38© HORS E. 
champ the bit, while the rage they are in is boafted of as 
an inftance of their l’pirit. The manner of their riding 
with their arms fpread, and low on the (boulders of the 
horfe, makes them llretch their necks, and gives a better 
appearance to their forehands. By this means they alfo 
cover a thick jaw, which, otherwife, would not yield to 
the bit; and likewife hide the ewe-neck. Thefe however 
are not the arts of horfemanfliip, but of deception. 
Whipping of horfes becaufe they ftart, ferves only to 
increafe the fault. How is it poflible he (hould know 
that it is intended as a punilhment ? There are few horfes 
but would pafs quiet!)'- by an object they were beginning 
to fly from, if their riders would throw' the reins on their 
necks, inllead of thatching the bridle fliort in the hand. 
When a horfe ftarts at any thing on one fide of him, moil 
riders will turn him out of the road, and force him up to 
the thing he ftarts at- If this’ does not overcome his 
fear, and make him readily comply in palling the objedt, he 
makes a great circle out of the road; inftead of which he 
ihould be taught to keep ftraight forward, and not regard 
lide-objefts at all. When he ftarts at any thing on the 
left, hold his head high, and keep it ftraight forward in 
the road, pulling it away from the thing lie ftarts at, at 
the (ame time prefling your leg clofe to his flank. He 
will then go ftraight forward on the road; and, if you 
turn his head a little more, his croup may be forced up 
to the object that frightened him. Never quarrel -with 
your liorie if you can help it. If he is apt to ftart, occa- 
fions enough will offer to teach him obedience. If the 
thing lies directly in his way which he ftarts at, force 
him to pafs it; but do not quarrel with him for trifles, 
if he is not accultomed to flatting. 
It is too general an opinion, that it is neceflary to force 
a horfe to go up inftantly to the thing he is afraid of, 
and, how unwilling and reftive foever he may be, he (hall 
not be fuffered to prevail againft his rider; but this is 
carrying the matter a little too far. A horfe that has 
not been uled to the found of a drum, dil’covers his fear 
when he hears it. The belt method to. conquer this fear 
is to beat a drum near him when he is feeding. By a fre¬ 
quent repetition of this noife, it becomes familiar to him, 
nay, is pleafant, and he takes it as a forerunner of his 
meat; whereas, had he been whipped or ("purred up to it, 
it is very prdbable he would have ftarted at it ever after. 
May it not be as reafonable to fuppofe, that a horfe may 
be as fuccefsfully cured of darting at other things by 
gentle uliige; and that his fear would be more eafily con¬ 
quered, by permitting him to go a little from, and avoid, 
an objeft, which at firft fight terrifies him, till by a fre¬ 
quent light of it it is familarized to him, and he is con¬ 
vinced that it will do him no harm ? This feems a much 
better way than to punifh him, fall in a paflion, and at 
lait perhaps be obliged to fubmit to his will. And, (hould 
he ever meet with the fame or a fimilar objeft again, you 
will-furely encounter the (ame difficulties. 
People in general think that a horfe (lands in fear of no¬ 
thing fo much as his rider; but this is not true. Since 
the horfe’s eye is fuppofed to be endued with great mag¬ 
nifying powers, may it not happen that he is terrified 
with the dread of inftant deftruftion ? of being over¬ 
whelmed, or drowned, or of falling down fome horrible 
precipice? If fo, can we be furpriled that the fight of a 
tilted waggon, with the ends of the tilt (hivering in the 
wind, (hould make him (hudder, and unwilling to pafs 
it ? May he not apprehend, that what feems to hang over 
his head, will fall upon him? To convince him, there¬ 
fore, that there is room for him to pals, obferve this rule : 
turn his head a little from the waggon, and prefs your 
leg hard againft that fide which is the fartheft from the 
carriage. 
Is it not reafonable to imagine, that, if a horfe is forced 
towards a carriage which he has ftarted at, he will think 
he is obliged to run againft it ? Can it be imagined, that 
by the rider’s lpurring him on with his face direftly to¬ 
wards it, lie (hould underftand it to be a lign to pafs it ? 
We all know how apprehenfive a horfe is of the approach 
of the lead danger to his face and eyes, infomuch that he 
throws back his head from the hand that offers to touch 
him in that part, though it be only to carefs and make 
much of him. Nor can he be compelled by any means 
(if he can avoid it) to go face to face even to another 
horfe. Neither the clapping a horfe’s neck to "encou¬ 
rage him, nor the whipping him for ftarting, w ill pro¬ 
duce any good eft’eft. All that need be done in this cafe 
is, to make him fenfible by fome tone or expreffion of 
your voice, to which he has been accuftomed, that you 
diftike his action. For you may depend upon it, that, if 
a horfe once foils his rider, he will always prove llubborn 
and difobedient; and therefore the gentled methods will 
be found to be the belt. 
But, though it is not judicious to drive a horfe up to 
the carriage he ftarts at, yet if you (hould meet with one 
at a narrow part of the road, which you think will fright¬ 
en him, after you have made him fenlible he is to pafs, 
do not flinch from your purpofe, but refolutely pufli him 
on ; elpecially if part of the carriage is already paffed by ; 
for, if he has been ufed to back and turn round when 
frightened, you may allure yourfelf he will not do it if 
he perceives your hand flacken, or feels not your legs 
preffmg him ; and this at a point of time, when both you 
and the horfe are in the greateft danger, that is, when the 
w’heels of the carriage may take him as he turns. Be fure 
at this time not to check him by touching the reins of 
the curb. 
If a horfe cannot perform any thing readily, never put 
on a curb to compel him to it. A (baffle will give you 
power enough over his head to turn him any way; but, 
as a curb afts only in a ftraight line, you can only ufe it 
in the fame direction. By a curb you may turn a horfe 
out of one track into another, but it is becaufe he takes 
it only as a Jignal. If you put oiyhis curb when he is to 
draw a chaile, in which he is obliged to take a larger 
compafs in turning, the neceffity of which he does not 
apprehend, you will probably find him rcjlive ; but ule 
the fnaffle only, or fallen the rein to that part of the bit 
w'hich does not curb him, and you will find him pliable 
to your pull, and he will be loon fenlible of the duty re¬ 
quired of him. 
In taking a journey, you are not to regard the fine car¬ 
riage of your horfe, fo much as the encouragement you 
ought to give him, and to employ all your thoughts how 
to keep him in high (pirits. That both yourfelf and horfe 
may proceed with the greateft eafe and plealure, keep his 
head railed ; but, if you find he flags, you may (ufferhim 
to bear a little more on the bit than you would do in an 
airing. If your horfe falls lame, is tender-footed, or 
tired, you will foon be fenlible of it by his hanging on 
the bridle, which is the natural confequence of his ail¬ 
ment. Your chief reliance, therefore, for the perform¬ 
ance of his journey with ("peed and alacrity, will depend 
on his mouth, which you will find in good order as long 
as bis ftrength lads; and likewife on the goodnefs of his 
feet; which, that they may he always in good order, 
watch your farrier very narrowly. 
Many gentlemen, though otherwife well (killed in 
-horfemanfhip, have formed an idea, that they have no 
command of a horfe but by his bridle; and that the only 
life of the lpur is to make him go forward ; but a little 
experience and oblervation will convince them, that a 
further ule may be made of thele implements, and to the 
belt advantage. If he is touched with your left lpur, 
and at the fame time he is not permitted to go on, he 
takes it as a fign to move (ideways to the right. Your 
right lpur may be applied in the lame manner, which 
will produce the like effect on the left. After this, he 
will obey a touch of your leg, without ufing the lpur, 
which he (till retains a remembrance of. Thus, when a 
horfe (lands in a Hall, if you pat him with your hand, he 
moves his croup to the other fide. And you will find, 
by a continued practice, that his croup is as much guided 
3 b y 
