THE REIN BACK lo* 



taught in English riding schools, of taking an equal pull on 

 both reins ; for, if we do so, we shall adopt the best means 

 to induce the animal to throw his centre of gravity to the 

 rear, and to adopt the second method of the rein back, which 

 is objectionable in all cases, except in heavy draught. In- 

 stead of this '' even feeling" on both reins, we may effect our 

 purpose by, for instance, taking a stronger pull on the near 

 rein, so as to bend the horse's head and neck more or less to 

 the left, draw back the right leg, and touch him with it on the 

 side. The weight then, on account of the head being turned 

 to the left, will be placed more on the near limbs than on the 

 off ones. Consequently, when the off flank is touched by the 

 drawn-back right foot, the animal will, as a rule, readily lift up 

 the off hind foot from the ground, and, feeling the backward 

 pull of the near rein, his natural impulse will be to take a 

 step to the rear with his off hind, and, in order to preserve 

 the previous distribution of weight, he will follow it with his 

 near fore. When the rider has obtained this diagonal step 

 (with the near fore and off hind) to the rear, he can get the 

 other diagonal step (with the off fore and near hind) by 

 slackening the near rein, taking a pull with the off rein, 

 drawing back the left foot, and touching the horse's left side 

 with it ; and so on. I need hardly say that, as each step is 

 obtained, the drawn-back leg should be brought forward. I 

 may also remark that a straight direction to the rear is 

 maintained by the pressure of the drawn-back leg, whichever 

 it may be at the time. We may see that the tendency of the 

 well-broken horse, when reined back in this way, will be to 

 adopt the diagonal movement (or trot) to the rear. Of all 

 unhorsemanlike proceedings, the practice of *' chucking'' the 

 animal in the mouth with the reins, to obtain the rein back, 

 is one of the worst ; for it will tend to make him, in his 

 endeavour to escape the painful pressure of the bit (curb or 

 snaffle), throw his weight to the rear, and run back according 

 to the dangerous second method. Although the well '* col- 

 lected '' rein back may be done at the walk or the trot, the 

 rein back by the second method is never executed at the trot ; 



