DRESS AND EQUIPMENT 291 



instances of horses that without spurs were refusers, 

 but with them were useful hunters. 



The use of spurs is another argument for the value 

 of judicious school training for both the horse and his 

 rider. The first learns to understand the indications 

 of the spur, and the latter to apply it in the right 

 manner, at the right time, and on the proper spot. 

 It may be freely admitted that some men would be 

 safer without spurs, but the same argument would 

 apply to the bridle wrongly used. That too is a 

 source of pain to the horse and danger to the rider. 

 Such riders as have not learned, or will not be taught, 

 to use a spur properly must do the best they can 

 without, and if the horse requires correction they 

 must use a whip. But there is the greatest objection 

 to the latter in the hunting field. If you strike a 

 horse he never forgets it, and every time your right 

 arm goes up he will look to see whether it means a 

 blow instead of looking where he is going. The hunter 

 needs to keep an undivided attention on what he 

 is doing. Therefore it is well worth while to learn 

 to use spurs properly. The touch of the steel comes 

 as a sudden, unexpected stimulus, and in most cases 

 causes a horse to make a sudden spring forward. It 

 is thus often useful when a horse is playing the 

 fool in an awkward place, bucking or rearing. The 

 prick of the rowels will cause him to spring forward 

 and catch hold of his bit, when he is far more easy 

 to manage. 



In nine cases out of ten a horse that means mischief 

 begins by refusing to go up to his bit. Very often 

 it is not necessary to do more than squeeze him with 

 the legs, and possibly draw the feet back a little. If 

 he has been properly schooled he knows what that 

 means, and at once from the force of habit catches 



