218 RESTIVENESS : ITS PREVENTION AND CURE. 



on the lounge in this manner with sufficient freedom, 

 the trainer proceeds gradually towards his ulterior ob- 

 ject of bringing out a perfectly clean, that is, equable 

 and regularly-cadenced, trot, by accustoming the animal 

 to transfer a portion of its own weight from its fore to 

 its hind legs, without thereby checking its forward im- 

 pulse more than is exactly necessary. This is easily 

 done by gradiially shortening the snaffle-reins ; and if 

 the horse carries his head too low, by adding bearing- 

 reins, for which purpose the dumb -jockey is useful. 

 And now the assistant with the whip has the greater 

 part of the work to do, it being his business, by demon- 

 strations with that instrument towards the horse's chest 

 underneath (not towards the hind legs), to keep the 

 animal well up to its work, whilst the trainer himself 

 moderates the pace by gently shaking the cord or line, 

 never suffering the horse to lean heavily on his hand, 

 and never himself taking a dead pull. 



These two functionaries must act perfectly in unison, 

 and both of them understand perfectly their work, 

 which requires judgment, patience, and dexterity. 

 Wonderful results may be obtained by a well-judged 

 use of the lounge, but we are bound to say that, in 

 unskilful hands, an enormous amount of mischief may 

 be also perpetrated in the way of producing or confirm- 

 ing restiveness, or even with the more tangible evi- 

 dences of curbs, spavins, and other lamenesses. It is 

 impossible to give any precise rule as to the amount by 

 which the reins may be shortened or the horse's head 

 brought up. All that can be said is this, if the horse 

 hurries its trot, constantly increasing the pace, and 

 finally breaking into a canter, you may be sure that 

 the head is too low, and the weight still too much 



