54 THE CARE OF HORSES 



any sudden and rough treatment upsets him and 

 ' takes it out of him ' more than a good deal of quiet 

 work. So when you start him, do it by a gentle 

 pressure of the reins or a kindly word or two, which 

 will generally be quite enough. 



Horses always started with a cut of the whip in 

 time become a very real danger to the driver. To 

 avoid a cruel and unmerited blow, as soon as the 

 reins are taken and he feels the driver about to 

 mount he starts off with a jerk. Many accidents 

 have occurred like this, the horse eventually bolting 

 and the driver either dragged along perilously near 

 the wheels or left behind altogether. 



If, on account of rough ground or slippery roads, 

 your horse is unable to get on, it is a mistake to do 

 as one sees so many do — that is, to stand at his 

 head holding the reins, and proceed to flog him with 

 the whip. If you use the whip at all, do it from 

 behind. It is foolish to think that a horse will run 

 up to the whip while you are flourishing it in his 

 face. He cannot understand what vou want, and is 

 naturally much more likely to back away from it, or, 

 at any rate, not to pull forwards. Put your whip 

 away out of sight in the cart, and then come to 

 his head and try to lead him on with some kind 

 word and a little gentle encouragement. You will 

 succeed better, unless the load is really more than 

 he can move, when it is clearly foolish to punish him 

 for not doing what is impossible. 



Going Uphill. — Do not fluster your horse. Take 

 him up in easy stages, and when you stop be sure 

 to put a stone at the back of the wheel, and also see 

 that the horse takes full advantage of it by easing 

 back to take the weight off his shoulders. Many 

 carmen will let their horses ' rest,' as they call it, 

 with the whole weight of the load dragging all the 

 while on the collar. If you are driving a two-wheel 



