THE DEFENSES OF THE HORSE 



sudden sight or sound, or either when it suffers 

 from lack of exercise, will escape contact with the 

 bit; and so, getting out of control, will travel faster 

 than the rider desires, and will refuse to moderate 

 its speed at the effects of the bit. Usually in such a 

 case, the animal carries its head very low; and if it 

 flexes its neck, does this in such wise as to bring the 

 chin near the chest, so that the more the rider pulls 

 against the bit, the more is the chin drawn against 

 the chest. This position prevents the action of the 

 bit, and the horse goes faster and faster. 



The only corrective is to saw with the snaffle. 

 The rider, without losing any time, abandons the 

 reins of the bit, and takes a snaffle rein in each hand, 

 holding it quite short. He then raises his hands, and 

 pulls forcibly, first on One rein and then on the 

 other, until the horse comes once more under his 

 control. 



The reason is simple. With its head down and its 

 neck contracted, the animal has the point (Tappui 

 which makes resistance possible. The rider, by 

 paising the head, releases the contraction of the 

 neck, and thus destroys the center of refusal. The 

 feeling on the horse's mouth of the mild effect of 

 the snaffle, rapidly repeated, keeps the horse from 

 taking the position of resistance. 



It is an equestrian axiom that a horse, in order to 

 resist its rider, must begin by contracting unduly 

 the neck muscles which are the locomotors of the 

 fore hand. The only way to free this contraction is 



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