x.] COLT-BREAKING. HI 



knot and give you great power. All over-fresh horses 

 should be led in this way ; without it a horse will pull 

 with the top of his head with force sufficient to beat any 

 man. Keep the bar low, or even on the ground, as long 

 as the horse is nervous. 



The whole affair of colt-breaking is an affair of 

 patience, you cannot have too much forbearance : put off 

 the evil day of force. Forgive him seventy times seven 

 times a-day, and be assured that what does not come 

 to-day will to-morrow. The grand thing is to get rid of 

 dogged sulks and coltishness ; of that wayward, swerving, 

 hesitating gait, which says, " here's my foot, and there's 

 my foot ; " or, " there is a lion in the street, I cannot go 

 forth." This is the besetting sin of colts ; and this it is 

 which, on the turf, gives so great an advantage to a 

 young horse to have another to make play, or cut out the 

 running for him. For this indisposition to go freely 

 forward results as well from their seeing no necessity to 

 give up their will to yours, as from their incapacity to 

 perceive and obey the indications of their rider without 



