How to Render Horses Obedient, 213 



purpose the dumb-jockey is useful. And now the assist- 

 ant with the whip has the greater part of the work to 

 do, it being his business, by demonstrations with that 

 instrument toward the horse's chest underneath (not to- 

 ward the hind legs), to keep the animal well up to its 

 work, while the trainer himself moderates the pace by 

 gently shaking the cord or line, never suffering the horse 

 to lean heavily on his hand, and never himself taking a 

 dead pull. 



These two functionaries must act perfectly in unison, 

 and both of them understand perfectly their work, which 

 requires judgment, patience and dexterity. Wonderful 

 results may be obtained by a well-judged use of the 

 lounge, but we are bound to say that, in unskillful 

 hands, an enormous amount of mischief may be also 

 perpetrated in the way of producing or confirming rest- 

 iveness, or even with the more tangible evidences of 

 curbs, spavins and other lamenesses. It is impossible 

 to give any precise rule as to the amount by which the 

 reins may be shortened or the horse's head brought up. 

 All that can be said is this : if the horse hurries its trot, 

 constantly increasing the pace, and finally breaking into 

 a canter, you may be sure that the head is too low, and 

 the weight still too much forward, consequently you 

 must bear it up gradually till this ceases. On the other 

 hand, if you find the horse trotting unequally and irreg- 

 ularly, in something like a mixture of trot and canter in 

 an amble, or if it seems only capable of getting on in a 

 short, cramped canter, then you may be equally sure 

 that your reins are too short, and you must immediately 

 ease them all to the state in which the}- were at the very 

 first lesson, and then try back till you bring out a per- 

 fectly clean rhythmic trot ; whatever position the horse's 

 head and neck may then have, is the true one, all the 

 pedants in the world notwithstanding. Indeed, it is a 

 good plan to finish each lesson and commence the next 



