BREAKING TO HARNESS. 213 



the hind-quarters, as recommended by Pratt and 

 others, with a long pole, without hurting him, so 

 as to accustom him to its touch. The whip 

 should also be cracked about the horse, without 

 hitting him, until he ceases to mind its noise. 

 If the horse resents these operations, which inflict 

 no pain on him, the rope-twitch (see page 113) 

 may be employed to enforce the required obedi- 

 ence ; or the animal may be made to lie down 

 (see page 153), and gentled. When the horse 

 has been made quiet, he will readily take to 

 double harness if put alongside a steady break- 

 horse for a few times, and, when accustomed to 

 this work, will, as a rule, go by himself without 

 any trouble ; although he may be a little awkward 

 at first. If we want to put the animal into 

 single harness, right off, and if we have got the 

 gear at hand, we may harness the horse, put the 

 strait-jacket over the harness, buckling it up, 

 just tight enough, to prevent him kicking when 

 it is on ; and then drive him, on foot, with 



