SPECIAL FOKMS OF EESTIVENESS. 329 



ply wait patiently. Meanwhile the assistant with the 

 whip must place himself behind the kicker, and hold- 

 ing a sufficiently long whip in readiness, wait till the 

 horse has extended its hind legs to their utmost stretch. 

 This is the moment to apply a good stroke of the lash 

 just under the animal's belly, taking care never to hit 

 the hind legs, nor to strike at all except at the moment 

 these are fully extended. The effect is perfectly astound- 

 ing, and a few well-delivered strokes will generally 

 make the kicker only too anxious to get away from 

 the whip and go ahead quietly. Some horses will, how- 

 ever, when baffled in this way, cease kicking, but still 

 refuse to move forward. The trainer must then pro- 

 ceed to " unfix their feet" in the manner described in 

 Chapter II. Part IV., or make them rein back gradu- 

 ally. Other horses will perhaps take to '-running" 

 backwards. All one can then do is to follow them 

 quietly, merely keeping their heads straight, so that 

 they should not run up against a wall or the like, but 

 always taking care not to press so heavily on the lounge 

 as to throw the animal's weight on the fore legs, as this, 

 of course, will be a good opportunity to renew the 

 kicking. When the horse gets tired of backing it will 

 stop of its own accord. This moment must be atten- 

 tively watched for by the assistant with the whip, who 

 should then *' pitch in" a dexterous stroke under the 

 belly, and this will generally suffice to get the ani- 

 mal to go^forwards. 



In conclusion, it cannot be too strongly impressed 

 on the minds of those who undertake to handle restive 

 horses, that very little can be done by main force, no- 

 thing at all by cruel or even severe treatment, whereas 



