KEEPING BEHIND THE BRIDLE. 319 



KEEPING " BEHIND THE BIT," PRANCING, AND " BREAKING " 

 WHEN WANTED TO WALK OR TROT. 



There are two kinds of horses that will not "go up to 

 their bridle " ; the one, which refrains from doing so on 

 account of laziness ; the other, on account of temper, or 

 eagerness to go forward. The former may be improved 

 by the stimulus, judiciously applied, of whip or spur, and 

 of " company " ; the latter, by teaching them to put an 

 increased amount of weight on their forehand, and by 

 showing them that they must obey. In an impetuous 

 horse, we may correct the failing by practising him in 

 turning on the forehand, and by the use of the standing 

 martingale when working him with the long reins, and 

 also when riding him. When driving him with the long 

 reins on foot, we should gradually decrease the size of 

 the circle, and should bear almost entirely on the inner 

 rein, so as to make him put an increased amount of weight 

 on the forehand. I have found that, as a rule, it is not 

 advisable to give such horses work at the rein-back. 

 Keeping behind the bridle, when practised by an im- 

 petuous horse, is almost always a " defence " against the 

 authority of the rider or driver, and is then an extremely 

 difficult vice to cure. The animal affected with it will 

 be liable to rear, " star-gaze," prance about, and " break " 

 when wanted to walk or trot. We should use the various 

 remedial means described in the preceding lines of this 

 paragraph, and when riding the horse should avoid applying 

 the legs to his sides ; for doing so would have the effect 

 of lightening his forehand. I would strongly advise 

 that the " nonsense " should be taken out of him by one 

 or more fairly severe lessons in the head and tail system 

 (see page 155), or, better still, by making him lie down 



