HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 99 



dismounted before he is asked to do so with a man on his 

 back, and when he does so, the man may mount and try to 

 get a few steps from him mounted. In reining back, the horse 

 is on no account to be allowed to run back out of hand, which 

 is a habit many young horses are apt to acquire, so as to get 

 away from the feeling of the reins and closing of the legs ; he 

 should be kept well up to his bridle with the legs. He must 

 not be allowed to throw his haunches to the right or left, but 

 should be taught to rein back on a perfectly straight line, and 

 he should take an even cadenced pace to the rear the same as 

 when going forward. 



When halted, as he frequently should be while reining back, 

 he should be made to stand evenly on all four legs and not 

 with his legs sprawled out, as young horses are very apt to do if 

 not well kept up to it. The hands should be light, but the 

 reins held firmly in them, and they should yield after every 

 step. There is nothing so likely to cause a horse to refuse 

 while reining back as a dull heavy feeling of the hand unsup- 

 ported by the pressure of the legs. The horse's head should 

 be kept as nearly as possible in the same position as when 

 going forward. Many horses are in the habit of getting their 

 heads too low in reining back, and keeping their snaffles loose 

 in the mouth so as to get behind the hand ; they should not 

 be allowed to do this ; they might almost as well not do it at 

 all for all the good the practice does them. The best cure for 

 them is to halt them every few steps, keeping them well up to 

 the hand with the legs, and then go on again. Others will be 

 inclined to get their heads too much up, and poke their noses 

 out, and plant their fore feet out in front of them. It is not 

 the slightest use to try to rein a horse back while he is in this 

 position, for he could hardly step back if he tried while so 

 placed, and trying to force him to do so would only make 

 him more obstinate. The best thing in this case is either to 

 dismount and give him a little more practice with the weight 

 off his back, or move him forward a few steps so as to get hold 

 of him a little and his head properly placed ; then halt him and 



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