerns us all: I, therefore, wish those of greater experi¬ 
ence and skill than myself to favour the public with their opinions 
on it, so that we may be ready, at a minute’s notice, to combat 
so formidable and dangerous a malady, and where indecision 
and unskilfulness will be to greatly risk the life of our patients. 
W. A. Cartwright. 
Whitchurch, Salop, 17th April 1831. 
SHY HORSES. 
In the first volume of The Veterinarian, page 92, are 
some observations on this subject; to which it is my present 
intention to append some others by way of continration, on a 
point whereunto the former do not extend: viz. on the “ cure*’ 
or “ remedy” for, or most efficient mode of, managing such trou¬ 
blesome cases. 
The common reward a horse gets for shying, is a good thrash¬ 
ing; which, however much it may gratify his master, certainly 
too often turns out a practice that, so far from “ curing” or “ re¬ 
medying” the shying disorder, tends to augment it, and adds to 
it the disagreeable accompaniment of running away, after having 
started, with yet still more affright than before. And surely it 
seems* quite reasonable, that an animal, already in a state of fear 
or affright, should have that impression rather augmented than 
dissipated by the infliction of corporeal punishment, at the mo¬ 
ment he is under such influence. 
The ordinary practice on horseback of one of our jockey 
riders, is, as soon as he perceives the object on the road at 
which he knows his nag to shy, to take up his reins (so as to 
have his horse in hand); to adjust himself upon the saddle, 
holding thereon additionally tight with his knees; and, lastly, to 
have Ins stick ready to do the requisite execution, which is con¬ 
sidered to be most effectual when applied over or rather upon 
the head or shoulders. Now, as I stated before, not only does 
this summary infliction do much harm, aggravating instead of 
mitigating the original disorder, but the very preparation of the 
rider that precedes the start is itself a source of evil. For, by 
this mode of proceeding, the unfortunate animal is put into such 
a preliminary state of alarm as not only augments his dread of 
the object at which he ordinarily starts, but also puts him into 
that state of terror afterwards at the expected hasting “ about 
the head and shoulders,” that lie commences with capering, and 
