TRAINING THE YOUNG HORSE 69 



and quietly buckle one strap only sufficiently tight to secure it, 

 and then fasten the other strap the same length. The straps 

 should then alternately be drawn in one hole at a time so that 

 the horse can feel that it is round his body. No attempt should 

 be made to tighten the straps for the first few days. It is 

 enough that the horse allows it to be put on and taken off again. 

 There is nothing more likely to make a young horse plunge than 

 finding himself suddenly girthed up tight. 



For this reason, the more quietly this is done the better ; a 

 little time spent over it will not be wasted. If the horse is much 

 inclined to be upset by the process do not persevere with it in 

 the stable, but put it off till he begins his work in the school. 



Supposing the horse to be now tolerably quiet in his stall, 

 and in good health and condition, all of which ought to be the 

 case before anything else is attempted with him, he should 

 begin his lessons on the longe. 



LONGEING 



It may be mentioned that many horsemen do not believe 

 in longeing a horse at all, and they are quite right if the work 

 be not properly done by a man who understands his business. 

 On the other hand, if a young horse be properly longed, he 

 receives thereby the groundwork of his education, and thence 

 is brought on by degrees, so that from a raw unintelligent brute 

 he becomes the handy intelligent servant and friend of his 

 owner, for whatever purpose his shape and capabilities are best 

 suited. I can conceive nothing much more brutal than the 

 abuse of the longe as I have often seen it used in the country 

 by ignorant people, who seem to have an idea that the only 

 use of it is to flog a horse round and round in a small circle 

 until the poor brute is completely pumped out, and then to 

 get on his back and ride him, or try to do so. No doubt 

 hundreds of young horses are ruined in this way, and their 

 owners in consequence condemn the use of the longe without 

 ever taking the trouble to find out whether their animals have 



