298 RESTIVENESS I ITS PKEVENTION AND CUBE. 



yourself in front of the horse, the groom standing 

 behind you. 



Before proceeding further let us consider for a moment 

 what position restive horses generally assume at the 

 moment they defend themselves. In almost all cases it 

 will be found that they gather their legs under the body, 

 sinking their croup, which may be seen from the position 

 of the tail, getting their head and neck well down, and 

 putting their back up like an angry cat. If the reader 

 will now refer to Plate I., and compare this with Fig. 4, 

 he will at once see what the object of this position is. 

 The horse's body is bent round the centre of motion 

 (fourteenth vertebra) like a bow pulled to the archer's 

 ear, ready to exert the whole of its elastic power. If the 

 arrow be once discharged, your control over it is gone 

 so, too, if the horse makes the plunge it contemplates ; 

 therefore, your first task will be to unstring the bow. 



The first step to this is to get the horse to stretch 

 itself. Try to get the head up a little ; if you meet 

 with opposition, give way, as if you did not perceive 

 it, and try again. In proportion as you get the head 

 and neck up gently the back will flatten down, and 

 the horse will move one or both hind legs backwards, 

 or one or both fore legs forwards. The horse does so 

 merely to save itself from falling ; you will do wisely 

 by giving it credit for a first act of obedience, therefore 

 pat its neck, rub its head, speak kindly, and give it 

 something. If it has only moved one hind or one fore 

 leg, by bending the head and neck gradually towards 

 the other one, this too may be got backwards or for- 

 wards ; by degrees the horse will be got to stretch 

 itself : the bow is unbent. It will altogether depend 

 on the time and trouble required to get thus far, 



