DEFENSES OF THE HORSE. 287 



for the same purpose that a tight-rope dancer 

 uses his balancing pole, namely, to keep his 

 equilibrium. In this case, there will not be 

 much danger of his falling backward, unless 

 his rider should pull him over by holding too 

 tight a rein, or by using the reins to aid her in 

 keeping her balance. 



The first act of the horse, when he intends to 

 rear, will be to free himself from the influence 

 of the bit, and he will attempt to accomplish 

 this by bending his neck in so as to slacken the 

 tension on the reins ; at the same time he will 

 come to a stand by a peculiar cringing move- 

 ment, which will make his rider feel as if the 

 animal had collapsed, or were falling to pieces. 

 This " nowhere " feeling will hardly be realized 

 before the horse will stiffen his hind-legs and 

 neck, and rise with his fore-feet in the air, bid- 

 ding defiance to all control. 



Under these circumstances, as the horse rears 

 his rider must quickly yield the reins and incline 

 her body Avell forward, firmly supporting herself 

 by the second and third pommels ; as she values 

 her life, she must not strike Jier steed nor pull 

 upon the reins, but must patiently wait until his 

 fore-feet come to the ground, when the time for 

 action will have arrived. 



Although she may be taken by surprise when 



