How to Rertdcr Horses Obedic7tt. 209 



Now there are certain forms of insubordination, or rest- 

 iveness, in which horses depend on their forehand — 

 others again, and by far the greater number, in which 

 they depend on their hind legs — for the purpose of de- 

 fying the rider ; amongst the latter we may specify, for 

 instance, rearing. Considering the whole rationale of 

 the English system attentively, one is therefore not sur- 

 prised to find that the forms of restiveness in which 

 horses use chiefly their hind legs grow very naturally 

 out of this system, which is unfit for either their pre- 

 vention or cure zvithoiit soine fni'ther aid. We would 

 not be supposed to condemn this system altogether or 

 unconditionally ; on the contrary, we have already 

 pointed out some of its advantages, and shall now pro- 

 ceed to show that it may be made great use of, both as 

 a preventive and remedy. As regards the former, for 

 instance, it aflbrds the only safe means of utilizing 

 horses that have weak hind quarters, or defects of the 

 hind legs. Many such animals would, if treated accord- 

 ing to the school system, be soon rendered either total 

 cripples or incurably vicious : whereas, by a judicious 

 application of the English method, many a young horse 

 gains time for the hind quarters and legs to develop 

 themselves, and becomes in the end capable of doing 

 even military work. 



As to the cure of restiveness, the English method has 

 this value. The first step to be taken with a restive 

 horse, before any attempt can be made at mastering its 

 hind legs, is to get it to move sofneJiow., for it is only 

 when in motion that the rider can get at it. Now, al- 

 though it would be worse than useless to attempt to make 

 a horse go under precisely the same circumstances of 

 time and place, etc., under which it has refused obedi- 

 ence, still, by altering these circumstances, and placing 

 it under quite different ones, we can usually succeed in 

 this. For instance, as has been already mentioned, we 

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