1 8 Introdticto7'y Chapter. 



be in the least aware of what they have really done : 

 " the brute stumbled and broke both his knees," is the 

 only explanation they are capable of aflbrding ; of course 

 it is never their own fault. 



Again, how many horses, especially young ones, are 

 made restive, and become plungers, bolters or rearers 

 through the intolerable pain occasioned by bits that are 

 wholly unsuited to their mouths, and sometimes fitter 

 for a rhinoceros than so sensitive and delicate an animal 

 as the horse. Many a curb, stringhalt and spavin are 

 originated by the use, or rather abuse, of bits whose 

 lever power is so excessive that it is impossible to regu- 

 late their action, not to mention the very numerous 

 instances in which bits are placed in such a position in 

 the horse's mouth as to act on the animal's head in ex- 

 actly the opposite direction to that intended by the 

 rider, as shall be hereafter explained, and thus, in con- 

 junction with the misplaced burden of the rider, assist 

 in throwing down the bearer. 



It is well known that a very great and constantly- 

 increasing number of English saddle-horses are an- 

 nually exported to Berlin, Vienna, Paris and other 

 great Continental cities, and many of these are there 

 sold at prices perfectly remunerative to the dealers, but 

 which are much lower than animals of equally good 

 figure and proportions command with ease in the Eng- 

 lish market. This was for a time a puzzle to the Con- 

 tinentals, and even to some amateur dealers, who made 

 bad speculations in consequence. By and by it was 

 discovered that a great majority of these splendid 

 animals were either more or less restive, or at least 

 " difiicult," as the phi'ase goes. Being frequently pur- 

 chased by military officers of superior rank, they were 

 naturally put into the riding-schools, where they gave 

 so much trouble that many professionals were led to 

 believe that English horses were incaj)able of any high 



