496 BITTING HARNESS. 



move by pulling his head around to one side, when whipping will 

 have no effect. And turning him around a few times will make him 

 dizzy, and then, by letting him have his head straight and giving 

 him a little touch with the whip, he will go along without any 

 trouble. 



Use of the Martingale Never use martingales on a colt 

 when you first ride him; every movement of the hand should go 

 right to the bit in the direction in which it is applied to the reins, 

 without a martingale to change the direction of the force applied. 

 You can guide the colt much better without them and teach him the 

 use of the bit in much less time. Besides, martingales would pre- 

 vent you from pulling his head around if he should try to jump. 

 After your colt has been ridden until he is gentle and well accus- 

 tomed to the bit, you may find it 'an advantage, if he carries his 

 head too high or his nose too far out, to put martingales on him. 



You should be careful not to ride your colt so far at first as to 

 heat, worry or tire him. Get off as soon as you see he is a little 

 fatigued; gentle him and let him rest; this will render him kind and 

 prevent him from getting stubborn or vicious. 



Horsemanship The rider should, in the first place, let the 

 horse know that he is not afraid of him. Before mounting a horse 

 take Lhe rein into the left hand, draw it sufficiently tight, so you can 

 control him, put the left foot in the stirrup and rise quickly into the 

 saddle. When you are seated, press your knees to the saddle, let- 

 ting your leg from the knee stand out, turn your toe in and heel 

 out, sit upright in your saddle, throw your weight forward one- 

 third of it in the stirrups and hold your rein tight enough to 

 control the horse. 



BITTING HARNESS. 



Farmers often put bitting-harness on a colt the first thing they 

 do to him, buckling up the bitting as tight as they can draw it to 

 make him carry his head high, and then turn him out in a lot to 

 run a half-day at a time. This is one of the worst punishments 

 that they could inflict on the colt and very injurious to a young 

 horse that has been used to running in pasture with his head down. 

 Colts are often so injured in this way that they never get over it. 



A horse should be well accustomed to the bit before you put on 

 the bitting-harness, and when you first bit him you should only rein 

 his head up to that point where he naturally holds it, let that be 

 high or low; he will soon learn that he cannot lower his head and 

 that raising it a little will loosen the bit in his mouth. This will 

 give him the idea of raising his head to loosen the bit, and then you 

 can draw the check-rein a little tighter every time you put it on and 

 he will still raise his head to loosen it. By this means you will 

 gradually get his head and neck in the position you want him to 

 carry them, and give him a nice and graceful carriage without 

 eenous strain of muscles, or causing his mouth to get sore. 



