75 THE HORSE, 
eeu 
IT SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, that the mouth is the foundation upon 
which all the subsequent proceedings are to be conducted. A horse may 
naturally have fine action, and he may be so framed that, if he were pre- 
perly bitted, he wouid be a delightful hack or hunter; but if his mouth is 
spoiled in breaking, his fine action is thrown away, because it cannot be 
regulated and controlled by such a trifling exercise of strength in the 
hand and arm as is consistent with riding for pleasure. Many a pulling 
brute has won a steeplechase, or shown to advantage in the hunting-field, 
with a professional “up,” which would not be ridden for ten minutes by 
an amateur who could afford to make his own selection. Hence, the first 
thing which the breaker has to set about is the formation of a good mouth; 
and this is exactly what Mr. Rarey’s plans fail to provide, and, indeed, it 
is what they interfere with in a great degree, as I have observed at 
page 175. Well, then, let us examine into the received mode of obtaining 
a good mouth in England. M. Baucher has carried the European prin- 
ciples of producing it to a very high degree, and it will be necessary to 
ailude to his plans also; but, on the whole, I cannot but think them 
superfluous for ordinary purposes, and should be perfectly content with a 
horse broken in the best English methods, which now combine the “ sup- 
plings” of the great French breaker with the old dead pressure adopted 
in the methods of our ancestors. The difference between the two is 
mainly this, that we in England content ourselves with confining the head 
by the reins in a position which, while it does not compel the horse to 
lean upon his bit, yet makes him try to avoid its pressure by bending his 
neck, and thus rendering its muscles supple. M. Baucher, on the con- 
trary, prefers that the whole of this suppling shall be performed by the 
pressure of the breaker’s hand ; and, doubtless, his is the best plan, if the 
man employed is competent to the task, and the time thus devoted can 
be afforded. It takes a fortnight or three weeks to “make” a horse’s 
mouth, so far as to fit him to bear the hands of his rider, in either way; 
but as less than two hours a day during that time will not suffice, and as 
in the one case the horse supples himself, while in the other a man must 
effect the change, M. Baucher’s method costs twenty-eight hours of skilled 
labour, in addition to subsequent breaking, and it is therefore very ex- 
pensive. The course of proceedings which good English breakers now 
adopt is as follows. The bit having been allowed for some days to remain 
in the mouth without reins, as already described, the breaker next pro- 
ceeds to attach a rein to it in the ordinary way, and to buckle this loosely to 
the surcingle or dumb-jockey, whichever he may employ. Mr. Blackwell’s 
india-rubber reins are thought very highly of by some for this purpose ; 
but, as far as I have tried them, I prefer plain leather, because I object to 
constant pressure, however slight, upon the mouth. A drop of water 
falling constantly and regularly upon a stone will wear it away sooner 
than the same quantity dashed at once upon it; and, in the same manner, 
permanent gentle pressure upon the mouth is more irksome than a more 
severe occasional pull. The great art consists in shortening the reins so 
gradually, that the pressure can always be avoided by bending the neck, 
and this the horse soon learns to do; and thus, at one and the same time, 
he gains control over his muscles, and inures his jaws and lips to the bit. 
It is generally necessary, while the “bitting” is going on, whether in the 
stable or at exercise, to fix the head down by a martingale, buckled to 
each side of the bit; for without this the horse, in his struggles to get rid 
of his restraints, will often toss his head so high as to do himself a serious 
injury. If the mouthing is conducted in the stable, the horse is either put 
