GENEBAL EULES. 295 



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and the bringing your weight forward must be accom- 

 plished, not by bending in that direction from your hips, 

 which will lose you all control over the horse's neck and 

 head, but by bringing the seat itself into the proper 

 place. 



With irritable impatient tempers it is important to 

 sit as steadily as possible a close seat is what suits 

 them best ; they also require very careful and accurate 

 bitting ; anything painful exasperates such horses. 



So, too, with horses that want to go ; indulge them 

 and moderate their fire gradually ; whilst with sluggish 

 ones encouragement will suit best ; and as regards food, 

 let it always be in proportion to the work, and this 

 latter to the condition. 



Of course it is impossible to lay down a ready cut-and- 

 dried rule applicable to the treatment of each individual 

 horse ; but it will be almost always advisable to have 

 recourse to the lounge in the first instance, if for no 

 other reason, because it affords the best opportunity of 

 seeing and studying the horse's action, and ascertaining 

 exactly the means by which it resists ; for instance, as 

 is frequently the case, by slinking back from the bridle, 

 and gathering up its legs under its body, and putting up 

 its back at the same time. In such cases it will be best 

 to continue the lounging at first on the English principle, 

 and subsequently after the school method described 

 above. If it seems advisable to get the horse's head 

 and neck up, the dumb-jockey will be very useful ; if, on 

 the contrary, these require to be brought down, it will 

 be useless ; and with horses inclined to rearing it should 

 never be used on account of the danger of their throwing 

 themselves down. 



When one finds the horse inclined to trot out well 



