224 HANDS AND LEGS (AIDS). 



and level style of going, we should keep the reins at a fixed 

 length, and should not " give and take " to him, which action 

 on our part would be liable to interfere with the regularity of 

 his movements, and to prevent us from having an even feeling 

 on his mouth, by prompting him to keep continually changing 

 the position of his head. In race-riding and in the riding of 

 training gallops, the principle of keeping the hands steady is 

 well recognised. 



7. If a horse is heavy in front and is not very impetuous, we 

 can as a rule lighten his fore-hand by holding him in with the 

 reins, and at the same time sending him up to the bit with the 

 legs (p. 209). 



8. If a horse keeps a dead and heavy pull on the reins, and 

 is too free a goer to stand being touched with the spurs or 

 heels, we should try to prevent him from advancing his head 

 beyond a certain point ; but the moment he yields by bending 

 his neck and loosening his lower jaw, we should reward his 

 obedience by " giving " to him ; but not till then. By thus 

 making a horse understand that he will save his mouth by 

 bending his neck, we shall often succeed in getting a hard 

 puller in hand. I may explain to inexperienced riders that 

 the change of stiffness to pliability of neck and jaw is the 

 usual way in which a puller intimates to his rider that he is 

 willing to obey. 



9. When a horse pulls so hard that we are not able to get 

 his head in by force, we may accomplish our object by giving 

 to him with such quickness that he will think that he has 

 overcome our resistance and will cease stiffening his neck 

 against us, and will consequently carry his head in an uncon- 

 strained position. As soon as we find him doing this, we 

 should take a pull at him, and if he makes another snatch at 

 the reins, we should again give to him ; and so on, until at 

 last he will probably think that he has gained the victory, and 

 will therefore cease hostilities. As a parallel case I may cite 



