DUMB^ JOCKEYS. 93 



page 63). Horses which are tied up in this manner will 

 seek to relieve the muscles of the head and neck by 

 abstaining as much as possible from bringing the hind 

 legs under the body. There is also to be considered the 

 error of bending the horse's head and neck at the halt 

 (see page 73). Consequently, the result as we may, for 

 instance, see with fashionable carriage horses, which of 

 all animals get the most of this kind of mouthing is exces- 

 sive bending of the head and neck, and dragging of the 

 hind legs. This absence of collection " behind " might be 

 somewhat remedied during the stationary process of tying- 

 up, if the breaker would stand behind the horse and would 

 keep the animal's hind-quarters under him by means of the 

 whip, according to the principle of the " pillars," which are 

 two upright posts, between which the horse is placed, and 

 to which he is attached by pillar reins. The pillars have 

 fallen almost entirely into disuse, on account of their 

 tendency to make the horse too light in front, thereby 

 causing him to be disinclined to go up to his bridle, and 

 to be ready to rear on slight provocation. One great 

 objection to the use of dumb jockeys, the pillars, and all 

 similar contrivances, is that, even supposing they had a 

 good effect, it would be impossible for the breaker to 

 tell its amount without trying the horse in saddle or 

 harness. Consequently, with any of them he would be 

 working more or less in the dark. With the " long reins," 

 on the contrary, he is in constant touch with the horse's 

 mouth, and can learn at any moment the extent of the 

 progress his pupil is making, so that he is safeguarded 

 against the blunder of doing too much. Again, none of 

 these contrivances are of any use for correcting the ex- 

 tremely common fault of one side of the mouth being 

 harder or softer than the other ; the reason being that their 

 bending is applied only in a straight line, namely, from front 



