Guiding by the Neck. 107 



You very naturally ask how this is to be 

 taught. It is by no means difficult. Have you 

 never noticed a groom riding a horse in a halter .? 

 Any steady horse can be so ridden. The halter 

 rope is usually on the left side of the neck be- 

 cause the man has it in his hand when he jumps 

 on, and he guides the horse by a pull on the 

 halter rope if he wants him to turn to the left, 

 and by laying the rope upon and pulling it across 

 the neck pretty well up if he wants him to turn to 

 the right. Now you will notice that if you hold 

 the reins far up on Nelly's neck, half way from 

 withers to ears, and pull them across the left 

 (near) side of her neck, she will, after a little un- 

 certainty, be apt to turn to the right, although 

 the pull is on the left side of the bit. Try it and 

 see. There, — she has done it, after some hesi- 

 tation. And she did it because she felt that her 

 head was being forced to the right and she very 

 naturally followed it. The reverse will occur if 

 you will pull the reins across the right (off) side 

 of the neck. Some horses seize this idea very 

 quickly, and it is only a matter of practice to 

 keep them doing the same thing as you gradually 

 bring the reins farther and farther down the neck 

 till they lie where they should be, near the with- 

 ers. If Nelly will thus catch the idea, a week or 

 ten days will teach her a good deal, and in a 

 month she will guide fairly well by the neck ; — 



