FIELD TRAINING 67 



buck badly. This sort of thing should carry you 

 along until you come to a piece of grass, or soft 

 ground, and then you can complete the back-getting- 

 down process by giving him a canter. Look out, 

 however, when he first gets on the grass ; this often 

 starts a previously apparently sheepish horse into 

 lamb-like gambols. These can be checked in 

 the way described above, but there is no harm 

 in them, gallop half-a-mile even, and they will prob- 

 ably cease, besides our youth does not know the 

 meaning of the word ne7'-ves, and it is all good 

 practice. 



Two or three rides over varied ground, and 

 among different sights and sounds, will show the 

 horse's peculiarities, his likes and his dislikes, and, 

 to a rider of any experience at all, will also show 

 what bridle suits him best. If our young man 

 cannot decide the last for himself, he should ask 

 advice from an experienced friend. It is an im- 

 portant point, as it may mean all the difference 

 between comfort and discomfort, between being run 

 away with and holding him. easily, between having 

 your teeth knocked out, and losing sight of your 

 horse's head between his fore-leofs. The two latter 

 bring forward the question of the martingale and 

 the gag, the " keep his head down," and " the get 

 his head up." Both of these are good in their way 

 and should be used when necessary, but it is much 

 better if they can be done without, and they may 

 be dangerous in the hands of an inexperienced 

 rider. Should the martingale be used with a double 



