HOW TO RENDER HORSES OBEDIENT. 207 



in the first place. Each, of these methods has its own 

 peculiar advantages, and, as regards the prevention and 

 cure of restiveness, disadvantages also. The English 

 plan is, no doubt, much less likely than the other to 

 lead directly to conflicts, simply "because it avoids 

 them, but it does not afford that degree of control over 

 the horse's movements that is indispensable for com- 

 bating insubordination successfully ; and if the horse 

 does slip into bad habits, the temptation to use violent 

 measures, which sometimes succeed, but as frequently 

 drive things to extremities, is very pressing. In such 

 cases there is no other remedy than to commence the 

 handling de novo, which is a very troublesome and not 

 always successful operation, especially in the case of 

 aged horses, for such resist and very frequently resent 

 every attempt to gain that perfect command over their 

 movements without which a cure is hopeless, unless 

 the greatest judgment and patience be brought to bear 

 on them. It was to English horses of this class, when 

 taken to the Continent, that reference was made in the 

 introduction to this little book. 



On the other hand, the Continental or riding- school 

 system, aiming, as it does, at complete mastery over 

 the propelling power that is, the horse's hind legs 

 will, if hurried, or injudiciously employed, very possi- 

 bly tend directly to call forth the spirit of resistance 

 and insubordination ; for it is precisely this control 

 over their hind legs that horses dislike and seek to 

 escape from with the greatest pertinacity and cunning, 

 and it is only by almost imperceptible degrees that it 

 can be attained, when desirable. For the correction of 

 insubordination, it is, however, not only desirable, but 

 indispensable ; and it is therefore, generally speaking. 



