HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 79 



and applies more force ; the horse rears. One or both fall 

 backwards. The blame is laid on the severity, instead of the 

 wrong application, of the bit, and the brute force of the rider. 

 And observe, it is power which I advocate, and not force. 

 " 'Tis well to have the giant's strength, but tyrannous to use 

 it like a giant. 1 ' As Lord Pembroke remarks in his admirable 

 treatise, his hand is the best who gets his horse to do what 

 he wishes with the least force ; whose indications are so clear 

 that his horse cannot mistake them, and whose gentleness and 

 fearlessness alike induce obedience to them. The noblest 

 animal will obey such a rider, as surely as he will disregard 

 the poltroon, or rebel against the savage. I say the noblest, 

 because it is ever the noblest among them which rebel the 

 most. For the dominion of man over the horse is a usurped 

 dominion. And, in riding a colt, or a restive horse, we 

 should never forget that he has the right to resist, and that, 

 at least as far as he can judge, we have not the right to 

 insist. When the stag is taken in the toils, the hunter feels 



