A single mind and a single heart

- You think you can tell what a horse is thinkin?

- I think I can tell what he's fixin to do.

- Generally.

John Grady smiled. Yeah, he said. Generally.

- Mac always claimed a horse knows the difference between right and wrong.

- Mac's right.

Oren smoked. Well, he said. That's always been a bit much for me to swallow.

- I think if they didnt you couldnt even train one.

- You dont think it's just gettin em to do what you want?

- I think you can train a rooster to do what you want. But you wont have him. There's a way to train a horse where when you get done you've got the horse. On his own ground. A good horse will figure things out on his own. You can see what's in his heart. He wont do one thing while you're watchin him and another when you aint. He's all of a piece. A single mind and a single heart. When you've got a horse to that place you cant hardly get him to do somethin he knows is wrong. He'll fight you over it. And if you mistreat him it just about kills him. A good horse has justice in his heart. I've seen it.

"Cities of the Plain", Cormac McCarthy.