316 RESTIVENESS I ITS PREVENTION AND CUJLIE. 



make the horse corne up to the mouth-piece at once ; 

 but then his own legs must be well closed up to enable 

 him to do so. 



If you have ascertained that the trick of rearing was 

 first practised somewhat after the manner described 

 above, you may very reasonably hope to cure your 

 horse without much difficulty. The animal must be 

 led, ready saddled and bridled, into a riding- school, or 

 some enclosed space of convenient dimensions, in order 

 to avoid giving it an opportunity for attempting dis- 

 obedience on the way thither. The rider will then 

 mount, and begin by riding quietly round about at a 

 walk, not as if he were merely wanting to see whether 

 the horse would rear or not, but with the very distinct 

 idea constantly before his eyes of getting it in the first 

 instance well up to the mouth-piece, so as to have a 

 firm leaning, recollecting always that this will depend 

 quite as much on his own legs as on those of the horse ; 

 after which he will proceed to correct the carriage or 

 "form" of the animal in the way described in the 

 introductory chapter to Part IV., halting occasionally, 

 bending the neck and head ; and, finally, when he finds 

 that he has got a hold of his horse between his own legs 

 and the reins that is to say, feels that he is the regu- 

 lator of the steed's movements at a walk he may urge 

 it gradually into whatever trot it pleases to go itself, 

 and subsequently bring it into the form he himself 

 pleases ; in fact, he will re-train it till it is in perfect 

 obedience, when there will be no more danger of its 

 rearing, under a good rider at least. 



Should the horse, during this period of training, " try 

 on " his old tricks, the rider must be prepared for it, 

 watching its movements attentively, and especially all 



