Carries it high, and his neck arching upwards; but if his neck bends downwards, his figure is bad, his fight is too near his toes, he leans on the bridle, and you have no command over him. If he goes preffing but lightly on his bridle, he is the more fure-footed, and goes pleafanter; as your wrift only may guide him. If he hangs down his head, and makes you fupport the weight of that and his neck with your arms, bearing on his fore-legs, (which is called being on his shoulders), he will ftrike his toes against the ground, and ftumble. If your horfe is heavy upon his bit, tie him every day, for an hour or two, with his tail to the manger, and his head as high as you can make him lift it, by a rein on each poft of the ftall, tied to each ring of the fnaffle-bit. If, on the other hand, your horfe car. ries his head (or rather his nofe) too high, he generally makes fome amends, by mo ving his fhoulders lightly, and going fafe ly. Attend to the cause of this fault Some horfes have their necks fet fo lowo their fhoulders, that they bend first dow then upwards, like a ftag's. Some have the upper line of their necks, from thi ears to their withers, too fhort. A bea of this fort cannot poffibly bend inwards and form an arch, because the verteb (or neck-bones) are too short to admit flexure; for in long and fhort necked ho fes the number of vertebra is the fam In fome, the jaw is fo thick, that it me the neck, and the head by this means b not room to bend. On the other hand fome have the under-line from the jaw t the breast, fo fhort that the neck can rise. In all these cases you may gain a litt by a nice hand with an eafy bit; but curb, martingale, or other forcible e thod, will teach a horfe to carry head or neck in a pofture which par has made uneafy to him. By trying pull in his nofe farther than he can be you will add a bad habit to nature. Y could not indeed contrive a more effect method to make him continually tofs br nofe up, and throw his foam over you Horfebreakers and grooms have a great propensity to bring a horfe's head down, and feem to have no feat without a strong hold by the bridle. They know, indeed, that the head fhould yield to the reins, and the neck form an arch; but do not take the proper pains to make it arch up wards. A temporary effect of attempting to raife a horie's head, may perhaps be making him push out his nofe. They will here tell you, that his head is too high already; whereas it is not the distance from his nofe, but from the top of his. head, to the ground, which determines the head to be high or low. Befides, although the fault is faid to be in the manner of carrying the head, it fhould rather be faid to be in that of the neck; for if the neck was raised, the head would be more in the pofition of one fet on a wellformed neck. The defign therefore of lifting up the head, is to raise the neck, and thereby bring in the head: for even while the bridle makes the fame line from the rider's hand to the bit, the horse's nofe may be either drawn in, or thrust out, according as his neck is raised or depreffed. Inftead of what has been here recommended, we ufually fee colts broke with their heads cavefoned very low, their necks stiff, and not in the leaft fuppled. When the breaking tackle is left off, and they are mounted for the road, having more food and rest, they frequently plunge, and a second breaking becomes neceflary. Then, as few gentlemen can manage their own horfes, they are put into the hands of grooms, from whom they learn a variety of bad babits. The rule already given to ride a lo necked horfe, will be a proper one for light mouthed horfes: one caution be added; which is, always to fearch whethe his faddle, or girths, may not in f way pinch him; and whether the bit not hurt his lip by being too high in mouth; becaufe whenever he frets fro either of these causes, his head will be fteady. It is a common cuftom, to be alwa pulling at the bridle, as if to fet of advantage either the fpirit of the bo or the skill of the rider. Our horfes there fore are taught to hold their heads ka and pull, fo as to bear up the rider fro the faddle, ftanding in his stirrups, eve in the gentleft gallop. How very imp per this is, we are experimentally convi ced, when we happen to meet with horfe which gallops otherwife. We i mediately fay he canters excellently, find the eafe and pleasure of his motio When horfes are defigned for the r and fwiftnefs is the only thing confidered the method may be a good one. It is not to be wondered, that debu are always pulling at their horfes; that they Sept. 1762. Thompson's rules for bad horsemen. 463 they have the fpur conftantly in their you will find occafions enough to exercise fides, and are at the fame time continual- his obedience, when what he starts at ly checking the rein: by this means they lies directly in his way, and you must make them bound, and champ the bit, make him pafs; if he is not fubject to while their rage has the appearance of,ftart, you fhould not contend with him about a trifle. fpirit. These people ride with their arms fpread, and very low on the fhoulders of their horfes. This method makes them ftretch their necks, and gives a better appearance to their fore-hands; it conceals alfo a thick jaw, which if the head was up, would prevent its yielding to the bit; it hides likewife the ewe-neck, which would otherwife fhew itself. Indeed, if you have a horse unfteady to the bit, formed with a naturally heavy head, or one which carries his nofe obftinately in the air, you must find his mouth where you can, and make the best of him. Many horfes are taught to start, by whipping them for starting. How is it poffible they can know it is defigned as a punishment? In the riding-house, vou teach your horse to rife up before, and to fpring and lafh out his hinder legs, by whipping him when tied between two pillars, with his head a little at liberty. If he understood this to be a punishment for doing fo, he would not by that method learn to do it. He feems to be in the fame manner taught to spring and fly when he is frightened. Moft horfes would go quietly paft an object they were beginning to fly from, if their riders, instead of gathering up their bridles, and fhewing themfelves fo ready, fhould throw the reins Joofe upon their necks. When a horse starts at any thing on one fide, most riders turn him out of the road, to make him go up to what he starts at: if he does not get the better of his fear, or readily comply,he generally goes paft the object, making with his hinder parts, or croup, a great circle out of the road whereas he thould learn to keep ftraight on, without minding objects on either fide. If he starts at any thing on the left, hold his head high, and keep it straight in the road, pulling it from looking at the thing he starts at, and keeping your right leg hard prefled against his fide, towards his flank he will then go ftraight along the road. By this method, and by turning his head a little more, he may be forced with his croup clofe up to what frighted him; for as his head is pulled one way, his croup neceffarily turns the other. Always avoid a quarrel with your horle, if you can; if he is apt to ftart, Let me juft obferve, that this rule in going past an object may perhaps be a little irregular in a managed horfe; which will always obey the leg: but even fuch a horfe, if he is really afraid, and not reftive, it may not be amifs to make look another way, unless the object be fomething you would particularly accustom him to the fight of. The cafe will also be different, with a horse whofe fear is owing to his being not used to objects. But fuch a one is not to be rode by any horfeman to whom these rules are directed: the starting here meant arifes merely from the horse's being pampered, and fpringing through liveliness. The notion of the neceffity of making a horfe go immediately up to every thing he is afraid of, and not fuffering him to become master of his rider, feems to be in general carried too far. It is an approved and good method, to conquer a horse's fear of the found of a drum, by beating one near him at the time of feeding him. This not only familiarifes the noife to him, but makes it pleasant, as a forerunner of his meat; whereas if he was whipped up to it, he might perhaps tart at it as long as he lived. Might not this be applied to his ftarting at other things, and thew that it would be better to fufer him (provided he does not turn back) to go a little from, and avoid an object he has a diflike to, and to accuftom him to it by degrees, convincing him as it were that it will not hurt him, than to punish him, quarrel with him, and perhaps fu mit to his will at laft, while you infit on his overcoming his fear in an inftant? If he fees a like object again, it is probable he will recollect his dread, and arm him. felf to be disobedient. We are apt to fuppofe, that a horfe fears nothing fo much as his rider: but may he not, in many circumstances, be afraid of inftant deftruction? of being crushed? or being drowned? of falling down a precipice? is it a wonder that a horfe thould be afraid of a loaded waggon? may not the hanging load feem to threaten te falling on him? There cannot be a rue more general, than, in fuch a cafe, 10 fhew him there is room for him to p. s. 3 P 2 Thit A horfe is not to ftop without a fign from his rider is it not then probable, that when he is driven up to a carriage he ftarts at, he conceives himself obliged either to attack or run against it? can he understand the rider's fpurring him with his face directed to it, as a fign for him to pafs it? That a horfe is easily alarmed for his face and eyes, (he will even catch back his head from a hand going to carefs him); that he will not go with any force, face to face, even to another horfe, (if in his power to ftop); and that he fees perfectly fideways, may be useful hints for the treatment of horfes, with regard to ftarting. Though you ought not to whip a horfe for farting, there can be no good effect from clapping his neck with your hand, to encourage him. If one took any notice of his fiarting, it fhould be rather with fome tone of voice which he ufually. underflood as an expreflion of diflike to what he is doing; for there is oppofition mixed with his farting, and a horfe will ever repeat what he finds hath foiled his rider. Notwithstanding the direction above given, of not prefling a horfe up to a carriage he starts at; yet if one which you apprehend will frighten him, meets you at a narrow part of the road; when you have once let him know he is to pass it, be fure you remain determined, and prefs him on. Do this more especially, when part of the carriagelhas already pafled you: for if, when he is frightened, he is accuflomed to go back, and turn round, he will certainly do it, if he finds, by your hand flackening, and legs not preffing, that you are irrefolute; and this at the moft dangerous point of time, when the wheels of the carriage take him as he turns. Remember not to touch the curb-rein at this time, it will certainly check him. Ride with a fnaffle, and ufe your curb, if you have one, only occafionally. Chufe your fnaffle full and thick in the mouth, efpecially at the ends, to which the reins are faftened. Most of them are made too fmall and long; they cut the horfe's mouth, and bend back over the bars of his jaw, working like pincers. The management of the curb is too pice a matter to enter on here, farther than to prefcribe great caution in the use of it: a turn of the wrift, rather than the weight of your arm, fhould be applied to it. The elasticity of a rod, when it hath hooked a fifh, may give you fome idea of the proper play of a horse's head on his bridle; his spirit and his pliablenes are both marked by it. A horse fhould never be put to do any thing in a curb, which he is not ready at. You may force him, or pull his head any way, with a fnaffle; but a curb act only in a ftraight line. It is true, that a horfe will be turned out of one track into another by a curb; but it is becau he knows it as a fignal. When he is put to draw a chair, and does not understand the neceflity he is then under of taking a larger fweep when he turns, you fe quently fee him reftive, as it is then cal led; but put him on a fnaffie, or buckle the rein to that part of the bit which does not curb him, and the horfe fubmits to be pulled about, till he understands what is defired of him. Thefe directions fuppofe your horfe to have fpirit, and a good mouth: if he has not, you mak take him as he is, and ride him with fuch a bit as you find moft easy to yourself. When you ride a journey, be not fa attentive to your horfe's nice carriage of himself, as to your encouragement of him, and keeping him in good humour. Raife his head; but if he flags, you may indulge him with bearing a little more upon the bit, than you would fuffer in at airing. If a horfe is lame, tender-footed or tired, he naturally hangs upon b bridle. On a journey, therefore, hi mouth will depend greatly on his ftrength and the goodness of his feet.. Be ther very careful about his feet, and let not 1 farrier fpoil them. You will be enabled to keep them from danger, by a few d rections, which shall not be very digres five. When your horfe is fhod, fuffer not hi feet to be hollowed, but order them te be pared quite flat, and moft at the to There is generally a finishing stroke, fa the fake of neatnefs, given by a farrien at the end of the horn of the hoof, abov the fhoe: this is the most useful part a the hoof; and whatever is taken from it it is like paring, the bottom of a pet which of confequence weakens it in the moft eflential way. Let not the heel nor frog, be pared, more than to take of what is ragged or broken. (It is ftill more fafe to do that yourself at your leis |