26o Modern Riding and Horse Education 



in by holding the snaffle-rein high and the curb low. 



It is as well to work the colt by himself;^ he 

 will pay more attention to the trainer, and it is not 

 easy to get good work out of a '* difficult " horse 

 unless he is alone. This results not only from the 

 imitativeness of all young things and their interest 

 in what is being done by others, but also from the 

 gregariousness which is one of the strongest natural 

 characteristics of the equine race, and which prompts 

 its members to seek their fellows' company and to 

 shun independent action. For this reason, when it 

 is necessary to work young horses together they 

 should never be allowed to follow each other closely. 



When the horse is first mounted, which should be 

 done with the greatest care, he should be led 

 along by a man on foot; if he shows any disin- 

 clination to move forward he should be turned 

 either to the right or to the left : everything should 

 be done to keep on friendly terms with him. As de 



* The Italians and the Boers couple the young horse to an old one 

 by means of a rope or a strong leather strap. This is attached to 

 both headstalls, the horses' heads being about a yard apart. This 

 procedure is only admissible when the young horse comes " wild " 

 into the trainer's hands, which is often the case both in Italy and 

 South Africa. 



