202 MOUNTED BREAKING, 



MOUNTING A HORSE FOR THE FIRST TIME. 



Having put the horse through the preceding course of 

 discipline, we may test his readiness to bear a rider by 

 after having saddled him placing across the saddle a half- 

 filled sack of corn or earth, while using the rope-twitch to 

 correct him in the event of his evincing any resistance or 

 alarm, pretended or real. Having attached the sack firmly 

 to the saddle, we may keep circling, turning, and reining 

 back the horse with the long reins (see page 175), until he 

 becomes quite steady. We may now remove the sack and 

 apply the rope-twitch without shifting the bridle. While 

 the breaker holds the rope-twitch in one hand and the long 

 reins in the other, an assistant may prepare to mount ; any 

 unsteadiness being corrected by the rope-twitch. Although 

 I have never known of a case of a horse, however violent 

 he may have been, breaking away when held only by the 

 rope-twitch ; still the long reins will be useful as a further 

 precaution in the event of the animal trying to get away. 

 With this object, it is well to pass the right long rein 

 through the left ring of the mouthpiece of the snaffle, as 

 in Fig. 99. The assistant should quietly mount and dis- 

 mount several times, the horse being rewarded or punished 

 according to his conduct. When he has become accustomed 

 to these operations, the man should mount, and the breaker 

 having given the rope-twitch to another assistant, should 

 arrange the long reins so that he may be ready to drive 

 the horse on foot. He should take a short and firm hold 

 of the reins, so as to get good command over the animal, 

 and should order the rope-twitch to be removed. The 

 mounted assistant, to steady himself, may catch hold of 

 the neck strap of the standing martingale (see Fig. 100), 

 which in all such cases should form a part of the breaking 



