STAR-GAZING. 329 



described in the preceding paragraph, and by riding him 

 in a properly adjusted standing martingale (see page 96), 

 I have always succeeded in making the most inveterate 

 practiser of these tricks bend his neck to the rein as long 

 as I used this martingale, against which the animal invari- 

 ably ceased to bear after a time. But in some instances, 

 even after having been for months under the influence of 

 the standing martingale, I found that if I removed this 

 appliance, the animal, on quickly becoming aware of its 

 absence, would resume his old game of throwing up his 

 head on slight provocation. The object, as I have already 

 explained, of the standing martingale is to teach the horse 

 to abstain from carrying his head too high, by learning 

 that if he does so, he will save the bars of his mouth from 

 the painful pressure of the bit. 



Mr. Kemp, A.V.D., tells me that horses may be 

 broken of this objectionable habit by using a noseband, 

 inside the front part of which three or four cowrie shells 

 (small marbles would have the same effect) are sewn ; 

 the noseband being kept in position by a standing mar- 

 tingale, which should be of such a length as to keep 

 the line of the face at an angle of about 45^ to the 

 ground. This plan is on the same principle as that of the 

 standing martingale attached to the rings of the snaffle ; for 

 in both, the object is to make the horse relinquish his 

 favourite trick on finding out that its practice inflicts on 

 him pain, from which he can save himself by bending his 

 neck to the rein. 



The term " star-gazing " may be applied to the habit of 

 continually keeping, or trying to keep, the head raised to 



