206 RESTIVENESS: ITS PREVENTION AND CURE. 



on the other hand, deficiency of exercise, and con- 

 stantly riding the same dull round either alone or in 

 company with other horses, will give rise to a whole 

 string of evils ; as, for instance, refusing to go any hut 

 a certain way, or to leave their stable, or clinging to 

 other horses they meet with, &c. ; and this is just the 

 reason why so many cases of restiveness may be traced 

 to the stupidity or pig-headedness of a groom. Horses 

 don't like to be ennuye, and will rather stick at home 

 than go out to be bored ; they like amusement, variety, 

 and society : give them their share of these, but never 

 in a pedantic way, and avoid getting into a groove of 

 any kind, either as to time or place, especially with 

 young animals. It is evident that all these things 

 must be taken into account and receive due attention, 

 whether it be our object to prevent or to get rid of 

 some bad habit a horse may have acquired ; and a little 

 reflection will generally suffice to point out the means 

 of remedying something that, if left to itself, would 

 grow into a confirmed habit, or if attacked with the 

 energy of folly and violence, would suddenly culminate 

 in the grand catastrophe of restiveness. 



The method according to which a restive horse has 

 been originally handled must be also taken into con- 

 sideration before one can form a sound judgment as to 

 the best method of cure, as it makes an immense dif- 

 ference in this respect whether the animal has been 

 treated on the English plan of merely gradually " habit- 

 uating " it to go in the manner desired, and leaving it 

 very much to its own will and pleasure to do so, or 

 whether the Continental mode has been adopted of 

 endeavouring to obtain, by more stringent and sys- 

 tematic means, a perfect mastery over its movements 



