238 Restiveness : its Prevention and Cure, 



like that used for carriage-horses, but with the rings as 

 close under the horse's ears as possible, so as to lift the 

 neck unbent at the part known as the poll. In both 

 cases the dumb-jockey is useful if judiciously employed. 



vSubsequently, when the horse has learned to bend its 

 hocks, you may bit it with a light well-fitted bit, wdiich 

 will bend the neck downward without altering the junc- 

 tion with the head ; in fact, what is technically termed 

 "a false bend" will be attained, which, however, suf- 

 fices to render the animal controllable so long as the 

 rider preserves the mastery over its hind legs by keep- 

 ing his ow^n close to its body. In riding such horses, it 

 is useful, when you find them beginning to rush, to 

 bring them by gentle 7neans to stand still, throwing 

 your own body, from the hips upward, somewhat for- 

 ward, and easing the reins altogether for a moment ; 

 whereas the common practice of unskillful riders is to 

 throw themselves back and pull like grim death. 



Reining back may also be employed, but not with 

 horses that are weak behind, nor otherwise than in a 

 proper position, so that the horse retires gently — the con- 

 trary of backing, and never as a punishment Generally 

 it will be preferable to stand still, and encourage the 

 horse, by feeling its mouth, to champ the mouthpiece, 

 when the stitihess of the head and neck will gradually 

 relax, and it may be put in motion again. 



Here it may be well to say what the rider should do 

 if his horse runs away with him. The general impres- 

 sion seems to be that the safest thing is merely to en- 

 deavor to keep the animal straight till it gets tired of 

 galloping, and keep one's own seat as long as possible ; 

 consequently the rider plants his feet as firmly as he can 

 in the stirrups, and shoves these out toward the horse's 

 shoulders in order to get fixed points from which he can 

 have a dead pull on the reins, and of course his body, 

 from the hips upward, goes to the rear, right over the 



