16 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 



In this and every other lesson, the greatest kindness and 

 gentleness must be used, and having practised them for a 

 few days, and the horse beginning to understand what is 

 wanted of him, he may be urged a little more in the trot, 

 taking care not to overdo it, for if you should, he will 

 gallop ; but a little more is to be demanded from him as 

 he improves. You may easily tell when he is doing his 

 best by the evenness of his step, but if forced too much, it 

 will be unequal, and an even length of step is the object 

 that you are trying to obtain. It cannot be too often re- 

 peated, that in all lessons and instructions to young horses, 

 the greatest care must be taken to guard against rough 

 and violent handling, for, by a sudden jerk of the longeing 

 rein, a young horse may be thrown off his feet, and thereby 

 not only intimidated, but seriously strained in parts the 

 violent and inexperienced trainer little suspects, as in the 

 hocks, loins, or shoulders : the mere weight of the rein 

 from the hand to the snaffle will have sufficient pressure on 

 the colt's bars to lead him round the circle. The longeing 

 lessons must be continued until the horse can use his limbs 

 with a true length of pace and free action. After each 

 lesson he should be brought up to the centre of the circle, 

 and placed straight upon all four legs, and rewarded with a 

 few oats, or a piece of carrot or apple. 



The man who holds the cavesson rein should take it 

 short by folding the spare end of it up in one hand, at the 

 same time patting and rubbing the horse about the neck 

 and head with the other ; he should then try with the right 

 hand to bend him a little to both sides by a playful action 

 of the snaffle rein ; the bend should be in the very poll of 

 the neck. This must be done very carefully and by de- 

 grees, and by being repeated after each lesson to the left, 

 as well as to the right, will greatly facilitate the future 

 progress of the horse. 



And here I may mention, that the instructor should try 

 to rein the horse back a step or two, and make a practice 

 of doing it after every lesson : to effect this, the man that 



