HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 17 



but I think this arises from the poverty, not the philosophy, 

 of the peasants. Those among them, who have money enough 

 to buy smart harness, have the most elaborate bearing-reius. 

 One— a chain— from the lower part of the collar, which binds 

 the horse's chin to his breast, and another over the upper part 

 of the collar, along the back, to the tail, independent of the 

 terret-pad and crupper: — this is tying a horse's head to his 

 tail with a vengeance.— To be consistent, the opponents of the 

 theory which I have laid down should act on this principle, 

 — though I have never known them go quite so far : Sed quis 

 custodes custodiet ipsos ? What is to prevent the tail from 

 falling forward with the body ? They indeed argue, " Surely if 

 you throw back the weight of the shoulders over the croupe of 

 your horse, you relieve his forehand, and diminish the chance 

 of his falling." This is rather to propose a new method of 

 preventing a horse from falling, than to prove the advan- 

 tage of pulling at the mouth while he is falling ; for if it 

 be of any advantage to throw back your weight, then the less 



