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CHAPTER III. 



THEORY OF MOUTHING. 



" Mouth " and "aids " — Respective actions of the aids — Suitabihty of 

 the horse to the appHcation of the aids — Making a horse obey the 

 aids — Combined action of fore and hind legs, and distribution of 

 weight on them — Carriage and action of the head and neck of the 

 horse when he is in motion — " Collecting " the horse — Require- 

 ments of a good mouth — Combined action of the aids in forming 

 the mouth — Respective actions of the snaffle and curb — Direction 

 of the pull of the reins — Turning, circling, and lunging the horse — 

 Reining back — The standing martingale — Bearing reins, running 

 reins, side reins, and nosebands — " Tying horses up," " reining," 

 dumb jockeys, and the pillars. 



" Mouth " and " aids."- — A horse may be said to have 

 a good mouth when he obeys the aids with promptness and 

 correctness. In riding, the aids — if I may be allowed to 

 adopt the definition — are the signals afforded by the reins, 

 whip, legs (and spurs), voice, and changes of position 

 of the rider's weight. In driving, they are confined to the 

 reins, whip, and voice. I am of course aware that the 

 term " aids " is applied, in the manege, only to the action 

 of the reins and legs for guiding and regulating the move- 

 ments of the horse. As the other forces which I have 



