202 MODERN FARRIER. 



fuses to follow him : if, besides this, he raises his 

 arms, shows his whip, or pulls the bridle with jerks^ 

 he frightens the horse, instead of persuading him to 

 follow ; which a little patience may bring about. 



B,ide with a snaffle; and use your curb, if you 

 have one only occasionally. Choose your snaffle 

 full and thick in the mouth, especially at the ends 

 to which the reins are fastened. Most of them are 

 made too small and long ; they cut the horse's 

 mouth, and bend back over the bars of his jaw, 

 working like pincers. 



The management of the curb is too nice a matter 

 to enter on here, farther than to prescribe great cau- 

 tion in the use of it : a turn of the wrist, rather than 

 the weight of your arm, should be applied to it. 

 The elasticity of a rod, when it has hooked a fish, 

 may give you some idea of the proper play of a 

 horse's head on his bridle ; his spirit and his pliable- 

 ness are both marked by it. 



A horse should never be put to do any thing in a 

 curb which he is not ready at : you m.ay force him, 

 or pull his head any way with a snaffle ; but a curb 

 acts only in a straighit line. It is true, that a horse 

 "wdll be turned out of one track into another by a 

 curb, but it is because he knows it as a sigrial. 

 When he is put to draw in a chair, and does not 

 understand the necessity he is then under of taking 

 a larger sweep when he turns, you frequently see 

 him restive, as it is then called : but put him on a 

 snaffle, or buckle the rein to that part of the bit 

 which does not curb him ; and the horse submits to 

 be pulled about till he understands what is desired 

 of him. These directions suppose your horse to 

 have spirit, and a good mouth ; if he has not, you 

 must take him as he is, and ride him with such a bit 

 as you find most easy to yourself. 



When you ride a journey, be not so attentive to 

 your horse's nice carriage of himself, as to your en- 

 couragement of him, and keeping him in good hu- 



