32 Curb, Snaffle^ and Spur. 



force, extend his arms upward until the neck and 

 head of the horse are raised as high as he can 

 reach. He should then gently lower his arms 

 until the head of the horse comes to a natural 

 position, placing its face about vertically to the 

 ground, and inducing it to yield the lower jaw by 

 gentle plays upon the bit. To bend the head to 

 the left he will stand on the off-side, a little in 

 advance of the shoulder, taking the left rein in his 

 left hand and the right rein in his right hand near 

 the rings on the bit, and he will gently turn the 

 bit in the mouth of the horse so that the head is 

 well turned to the left, the face placed about ver- 

 tically to the ground by the tension upon both 

 reins, the jaw and neck of the horse being kept 

 free of rigidity by the gentle manner in which the 

 bit is used. In a similar way the head of the 

 horse should be turned to the right, the man 

 standing on the near side in front of the shoulder. 

 These exercises give control over the positions of 

 the head of the horse, and make the neck and 

 jaw supple, so that the animal becomes light and 

 yielding to the reins when it is mounted ; and in 

 conducting the bending lessons, the trainer should 

 take care that the head of the horse is held as 



