130 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGLMENT. 



I give an illustration, showing the position of the 

 hand and the reins between the fingers, so as to make this 

 plain. I should also like to draw attention to another 

 mistake which is often made in driving, and which should 

 especially be guarded against. Sometimes a horse will 

 stumble slightly through treading on a stone, or knocking 

 one leg against the other when trotting, at the same time it 

 may not fall. When such is the case five people out of 

 every six will give the horse a sharp lash with the whip to 

 keep him upon his legs. Now this is quite wrong. When 

 a horse stumbles, if he is accustomed to being hit with the 

 whip, he gets very frightened in trying to save himself, and 

 will often go down, because he knows what he will get. 

 Instead of hitting the animal the driver should let him go 

 on twenty or thirty yards, then give him a touch up. All 

 horses should be kept well in hand ; unless they are very 

 free indeed the driver should always let them know the 

 whip is behind them. Some horses will not stand the 

 whip, these should have it gently drawn across them, it 

 keeps them up to their work. Never on any account hit a 

 horse when it stumbles, it only makes matters worse. 

 Another thing too I notice where people go wrong in driving, 

 especially careless drivers, that is when the horse is going 

 very fast, sometimes they nearly run into another vehicle, 

 and instead of blaming themselves they beat the horse 

 unmercifully. Now when this is the case, if the horse is at 

 all nervous, the next time he comes in close quarters he 

 will probably take the wheel off the passing trap or cart. 



