SAVAGING. 353 



bite, immediately after the gag had been taken out of his 

 mouth, if he had been handled with it on for a quarter of 

 an hour, or even less. It might be advisable, with very 

 vicious horses, to make them lie down, to gentle them on 

 the ground, and, if necessary, to keep them with their 

 heads turned round (see page 165), until they had "given 

 in." It is also well to teach them the word "steady!"' 

 with the rope-twitchc 



If the horse under treatment is inclined to '' savaee," 

 that is, to rush at and worry the object of his dislike, 

 we may render him docile by putting him through the 

 discipline described in the preceding paragraph, and by 

 keeping the wooden gag (see page 160) in his mouth during 

 his lessons with the long reins, and also when riding or 

 driving him with an ordinary snaffle. Savaging in com- 

 pany, as at polo or with troops, can generally be cured in 

 a short time by this treatment. In bad cases, we may 

 employ the wooden gag instead of the snaffle for con- 

 trolling the horse with the reins. I need hardly say that 

 we can have no confidence in riding or driving a horse 

 which has been inclined to savage, until we have made him 

 obedient to the aids. 



An expert breaker, when driving a vicious horse on foot 

 with the long reins, can, if the animal rushes at him, always 

 turn him round by pulling the outward rein. If he backs 

 and kicks, he should punish him by pulling him sharply 

 round, alternately, with each rein. 



I may remark that, as the horse instinctively uses the 

 action of biting to remove or drive away irritating objects, 

 he will sometimes bite without any vicious intention, and 



2 A 



