112 THE HORSE OWNER's 



punished; and nothing is so bad as the absurd severity 

 which some horseman exercise after having conquered 

 his reluctance and passed the object. At this time he 

 should be praised and patted with all the encouragement 

 which can be given ; and on no account should be taught 

 to make those rushes so commonly seen on the road, from 

 the improper use of the whip and spur. If punishment 

 is necessary at all, it must be used before -hand; but it 

 often happens that the rider cannot spare his whip-hand 

 until the shying is over ; and then, in his passion, he does 

 not reflect that the time has gone by for its employment. 



Kicking is a very unpleasant vice, either in the saddle 

 or in harness, but it is not so dangerous in the former as 

 in the latter. Its nature is too well known to need descrip- 

 tion. It is often the result of play but quite as frequently 

 it arises from a vicious desire to get rid of the rider. The 

 proper mode of treating a kicker is to catch fast hold of 

 the head, and keep it well up, and then to use the whip 

 down the shoulder severely. If the head is not well in 

 hand he will often kick the more but if the head is kept 

 up while the blow is given, he will generally desist. A 

 gag snaffle is very useful with confirmed kickers, as it 

 serves to keep the head up better than any other bit. 



Plunging consists in a series of bounds or springs, by 

 which the horse evidently hopes to relieve himself of his 

 burden. His back is generally rounded, and very often 

 he will " back," or jump off the ground perpendicularly, by 

 which a weak rider is unseated. The remedy is to sit still 

 and keep the head confined, though not too closely. Very 

 often plunging is followed by a fit of kicking, for which 

 the rider should be prepared. If there is reason to expect 

 that a horse will commence this trick, a cloth, rolled like 



