It is only necessary to reprove him, to give words of command, such as "walk," "trot," "canter," "whoa," which he may easily be taught to obey, and a few words accompanied by a caress to soothe, encourage, or command him when the occasion presents itself.
When living in the country, with a stable near the house, a woman is afforded the most favorable opportunity of making friends with her horse.
A good way to begin will be to dismount at the stable after a ride and take off the saddle and bridle.
It is very simple, for it is only to unbuckle the outside leather girth, stirrup leather, two inside girths, and perhaps a balance strap, and take off the saddle, unfasten the throat latch, lip strap, and curb chain on the bridle, throw the reins over his head, and take hold of the headstall, when he will withdraw his head.
She must have his halter ready to put on at once, or he might pull away.
This will give him a pleasant impression of her, which is an important point gained.
Should she through some mistake find no one in the stable, and the horse in a heat at the end of her ride, she should not hesitate to scrape him herself, brush the mud off his legs, put a light blanket on him, give him only a mouthful of water, and put him in his stall with a little hay. If she will rub his ears, and sponge out his mouth, it will be a great relief to him.
All this should be accomplished in a quiet manner, nothing done to alarm or excite him; and she may talk to him most of the time, and thus become quite friendly with him.
In the Stall
When she visits him in the stall, she should always speak before touching him or entering, otherwise he might be startled and kick or plunge from fright.