230 Restiveness : its Prevention and Cure, 



fact, this special form of restiveness is very often called 

 forth by injudicious management of a backing horse ; 

 whilst, on the other hand, making a rearer rein back 

 i7i obedience is one of the best remedies we have for 

 rearing. 



To prevent misapprehension, it is necessary to ex- 

 plain how it is that the spur will stop the hind leg and 

 limit its action, which is simply because the effect of the 

 spur or heel being always to make the horse advance 

 the hind leg at the same side when the animal is back- 

 ing, this becomes, in fact, equivalent to stopping it ; 

 whereas, when it is going forward, the contrary effect is 

 produced, and the stopping work done by the rein, as 

 already explained in the preceding chapter. 



It has been shown above that, with the cavesson, it 

 is possible to lay the foundation for forward action by 

 making the horse, in the first instance, circle with his 

 hind quarters round the forehand. When mounted, 

 precisely the same method may be employed with great 

 success. The rider commences by lifting the horse's 

 neck and head with both reins until the animal's mouth 

 is somewhat higher than his own knee, keeping the 

 calves of his own legs well closed on its ribs ; then, by 

 a gradual shortening of one rein, say the right one, he 

 gets the head round till the forehead comes to be paral- 

 lel to the horse's backbone, and places his right hand 

 firmly on the saddle behind his own right knee, and so 

 gets a dowmuard pull on this rein, while with the left 

 one he keeps the horse's head and neck in the proper 

 position. Frequently a mere increase of pressure of 

 the right calf will now suffice to unfix the horse's legs 

 and make it circle with the croup round the fore legs, 

 which remain on the spot, and finally induce it to go 

 ahead. Of course the outer, here the left, leg of the 

 rider must be kept well closed up, so as to determine 

 the velocity at which this circling is done and the 



