iii. From the horse having been jobbed in the mouth or

unintentionally spurred when jumping, thus receiving severe punishment for obeying the rider’s wishes. iv. Sickened by too much jumping, especially on hard ground. v. Seeing other horses refuse. vi. Lameness or sore shins. vii. Ill-fitting or too severe a bit. viii. Sore back or badly fitting saddle. ix. Want of heart or nerve in the horse. x. Vice.

2. Before attempting to effect a cure every effort should be made to diagnose the cause.

In many cases it is advisable to do a good deal of work on foot, leading and lungeing the horse over low fences. As soon as obedience is assured, the horse should be mounted again.

3. The best way to deal with a horse that has been unintentionally ill-treated in the mouth is to remove the curb chain if he has one, and to jump him over low obstacles without reins, and then gradually to bring him on to jumping with reins.

4. A horse may sometimes refuse because he has lost his nerve temporarily. In such a case, if he is taken three or four times over quite a small fence, and then brought back to the original one, he will probably jump it all right.

5. Sharp rowels may be necessary on a slug or a cur, but the liability of the rider to spur his mount under some conditions without meaning to do so is a disadvantage.

6. The faint-hearted or vicious horse should be treated with resolution, and be made to feel that the rider is determined to jump. This is communicated to the horse by holding the reins in both hands and feeling his mouth with firmness, but not roughly or with undue pressure, and above all by pressing him to the bit by the legs. Care must be taken not to ride the horse slantingways at the jump or at a spot near the outside edge of the fence; the rider should be on the look out for the horse swerving round or running out. The horse should be taken slowly up to within a few lengths of the fence and then put straight at it by the rider increasing his leg pressure and decreasing slightly the feeling on the horse’s mouth.

If he whips round, the horse should be turned back the opposite way to face the fence, then reined back a short distance and when quite square, put at it again. If necessary he should be helped on with the spur without relaxing the leg pressure. Once over the fence the horse should be made much of.

=82.= _Horses that rush at their fences._

1. Horses that persist in rushing at their fences and that get very excited when jumping are best cured by steady, quiet practice. Such a horse should be circled round in front of the fence as though he were not going to jump it, until he settles down, when he may be jumped over the obstacle.

He should be taught to stand quietly in front of a fence.

On no account should he be spurred or have his mouth jerked. After landing over a fence he should be eased up gently to a slow pace and never allowed to get out of hand.

He should not be jumped when very fresh.

=83.= _Horses that decline to leave the ranks, and “fretting” horses._

In addition to putting a good man on their backs such horses may be greatly improved by being kept stabled alone and ridden alone for some months. If a horse refuses to leave the ranks, do not slacken the reins by pushing the hands forward, but feel his mouth and press him on with the legs. Jogging the horse in the ribs with the heels or spurs and slackening the reins will make him worse. It he continues to decline to leave the ranks, rein him back two or three feet, then suddenly take him unawares and urge him forward with leg pressure.

=84.= _Horses that decline to stand still when being mounted._

1. Such horses should be mounted and dismounted on both sides slowly, time after time every day.

2. If the horse refuses to stand still after this treatment the following method may be efficacious.

Put a loop under the horse’s upper lip and over the poll with a slip knot, and when he becomes restive give it a slight jerk and say “Steady.” The horse connects the sound of the voice with the pain caused by the twitch, and he will learn to remain still even without the word being said. The twitch must never be used except in conjunction with the voice.

After doing this a few times, when mounting, the trainer should dispense with the twitch, and with the left hand holding the reins and the cheek piece of the bridle, should say the word “steady,” and swing himself into the saddle, without leaving go of the cheek piece till he is firmly seated; the horse connects the word and the pressure of the hand on the cheek piece with the twitch, and will, as a rule, stand as steadily as he would with the twitch still on him.

3. The best way to mount a horse that will not stand still is as follows: With the left hand gather the reins loosely and seize the cheek piece, hold the stirrup iron in the right hand and allow the horse to walk round. Then place the left foot in the stirrup, and transfer the right hand to the pommel or other part of the saddle. The horse will then revolve in a small circle, of which the right toe of the rider is the centre, and the latter should be able to mount without difficulty.

=85.= _General vice and bad temper._

1. Such horses are most likely to be improved by a careful regulation of work and feeding, by being stabled by themselves, and by gentle treatment both in the stable and outside.

2. _Kicking and bucking._--If a horse begins to kick or buck, sit back, and take the reins in both hands--keep the horse’s head up or pulled right round to one side--get him on the move and away from other horses as quickly as possible.

3. _Rearing._--If a horse starts to rear, take the reins in both hands, lean forward and leave his mouth alone. If the rider leans his weight on that part of the reins which passes from one hand to the other over the withers (_see_ Sec. =39=, 4) it is an assistance. Get the horse on the move at the first opportunity, if necessary hitting him over the quarters, but not between the ears.

=86.= _Refractory draught horses._

1. The vices enumerated in this section should only occur in the case of hired horses or of remounts joining on mobilization.

2. _A horse that refuses to be led up to his place in draught._--If all persuasion fails he should be blindfolded with a horse rubber, and then led up; the cloth should not be removed until the team starts.

3. _A horse that refuses to stand still when being hooked in._--One fore leg should either be held up or strapped up.

4. _A horse that jibs at starting._--Jibbing has already been dealt with in Sec. =68=. If there is plenty of time one of the horse’s fore legs should be strapped up until he tires, and then the attempt may be made to start him. Tapping a horse below and behind the knee is sometimes effective.

5. _A kicker._--Use either a kicking strap or a tight bearing rein.

6. _A puller._--Use a bearing rein and side rein.[5] Both should be fitted tight when the horse is standing still, or they will be useless when he moves.

7. _Leaning on the pole._--A dandy brush strapped to the pole will often cure this.

8. _Leaning away from the pole._--Change the horse’s side.

[5] Neither bearing reins nor side reins are part of peace equipment stores, but they can be made up by the saddler.

CARE AND DISPOSAL OF SADDLERY AND HARNESS.

=87.= _Care of saddlery and harness._

1. Care should be exercised in the handling of all articles of harness and saddlery. Saddles should not be dropped or thrown about as fractured arches or broken side bars may result, and the usefulness of collar pads is liable to be destroyed if subjected to unfair usage.

Minor defects should be attended to at once. Stitching should be tested from time to time, as the life of thread is short compared with that of leather.

Stirrup leathers should be exchanged occasionally or be shortened at the buckle end, so as to bring the wear on fresh holes.

Girth tabs require special attention and must be renewed as the holes wear.

2. The leather work of all saddlery should be kept soft and supple. Seats and flaps of saddles and handled parts of reins should not be polished. It is particularly important to keep leather girths supple with grease.

3. It is rarely necessary to scrub leather work. Parts affected by sweat from the horse, such as inside surfaces of breast collars, girths, &c., should be sponged after use with clean cold water, and then soaped.

4. Leather must not be washed with soda or in very hot water, as its vitality is quickly affected by either; nor must it be subjected to heat from a fire, as this destroys its durability.

5. All saddlery and harness should be taken to pieces periodically and carefully inspected. Once or twice a year certain parts, such as the inside of breechings, should be dubbed, the leather having first been moistened with a sponge, and in cold weather the dubbin should be warmed before use. After two or three days the residue of the dubbin should be removed with a dry brush or rubber.

All leather work should be dubbed before being put away in store, and should be overhauled from time to time, especially in hot or damp climates.

6. Ropes, web girths and whips should be scrubbed with clean cold water when necessary, and pipeclay should not be used on them.

Saddle blankets, panne’s, and numnahs should be placed in the sun or wind to dry, and then beaten and brushed.

7. Steel or iron work such as bits should be wiped over immediately on arriving in billets, stables or camp, and then rubbed with an oil rag. This will save much subsequent trouble if done before rust has time to form.

=88.= _Disposal of saddlery and harness in harness rooms or stables._

1. _Saddlery._--The _breastpiece_ is placed on the saddle peg, the sides hanging straight down.

The _traces_ are folded in three equal lengths, secured by the bearing straps, and are hung by the hooks to the Ds on the breastpiece.

The _bridle_ should be hung up complete, as on the horse’s head, the curb hooked over the front of the bit.

The _head rope_ is hung up as on the horse.

The _saddle_ is placed on the peg cantle outwards, with the surcingle and girth buckled as if on the horse. The stirrups hang at riding length inside the backband of the head collar.

_Nose bags_ if not in use are kept with the other articles of horse kit.

2. _Harness._--The _saddles_ are hung from the pegs, the blankets being placed over the pegs and under the breast collars.

The _breast collar_ is hung on the harness peg by the padded neck strap under the blanket. In the case of lead harness the short traces are hooked to the end link of the chains attached to the tugs and hang straight down. The traces are hung by hooking the Ds on to small pegs on each side of the harness peg.

The _bridle_ is hung on the harness peg as if on the horse’s head--the reins should hang down from the bit.

The _head rope_ is hung up as on the horse.

The _breeching_ is hung under the padded neck strap.

The _legging_ is hung on the same peg as the inside trace of the riding set, by the top strap, which is buckled; the other straps are left unbuckled ready to put on.

The _whip_ is hung by the hand loop on the same peg as the inside trace of the hand set of harness.

=89.= _Disposal of saddlery and harness in bivouac._

1. _Saddlery._--The _saddle_ complete is placed on the ground resting on the pommel; the stirrup irons are hooked on the points of the side bars.

The _bridle_ is placed with the head piece of the bit on the side bars.

The whole is wrapped in the harness wrapper.

2. _Harness._--_Harness and saddlery_ are to be laid down one yard in rear of the line of heel pegs. The _breast collar_ is placed on its lower edge in a circle. The _breeching_ is coiled round it. The traces are round the breeching. The _saddle_ is placed on top, seat uppermost, the bottom of the flaps being turned up inwards--this keeps the breast collar from being crushed when the harness is tied up.

The whole of the head gear is laid across the top of the seat.

The _legging_ is placed inside the breast collar under the saddle of the riding set. The _whip_ is placed inside the breast collar of the hand set. The whole is wrapped in the harness wrapper.

CARE OF WAGONS.

=90.= _General instructions._

(_See also Handbooks of the various guns._)

1. It is only by giving constant attention to the vehicles that transport service can be efficient.

The axles and the pipe-boxes of wheels should be frequently greased, and should be kept free of dust, grit and old grease which contains small particles of metal and sand, that wear down the surrounding parts.

2. To grease the axle, remove the wheel and carefully clean the axle and inside of the pipe-box. Then smear the inside of the pipe-box and the outside of the axle with fresh grease and replace the wheel.

3. Wheels, showing too much play on the axletree arm, should have a leather or steel washer placed on the arm at the outer end of the pipe-box, between it and the linch-pin washer.

In very dry climates it may be necessary at times to keep the wheels constantly wetted to prevent the woodwork warping, cracking and shrinking.

LOADING A WAGON OR CART.

=91.= _General instructions._

1. _Wagons._--The battery commander should have an inventory of what each wagon is to carry made out the day previous to a march, unless they are G.S. wagons horsed and loaded according to the official tables in the Field Service Manual. Bulk as well as weight must be taken into consideration in assessing the loads, this is necessary to secure good packing and efficient transport service. The weights of the various articles are given in the Field Service Manual.

The load which is to go in each wagon should be placed beside it before the packing begins. An experienced man should then get up into the wagon and name the articles in the order in which he wishes them to be handed up to him. When the packing is complete the tarpaulin should be roped carefully over the wagon to ensure against wet and loss.

2. _Loading a two-wheeled cart._--Care should be taken that the cart when loaded is properly balanced. There should be a weight of about 10 lbs. on the tugs. If the load is placed too far forward, the off horse is unnecessarily weighted: if too far back, draught becomes more difficult.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR MOUNTAIN ARTILLERY.

=92.= _Position of driver._

1. On parade the driver stands to attention on the near side of his mule, holding the loop of the rein in his left hand, which should hang down by his side; while with the right hand he takes hold of the double rein about 6 inches behind the mule’s jaw, keeping the animal’s head in its natural position.

“STAND AT EASE.”--Keeping both legs straight, carry the left foot about one foot-length to the left as at dismounted drill, and slide the right hand down the rein to the full extent of the arm.

“MARCH.”--Every driver will at once step off as at dismounted drill, causing the mule to start off steadily at the same time by a gentle feeling of the leading rein. He will march abreast of his mule, and should rarely pull at the leading rein, as mules move best with a loose rein and require a light hand.

“HALT.”--The driver halts as at dismounted drill, coming to the position of attention and halting the mule at the same time by a gentle pressure on the leading rein. Drivers should be taught to lead their mules from either side.

To salute when passing an officer, a driver should look towards him without moving his hand or altering his position.

=93.= _Fitting saddlery of ordnance mules._

1. The saddle should be placed in the middle of the mule’s back so as to interfere as little as possible with its free action. The two pannels should contain the same quantity of stuffing, should feel elastic, and have an even bearing on the back and sides throughout. It is best to have a distinct channel between the pannels along the top of the mule’s back; the broader the channel the better.

The pannels should be so fitted that the saddle rides level along the mule’s back as low as possible. They must not pinch the withers, nor touch the backbone, and should allow of at least three fingers being inserted in front and rear of the saddle.

2. _Girths._--Should be crossed beneath the mule, and should be drawn slightly tighter than with riding saddles, but should be loose enough to allow one finger to be inserted between them and the mule’s body when the load is on.

3. _Breast-piece and breeching._--Should hang from their supporting straps as horizontally as possible at such a height as will not impede the free action of the limbs or breathing.

4. _Crupper._--Should not be tighter than is necessary to keep the saddle from shifting forward, and should be loose enough to admit the breadth of the hand between it and the mule’s croup. Care must be taken that none of the mule’s hair remains between it and its dock. The dock of the crupper must at all times be kept very soft and pliable.

5. _Bits_, _head collar_, and _curb chain_ as for horses.

6. _Leading rein._--To be fastened to both rings of bridoon bit. The Ts of the rein passed through from inside to outside, the reins double in the driver’s right hand, loop of rein in left hand.

The following method of attaching the rein to the bridoon bit may be adopted to gain more control over restive mules and to prevent mules stampeding when under fire, etc.:--