320 BESTIVENESS I ITS PREVENTION AND CUKE. 



mid-air with the lounge, handling it quickly and neatly, 

 and taking especial care not to stumble into the slack 

 coils in his left hand. This manoeuvre, if well carried 

 out, will afford complete mastery, and render the animal 

 perfectly obedient once for all. All that remains to be 

 done is to get the horse to stand still, the trainer shorten- 

 ing the lounge by degrees, and getting in front of the 

 head, and the assistant placing himself behind the 

 trainer's back, and putting his whip out of sight ; then 

 " make much " of the animal, give it a handful of oats 

 or a bit of something nice, loosen the reins and girths r 

 and send it back to the stable. Horses have excellent 

 memories and sufficient intelligence to understand that 

 they have been rewarded for obedience, and that their 

 attempt at having their own way has failed. This is a 

 main point to keep steadfastly in view with all restive 

 animals ; avoid getting defeated yourself, and be kind 

 and generous to the vanquished. Of course this would 

 only be a first step in the cure ; to make it perfect the 

 horse must be re-trained or handled from beginning to 

 end in the way already appointed. 



As it sometimes happens that a man is taken com- 

 pletely by surprise, a horse rearing that has never shown 

 any previous symptoms of restiveness, it will be well 

 to point out what should be done in such a case. It 

 requires presence of mind and great coolness, also a 

 really firm seat, wholly independent of the stirrups on 

 the one hand, and the reins on the other, to enable one 

 to deal with a rearer ; but the thing can be done, and 

 without much danger, except on pavement or a slippery 

 surface, where it is better not to attempt a contest. 

 When the horse stops with the intention of rearing, it 

 first withdraws its mouth from the action of the reins 



