HORSE. S79 
ftat on a full trot, or even on a fwl'ft gallop. You mud 
fix on the length of your ftirrups by your feat. If a more 
precife exaCtnefs is required, let the length of your ftir- 
rups (of a hunting-fad die) be fo proportioned, that when 
you ftand on them, there be the breadth of four fingers 
between the faddle and your body. 
If a gentleman has not fuffieiently acquired the art of 
riding, let him procure it by riding in a large circle 
without ltirrups. Let him keep his face directed to the 
outward part of the circle, yet lb as to have a view only 
of the ear, or fide of the horfe’s head, which is on the 
outward part of the circle, and keep-his lhoulder on the 
other fide very forward. This will teach him to balance 
his body, and maintain his feat without the help of ftir¬ 
rups ; and perhaps may prevent a fall, it he Ihould hap¬ 
pen at any time to lofe them, by being lhaken out of his 
leat. 
There is a particular connection between the feat and 
the laddie, fo that the firft depends very much on the 
latter; wherefore by fome a high-pommelled faddle is 
thought dangerous, but the contrary extreme fo far pre¬ 
vails, that the pommel riles fcarcely higher than the mid¬ 
dle of the faddle. The faddle Ihould be fitted to reft as 
near the back-bone of the horfe as poflible, without hurt¬ 
ing him, for the clofer you fit to his back, the fafer you 
ride. From hence it is evident, that the pommel mull: 
rife enough, to preferve the withers from being preffed ; 
fo that, if a horle Ihould happen to have his withers higher 
than common, - a higher pommel is neceflary. To avoid 
this, it has been propofed to make the faddle in a ftraighter 
line, that is, the whole length of it, from the withers to 
the crupper, almoft even. But this would be attended 
with the fame inconvenience ; and you would (till be 
feated too high above the horfe’s back, without a proper 
feat on the laddie. From the button at the fide of the 
pommel, to the back part of the laddie,- there Ihould be 
no ridge ; and for the eafe of your thighs, that line Ihould 
be a little concave. Every faddle Ihould be perfeBly 
adapted to the lhape of the horfe. 
When you are difpofed to put your horfe in motion, 
raife his head, and (lightly touch him with your whip; or 
elfe, prefs his fides with the calves of your legs, and ftill 
clofer, if he does not mend his pace, till the fpur juft 
touches him ; after which, if he has any fprit, he will 
move with the leaft prelfure of the leg. When you fpur 
him, let it not be by a kick; but, if you want to pulli him 
on brifkly, keep your heels clofe to his fides; and, when 
you find him compliable, fpare him. 
If your horfe becomes unruly, take the reins feparately, 
one in each hand ; put your arms forward, and hold him 
fiiort; but pull not hard with your arms lew; for, by low¬ 
ering his head, he has the more liberty to throw out his 
heels; but, if you raife his head as high as you can, this 
will prevent him from riling before or behind; nor, 
while his head is in this pofition, can he make either of 
thefe motions. 
The rider, who delires his horfe to make a ftately ap¬ 
pearance, mult keep his head high, which will oblige him 
to raife his neck and creft; and play a little with, the rein, 
which will move the bit in his mouth, and prevent him 
from prelTing on it. There is no danger in railing his 
head too high; he will be too apt to bring it down of his 
own accord, and fatigue your arms with its' weight, when¬ 
ever he abates of his mettle. At fuch times as you feel 
him heavier than ordinary, (top him, and make him go 
hack a few paces. Thus his hanging on the bridle will be 
cured by flow, but fure, degrees. Many perfons are pleafed 
with a round neck, and a head drawn in toward the cheft; 
but thele are not a horfe’s beauties. When a horfe bri¬ 
dles in his head, provided he carries it aloft, with his 
neck arching upwards, he is in his proper attitude; but, 
when he bends his n ck downwards, his figure is difa- 
greeable, his fight and toes are too near together, he 
hangs on his bridle, nor will he obey command. It is an 
undoubted fign that a horfe is fure-footed, if he prelfes 
lightly on his bridle, and you can enfily guide him. If, 
on the other hand, he hangs- down his head, and weighs 
yoti down on his neck, with your arms bearing on his 
lhoulders, he will be always liable to ltumble. If your 
horfe hangs thus heavy on the bit, tie him for an hour or 
two, once a-day, with his tail to the manger, and by a 
rein on each poll of the ftall, tied to each ring of the (baf¬ 
fle, let his head be lifted as high as you can, and let him 
remain in that pofture, which will loon effeCt a cure. 
Horfe-keepers and grooms agree, that the head llioukl 
yield to the reins, and the neck forrman arch ; but they 
take no care to make it arch upwards. They fay, that 
attempting to raife a horfe’s head makes him pulh out 
his nofe, that his head is too high already; but they for¬ 
get that it is not the diftance from his nofe, but from the 
top of his head to the ground, which ihould be the crite¬ 
rion of the height or lownefs of his head. The neck is 
railed, and the head brought in, by the lifting up-of the 
head ; for, even while the bridle is in a ftraight line from 
the hand to the bit, it is eafy to draw in, or thruft out, 
the horfe’s nofe, juft as the neck is raifed or deprefled. 
Horfe-dealers commonly ufc a contrary practice, and break 
their colts with their heads cavelfoned very low, their 
necks ftill’, without allowing them the leaft freedom or 
fupplenefs. When the breaker has finilhed his opera¬ 
tions, and taken off their caparifons, they are mounted 
for the road, when enjoying more food and reft, and hav¬ 
ing not been properly broke, they frequently plunge, 
which renders it necelTary to break them a lecond time. 
And, as few gentlemen know how to manage their hordes, 
they are committed to the care of their grooms, from 
whom, it is highly probable, they will learn many bad 
habits. Thus, by a wrong management at firft, the owner 
is often deprived of the pleafure and l’ervice he expedit'd 
from his horfe’s good qualities and beauty. 
Allowing, however, that your horfe carries his head, or 
his nofe, too high, yet by moving his lhoulders lightly, 
and going fafely, he makes you fome amends. Obferve 
attentively the caufe of this fault. The necks of fome 
horfes are let fo low on their lhoulder, that they can have 
no other motion, but to bend firft down, and then up¬ 
wards, like a ftag’s. Some have their necks too Ihort. 
A head fet on fuch a neck has not the liberty to bend in¬ 
wards, fo as to form an arch, becaufe the neck-bones are 
too Ihort to be flexible ; and yet the number of vertebrae 
in the long and fiiort necked horfes is the feme, In 
fome, again, you will find the jaw fo thick, that it ad¬ 
heres to the neck, whereby it becomes impolfible for the 
head to bend. In others, the under line from the jaw to 
the breaft is fo very Ihort, that the neck has not room to 
rife. Although thefe faults are not to be entirely’reCti-- 
fied, ftill fomething may be gained by a nice hand with a 
proper fnaffle ; but no ufe mult be made of a curb, mar¬ 
tingale, or other compulfive method; for none of thefe 
will force a horfe to carry his head or neck in any pofition 
which nature has made uneafy to him. 
A rider Ihould never correCt his horfe but when gen¬ 
tle means and cherilhing will not prevail; which every 
horfe of a good temper will yield to, if he be made ftnfi- 
ble, what, how, and when, to do that which is required 
of him. But, if it Ihould happen that correction becomes 
neceflary, correct him moderately at .the infant he errs. 
The contrary practice, however, we are too .often witnelfes 
to, when we behold the common horfe-'oreakers and ig¬ 
norant riders to minifter the moft violent corrections, 
when the beholder cannot fo much as fee a caufe, nor the 
corrector himfelf give a reafon, for his inhuman leverity. 
Hence it is evident, that when a horfe has been taught, 
and yet deviates from his difeipiine, he Ihould be puniflied 
at the very inftant he commits the error; hut neve?' correct 
him for ignorance. 
It is oblerved that dealers are conftantly pulling at their 
horfes, laying their fpurs to their fides, and continually 
checking them, not by way of correction for any fault or 
error they have committed, but to make them bound and 
champ 
