SAVAGING. 331 



turn him round by pulling the outward rein. If he backs 

 and kicks, he should punish him by pulling him sharply 

 round, alternately, with each rein. 



As the horse instinctively uses the action of biting to 

 remove or drive away irritating objects, he will sometimes 

 bite without any vicious intention, and will often, in such 

 a case, evince his concern, if not regret, at finding that he 

 has inadvertentlv hurt a human friend. 



KICKING AND STRIKING OUT IN FRONT. 



We may reduce the kicker to obedience by making him 

 lie down (see page 144), by keeping him on the ground with 

 his head pulled round (see page 149), or by the head and 

 tail plan (see page 155) until he " gives in " ; and then 

 by thoroughly mouthing him on foot (especially at the 

 rein-back) with the long reins, so as to make him more 

 attentive to the indications of the rein than to the practice 

 of his favourite vice. Teaching the horse the meaning 

 of the word " steady ! " (see page 118) with the rope- 

 twitch will also be of use. I have found that long-rein 

 work on foot is specially applicable to kickers. It not 

 alone teaches them to obey the aids, but also accustoms 

 them to be touched about their hind-quarters. When 

 the breaker is using the long reins, he can always save 

 himself from being kicked by pulling the horse's head 

 round with the inward rein. 



It is advisable to teach a kicker to turn his hind- 

 quarters away from us (see page 164) when we approach 

 him, supposing of course that he is free to do so, as he 

 would in a loose box for instance. 



One of the most objectionable vices a hunter can have 

 is kicking at other horses or at hounds. The presence of 

 the orthodox danger signal, in the form of a red bow on the 



