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commiserate their misfortune, I cannot help condemning the want of re- 

 flection, and care in their choice. Give me tliehack, that if I have the ill 

 accident to fall from him, will instantly stop, and putting his nose down to 

 me, will seem to say, " What is the matter r— get up again :" and the Har- 

 ness-horse, that in case of breaking the reins, traces, orthe fixing of a gad- 

 fly upon him, instead of plunging, kicking, or running away, will imme- 

 diately stop, bear the inconvenience with patience, call out to me, to have 

 the grievance removed, and stand quietly whilst it is removing, I do not 

 pretend, that Horses like these are plentiful, and to be met with every 

 day ; but such I have possessed, and I loved them as myself 



A Horse naturally quiet and obedient, will never be restiflf with what- 

 ever rider, and under whatever circumstances ; that if a Horse ever ac- 

 quire such habit, although he may be reformed, it shews some natural 

 tendency that way. Mr. Adams writes ably, and most humanely on 

 the management of the restiff Horse, yet there are cases where his rules 

 •will not avail, and where the utmost severity of the Avhip and spur is 

 necessary. His rule is, when the Horse turns, to pull him round on the 

 same hand, which is most certainly right, but by no means decisive, 

 since the Horse will suffer a repetition of this to the end of the chapter. 



Another rule very necessary to be uppermost in the rider's mind, is, 

 when a restiff" Horse sidles to any object, turn his head to it, and 

 back him from it. I, however, failed in the execution of this manoeuvre, 

 as I once rode through Witham, in Essex. The Horse having a very 

 hard mouth, and a stiff; heavy, powerful neck, baffled my endeavours 

 either to turn his head, or back him, and had got elose to an open 

 cellar, down the stairs of which 1 had the fairest opportunity of plung- 

 ing, Horse and all, but for the timely interposition of a boy. In all 

 cases of a Horse kicking or plunging, the rider must retain a firm hold 

 of the saddle, attend circumspectly to his balance, and to the possible 

 necessity of dismounting, or clearing himself from the Horse, alwavs 

 pulling with great force, whilst the Horse does not rear up, to prevent 

 his getting down his head. In case of rearing, I think a Horse will 

 scarcely ever go over, if the rider has the jiresence of mind to throw 

 himself forward. The two cures prescribed for this vice, are, either to 



2 E • dismount 



