Colonel Greenwood on Longeing. 559 



is already as supple as a wild deer, but after tcachinc^ a colt to be held by the head and to 

 be led, it is the easiest act of obedience you can require.* In good hands it will never stiffen 

 him ; it is a certain mode of reducing a horse to submission, of getting him to go freely 

 forward at your order. In bad hands, it is the fruitful source of spavins, curbs, and thorough- 

 pins ; far from suppling, it annually stiffens and breaks down thousands of horses, because the 

 guiding and urging instructions are both on the same side of the horse. In the hands of a 

 stupid man, the colt's head and shoulders are forcibly hauled into the circle by the cord, while 

 his haunches are driven out by the whip." 



" A horse should only be longed at a walk till he circles without force. He should never 

 be compelled to canter in the longe, though he may be permitted to do it of himself. He 

 must not be stopped by pulling the cord, which would pull him across, but by meeting him 

 or running his head towards a hedge, so that he stops straight. A skilful person will single- 

 handed longe a horse in many figures, and by heading him with the whip change him without 

 stopping, and longe him in a figure of 8. When the colt goes without force, he should be 

 longed on the snaffle instead of the cavesson. It will facilitate his being guided, and held by 

 the mouth when mounted. 



" In the longe he may be accustomed to feel the stirrups against his sides, and to carry 

 the dumb jockey cross with a great-coat on it. The reins buckled to the cross should be long 

 at first and shortened afterwards by degrees. It is better to fix the straps from the cross to 

 the cavesson than to the bit, when a colt is to be left some time in that position, for colts 

 left with a bit tightly buckled lean on the bit and even go to sleep. The lips become first 

 raw, and then callous. A wooden bit of good size is the best. 



" It is a good practice to clean a colt on an easy-mouthing bit, with the horse's head 

 towards the manger!' 



It will be observed, that the Rarey principle consists in teaching the colt as much as 

 possible without putting him in any pain, and without frightening him by any strange sight 

 or sound. 



By degrees he learns to lead freely, to know that when the right rein is pulled he is to 

 go to the right, and when the left rein to the left ; he submits to be girthed with a surcingle 

 or pad, and is not afraid of a loose strap, horsecloth, or stirrup flopping about. He submits 

 to have each foot taken up, and finally becomes attached to his breaker. The longeing lessons 

 have taught him a considerable degree of obedience. 



The next stage of instruction may be compared to the lessons in drill and gymnastics, 

 through which every military recruit has to pass. The object of military gymnastics is to 

 give the soldier the free use of each limb, an accurate balance on each foot, and enable him 

 to move in every direction firmly and with the utmost rapidity and certainty at a moment's 

 notice. 



In the same way the colt intended for hunting or harness has to be taught to collect 

 himself to an even bearing on each of his four legs, and to turn on the point of his hind-legs 

 on receiving an indication from his rider. 



The first step is to put on a bit, either a plain snaffie with players, or a simple ring-bar, 

 or a wooden bit of either Stokey's or Blackwell's pattern. On first bitting, Rarey's direc- 

 tions are very judicious : — 



"A horse should be accustomed to a bit before you fasten the reins to the bitting-harness 

 (dumb jockey). When you first put him on the bit, only rein his head up to that point at 



• Colonel Greenwood's " Ilir.ls to a Nephew and Niece." 



