WHIP AND SPURS. 233 



page 38, the whip and spurs should never be used as a 

 punishment. To avoid making the horse regard the spurs 

 as a means for inflicting pain, we should gradually teach 

 him their use ; at first, by pressure of the flat of the 

 foot or heel, by that of the spur without a rowel or with 

 a blunted rowel, and finally by the ordinary spur. We 

 should thus make him so obedient to them, that when 

 riding him we may dispense with their use, the contact 

 of the heel being sufficient to remind him of indications 

 which they had impressed on his memory. Referring to 

 school riding (see Chapter IX.), Baucher justly said that 

 a horse which had been brought to properly bear the ap- 

 plication of the spurs is three-parts broken. 



TIME REQUIRED FOR ORDINARY BREAKING TO SADDLE. 



Supposing, as I have already said, that the horse is in 

 sufficiently good condition to stand the fatigue and strain 

 of breaking, and that the breaker is competent, the time 

 for making the animal quiet to ride and obedient to the 

 aids, under ordinary conditions, need not usually be pro- 

 longed, no matter how wild and " green " he may be, 

 beyond the following course : 



One day, in which two lessons may be given, to make 

 the horse sufficiently quiet to be handled, and to be circled 

 with the long reins. 



Six days' work (twelve lessons) on foot with the long 

 reins and whip (for teaching the turn on the forehand, 

 etc.), and teaching the horse to carry a rider quietly. 



Fourteen days (twenty-eight lessons), for riding the horse 

 at home and outside under various conditions. One-third 

 of the morning lesson (say, half-an-hour) might be devoted 

 to teaching the horse the rein-back, circling, figure 8, 



