RIDE. 



There are few that will come near fire, or pais by it, without 

 difficulty. There are many occasions, however, in which 

 it is neceffary ; it is therefore proper to accuftom your horfe 

 to it. In the firft place, begin with your horfe by letting 

 him fee it, and for that purpofe tie him between two pillars, 

 and hold before him, at about thirty paces diftant, a burn- 

 ing whifp of draw ; this fhould be continued for fome days 

 together, repeating it Several times each day. Let the 

 perfon who holds the brand advance towards the horfe ftep 

 by ftep ; and let him take care to advance, or ftop, often, as 

 he perceives the horfe is moved, or lefs frightened, who, in 

 a fhort time, will be emboldened, and no longer afraid of the 

 fire. After this, get upon him, carry him flovvly, and as it 

 were infenfibly, towards the brand, the perfon who holds it 

 taking care not to ftir ; if your horfe comes up to it with- 

 out being frightened, let the man on foot walk en, and let 

 the horfe follow the fire. Would you bring your horfe to 

 go acrofs a fire, lay upon the ground fome llraw about half 

 burnt out, and he will pafs over it. 



With refpetft to the noife of arms and drums, let your 

 horfe hear them before you give him his oats ; do this re- 

 gularly every day, for fome time, and he will be fo ufcd to 

 them as not to mind them. 



A horfe is faid to be entier, in its natural fenfe whole, 

 entire ; and, in the figurative meaning, obllinate, itubborn, 

 opinionated, to that hand to which he reftifes to turn. A 

 hurt in his foot, leg, or Ihoulder, may often be the caufe of 

 his refufing to turn to that fide where he feels any pain. A 

 hurt in his reins, or haunches, a curb or fpaving, which, 

 by hindering him to bend, and reft upon his hocks, may 

 make him guilty of this difobedience. Art can do little 

 towards curing thefe evils ; coufequently, a horfe fo affe&ed 

 will never drefs well, becaufe he never can be made fupple 

 and ready ; befides, every horfe is naturally inclined to go 

 to one hand more than the other, and then he will go to 

 that hand on which he finds himfelf the weakelt, becaufe 

 with the (trongeft he can turn more eaiily. 



It is a known faft that hories are naturally inclined to go 

 better to one hand than to the other. The halter, the 

 bridle, the faddle, and the girths, are all put on, and tied 

 on the left fide ; when they are rubbed or curried, the man 

 ftands on their left fide ; the fame when they are fed ; and 

 when they arc led out, the man holds them in his right hard, 

 coufequently their head is pulled to the left ; here is a chain 

 of reafons fufficient to induce us to believe, that if they are 

 readier to turn to one hand than the other, it is owing to a 

 habit and cuftom which we ourfelves have given them. 



We feldom meet with horfes that are readier to turn to the 

 right hand than the left ; and when it fo happens, it often- 

 times denotes an ill temper ; it demands much time and pains 

 to cure them of this fault. 



Note. — It is not proper to ufe fevere correction to make 

 a horfe obey who refufes to turn to one hand ; if he is cold 

 and dull, he will lofe all his vigour and courage ; if he is of 

 an angry temper, hot, and briik, you would make him 

 defperate and mad ; work him then upon the principles of 

 art, and purfue the method you think molt likely to reform 

 his ill habits, and reduce him to obedience. If he obfti- 

 nately refufes to turn to one hand, begin the next leffon by 

 letting him go to his favourite hand a turn or two ; finiih 

 him on the fame hand, and by degrees you will gain him ; 

 whereas, were you to do otherwife, you might make him 

 be ever after rebellious. A horfe that flrenuoufly refifts his 

 rider, if he has vigour and courage after he is reduced and 

 conquered, will, neverthelefs, fucceed in what you want 

 of him, provided he is under the direction of an able and 

 knowing perfon, who underftands the aids of the hands 



and legs, and their mutual harmony and corrclpondence. 

 Such a hcrfe is even preferable to one who never rebels, be- 

 caufe, in this laft, nature may be deficient, if we may bf 

 allowed the expreffion, with refpeifl to his want of ftrength 

 and refolution. 



In order to teach your horfe to turn to both hands, you 

 muft feparate your reins, as we have already mentioned ; 

 do not confine him too much, fupport him moderately, fo 

 that you may eafily draw his head to one fide or the other, 

 as you would have him go, and to give him the greater 

 liberty to turn. 



If he refufes to obey, examine him ; if he is by nature 

 impatient, hot, and vicious, by no means beat him, pro- 

 vided he will go forward ; becaufe being held in hand, and 

 kept back a little, is punifliment enough ; \£ he ftops, and 

 tries to refill, by running back, drive him forward with the 

 chambriere. 



The refillance of a horfe whofe mouth is faulty, difcovers 

 itfelf more in going forward than backward, and in forcing 

 the hand. A horfe of this fort ought never to be beat, he 

 ought to be kept back, as we have jult now faid ; you muft 

 endeavour to give him a good and jult appui, and put him 

 upon his haunches, in order to cure him of the trick of 

 leaning upon his bit, and forcing the hand. If your horfe 

 is heavy, never prefs or put him together, till you have 

 lightened his fore-part, and put him upon his haunches, for 

 fear of throwing him fo much upon his fhoulders, that it 

 may be very difficult afterwards to raife him. Take parti- 

 cular care to lighten every horfe that is heavy before, and 

 has malice in his temper at the fame time ; for if you were 

 to prefs him, he would refill you through vice ; in which 

 cafe, by his want of ftrength on one hand, and being heavv 

 and unwieldy on the other, you would be expofed to evident 

 danger. 



A reitive horfe is one that refufes to go forward, who 

 Handing Hill in the fame place, defends himfelf and refilts 

 his rider in feveral different mann«rs ; it is much to be feared 

 that one mould lofe all temper with fuch a horfe, fince it 

 requires a great deal of patience to cure fo capital a fault, 

 and which, perhaps, by habit and time, is fo rooted in him 

 as to be almolt natural to him. Treat a horfe of this fort, 

 who has been too much conftrained and tyrannized over, 

 with the fame lenity that you would (hew to a young colt. 

 The fpurs are as improper to be ufed to one as the other ; 

 make ufe of your fwitch, in order to drive him forward, as 

 you will alarm him lefs, for the fpurs furprize a horfe, abate 

 his courage, and are more likely to make him reitive, than 

 oblige him to go forward, if he refufes to do fo. 



There is likewile another method to punifh a reftive horfe, 

 it is to make him go backward the moment he begins to refift ; 

 thefe corrections often fucceed ; but the general rule is to 

 pufh and carry your horfe forward, whenever he refufes to 

 advance, and continues in the fame place, and defends him- 

 felf either by turning or flinging his croupe on one fide or 

 the other ; and, for this purpofe, nothing is fo. efficacious as 

 to pufh him forward vigoroufly. 



The moft dangerous of all defences a horfe can make, is 

 to rife dire&ly upon his hinder legs, and ftand almoft quite 

 ftraight, becaufe he runs a riik of falling backward, and in 

 that cafe the rider would be in danger of his life. People 

 have endeavoured to correft this vice by a method of 

 punifhment, which might prove dangerous unlefs given in 

 time, and with the greateft exadlnefs. 



Whenever the horfe riles ftraight up, throw your body- 

 forward, and give him all the bridle ; the weight of your 

 body upon his fore -parts will oblige him to come down ; 

 in the minute that his fore-feet are coming to the ground, 



give 



