322 BESTIVENESS I ITS PREVENTION AND CUKE. 



the hand be held counter ; therefore the animal will, 

 in nine cases out of ten, make a plunge forward, and 

 having preserved throughout a proper degree of feeling 

 with the reins, the rider will be enabled to catch the 

 horse in the air and bring it to the ground, so that the 

 hind leg should touch this, if possible, a moment sooner 

 than the fore ones, or at least so that they should get 

 the greater part of the shock. This is in itself a very 

 severe correction, and one that good school-riders apply 

 with great effect, with other forms of insubordination, 

 not hesitating even to provoke an attempt at rearing in 

 order to have the opportunity ; if it be well done it may 

 perhaps suffice once for all. 



It may, however, happen that the horse has contrived 

 to stick out its head (top one, Fig. 7) and stiffen its 

 hocks completely, so as to enable it to stand upright 

 before the rider has made up his mind what to do. 

 Well, even then the game is not lost, if only the rider 

 has a seat and patience to wait, just as in the loung- 

 ing process, till he feels his steed coming down out of 

 the clouds, which it is sure to do some time or another, 

 when, if his hands and legs are right, he will be ready 

 to act, as described in the preceding paragraph, on the 

 horse getting down to 45 degrees. In case the rider 

 finds the horse actually falling, either directly backwards 

 or to one side, let him throw himself off with a vigorous 

 push of both hands so as to get clear. This we have 

 done ourselves more than once ; but the trainer misses 

 an opportunity by being driven to this extremity. 



Kicking. There is a difference between kicking and 

 kicking. One horse will kick in harness, and not under 

 a rider ; another will do just the reverse. The former 

 is probably extremely ticklish and sensitive to anything 



