CHAPTER IX.

BACKING.

This exercise is a suppling one for back and haunches, and is especially applicable to horses who have difficulty in bringing the hind legs under the body. It is an exercise which to the unskillful is dangerous, as it tends to put a horse behind the bit. To the skillful it is of course less dangerous yet it should not be undertaken by either until this point in the education of the horse is reached, provided he be normal. With horses that are very difficult to hold, or are continually bolting, backing exercises may be undertaken earlier in the training.

The movement may be advantageously taught dismounted at first.

_Teaching the Backward Movement, Dismounted_:—The trainer stands facing the horse. He takes the reins one in each hand and slightly lowers the head to relieve the weight on the hind quarters. He then makes a slight movement with his hands towards his own body, sufficient to prepare the horse to move forward. As the horse is about to move out the trainer presses directly toward the horse with the bit until the horse takes a step to the rear. One step at first is sufficient.

After a few lessons of this, the trainer steps to the left side of the horse, with the reins in the left hand, the riding-whip in the right. He stimulates the hind quarters with a light touch of the whip, and as the horse starts to move his hind quarters up under his body he urges him to take a step to the rear by the pressure of the bit. As soon as he takes a step or two as desired, he leads him forward.

_Mounted._—When the horse can perform the last exercise well, mount him. Use the aids required to move the horse to the front; then, just as he is about to move out, increase the pressure of the reins and lean slightly back until the horse steps to the rear. As soon as the horse at first has taken a single step to the rear he should be moved straight to the front. Later several steps to the rear may be required, but a movement to the front always follows the last step. If difficulty is at any time encountered in moving the horse forward after the backward movement, backing should cease as an exercise until the horse is sent up into the bit again.

If the horse sets himself, move him forward a step or two, and as he is moving exert the aids for the backward movement until he obeys. Moving a horse’s haunches laterally will help to prevent a horse from setting himself and refusing to back.

This exercise should not be repeated often in a single day.