272 EESTIVENESS: ITS PREVENTION AND CUKE. 



into a decidedly vicious one, by awakening the devil 

 that slumbers within. FoY it must never he forgotten 

 that in the end the horse is stronger than the man; that 

 there is very great clanger of this hecoming quite clear 

 to the former, ivhen mere force comes to he oi^jiosed to 

 force ; and that this very consciousness is what consti- 

 tutes restiveness, and, if exasperated hy cruel treatment, 

 vice, jyure and simple. 



It is therefore necessary, in the first place, to know 

 clearly what one has to contend with — whether with 

 real vice, or merely with simple insubordination : the 

 tbrmer, if curable at all, can only be dealt with suc- 

 cessfully by professional riders, who possess the proper 

 means and appliances ; the latter ought to be within 

 the scope of a great number of horsemen, if they would 

 only abstain from violence and adopt rational methods. 

 The French say, when speaking of a horse that shows 

 restiveness, " il se defend " — he defends himself. There 

 is much truth in this expression, and it is one that 

 riders should constantly bear in mind, for insubordina- 

 tion is most commonly the result of something having 

 been demanded from the horse that it either did not 

 know how to do or was unable to perform ; and the 

 very first step to be taken in all cases is, to endeavour 

 to ascertain exactly under what circumstances the dis- 

 obedience was first manifested and is usually shown. 



Before we affix the stigma of vice to a horse, let us 

 therefore consider for a moment what the poor thing 

 might with fairness retort, and the words ignorance, 

 timidity, or brutality will immediately suggest them- 

 selves ; for, in truth, want of judgment as to what a 

 horse can fairly do, want of decision and promptitude 

 in demanding this, or unnecessary violence in enfor- 



