on his feet while pressing him backwards. I have never met a horse which would not yield to this method.

When the horse reins back without stiffness, and with the head lowered, I try to make him do the same movement with the head more and more raised, for which object I place myself at his shoulder, and I do the direct flexion in reining back. I thus endeavour to obtain a very free rein-back with the horse well in hand.

If the horse reins back too quickly, in order to escape from the bit, I draw the snaffle reins forward so as to make his retrograde movement more slow. This is the normal rein-back, for which the preceding work is only the preparation. It is evident that if the horse is ready to rein back at the very first sign of the direct flexion, there will be no necessity to lower his head, and still less to tread on his feet. The lowering of the head is useful only to prevent him getting behind his bit. I therefore do not practise it unless the animal shows signs of wanting to rein back.

When the horse readily reins back by means of direct flexion when held by the hand, I begin to put him through the same work while on his back.

In mounted work I do not force the forehand. In fact, it is dangerous to pull on the mouth, which action throws too much weight on the hind quarters, and may consequently lead to his getting behind his bit and rearing. Also, I never attempt the mounted rein-back unless I am certain that my horse will go freely forward by a pressure of the legs, which, in my opinion, is the best means of mobilising the hind quarters, and with which I always begin the rein-back. I feel the bit reins only lightly, in order to make the horse lower his head after I have halted him. I then close my left heel, and the horse, being already obedient to the legs, raises his near hind as if he was going to take a step to one side, because he was taught to give way to the spur. At this