GENERAL RULES. 209 



end. On the contrary, one must get well down into 

 the centre of the saddle, with somewhat of a fork seat ; 

 and the bringing your weight forward must be accom- 

 plished, not by bending in that direction from your 

 hips, which will lose you all control over the horse's 

 neck and head, but by bringing the seat itself into the 

 proper place. 



With irritable impatient tempers it is important to 

 sit as steadily as possible — a close seat is what suits 

 them best ; they also require very careful and accurate 

 bitting ; anything painful exasperates such horses. 



So too, with horses that want to go ; indulge them 

 and moderate their fire gradually; whilst with slug- 

 gish ones encouragement will suit best ; and as regards 

 food, let it always be in proportion to the work, and 

 this latter to the condition. 



Of course it is impossible to lay down a ready cut- 

 and-dry rule applicable to the treatment of each indi- 

 vidual horse ; but it will be almost always advisable 

 to have recourse to the lounge in the first instance, if 

 for no other reason, because it affords the best oppor- 

 tunity of seeing and studying the horse's action, and 

 ascertaining exactly the means by which it resists ; 

 for instance, as is frequently the case, by slinking back 

 from the bridle, and gathering up its legs under its 

 body, and putting up its back at the same time. In 

 such cases it will be best to continue the lounging at 

 first on the English principle, and subsequently after 

 the school method described above. If it seems ad- 

 visable to get the horse's head and neck up, the dumb- 

 jockey will be very useful ; if, on the contrary, these 

 require to be brought down, it will be useless ; and 

 with horses inclined to rearing it should never be used 



