KEEPING BEHIND THE BRIDLE. 341 



horses that will not " go up to their bridle " : the one, which 

 refrain from doing so on account of laziness ; the other, 

 on account of temper, or eagerness to go forward. The 

 former may be improved by the stimulus, judiciously 

 applied, of whip or spur, and of " company " ; the latter, 

 by teaching them to put an increased amount of weight 

 on their forehand, and by showing them that they must 

 obey. In an impetuous horse, we may correct the failing 

 by practising him in turning on the forehand, and by 

 the use of the standing martingale when working him 

 with the long reins, and also when riding him.. When 

 driving him with the long reins on foot, we should gradu- 

 ally decrease the size of the circle, and should bear almost 

 entirely on the inner rein, so as to make him put an 

 increased amount of weight on the forehand. I have 

 found that, as a rule, it is not advisable to give such 

 horses work at the rein-back. Keeping behind the bridle, 

 when practised by an impetuous horse, is almost always a 

 " defence " against the authority of the rider or driver, and 

 is then an extremely difficult vice to cure. The animal 

 affected with it will be liable to rear, " star-gaze," prance 

 about, and " break " when wanted to walk or trot. We 

 should use the various remedial means described in the 

 preceding lines of this paragraph, and when riding the 

 horse should avoid applying the legs to his sides ; for 

 doing so would have the effect of lightening his forehand. 

 I would strongly advise that the " nonsense " should be 

 taken out of him by one or more fairly severe lessons 

 in the head and tail system (see page 169), or, better 

 still, by making him lie down and holding him on the 



