PULLING. 325 



A large number of hunters and other saddle horses 

 unjustly acquire the reputation of being pullers ; because, 

 when under excitement, they like to start off in a gallop ; 

 but if they were " given their head " for, say, two or three 

 hundred yards, they would bend to the rein and settle down 

 under perfect control. The fact of checking them at first 

 upsets their temper and makes them fight If allowed to 

 ''jump into their bridle " and go off gaily at first, they seem 

 to be so well satisfied at having gained their point, that 

 they do not resent being asked to go slower afterwards. 

 The same remarks apply to many harness horses. Patient 

 and capable riding and driving, as the case may be, are the 

 best remedies for such pseudo-pullers. 



Horses which are hard pullers may be divided into two 

 classes, namely, those whose defence is to put weight on 

 the fore-hand, and those who try to assert their will 

 by placing it on the hind-quarters. The large majority 

 of runaways practise their pet vice from a spirit of pure 

 opposition to the wishes of their would-be master. Any 

 nervousness which they may exhibit is, in almost all cases, 

 only a cloak for their sin. Eagerness to return to the 

 stable, or excitability when approaching ground on which 

 the animal has been previously exercised, may be mistaken 

 by inexperienced persons for a desire to run away. The 

 least dangerous form of pulling is that which is caused 

 by the horse leaning unduly on his bit, to the action of 

 which he is abnormally insensitive. I have known a 

 horse which used to run away (if I may employ the 

 expression) at a walk. Harness-work, by inducing the 

 animal to increase the weight on his forehand, often gives 



