THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 29 



front legs of the chair from the floor, by closing and relax- 

 ing the ringers, he will keep the chair in motion and sup- 

 port in that position, and it will give him some idea of the 

 feeling he ought to have on the horse's mouth : if, on the 

 contrary, he jerks the thread, instead of holding it with an 

 even and steady feeling, he will hurt his finger ; and this 

 is precisely the effect it has on the horse's mouth, and is 

 what makes horses that have been so treated, afraid to go 

 up to the hand and face the bridle. 



The pressure of the legs against the horse's sides to keep 

 him upi to the hand at the feeling I have just described, 

 must be regulated by his temper ; for the rider may rest 

 assured, that if his hands and legs, or, as they are commonly 

 called, aids, are rough and unkind, he will fail in attaining 

 his object, for the colt will oppose force by force, and being 

 the stronger of the two, will give him a great deal of 

 trouble, besides exposing him to the risk incidental to a 

 contest of this nature. Horses run away from this cause 

 more than from any other, and all know what numerous, 

 and often fatal, accidents are occasioned thereby. 



But should my reader, in spite of all precautions, ever 

 have the misfortune to ride a runaway horse, and he finds 

 him gaining the advantage, and going away with him, he 

 ought to draw the snaffle once or twice sharply through his 

 mouth, and then drop the hand to him ; I mean, give him 

 his head suddenly for a moment, this will puzzle him ex- 

 ceedingly, and not knowing what to make of it, he will very 

 likely stop ; then feel his mouth again, and thus, by an al- 

 ternate feeling, and easing the hand, you will recall him to 

 obedience. A rough hand will never make him a useful 

 or a pleasant horse to ride ; but light hands, make light 

 mouths : and if all horses were kindly and properly treated, 

 there would be few that would run away. 



