SAFETY IN BREAKING. 47 



SAFETY IN BREAKING. 



It is manifest that the methods adopted in breaking 

 should not alone be free from physical danger to the horse, 

 but should also be in no way calculated to spoil him. 

 Judging by the large proportion of pullers, borers, refusers 

 and one-sided mouthed animals there are to well-broken 

 horses, we might not unreasonably conclude that more 

 horses are marred than " made " in breaking. 



In order to fulfil the necessary condition of safety for 

 himself, the breaker should be able by the system under 

 which he works to quote the words of that clever horse- 

 tamer, " Professor " Sample " to make the animal 

 rideable and driveable before he is either ridden or driven." 

 The breaker who employs the ordinary English method is 

 not alone exposed to danger when mounting, or even when 

 driving his pupils for the first few times, but also in the 

 preliminary handling. The advice, which is freely tendered 

 on such occasions, to go boldly up to the horse and show 

 him that you are not afraid of him, should be treated by 

 its recipient as a piece of " cheap swagger," or the outcome 

 of mere ignorance ; for even granting that such a proceed- 

 ing would effectively soothe a terrified animal, or cow a 

 treacherously disposed one suppositions which are alto- 

 gether absurd such counsel should in no way supply the 

 necessary foolhardiness for such an undertaking. My 

 advice, to either amateur or professional, is never to give a 

 horse a chance of doing wrong. Hence, in order to be 

 consistent, I shall endeavour to describe in the following 

 pages how any horse, no matter how wild or vicious he may 

 be, can be brought under complete control with, practically, 

 no risk to the breaker. 



