Jack's horse-breaking was a battle for supremacy of mind over mind, not
mind over matter a long course of careful training and schooling, in
which nothing was broken, but all bent to the control of a master. To him
no two horses were alike; carefully he studied their temperaments,
treating each horse according to its nature using the whip freely with
some, and with others not at all; coercing, coaxing, or humouring, as his
judgment directed. Working always for intelligent obedience, not cowed
stupidity, he appeared at times to be almost reasoning with the brute
mind, as he helped it to solve the problems of its schooling; penetrating
dull stupidity with patient reiteration, or wearing down stubborn
opposition with steady, unwavering persistence, and always rewarding
ultimate obedience with gentle kindness and freedom.
Step by step, the training proceeded. Submission first, then an
establishment of perfect trust and confidence between horse and man,
without which nothing worth having could be attained.
After that, in orderly succession the rest followed: toleration of
handling, reining, mouthing, leading on foot, and on horseback and in due
time saddling and mounting.
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