TEACHING THE REIN-BACK. 187 



animal will naturally tend to make him rein-back easier. 

 Although I have never found it absolutely necessary, we 

 might at this stage teach the horse the turn on the fore- 

 hand (see page 193), so as to give mobility to the hind legs. 

 In solving the question of adjustment of weight in the 

 rein-back, we should fully utilise our power of placing the 

 horse's head in whatever position we like (whether by 

 lowered rein, rein on pad, standing martingale, bearing- 

 rein, or by the help of an assistant), and that of mobilising 

 the hind-quarters by means of the whip. In executing 

 the rein-back, the horse should be light behind and should 

 lift up his hind feet well, so that his movement to the rear 

 may be executed with safety and freedom. Consequently 

 his head, which is the weight at the end of the balancing 

 pole of his body, should be kept considerably lower (see 

 Fig. 7) than if the movement was to the front. We should 

 here particularly avoid the run-back, in which the horse 

 is liable to fall down on account of the preponderance 

 of the weight being on the hind-quarters. In this case 

 the centre of gravity of the horse's body is brought to an 

 undue extent to the rear, and the ability of the hind legs 

 to form new bases of support is diminished in proportion 

 to the weight imposed on them. 



After we have obtained the correct rein-back, we should 

 practise the horse with the outward rein round his quarter 

 or on the pad, as may be required at walking in a col- 

 lected manner, using the whip as a stimulant, the outward 

 rein as a substitute for the drawn back outward leg of the 

 rider, and both reins as a restraint and as a guide. The 

 outward rein, if shaken against his hind-quarters, may 

 serve as a slight though useful incitement for making 

 the horse collect himself. Reining him back from time 

 to time, as may be required, will often be found serviceable 

 in this " setting-up drill," 



