THE KICKING HORSE 83 



they kick — ^this usually necessitates a pail of cold 

 water being thrown over them instead of being given a 

 good grooming. 



The practice of lounging does not appeal to me, 

 whereas the long reins exercise and mouth at the same 

 time. If the horse still shows signs of kicking, I tie an 

 old sack full of straw to his tail until he gets used to 

 being touched, and eventually ignores it and gives in 

 to commonsense treatment. The master hand assists 

 me greatly, and the kicker soon realises he has an 

 all-powerful master. 



Mr. Sidney Hough, of Arab fame, once told me he 

 had a bad kicking mare that used to run away — when 

 she had kicked the trap to pieces and broken all the 

 harness. She was a Hackney mare, Burton May Queen, 

 the winner of the late Walter Winans' Challenge Cup for 

 any pedigree Hackney that could trot a mile in three 

 minutes. The mare was quiet then, and never kicked. 

 Mr. Hough explained that the kicking was a new habit 

 she had formed. He had turned her out and " washed 

 his hands of her." During our conversation Mr. Hough 

 said, " If you can cure her you may have her for a 

 present." 



Needless to say, I went to his stud farm the next 

 day and brought Oueenie home. After giving her the 



