226 Restiveness : its Preventlo7i and Cure. 



to act in unison, there is always great danger in using 

 the lounge in this way. 



The general plan is, therefore, simply this : first loung- 

 ing with loose reins ; secondly, lounging with reins grad- 

 ually shortened until the hind legs are brought under 

 subjection, the horse still going free ; thirdly, riding with 

 loose reins ; fourthly, riding with shortened ones, varied 

 with bending lessons — at first, whilst standing still, then 

 in motion ; finally, occasional rides out and giving up 

 the school by degrees till it may be finally dispensed 

 with altogether. Patience, determined cool courage, 

 intelligence, kind treatment and perseverance are the 

 main requisites ; there is no royal road — the thing can 

 only be done by fair work. 



There are some horses that cannot be got to go any- 

 ho-w^ but will either take to backing, turning sharp 

 round, generally on the near hind leg, rearing up, screw- 

 ing themselves up against a wall, climbing up houses, 

 or throwing themselves violently on the ground. Such 

 animals have been usually brutally, or at least inju- 

 diciously, treated, and in most cases it will be advisable 

 to hand them over to professionals, who should in com- 

 mon fairness be told the whole truth. A riding-school 

 is, however, not alw^ays within reach, and we must, 

 therefore, see what can be done with horses that have 

 acquired vice to this extent. 



The first step to be taken in such cases is to restore 

 confidence^ and make the horse feel that it will 7iow be 

 subjected to kind and judicious treatment. This must 

 commence in the stable, and the foundation is best laid 

 by the man who feeds and cleans the animal ; and here 

 let it be remarked, that an example of violence or sever- 

 ity given by the owner or trainer but too frequently in- 

 duces the groom to follow it up, and should, therefore, 

 be very carefully avoided. If, on the contrary, the 

 groom succeeds in getting the horse to move about in 



