124 HORSEMANSHIP. 



advance, a good plan is to apply the whip smartly down the 

 shoulders, at the same time twisting or turning him round 

 on his own ground till he is dizzy. 



Sticking-up, or Reesting. 



Sticking-up under the saddle is what jibbing is in harness, 

 and has been described as the result of too much faith in 

 his own and too little in his rider's powers as against want 

 of confidence, in the case of jibbing, in his own power. In 

 the Introduction, we have seen how the patient but deter- 

 mined Tyke encountered and conquered on the '' everything 

 comes to him who waits " tactics. 



Horses given to this habit of " reesting," as it is termed 

 north of the Tweed, which means that they are self-willed, 

 insisting upon going just where it pleases them, and nowhere 

 else, are difficult to deal with. Each has his own peculiar 

 fad : one positively declines to go away from home, another 

 insists on pulling up at a certain point, and beyond that 

 stubbornly refuses to budge ; a third insists upon going up 

 some road, or taking some turn in the reverse direction to 

 that which his rider wills ; a fourth has a disagreeable trick, 

 no matter who may be in the saddle, of depositing the 

 equestrian on his back in the middle of the road at a certain 

 favourite point. Unfortunately this determined "sticker- 

 up" is given to rearing, plunging, kicking, and mayhap is 

 handy with his teeth. 



With such an awkward customer a long and careful course 

 of instruction in backing is necessary. The movement is an 

 unnatural one — some take to it kindly, others are most un- 

 willing to " rein back " a single step. The lessons can best 

 be taught at home. If he is badly broken, and does not 

 answer to the bridle and the voice, his " backing " instruction 



