172 THE HORSE. 



alarms the horse, and the other dangerous for him to 

 come in contact with ; the spur on the dangerous 

 side is of unspeakable use, as the rider's chief de- 

 pendance in aid of his hand, to keep the horse in his 

 safe and proper place. This is, indeed, a critical il- 

 lustration of medio tiitissimus ibis. A man of right 

 feelino- and reflection will endeavour to render his 

 horse's labour as little irksome, and as comfortable 

 to him as may be, and will thence give the nag his 

 rein, and bear as lightly on his mouth as possible ; 

 consistently, however, with having such a hold upon 

 him as may be necessary on any emergency ; and if, 

 as with holding the reins sufficiently short, I have 

 laid much stress on the fixedness and grasp on horse- 

 back, I intended that grasp, like the curb of the 

 bridle, for occasional use; but by no means that the 

 rider should be a mere fixture, as though nailed 

 to his saddle, with a backbone like a hedgestake. 

 On the contrary, he should learn to sit at his ease, 

 pliable to the motions of the horse, and in full pos- 

 session of that equipoise, so much the boast of the 

 schools. I have already treated of starting and shy- 

 ins:. When they obviously arise from real apprehen- 

 sion, patience and forbearance are the only remedies ; 

 passion and punishment among the numerous proofs 

 of human outdoor insanity. A horse certainly must 

 be forced to pass the object at which he shies; but 

 the practice of too many horsemen is worse than time 

 and pains thrown away, when with the utmost seve- 

 rity they force the horse close up to the thing which 

 has alarmed him. It is far better to go on with him, 

 hold firm in hand, to scold him, and suffer him to 



