100 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



and the halter In the centre checking him every 

 time he turna to the right or left. In a state of 

 this kind, you can break every horse to stand 

 hitched by a light strap anywhere, without his ever 

 knowing anythhig about pulling. Hut if you have 

 broken your horse to lead, and have learned him 

 the use of the halter (which you should always do 

 before you hitch him to anything), you can hitch 

 him in any kind of a stall, and give him something 

 to eat, to keep him up to his jjlace for a few mi- 

 nutes at first; and there is not one colt in fifty that 

 will pull on his halter. 



THE KIND OF BIT, AND HOW TO ACCUSTOM A 

 HORSE TO IT. 



You should use a large smooth snaffle-bit, so as 

 not to hurt his mouth, with a bar to each side, to 

 prevent the bit from pulling through either way. 

 This you should attach to the head-stall of your 

 bridle, and put it on your colt without any reins to 

 it ; and let him run loose in a large stable or shed 

 some time, until he becomes a little used to the bit, 

 and will bear it without trying to get it out of his 

 inouth. It would be well, if convenient, to repeat 

 this several times before you do anything more 

 with the colt. As soon as he will bear the bit, at- 

 tach a single rein to it, without any martingale. 

 You should also have a halter on your colt, or a 

 bridle made after the fashion of a halter, with a strap 

 to it, so that you can hold him or lead about, 

 without pulling on the bit m.uch. He is now ready 

 for the saddle. 



now TO SADDLE A COLT. 



Any one man, who has this theory, can put a 

 saddle on the wildest colt that ever grew, without 

 any help, and without scaring him. The first thing 

 will be to tie each stirrup-strap into a loose knot, 

 to make them short, and prevent the stirrups from 

 flying about and hitting him. Then double up the 

 skirts, and take the saddle under your right arm, 

 so as not to frighten him with it as you approach. 

 When you get to him, rub him gently a few times 

 with your hand; and then raise the saddle very 

 slowly, until he can see it, and smell and feel it with 

 his nose. Then let the skirt loose, and rub it very 

 gently against his neck, the way the hair lies, 

 letting him hear the rattle of the skirts as he feels 

 them against him, each time getting a little farther 

 backward; and, finally, slip it over his .shoulders 

 on his back. Shake it a little while with your 

 hand ; and in less than five minutes you can rattle 

 it about over his back as much as you please, and 

 pull it oft' and throw it on again, without his paying 

 much attention to it. 



As soon as you have accustomed him to the 

 saddle, fasten the girth. Be careful how you do 

 this. It often friglitens the colt when he feels the 

 girth binding him, and making the saddle fit tight 

 on his back. You should bring up the girth very 

 gently, and not draw it too tight at first — ^^just 

 enough to hold the saddle on. Move him a little, 

 and then girth as tight as you choose, and he will 

 not mind it. 



You should see that the pad of your saddle is 

 all right before you put it on, and that there is no- 

 thing to make it hurt him, or feel unpleasant to 

 his back. It should not have any loose straps on 

 the back part of it, to flap about and scare him. 



After you have saddled him in this way, take a 

 switch in your right hand to tap him up with, 

 and walk about in the stable a few times, with 

 your right arm over your saddle, taking hold 

 of the reins on each side of his neck with your 

 right and left hands, thus marching him about in 

 the stable until you learn him the use of the bridle, 

 and can turn him about in any direction, and stop 

 him by a gentle pull of the rein. Always caress 

 him, and loose the reins a little every time you 

 stop him. 



You should always be alone, and have your colt 

 in some tight stable or shed the first time you ride 

 him. The loft should be high, so that you can sit 

 on his back v.'ithout endangering your head. You 

 can teach him more in two hours' time, in a stable 

 of this kind, than you could in two weeks in the 

 common way of breaking colts — out in an open 

 place. If you follow my course of treatment, you 

 need not run any risk, or have any trouble in 

 riding the worst kind of horse. You take him a step 

 at a time, imtil you get up a mutual confidence and 

 trust between yourself and horse. First learn him 

 to lead and stand hitched ; next, acquaint him with 

 the saddle and the use of the bit; and then all that 

 remains is to get on him without scaring him ; and 

 you can ride him as well as any horse. 



HOW TO MOUNT THE COLT. 



First gentle him well on both sides, about the 

 saddle, and all over, until he will stand still with- 

 out holding, and is not afraid to see you anywhere 

 about him. 



As soon as you have him thus gentled, get a 

 small block, about one foot or eighteen inches in 

 height, and set it down by the side of him, about 

 where you want to stand to mount him ; step up on 

 this, raising yourself very gently; horses notice 

 every change of position very closely, and if you 

 were to .step up suddenly on the block, it would be 

 very a))t to scare him ; but, by raising yourself 

 gradually on it, he will see you, without being 

 frightened, in a position very near the same as when 

 you are on his back. 



As soon as he will bear this without alarm, imtie 

 the sirrup- strap next to you, and put your left foot 

 into the stirrup, and stand square over it, holding 

 your knee against the horse, and your toe out, so 

 as to touch him under the shoulder with the toe of 

 your boot. Place your right hand on the front of 

 the saddle, and on the opjiosite side of you, taking 

 hold of a portion of the mane and the reins, as they 

 hang loosely over his neck, with your left hand ; 

 then gradually bear your weight on the stirrup, and 

 on your right hand, until the horse feels your whole 

 weight on the saddle; repeat this several times, 

 each time raising yourself a little higher from the 

 block, until he will allow you to raise your leg over 

 his croup, and place yourself in the saddle. 



There arc three great advantages in having a 

 block to mount from. First, a sudden change of 

 position is very apt to frighten a young horse who 

 has never been handled : he will allow you to walk 

 up to him, and stand by his side without scaring 

 at you, because you have gentled him to that posi- 

 tion ; but if you get down on your hands and 

 knees and crawl towards him, he will be very much 

 frightened ; and upon the same principle, he would 



