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MASTER AND I. 59
necessary for a horse to know it has a master, but it is
equally necessary for us to recognize that they have rights,
and also that bullying an animal is. not being, in a manly
sense, its master. Now I have broken scores of horses, and
never yet whipped but one, and I have always hated myself
tor doing that.”
Then he began to gently rub- Topsy’ s head and. neck with |
nis hands, : and later with a brush. She seemed to enjoy
this, and when he let the latter gradually pass over her ©
shoulders and back, she offered no resistance.
He worked with her fifteen minutes or longer, then turned
her into the little enclosure she occupied during the day.
I think I neglected to say I was resting out at the farm fora
day or two when this occurred.
In two or three hours the man came again, and repeated
the handling and brushing, only this time he touched the
whole body, “talking kindly_ and reassuring all the while.
‘‘She is going to be an uncommonly easy subject, I pre-
dict,” he announced.
‘But who'd have patience for such slow getting on?” Chet
scornfully asked. .
‘‘T should imagine a little time apparently wasted in the
beginning less loss than a fine horse ruined in the end,” the
old man quietly answered.
When he let the young mare go that time she seemed slow
to leave him, though he had brushed her even to her heels.
_ ‘The next time he handled her with greater freedom, brush-
ing and talking and finally showing her a little sack of straw.
She eyed it-a while, smelled 1t and. then seemed not to care
for it. The man now began to rub her with this, gradually
increasing the noiseitmade. Ofcourse, she was a little shy
of this, and inclined to goaway, Afew gentle touches of
the brush reassured her. Then heputahalteron her. She
had often worn one before. After this he applied the straw
again, stopping every little while to brush and smoothe her.
In a little time she paid no attention either to the noise or
the touch of the sack.
The next day he gave her four lessons of similar character.
Later he rattled tin cans and the like about her from head |
to heels, and had small boys blow tin horns in all directions,
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