T H E -:- H O R S E 



getting the greatest speed out of him consists, 

 first, in the proper use of a very light bit, and 

 taking a steady pressure on the horse's mouth, 

 so that the horse in turn will take a steady 

 pressure on the bit and will pull against the 

 hold of his rider. This kind of treatment will 

 obtain from a horse far more consistent speed 

 than a loose rein will produce, since the horse, 

 once taking hold of the racing snaffle, will tend 

 to keep the same pressure against the bit, no 

 matter how exhausted he may feel. 



Very short stirrups and the rider's weight 

 placed above the shoulders of a horse allow 

 him the maximum employment of his hind 

 legs and muscles which are the chief factors 

 in propulsion. 



A whip, when applied at the right moment, 

 has a stimulating effect, and will give a horse 

 the desire to run with the greatest possible 

 speed. If applied at the wrong moment, it 

 has the opposite effect, and will often make 

 the horse "dog it." Experience and knowledge 

 of the individual horse alone can indicate the 

 proper moment for the use of the whip. A 

 horse that is doing its utmost, if whipped 

 beyond a certain point, will react with resent- 

 ment or give up. A whip can be used advan- 

 tageously for a quick break away. A sting of 

 the whip at the right moment will sometimes 

 make the co-ordination between the mind and 

 muscles of a lagging horse more taut. 



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