236 BESTIVENESS : ITS PREVENTION AND CURE. 



animal does move somehow. The position assumed by 

 a backing horse is that described above ; the remedy 

 is therefore to alter the carriage of the head and neck, 

 getting these up as high as possible without violence, 

 and the weight being more thrown inward, the back 

 is flattened and the hocks bent instead of being stiff- 

 ened as before. This soon brings the animal to stand 

 still, which, however, should not be permitted ; on the 

 contrary, it must be made to go backwards in obedience 

 to the cavesson one or two steps, the head well up ; 

 which done, reward it by suffering it to go ahead and 

 repeat this backing process until it goes willingly for- 

 ward, when it may be handled as already directed. 



In applying this method when on the horse's back, 

 care must be taken to use each hand and heel (spur) 

 in unison, " stopping " with the latter the backward 

 tread of each hind leg alternately on the off and near 

 sides, and not 'suffering the horse to put one hind foot 

 to the ground too far away from the other, for one hock 

 is then sure to be stiff. The pull on the rein must be, 

 of course, upwards and backwards at the side corre- 

 sponding to the hind leg you want to act on, and only 

 upwards at the other side. If the rider hurries the horse 

 back, fails to sit perfectly upright in the saddle, and 

 makes a muddle of the action of his hands and heels, 

 there will always be danger of the horse rearing up 

 and falling back : in fact, this special form of restive- 

 ness is very often called forth by injudicious manage- 

 ment of a backing horse ; whilst, on the other hand, 

 making a rearer rein back in obedience is one of the 

 best remedies we have for rearing. 



To prevent misapprehension, it is necessary to ex- 

 plain how it is that the spur will stop the hind leg 



