288 Cross Country with Horse and Hound 



he does. If he gets out of patience, it is nine to one the 

 fault is with yourself. If he does n't know how, send 

 him to school. If he can't or won't learn, send him to the 

 plough. 



Don't take the least advantage of your mount. There 

 must never be any question of your right to govern, but the 

 man that governs least is best obeyed. 



Don't ask a horse to do fractions until he can add and 

 subtract. 



Don't mount any horse, for any purpose, until you have 

 examined the set of his bridle and bits. Grooms are care- 

 less about not altering bridles to fit different horses. See 

 that the snaffle is just low enough not to wrinkle the lips, 

 and that the curb hangs easily and naturally below it. 

 Look to the curb-chain and keep it well let out. Nine 

 grooms out of ten get it too short. Look to the throat- 

 latch ; let it out so that there is no question of its not being 

 perfectly loose ; and treat the nose-band in the same way. 

 These are little things, but they annoy a sensitive high-bred 

 horse and make him irritable and cross with you. It is 

 too bad to spoil a good day's sport for a good man and a 

 good horse simply because the bridle does n't fit. With a 

 cold-blooded draught-horse it may make little difference, 

 but a high-bred horse, especially if he is a little over-fit, is 

 as sensitive as a baby to pain or discomfort. You would 

 not be comfortable yourself with a collar-button rasping 

 your neck. 



Don't have your girths too tight at first. This is another 

 point where grooms are commonly at fault. A tight girth 

 irritates some horses, and you upset their tempers and get 



