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CHAPTER VIII. 

 BREAKING TO HARNESS. 



I WOULD advise that light harness horses, before being 

 placed between the shafts, should be put through the 

 course of instruction laid down in Chapters V. and VI., 

 with the exception of those parts which refer to cantering 

 and galloping. We might omit, in the case of the heavy 

 cart horse, the training described in Chapter VI. My 

 reason for advocating a certain amount of saddle-work 

 with light harness horses is that it makes them more 

 handy and less inclined to jib, than they would be without it. 



The place which I prefer for breaking a horse to harness 

 is a circular enclosure of about thirty yards in diameter, 

 the ground of which is level and hard enough to allow the 

 wheels of the breaking-cart to run smoothly. I would use 

 an " open " (one without blinkers) snaffle bridle. 



Before putting the horse in, we may, if in doubt, test his 

 steadiness by the head and tail method (see page 155), 

 gentling him under the belly and about the hind legs with 

 a long pole, and cracking a whip all over him. Having 

 put on the harness, we may circle him for half an hour or 

 more with the long reins on foot (see page 168), and turn 

 and rein him back until he is thoroughly " supple." We 

 may then put him into some suitable, light, two-wheeled 

 trap, and take up our position on the near side on about a 



