GENERAL PRINCIPLES 19 



A well broken horse should not be guilty of 

 " Acts " either of omission, or of commission. 



The result of imperfect breaking is commonly to 

 be seen in horses who have the habit of attacking 

 their riders or drivers, as the case may be, in such situa- 

 tions as they apparently conceive are advantageous 

 to themselves. Often, again, in order to frighten, 

 or try and deter the rider, or driver, from contending 

 with them, they contrive to " set up " in situations, 

 which at times prove to be decidedly critical, as the 

 author himself has only too frequently experienced. 



For instance, they get themselves up against shop 

 windows, w^alls, carriages, railings, etc., in towns, 

 and in the country, threaten to put one into a dyke, 

 or else destroy one's gig by back pressure. 



One remarkable instance of a horse's disobedience 

 I myself remember. I happened to be watching a 

 stud groom riding a horse in the west end of London 

 one day, when the animal suddenly came to a stand- 

 still in front of some spiked iron railings, on the other 

 side of which there was an area. Thereupon the horse 

 made repeated attempts to dislodge his rider and 

 throw him into the area, and, indeed, had it not 

 been for the fact that the latter kept a firm seat 



