SPECIAL FOKMS OF RESTIVENESS. 253 



of its pace, will seldom if ever let it come to rearing, 

 because the moment he detects the least slackness he 

 will at once apply the proper remedy, which will be to 

 make the horse come up to the mouthpiece at once ; but 

 then his own legs must be well closed up to enable 

 him to do so. 



If you have ascertained that the trick of rearing was 

 first practised somewhat after the manner described 

 above, you may very reasonably hope to cure your 

 horse without much difficulty. The animal must be 

 led, ready saddled and bridled, into a riding-school, or 

 some enclosed space of convenient dimensions, in order 

 to avoid giving it an opportunity for attempting dis- 

 obedience on the way thither. The rider will then 

 mount, and begin by riding quietly round about at a 

 walk, not as if he were merely wanting to see whether 

 the horse would rear or not, but with the very distinct 

 idea constantly before his eyes of getting it in the first 

 instance well up to the mouthpiece, so as to have a 

 firm leaning, recollecting always that this will depend 

 quite as much on his own legs as on those of the horse ; 

 after which he will proceed to correct the carriage 

 or "form" of the animal in the way described in the 

 introductory chapter to Part III., halting occasionally, 

 bending the neck and head ; and, finally, when he finds 

 that he lias got a hold of his horse between his own 

 legs and the reins that is to say, feels, that lie is the 

 regulator of the steed's movements at a walk he may 

 urge it gradually into whatever trot it pleases to go 

 itself, and subsequently bring it into the form he him- 

 self pleases ; in fact, he will re-train it till it is in per- 

 fect obedience, when there will be no more danger of 

 its rearing, under a good rider at least. 



