312 HORSE TRAINING 



is likely to be in after-life. In making the show hunter it is necessary 

 to commence with slow work, and work along gradually, teaching him 

 to carry himself as he should do, first at the walk, then the trot, and so 

 on to the canter and gallop, the instructor always bearing in mind the 

 great importance attached to carriage of the head and the tucking of 

 the hocks well under the belly, two points which can usually be greatly 

 improved by judicious handling. 



In the hack and harness horse, action is, of course, the greatest of 

 all points to be obtained, and many and peculiar are the devices resorted 

 to to accomplish this. Stories, in fact, are told of tin pots having been 

 attached to the tails of dogs, in order that the antics of the latter and 

 the noise between them might cause the horse to pull himself together. 

 Such tales, however, carry with them the stamp of improbability; but 

 there can be no doubt at all that many persons teach their horses to step 

 high by exercising them over timber or railway -sleepers, arranged far 

 enough apart to permit of the animals finding room between them, and 

 lofty enough to ensure their bending the knee. Others trot them over 

 a long run with furze or straw knee deep, and ride or drive them regularly 

 in practice thus; whilst others rely implicitly upon the efficacy of weights 

 upon the feet. These weights consist of india-rubber tubing filled with 

 shot, and fastened round the fetlocks. No doubt, after wearing the latter 

 the horse feels relieved when they are removed, and is likely to lift his 

 knees higher than before. 



Many very experienced showmen, amongst whom is Mr. Alfred Butcher 

 of Bristol, who during the past ten years has probably taken more prizes 

 for harness horses than any six other persons, do not attach any value to 

 such methods as the above for improving the action of show horses. At 

 all events, such an animal, to be successful, must possess natural action 

 to commence with, and must, moreover, have pace as well. If not, no 

 amount of artificial aids to movement will make him a first-rater; whilst, 

 if he possesses these merits, it is contended that he can be improved by 

 more legitimate methods. According to Mr. Butcher, the first great 

 secret to be discovered is the horse's best pace, as every animal has some 

 particular one at which he shows off his action to the best. Then each 

 horse must be shod according to his style of going, it very rarely happening 

 that two animals in the same stable, unless it is a very large one, will be 

 suited with the same weight and shape of shoe. A third and equally 

 important question to be solved is the style of bit which suits each 

 particular horse; whilst, finally, the hands of the coachman have to be 

 considered, as it frequently occurs that horses will move splendidly when 

 driven by one person, and go all to pieces when handled by another, 



