170 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



be allowed to tire or "let down." For the average 

 show horse about one half-hour daily is sufficient to 

 keep him fit and enable him to put on flesh. The mis- 

 take must not be made, however, of giving the horse 

 so little work that he is too fresh to strike a flat-footed 

 walk or trot in the ring, but jiggles and prances all 

 the time. To prevent this he must have his slow work- 

 out even the day of the show, and preferably early in 

 the morning. 



When a horse is being trained for a show he should 

 be taught to stand quietly while being mounted, pref- 

 erably with no one at his head. Stablemen have an 

 abominable habit of everlastingly holding a horse's 

 head when you are arranging the reins. Although, as 

 a general practice, it is not wise to mount or to arrange 

 one's skirt, etc., with the reins lying on the horse's 

 neck, nevertheless it is a good thing to accustom a 

 show horse to this. Once ready to start, pick your 

 reins up very gently and arrange them, not letting the 

 horse move until you touch him with your heel or 

 otherwise give him the signal to go on. If he does move 

 before you wish him to do so, speak to him sharply 

 and rein him back, but never jerk him. Attention 

 to these details counts in favor of a horse's manners 

 in the ring. 



When walking your show prospect, always start 

 him off on a flat-footed walk, and if he attempts to 

 jiggle, quiet him by putting your hand on his crest 

 and speaking soothingly to him. Often a horse who 

 will not walk quietly at first can be taught to do so 

 later in the day, when he is not so fresh, but great pa- 

 tience is required to get results, and it is seldom wise 

 to teach a refractory horse to walk on the homeward 

 journey, as he will then be sure to be impatient. 



