212 CONFESSIONS OF A HORSE DEALEK. 



may coolly and without hurry separate the reins, taking 

 one in each hand, and, short hold, grasping the hands 

 firmly to prevent them from slipping upwards, and ia 

 place of a dead, steady pull, he should commence a 

 sawing movement on the horse's mouth, by pulling al- 

 ternately, first with right hand, and then with left, 

 which will effectually prevent the horse keeping the 

 bit between his teeth. If the reader will .make an 

 experiment on his own mouth, with a piece of twine, 

 he will at once perceive the force of my remarks. 



I always find a twisted snaffle bit preferable to a 

 curb bridle to stop the course of a runaway horse, which, 

 by the by, seldom occurs with me, and I rarely hear of 

 a horse running away with a thoroughly experienced 

 horseman, except through some circumstance where 

 their ability becomes neutralised, and over which the}* 

 have no control, as I believe any man who is well accus- 

 tomed to horse exercise may, by the means above de- 

 scribed, pull any horse together when he is on his 

 back. The danger is much greater when horses ruu 

 away in harness, as the driver cannot have so muc'i 

 power over them, being further away from his work, 

 but still the sawing method and keeping his seat is hi s 

 only chance of safety. 



It may happen that when a horse runs away in sad 

 die he will have on a double bridle, consisting of curn 

 bit and snaffle, in which case the best way is to use 

 the snaffle in the manner above described. Keeping 

 the curb rein loosely in the hands and in some ID- 



