It Was Not The Horses Alone That Were Of Interest At The Yards; The Calm,
Fearless, Self-Reliant Man Who
Was handling them was infinitely more so.
Nothing daunted or disheartened him; and in those hours spent on the
stockyard
Fence, in the shade of a spreading tree, I learnt to know the
Quiet Stockman for the man he was.
If any one would know the inner character of a fellow man, let him put
him to horse-breaking, and he will soon know the best or the worst of
him. Let him watch him handling a wild, unbroken colt, and if he is
steadfast of purpose, just, brave, and true-hearted, it will all be
revealed; but if he lacks self-restraint, or is cowardly, shifty, or
mean-spirited, he will do well to avoid the test, for the horse will
betray him.
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.
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