SPECIAL FORMS OF RESTIVENESS. 313 



Bucking or Plunging. In bucking, the horse gathers 

 its legs under its body, puts its back up and its head 

 down, and then commences a series of see-saw move- 

 ments, throwing itself from the hind to the fore legs 

 in rapid succession, either without moving forwards, 

 or in a succession of bounds, which latter, however, 

 is more properly plunging. It occurs usually with 

 young horses, and is much less common with English 

 ones than with some foreign breeds, especially the 

 Russian steppe horses. Sometimes very tight girthing, 

 or too heavy a load on the horse's back, will cause 

 it to buck ; or the attempt to screw it up too suddenly 

 into school form. . The best method of handling young 

 horses that have acquired this vice is on the lounge 

 with the dumb-jockey, the great object being to get 

 them to move forwards, and prevent the head coming 

 down. As the bucking or plunging usually commences 

 when the horse is put into a trot, it should be kept as 

 long as possible at a walk on the circle, which is 

 best effected by letting a man go alongside its head, 

 holding the bridle if necessary. The reins should not 

 be buckled tight, as " forcing " a bucker will often make 

 it throw itself down, or rear up and fall back. For 

 the same reason, if it does begin to buck, just let it tire 

 itself out, and when it is well wearied, one or two 

 smart blows of the whip applied under its chest by the 

 assistant will make it go ahead, and thus, by degrees, it 

 will give up the habit. 



If a horse takes to bucking or plunging under the 

 rider, his object should be to make it go ahead by a few 

 smart strokes of the whip on the shoulders, even at the 

 risk of its running away, which he can meet in the 

 manner described above ; and this will even give him 



