15/03/2022
The so-called wild horse that is ten years
old and never saw a man, is not wild at all, only nervous and timid. He simply knows nothing except eating and drinking and moving about with mates who caress him.
Whatever knowledge he acquires later on, and be it good or bad, has to be taught him by man; he has brains and faculty enough to en-
able him to learn and remember, in fact do anything short of talking; but, like the boy learning "Foreign Languages,' swear-
ing comes first, so with the horse--bad tricks and bad habits,
which are easily learnt and retained, and must be carefully avoided by his mentor.
As I have mentioned above, a horse knows what it is to be caressed by his friend, mate, or dam, and the only mode of caressing with all wild and inferior animals is "sottly licking.
This can be very closely imitated by gently and softly stroking with the hand, and no horse (or, for that matter, any other animal) ever fails to understand this form of caressing.
Simple as it may appear, this is really and truly the great secret of my success with what are called wild and untamable horses.
Immediately I put my hand upon a c**t, I stroke him, which simple act inspires confidence, and he is no longer afraid of
me allowing me to stroke all over.
Words of Professor MGillivray 1855-1921
The horse in film is far from wild but may have learnt a few bad habits or “swear words” along his education and is now changing his wicked ways
