1 68 BREAKING ON FOOT. 



MOUTHING A HORSE WITH THE LONG REINS ON FOOT. 



Taking a fairly quiet, though unbroken horse, or a wild 

 one which has been reduced to obedience according to the 

 directions given in the preceding paragraphs, we may 

 proceed to mouth him with the long reins in the following 

 manner. 



The gear which I use for driving horses on foot, consists 

 of a snaffle bridle ; a standing martingale ; long reins ; a 

 driving-pad, which may, or may not, have a crupper 

 attached to it for preventing it from shifting forward ; 

 and a bearing-rein, if the animal is inclined to carry his 

 head too low down. 



I have found it an excellent plan, when giving young 

 unbroken horses their first lessons in long-rein driving, 

 to teach them to obey the indications of the reins before 

 placing a bit in their mouths. In order to effect this, 

 I attach the long reins to the D's of a strong head- 

 stall, and can thus turn the animal in any direction I 

 like without the least injury to his mouth. I would 

 strongly recommend the adoption of this plan in all cases, 

 when giving a horse his first mouthing lesson ; because, 

 however gentle the handling of the reins may be, it is 

 almost impossible to avoid the action of the bit causing 

 some slight injury to the sensitive mouth of an unbroken 

 colt. When the horse has learnt to obey the indications of 

 the reins on the headstall, the subsequent chances of injury 

 to his mouth by the pressure of the bit are considerably 

 lessened. When a young horse finds that his instructor 

 is not teaching him a literally painful lesson, he will display 

 his confidence by readily obeying understood orders. 



The snaffle which I prefer to all others, for riding as 

 well as breaking, is a flat, slightly curved, unjointed one, 

 covered with leather, and having a strap to buckle behind 



