FOR PEACE AND WAR. 14S 



will obviously require a different arrangement of the reins from 

 that resorted to with the " rainbow," i.e., arching-neck. 



It would be beyond the purpose of this little manual to give any 

 minute, and, possibly, too technical a description for general read- 

 ing, of the apparatus to be employed ; suffice it to say, that a 

 yoke or furniture having the property of adjustment suitable to 

 every case can be conveniently fitted on any horse, and will have 

 the efliect, in a few lessons, more or less, according to age and 

 formation of the animal, of forcing to raise the spine at the 

 shoulder, being the process, in his case, corresponding to the 

 forcing back of the spine at the same point in the human 

 figure. 



True it is, neither in the case of the biped, nor of the quadru- 

 ped, can this alteration be effected without some degree of incon- 

 venience, and even temporary pain ; but it would be as unreason- 

 able to compromise the efficiency of our troops out of a mistaken 

 sensibility for the sufferings of the recruit, as it is for some 

 enthusiastic and mawkish people to sacrifice all hopes of rendering 

 the horse permanently master of his educated powers, from their 

 reluctance to subject him to temporary discipline. 



Supposing the alteration, however, to be effected, the very first 

 consequence of it will bring the riding-master into collision with 

 another prevalent prejudice. It will readily be seen that in pro- 

 portion as the shoulder is elevated, the weight is more thrown 

 back upon the hind quarters, while the fore legs, being propor- 

 tionately lifted from the ground, no longer have the same oppor- 

 tunity of catching or pushing at the surface that was afforded to 

 them while the shoulder remained in its depressed condition. The 

 consequence is, that the animal at once, and as a matter of neces- 

 sity, begins to work his haunches with an energy proportioned to 

 the increased demand upon them. But the very operation of 

 putting the horse to the vigorous employment of his true instru- 

 ments of progression, is unfortunately met at the outset by a pre- 

 vailing idea, that putting the horse on his haunches, or " uniting 

 him" as it is technically termed, is attended with bad conse- 

 quences to the hock. To this it may be a sufficient answer to say 



