76 Horse and Man. 



horse which has a good mouth, and how to 

 give him a good mouth if he has a bad one ; 

 but how to make the best of a bad mouth 

 while it continues bad, is a question which 

 only instinctive tact or long experience can 

 decide, because it requires a different answer 

 in almost every different case. If, however, 

 you are quite steady in your seat, and know 

 how to give and take and how to shorten 

 and let slip your reins, you will not be long 

 in acquiring dexterity enough to control any 

 ordinary runaway. 



But suppose your horse has fairly bolted, 

 and that you find your legs or spurs unable to 

 collect him. He cannot do this so long as 

 the bit rests across the bars of his mouth; 

 and there is only one expedient by which a 

 runaway horse can permanently avoid the 

 pressure of the bit upon his bars. He can- 

 not, or rather he dares not, continue to gallop 

 with his nose thrown up, or even with his 

 head horizontal. But he can gallop pretty 

 safely, though not perhaps very easily, with 

 his head and neck boring down between his 

 fore legs ; and so long as he does this you 

 cannot get a pull at him, because whenever 



