The Nerves. 7 1 



does so with the intention of unseating you. 

 He knows that he has a much better chance 

 of succeeding if he can prevent you from feel- 

 ing his mouth ; and he therefore almost always 

 commences his rebellion by throwing his head 

 up and down. You must, consequently, when 

 practising to sit a plunging horse, invariably 

 do so with a slack rein. 



When you begin to test your nerve by riding 

 really restive horses, you will act wisely by 

 mounting the first two or three in the lunge. 

 You cannot leave such a horse's head at liberty 

 without risking a serious accident, and you 

 cannot fairly try your power of sitting him 

 without slackening your reins. You must 

 therefore, in order to make the experiment at 

 once safe and effectual, get him kept in hand 

 by another person ; and you will do well to 

 take care that this person is an experienced 

 horsebreaker, and if possible that he is ac- 

 quainted with the horse which you are to 

 mount. Thus prepared, and keeping in mind 

 your former practice, you may ride nineteen 

 restive horses out of twenty with very little 

 real danger. 



