95 



CHAPTER IV. 

 METHODS OF HORSE-CONTROL. 



The breaking enclosure Gentling the horse Holding and leading a compara- 

 tively quiet horse Making a rope halter Haltering a loose horse Teach- 

 ing a loose horse to come up and to follow Lifting up a fore leg Holding 

 up a fore leg Tying up a fore leg Blindfolding a horse The halter-twitch 

 The rope-twitch The noose-twitch The headstall-twitch The bridle- 

 twitch The Indian war bridle The Comanche bridle The cavesson 

 The strait- jacket Lifting up a hind leg Improvised hobble The wooden 

 gag Making a horse lie down and keeping him on the ground Major 

 Wood's method of throwing horses Throwing a horse with the strait- jacket 

 The head and tail method Rareyfying a horse Sample's horse-taming 

 machine South African method of breaking. 



I PROPOSE in this chapter to describe a number of methods 

 and appliances which the breaker will find useful in making 

 the horse docile. In it I shall say nothing about the sub- 

 ject of mouthing, which I shall reserve for subsequent 

 chapters. 



THE BREAKING ENCLOSURE. 



For breaking in horses it is a great advantage to have 

 an enclosure of about 20 yards square, with walls around 

 it at least 7 feet high, and if possible roofed in, so that the 

 breaker may be independent of the weather. I find that 

 for convenience and control it should not exceed 25 yards 

 square, except for breaking to harness, when it might be 

 a little larger (see page 253). The minimum size for only 

 saddle work may be put at 12 yards each side. A square 



