VICE IN THE HORSE. 7 



to a greater or less extent taught obedience through 

 their instinctive yielding to the aids ; and it cannot 

 be contended that those broken by rough and crude 

 modes are under the same control as that exhibited 

 by horses which are prepared by discipline and 

 an acquired equilibrium to instinctively obey every 

 demand of their riders. 



One is often called upon to ride a difficult horse 

 before he has had an opportunity of training it 

 sufficiently to compel its obedience, and under such 

 circumstances I think the following suggestions 

 may be of value. It is of the first importance in 

 riding a vicious horse to keep it moving, never 

 permitting it, when showing signs of temper, to come 

 to a stop. If a 'fresh' horse makes a few curvets 

 or leaps, the rider should not at once confine the 

 head too closely, but, holding the reins so that the 

 animal cannot get its head down, make it advance, 

 and then gently bring it back to a quiet pace, and 

 afterwards increase the speed if it be desirable. 

 To check or to punish the horse at the moment it 

 is restless will induce the animal to rear or to 

 plunge. If a horse rear, the rider should release 

 the tension of the reins, and press his legs against 

 the animal's sides at the moment the fore-hand 

 comes down, to drive it forward ; but the spurs 

 should not be applied with severity, for that will 



