KICKING. 333 



to the conclusion that kicking in the hunting field proceeds 

 far more often from deliberate vice than from mere tick- 

 lishness. When a rider gets kicked, he should console 

 himself by the thought that his broken or contused leg 

 was the result of faulty aim on the part of the aggressor. 

 To supplement the effect of hand and leg, it is well to teach 

 the kicker the meaning of the word " steady ! " (see page 

 118). With hand, leg and voice we shall have three effec- 

 tive means of control always at our disposal to remind the 

 kicker of his duty ; supposing that we commit the sin of 

 taking him into the hunting field. 



Besides the discipline described in this chapter, we may, 

 with the kicker in harness, use the strait-jacket loosely 

 put on over the harness to prevent him from doing any 

 mischief, while giving him sufficient freedom to walk or 

 trot. I have found that making him lie down by means of 

 the strait-jacket a few times before putting him between 

 the shafts has always a very good effect. If he persists in 

 kicking, there is nothing that will render him so quiet as 

 keeping him on the ground with his head pulled round (see 

 page 149) until he gives in. Mr. Mitchell, A.V.D., who is 

 an excellent breaker, tells me that he has obtained 

 admirable results with bad kickers, by fixing, parallel to 

 their sides, two stout poles, each about 7 feet long, secured 

 in front of the chest and behind the quarters, so that the 

 animal cannot get free from them, and then letting him 

 kick until he is tired. This method, and the employment 

 of a " jingle " (see page 256), by giving the horse nothing 

 to kick at, will have a good effect in teaching him the 

 uselessness of doing so. In most cases, I would use the 

 rope-twitch, to make him connect in his mind the idea of 

 punishment with the practice of his vice. 



An excellent method of curing or preventing the practice 

 of kicking in harness is to attach, at each side, a rope or 



