General Rules. 225 



best; they also require very careful and accurate bitting; 

 anything painful exasperates such horses. 



So too, with horses that want to go ; indulge them 

 and moderate their fire gvadualh' ; whilst with sluggish 

 ones encouragement will suit best ; and as regards food, 

 let it always be in proportion to the work, and this latter 

 to the condition. 



Of course it is impossible to lay down a ready cut-and- 

 dry rule applicable to the treatment of each individual 

 horse ; but it will be almost always advisable to have 

 recourse to the lounge in the first instance — if for no 

 other reason, because it affords the best opportunity of 

 seeing and studying the horse's action, and ascertaining 

 exactly the means by which it resists ; for instance, as 

 is frequently the case, by slinking back from the bridle, 

 and gathering up its kgs under its body and putting 

 up its back at the same time. In such cases it will be 

 best to continue the loungiffig at first on the English 

 principle, and subsequently after the school method de- 

 scribed above. If it seems advisable to get the horse's 

 head and neck up, the dumb-jockey will be very useful ; 

 if. on the contrary, these require to be brought down, it 

 will be useless ; and with horses inclined to rearing it 

 should never be used, on account of the danger of their 

 throwing themselves down. 



When one finds the horse inclined to trot out well and 

 freely on the lounge, it will be time to get a rider on its 

 back, and then to alternate the lounging and riding les- 

 sons as may seem advisable until the former become 

 unnecessary. With i-estive horses it is, however, better 

 not to attempt using the lounge after the rider is on the 

 animal's back, but merely to detach the cord, leaving the 

 cavesson on their heads, and giving the rider a pair of 

 short reins, attached to this, into his hands, in addition 

 to the snaffle-reins. Except in very skillful and practiced 

 hands, and when both trainer and rider are accustomed 



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