"These are excellent lessons to break him, and make him light in hand: but nothing puts a horse so much upon his haunches, and consequently makes him so light in hand, as my new method of the pillar"
- William Cavendish
About this Quote
William Cavendish is describing his brand-new approach of training horses, which he thinks will make them light in hand. He is recommending that the standard techniques of breaking horses, such as teaching them to react to commands and to move in certain instructions, are excellent lessons. Nevertheless, he thinks that his brand-new approach of the pillar will make the horse even lighter in hand. This approach includes the horse being trained to walk around a pillar, which will assist the horse to learn to move its haunches and become more responsive to commands. Cavendish believes that this technique will make the horse even lighter in hand than the standard methods. By teaching the horse to move the pillar, it will become more responsive to commands and will be able to move its haunches more easily. This will make the horse lighter in hand and more responsive to commands.
"Give these Indians little farms, survey them, let them put fences around them, let them have their own horses, cows, sheep, things that they can call their own, and it will do away with tribal Indians"