SPECIAL POEMS OF EESTIVENESS. 323 



coming in contact with its hind quarters ; mares are 

 frequently so, especially in spring. The latter will 

 probably have some weakness in the loins or hind 

 quarters that is rendered painful when weight is put on 

 its back. When this vice proceeds from natural causes 

 of this description, there is no help for it but to employ 

 the horse in whichever way it is content to do its 

 work quietly. Again, one horse will kick at the spurs, 

 another at the whip ; of course the exciting cause, 

 whatever it be, must be avoided, 



But something can be done with young horses that 

 simply take to kicking during the handling ; very fre- 

 quently the trainer has made some mistake, or been in 

 too great a hurry, or put the saddle too far back, or 

 girthed the animal too suddenly or too tightly. All 

 this should be, in the first place, well inquired into 

 and ascertained, and the vice will disappear with its 

 exciting cause. There are, however, some young ones 

 that take to kicking simply because they do not choose 

 to go. These should be put on the lounge with the 

 dumb -jockey, which will prevent their getting their 

 heads down, what a kicking horse always attempts to 

 do. If the horse stops on the circle and begins to kick, 

 the trainer should proceed precisely in the same manner 

 as with the rearer that is, after shortening the 

 lounge, and placing himself in front of the animal, 

 simply wait patiently. Meanwhile the assistant with 

 the whip must place himself behind the kicker, and 

 holding a sufficiently long whip in readiness, wait till 

 the horse has extended its hind legs to their utmost 

 stretch. This is the moment to apply a good stroke of 

 the lash just under the animal's belly, taking care never 

 to hit the hind legs, nor to strike at all except at the 



