Part 5

THERE are some Horses, who are struck with such Terror at the Sight of a Stone or Wooden Bridge, and at the Sound and Echo of the hollow Part of it, that they will fling themselves headlong into the Water, without the Riders being able to restrain them: They are to be cur'd of this Apprehension by covering the Pavement of their Stall with Wooden Planks, between two or three Feet high; and the Horse standing constantly upon them, his Feet will make the same Noise as they do when he goes over a Bridge, and he will of course grow familiar to the Sound, and lose all Apprehension of it.

TO accustom them likewise to the Noise of the Water running under the Bridge, lead him to a Mill, fix two Pillars directly over against the Wheels, and tie your Horse constantly for two Hours together, several Times in the Day; having done this, bring him back to the Bridge, let an old Horse, that is not afraid, go before him upon the Bridge, by degrees you will find him go over the Bridge as readily and quietly as if he had never had the least Apprehension.

FOR Horses that are addicted to lay down in the Water, you must provide yourself with two little Leaden Balls, tie them to a Piece of Packthread, and in the Moment that he is lying down, you must drop these into his Ears, and if he rises instantly, or forbears to lay down, draw them back; but this Method is not less sure than that of breaking a Flask fill'd with Water upon his Head, and letting the Water run into his Ears.

FIRE, Smoke, the Smell of Gunpowder, and the Noise of Guns, or other Arms, naturally surprize and frighten a Horse.--There are few that will come near Fire, or pass by it without Difficulty.

THERE are many Occasions however, wherein it is necessary; it is therefore proper to accustom your Horse to it. In the first place, begin with your Horse by letting him see it; and for that purpose tie him between two Pillars, and hold before him, at about thirty Paces distant, a burning Wisp of Straw; this should be continued for some Days together, repeating it several times each Day. Let the Person who holds the Brand, advance towards the Horse step by step, and let him take care to advance or stop often, as he perceives the Horse is more or less frighten'd, who in a short time will be imbolden'd, and no longer afraid of the Fire: After this get up on him, carry him slowly, and, as it were, insensibly towards the Brand, the Person who holds it taking care not to stir: If your Horse comes up to it, without being frighten'd, let the Man on Foot walk on, and let the Horse follow the Fire. Lay upon the Ground some Straw about half burnt out, and he will pass over it.

WITH respect to the Noise of Arms and Drums, let your Horse hear them before you give him his Oats: Do this regularly every Day, for some time, and he will be so used to them as not to mind them.

A HORSE is said to be entier to that Hand, to which he refuses to turn; a Hurt in his Foot, Leg, or Shoulder, may often be the Cause of his refusing to turn to that Side, where he feels any Pain; a Hurt in his Loins or Haunch, a Curb or Spavin, by hindering him to bend and rest upon his Hocks, may make him guilty of this Disobedience. Art can do little towards curing these Evils, consequently a Horse so affected will never dress well, because he never can be made supple and ready; besides, every Horse is naturally inclin'd to go to one Hand more than the other, and then he will go to that Hand on which he finds himself the weakest, because with the strongest he can turn more easily.

THEY may likewise refuse to turn, from some Defect in their Sight, natural or accidental. I have tried a Method to remedy this Vice, which has answer'd very well; I have put a Lunette upon the ailing Eye, and as his Fault was owing to his Eye, the Horse began by degrees to go to that Hand to which before he had refused to turn: After this I made two little Holes in the Lunette; I enlarged them afterwards, and the Eye of the Horse being thus insensibly accustom'd to receive the Light, and he to turn to that Hand, he no longer disobeyed; I exercised him in this Manner from time to time, in order to confirm him in his Obedience.--I have said, that there is no Horse who is not by Nature inclin'd to go better to one Hand than the other; their inclination generally carries them to the Left rather than to the Right. Some People impute this Preference to the Manner in which the Foal lies in its Dam's Belly, and pretend that even then it is entirely bent and turn'd to the Left: Others insist that Horses lay down generally upon their Right-side, and from thence contract a Habit to turn their Heads and Necks to the Left: But not to regard these groundless Notions, it is easier and more natural to believe, that this Habit is owing to Use, and the Manner in which they are treated by those who first have had the Care of them.

THE Halter, the Bridle, the Saddle, and the Girths are all put on and tied on the Left-side; when they are rubb'd or curried, the Man stands on the Left-side; the same when they are fed, and when they are led out, the Man holds them in his Right-hand, consequently their Head is pull'd to the Left. Here are a Chain of Reasons, sufficient 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 Custom which we ourselves have given. We seldom meet with Horses that are readier to turn to the Right-hand than the Left; and when it so happens, it oftentimes denotes an ill Temper; it demands much Time and Pains to cure them of this Fault.

IT is not proper to use severe Correction to make a Horse obey, who refuses to turn to one Hand; if he is cold and dull, he will lose all his Vigour and Courage; if he is of an angry Temper, hot and brisk, you would make him desperate and mad; work him then upon the Principles of Art, and pursue the Methods you think most likely to reform his ill Habit, and reduce him to Obedience; if he obstinately refuses to turn to one Hand, begin the next Lesson, by letting him go to his favourite Hand a turn or two; finish him on the same Hand, by degrees you'll gain him; whereas were you to do otherwise, you might make him ever afterwards rebellious. A Horse that strenuously resists his Rider, if he has Vigour and Courage, after he is reduced and conquer'd, will nevertheless succeed in what you want of him, provided he is under the Direction of an able and knowing Person, who understands the Aids of the Hand and Legs, and their mutual Harmony and Correspondence.

SUCH a Horse is even preferable to one who never rebels; because in this last, Nature may be deficient, if I may so express myself, from his Want of Strength and Resolution.

IN order to teach your Horses to turn to both Hands, you must separate your Reins, as I have already mention'd; don't confine him too much, support him moderately so that you may easily draw his Head to one side or the other, as you would have him go, and to give him the greater Liberty to turn.

IF he refuses to obey, examine him; if he is by Nature impatient, hot and vicious, by no means beat him, provided he will go forwards; because being held in Hand, and kept back a little, is Punishment enough; if he stops, and strives to resist by running back, drive him forward with the Chambriere.

THE Resistance of a Horse, whose Mouth is faulty, discovers itself more in going forward than backward, and in forcing the Hand; a Horse of this sort ought never to be beat; he ought to be kept back, as I have just now said. You must endeavour to give him a good and just Apuy, 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 Horse is heavy, never press or put him together, till you have lighten'd his Fore-part, and put him upon his Haunches, for fear of throwing him so much upon his Shoulders, that it may be very difficult afterwards to raise him. Take particular care to lighten every Horse that is heavy before, and has Malice in his Temper at the same time; for if you were to press him, he would resist you through Vice; in which Case by his Want of Strength on one hand, and being heavy and unwieldy on the other, you would be exposed to evident Danger.

A restive Horse is one that refuses to go forward, who standing still in the same Place, defends himself, and resists his Rider in several different Manners; it is much to be fear'd that one should lose all Temper with such a Horse, since it requires a great deal of Patience to cure so Capital a Fault, and which perhaps by Habit and Time is so rooted in him as to be almost natural to him; treat a Horse of this sort, who has been too much constrain'd and tyrannized over, with the same Lenity that you would shew to a young Colt.

THE Spurs are as improper to be used to one as the other; make use of your Switch in order to drive him forward, you will alarm him the less; the Spurs surprize a Horse, abate his Courage, and are more likely to make him restive, than oblige him to go forward, if he refuses to do so. There is likewise another Method to punish a restive Horse; it is to make him go backwards the Moment he begins to resist; this Correction often succeeds; but the general Rule is to push and carry your Horse forward, whenever he refuses to advance, but continues in the same Place, and defends himself, either by turning or flinging his Croupe on one side or the other; and for this Purpose nothing is so efficacious as to push him forward vigorously.

THE most dangerous of all Defences a Horse can make is to rise directly upon his Hind-legs, and stand almost quite strait, because he runs a risque of falling backwards; and in that Case the Rider would be in Danger of his Life. People have endeavour'd to correct this Vice, by a Method of Punishment, which might prove dangerous, unless given in time and with the greatest Exactness.

WHEN the Horse rises strait up, throw your Body forward, and give him all the Bridle; the Weight of your Body on his Fore-parts will oblige him to come down: In the Minute that his Fore-feet are coming to the Ground, give him both the Spurs firm, and as quick as you can; these Aids and Corrections however must be given with the greatest Caution and Exactness: For were you to give him the Spurs when he is in the Air, he would fall over; whereas if you watch the Time so as not to spur him but when he is coming down, and his Fore-feet near the Ground, it is then impossible he should fall backwards; for then his Balance is destroy'd, and he is upon all his Legs again, and can't rise without first touching the Ground, and taking his Spring thence; if therefore you give him the Spurs before he is in a Situation to rise again, you will punish him, and drive him forward at the same time.

THIS Defence is still more dangerous in Horses who are of a fiery Temper, and weak in their Haunches, at the same time; these are continually apt to rise, and whatever Precautions the Rider may take, he is in continual Danger of their coming over. The way to correct them is this: Tie your Horse between the Pillars very short, put on a good Cavason of Cord, and don't suffer him to be mounted; prick him upon the Buttocks with a Hand-spur in order to make him strike out; encourage him when he kicks, and continue to make him kick; encourage him from time to time when he obeys; do this for a Quarter of an Hour every Day; when you perceive that he begins to kick the Moment you offer to prick him, without waiting till he feels it, get upon him, hold your Reins long, prick him, and let a Man stand by and prick him at the same time. Encourage him when he kicks, and continue to prick him to make him do it, till he will kick readily only at the Offer you make of pricking him; he ought to be brought to this Point in five or six Days: After this take him out of the Pillars, mount him, and trot him in the Longe, and make him kick by pricking him behind; after that let him walk two or three Steps, then make him kick again, and so work him by degrees. Put him to the Gallop; if he offers to rise, prick him behind, and make him kick: Nothing excels this Method to break a Horse of this terrible and dangerous Vice.

THOSE Horses who are apt to kick, either when they go forward or stand still, must be kept much together, or held in closely; make them go backward briskly, and you will cure them of this Vice.

TO resume our Subject. All Horses are by Nature rather aukward than nervous and strong; fearful than bold; hot and fretful than mischievous or ill-temper'd; whenever they grow desperate and absolutely ungovernable, it is often rather to avoid the extreme Pain which they feel, or expect to feel from too great a Constraint, than merely to resist the Horseman. Arm yourself then with great Patience; keep such Horses as are of a fiery and fretful Disposition, rather in Awe than in absolute Subjection; they are naturally fearful, and apt to be alarm'd; and violent Correction and Force would dishearten and make them quite desperate. Such as are of a hot and impetuous Temper, are generally timid and malicious. Endeavour therefore to prevent the Disorders they would commit; for Lenity and good Usage would never reduce them to Obedience, and Severity would make them lifeless and jadish. In fine, let your Lessons be short, easy, and often repeated to Horses of a cold and heavy Disposition, because they have no Memory, and want both Resolution and Strength.

IN a word, never depart from this great Maxim, "Always observe a just Medium between too indulgent a Lenity and extreme Severity;" work your Horse according to his Strength and Capacity, give your Lessons in proportion to his Memory, and dispense your Punishment and Rewards suitable to his Courage and Disposition.

CHAP. IV.

Of the Trot.

WHEN a Horse trots, his Legs are in this Position, two in the Air and two upon the Ground, at the same time cross-wise; that is to say, the Near-foot before, and the Off-foot behind are off the Ground, and the other two upon it; and so alternately of the other two. This Action of his Legs is the same as when he walks, except that in the Trot his Motions are more quick. All Writers, both ancient and modern, have constantly asserted the Trot to be the Foundation of every Lesson you can teach a Horse; there are none likewise who have not thought proper to give general Rules upon this Subject, but none have been exact enough to descend into a Detail of particular Rules, and to distinguish such Cases as are different, and admit of Exceptions, tho' such often are found from the different Make and Tempers of Horses, as they happen to be more or less suited to what they are destin'd; so that by following their general Maxims, many Horses have been spoil'd, and made heavy and aukward, instead of becoming supple and active; and as much Mischief has been occasion'd by adopting their Principles, although just, as if they had been suggested by Ignorance itself.

THREE Qualities are essentially necessary to make the Trot useful, it ought to be extended, supple, and even or equal; these three Qualities are related to, and mutually depend upon each other: In effect, you can't pass to the supple Trot, without having first work'd your Horse upon the extended Trot; and you can never arrive at the even and equal Trot, without having practised the Supple.

I MEAN by the extended Trot, that in which the Horse trots out without retaining himself, being quite strait, and going directly forwards; this consequently is the kind of Trot, with which you must begin; for before any thing else ought to be meditated, the Horse should be taught to embrace and cover his Ground readily, and without fear.

THE Trot however may be extended without being supple, for the Horse may go directly forward, and yet not have that Ease and Suppleness of Limbs, which distinguishes and characterizes the Supple.