1 64 BREAKING ON FOOT. 



CATCHING A HORSE AND MAKING HIM QUIET TO HANDLE. 



If the horse is in the open, and is difficult to approach 

 and handle, the first thing we have got to do is to drive 

 him into some suitable enclosure, such as a straw yard, 

 empty barn, or loose box. We may then make a rope 

 halter (see page 99) and put it on with a long stick (see 

 page 101). I have used this plan successfully in England 

 with colts driven into a farm-yard to be docked or 

 castrated ; in South African kraals, with wild horses which 

 had never before been approached by man ; in India, with 

 broken-loose man-eaters whose attendants dared not go 

 near them ; and under many other circumstances of more 

 or less difficulty, if not danger. Lassoing a horse in order 

 to catch him, is not a good plan ; because it is liable to 

 injure him by causing him to fall violently on the ground, 

 and does not give the operator the command of his head, 

 which is obtained by the other method. If the horse is 

 wild, and the enclosure is small enough to keep him within 

 easy reach, I like to make him stand still in a corner, by 

 means of the lunging whip (see page 105), and then gentle 

 him about the legs (in front and behind), head, neck, back 

 and belly by passing the end of the whip or long stick 

 over these parts. If he makes any attempt to turn round, 

 to kick or to get away, I flick him with the whip below 

 the hocks until he turns his head towards me and stands 

 still. I then make him come up to me, and I put the 

 halter on him. At this stage of the proceedings, we may 

 for safety sake noose a fore leg (see page 106), say, the near, 

 and give the rope to an assistant to hold, while we take 

 charge of the halter rope. In most cases we can now 

 go up to the horse, and apply the rope-twitch by means of 

 the rope halter which is already on the horse's head (see 

 Fig. 39). If this cannot be done without risk, we may, 



