94 What you Aim to Do. 



seeks relief from the curb by poking out his 

 nose, the trained one by giving way to it and 

 arching his neck. It Is better at first only to ride 

 on your snaffle rein, leaving your curb rein rea- 

 sonably loose; or else you may use only a snaffle 

 bit and single rein for a while. But unless you 

 very early learn that your reins are to afford no 

 support whatever to your seat, you will never be 

 apt to learn It. Don't use a martingale unless 

 your horse Is a star-gazer, or else tosses his head 

 so as to be able to strike you. It tends to make 

 you lean upon the rein and confines your horse's 



head. 



XXX. 



You have now been out a half-dozen times 

 with your new purchase, Tom, and you have man- 

 aged to get along much to your own satisfaction. 

 You have neither slipped off, nor has Penelope 

 misbehaved. But you are intelligent enough to 

 see that there is something beyond this for you 

 and her to learn. I do not know how ambitious 

 you are. If you want to make Nelly's forehand 

 and croup so supple that you can train her Into 

 the finest gaits and action, you must go to work 

 on the stable floor with an hour a day at least of 

 patient teaching, for a number of weeks. For 

 this purpose you must have a manual of Instruc- 

 tion, such as I have shown you, and quite a little 

 stock of leisure and particularly of good temper. 



