SPECIAL FORMS OF RESTIVENESS. 325 



Most horses, when they do at length consent to bring 

 their fore legs to the ground, especially if the whiphas 

 been vigorously applied at the proper moment, will 

 make a sudden plunge forward, which is so much the 

 better ; the trainer must then step smartly to one side — 

 the off one, if possible — and catch the horse cannily in 

 mid-air with the lounge, handling it quickly and neatly, 

 and taking especial care not to stumble into the slack 

 coils in his left hand. This manoeuvre, if well carried 

 out, will afford complete mastery, and render the animal 

 perfectly obedient once for all. All that remains to be 

 done is to get the horse to standstill, the trainer short- 

 ening the lounge by degrees, and getting in front of 

 the head, and the assistant placing himself behind the 

 trainer's back, and putting his whip out of sight ; then 

 *•' make much" of the animal, give it a handful of oats 

 or a bit of something nice, loosen the reins and girths, 

 and send it back to the stable. Horses have excellent 

 memories and sufficient intelligence to understand that 

 they have been rew^arded for obedience, and that their 

 attempt at having their own w^ay has failed. This is a 

 main point to keep steadfastly in view with all restive 

 animals : avoid getting defeated yourself, and be kind 

 nd generous to the vanquished. Of course this would 

 only be a first step in the cure ; to make it perfect the 

 horse must be re-trained or handled from beginning to 

 end in the way already pointed out. 



As it sometimes happens that a man is taken com- 

 pletely by surprise, a horse rearing that has never shown 

 any previous symptoms of restiveness, it will be well 

 to point out what should be done in such a case. It 

 requires presence of mind and great coolness, also a 

 really firm seat, wholly independent of the stirrups on 



