192 HORSES WITH VICES. 



they stretch out the neck and forcibly lower the head. If the 

 rider pulls sharply at the reins, the horse will probably drag- 

 him out of the saddle on to his neck by throwing his head 

 down. We should " give " to the horse by bringing the hands 

 forward without letting the reins slip through the fingers, then 

 rather vigorously raise the neck, take up the snaffle and curb, 

 and use the legs as soon as the neck has been straightened. 



When a horse is really running away, the reins should be 

 used in the same manner as when he is carrying off his rider, 

 but the difficulty is much greater, because it is almost im- 

 possible to guide him. If we have a plain in front of us we 

 may succeed, even in this case, in turning the horse to 

 the right or to the left. To do this, supposing the reins are 

 separated, as they ought to be, we should let go one of the 

 reins, take hold of the other with both hands, pull with all the 

 weight of the body, so as to produce a more or less decided 

 lateral flexion, which will certainly turn the horse out of his 

 course. 



If the rider of a run-away horse finds himself alongside a 

 stream, he ought to force the animal into it. There is danger 

 in everything on land, whether we meet a fence or get a fall on 

 level ground ; but in water there is no danger, and a bath 

 makes us quits. The only thing to avoid is a perpendicular 

 bank. The majority of horses will stop as soon as the water 

 comes up to their breast, and they will become perfectly quiet. 

 Others strike the water with their fore feet, give themselves up 

 to disordered movements, but always finish by becoming quiet 

 in a short time. 



In order to correct run-aways, I have often let them gallop 

 as fast as they could along the low banks of a river, and when 

 they were in full swing I sent them into the water, which I was 

 able to do very easily. 



Any horse which has been properly rassembL'^d can neither 

 run away nor carry his rider away, because the use of the 



