40 THE CARE OF HORSES 



on or get entangled in the dangling reins. A sudden 

 and unexpected jag is made at the horse's mouth, 

 and unless he is a very worn-out old crock, he 

 suddenly fancies it's no place for him where horses' 

 mouths are not more respected, and off he goes. 

 The driver is alarmed, and tries to kick his or her 

 feet clear of the entangled reins. Another jag on 

 his mouth, and away goes the horse, and if no harm 

 comes of it, it is more by luck than wit. 



1 There are only two ways of doing a thing, a right 

 way and a wrong,' was always being dinned into my 

 ears when a child at boarding school, and although 

 the wrong seems to be the easier, it is not so by any 

 means in the long-run. Men are so apt to think that 

 mere animal strength and brute force will achieve 

 wonders and carry all before them. It is not so. 

 Ladies with good hands and a love of horses can 

 accomplish more in a given time with gentle firm- 

 ness and persuasion than a man with all his stubborn 

 strength and ' I-mean-to-have-my-way !' sort of style 

 in dealing with a horse of peculiar opinions and funny 

 little ways of his own. But I do not wish to weary 

 vou out, and as I have been ' putting it very straight' 

 to my masculine readers, it is only fair that I now 

 say a little to the ladies. Their riding as a rule 

 causes their long-suffering mounts the greatest dis- 

 comfort from bad seats and other ' trifles,' so I will 

 add a short chapter on this subject for their en- 

 lightenment and their horses' benefit. The instruc- 

 tion on driving correctly will answer all purposes. 



