When these various defences, however, are not powerfully set up, the general rule is to push the horse forward; and, for this purpose, at first to make use of the switch, as it alarms him least, for the spurs surprise a horse, abate his courage, and are likely to make him restive. Indeed, the application of the whip or spurs, except to shift the croupe, or give efficacy to the hands, is of little use; and to repeat either, to make a restive horse go forward, is certainly wrong. When passion possesses the rider, it prevents that concord and unity taking place which ever should subsist between the rider and his horse. He should always be disposed to amity, and never suffer the most obstinate resistance of the horse to put him out of temper. If the contest does not demand his utmost exertion of strength, he should be able to hum a tune, or converse with the same composure and indifference as though his horse were all obedience. By these means, the instant a horse finds himself foiled, he desists, having no provocation to contend farther, and is abashed at his own weakness. It is the absence of passion which, added to cool observation, makes the English the best riders and drivers in the world. TREATMENT OF THE HORSE. Stables are generally too dark and too hot. They should be kept quite cool, though without any draughts. “A way,” says De Beranger, in Helps and Hints, “of making the most of your horses, is to rise early in the summer, in order to do half your day’s work before the heat of the day; for lying by the whole of the rest of the day, not only affords a traveller time and opportunity for examining what is worthy of being seen, but enables him to start with horses quite fresh, and to finish the remaining stage after sunset: not only will your horses go through their task with less labour in the cool of the evening, but you will find them travel more freely towards a resting-place, which darkness leads them to expect.” A horse ought not to be ridden a stage while in physic, nor on the day of its coming off. If he be pushed at first setting out on a journey, or be compelled to make long stages, or be deprived of his customary baits, he gets jaded, and every additional mile adds to his uneasiness. Moreover, at setting out in the morning, a well-kept horse is necessarily full of food, and consequently, until his great gut be properly emptied, brisk action occasions uneasiness or pain, which causes restlessness.