TRAINING THE YOUNG HORSE 79 



bent a little to each hand, also reined back a step or two before 

 being dismissed. 



Crosstrees are often of great service in longeing young 

 horses, especially those that do not carry themselves in the 

 proper position on the roller. The old-fashioned wooden 

 crosstrees are preferable, with buckles at various heights for 

 the side reins to be fastened to. The horse works better and 

 yields on them better than on those made of indiarubber or 

 any other material that will stretch, so that, by poking his nose 

 out, he can lengthen the rein almost as much as he likes ; 

 whereas on the old wooden tree and leather reins he cannot 

 thus stretch, and when he finds that this is so, he yields the 

 -sooner. Of course it is to be understood that the horse is 

 not to be braced up as if he were in a vice, or in all prob- 

 ability, especially if he is of a sluggish disposition, he will 

 simply lean on the snaffle and do no good. 



If the horse carry himself with his head too high and his 

 nose out, the reins should be buckled low, but in many in- 

 stances, young weakly horses are inclined to carry themselves 

 much too low, in which case the reins should be buckled 

 higher, but it must always be borne in mind that you will not 

 get the horse to carry himself in the proper position by tying 

 him there. The inward rein should be a little the shorter, so 

 as to try to get the animal to bend a little to the hand to which 

 he is working. It will be found to answer very well, with horses 

 that are inclined to yaw their heads away on the longe, to use 

 two pairs of reins on the crosstrees, one a little higher than it 

 would be buckled if only one rein were being used, and the 

 other considerably lower, so that without getting the reins too 

 short the horse cannot very well get away, but is almost obliged 

 to bring his head into the required position and mouth himself, 

 and yet he is not tied there. It is a good thing for horses that 

 do not yield very well, to allow them to stand for an hour or 

 two during the day in their box or turned round in the stall 

 with the cross on; but it is an error, common as the practice is, 

 to put the cross and snaffle on him, buckle the side reins, and 



