288 THE AMERICAN HORSEWOMAN. 



the horse first rears, she can anticipate his sec- 

 ond attempt, ^vhich will generally be not far off, 

 by taking a snaffle-rein in each hand, holding 

 her hands low, and the instant she perceives 

 that he is going to rise, loosening the left rein 

 and tightening the right, so as to bend his head 

 to the right. He cannot now complete the rear, 

 becanse her action will compel him to move a 

 hind-leg, and he will then be unable to rest his 

 weight upon both hind-legs, which he must do 

 in order to rear. As a punishment, he should 

 then be turned around a few times, from right 

 to left ; this turning will also be very apt to 

 prevent him from again rearing. Sometimes 

 a severe stroke with the whip upon the horse's 

 hind-quarters as his fore-feet are descending to 

 the ground will prevent the second rear ; as he 

 plunges forward from the whip, the rider must 

 be careful to prevent her body from being 

 thrown forward by the plunge. 



Running Away. — The most dangerous run- 

 away horse is the one that starts off from exces- 

 sive fear, as terror will make a horse act as if he 

 were blind, and he may then rush over a preci- 

 pice, or violently collide with some object in his 

 way. Terrified horses have been known almost 

 to dash out their brains by violent collision with 

 a stone wall, and even to impale themselves 



