72 Horse and Man. 



2. Managing a Restive Horse. Until you 

 are quite 'sure that you can sit a horse which 

 rebels, do not attempt to prevent his rebellion. 

 By doing so you will probably fail in both 

 your objects. The necessity of using your 

 hands arid legs will make you forget to keep 

 your proper position in the saddle, and the 

 consequent unsteadiness of your seat will dis- 

 able you from properly using your hands and 

 legs. The necessity of promptly using your 

 hands is moreover likely to betray you, if you 

 are not sure of your seat, into the habit of 

 unconsciously holding on by the bridle a trick 

 which, besides being necessarily fatal to any- 

 thing like proper management of the mouth, 

 is very likely to get you unseated if your 

 horse should suddenly throw up his head. 



But we will now suppose that you are quite 

 firm and easy when assailed by the ordinary 

 start or plunge of an ordinary horse. In this 

 case it is time to consider how you can prevent 

 your horse from starting and plunging, or 

 how, if taken by surprise when riding care- 

 lessly, you can regain your command over 

 him. In order to answer this question you 

 must first ascertain whether your horse is a 



