To Make a Horse Stand Still. 295 



very lightly, and on the first favourable opportunity, as a rising hill, for instance, to try a 

 succession of jerks. But the cunning, practised runaway is not to be so much feared as 

 the mad, frightened horse. The mad horse will dash against a brick wall, or jump at spiked 

 railings of impossible height. I once saw a runaway horse, after getting rid of his rider, 

 charge and burst open his locked stable door. 



On the other hand, I have known horses that never attempted to bolt as long as they 

 were ridden with a sufficiently powerful bit, who started from the stable-door the moment 

 they found that they were trusted in a simple watering bridle. 



TO MAKE A HORSE STAND TO BE MOUNTED. 



Horses in high condition, not sufficiently exercised, are very impatient, and often will 

 not stand still to be mounted, even with a groom at their head. To active young men, who 

 like their horses to be full of fire and ardour — " above themselves," in stable phrase — this is 

 not of much consequence : work will bring the thorough-bred hack to decorous docility ; but 

 sometimes this fidgetiness amounts to a vicious trick, and a horse, quiet enough when mounted, 

 will do all he can to prevent his rider from getting into the saddle. 



Young horses should always be made to stand still when the rider is about to mount. 

 With patience and time, there are very few that cannot be taught that they have no business 

 to move until mounted, and that then they are to start at a walk. 



Baucher, the great authority in France on all questions of equitation, says that a horse 

 may be taught to stand to be mounted in two lessons of half an hour each ; but I very 

 much doubt whether a high-bred, corn-fed horse would submit to half of one of his lessons. 



" Go up to the four-year-old gently, as you should with every horse ; soothe him with 

 your hand and voice. Then take hold of both the curb reins, a few inches from the cheeks, 

 with your left hand ; in the right hand hold your whip with the point down. Tap him gently 

 on the chest, he will retreat ; tap him again, slowly, without anger, and speaking to him 

 caressingly all the time. The horse, tired of running back, will try to avoid the whip by 

 rushing forward. Then stop him, and make much of him. This repeated a few times will 

 teach him that to stand still is to avoid punishment." Mr. G. Nevile's plan is simpler and 

 better : to mount a young horse with his head to the stable door. 



At any rate, it is worth while to spend a great deal of time in teaching a riding-horse to 

 stand to be mounted without a groom at his head. 



Few grooms know how to hold a horse while being mounted by a man, so as to hold 

 the stirrup at the same time. They catch hold of the reins so as either to pinch the jaw or 

 to bring the curb into action. The proper mode is to take hold of the bridle cheek above the 

 bit, or of the nose-band, with the right hand, while holding the stirrup with the left ; but if the 

 horse is very fresh, then he should be held by one snaffle rein close to the cheek. When a lady 

 mounts, of course the groom stands in front of the horse, holding the snaffle reins in both hands. 



As the most spirited carriage-horses are taught to stand still when harnessed, there is 

 no reason why riding-horses should not acquire the same lesson ; indeed, unless a real hack 

 stands still to be mounted he is not quiet to ride. 



Horses sometimes acquire a dangerous trick of running back while being mounted. On 

 investigation, it will generally be found the cause lies in too severe a bit, roughly held by a heavy- 

 handed groom. The substitution of a light bit will, according to my experience, often cure 

 this vice after severe measures have failed. 



