BITTNG. 243 



fore-leg may be let down, or the strait-jacket 

 taken off, as soon as the horse is quiet to handle 

 with the gag alone. This instrument may be kept 

 in the horse's mouth, for an hour at a time, during 

 which period he should be handled with gentleness 

 and freedom ; particular care being taken not to 

 irritate the animal, whose confidence and affection 

 we should now endeavour to win. The worst biter 

 ought to be rendered safe to handle, when the gag 

 is out of his mouth, by three of these lessons a day, 

 for two or three days. For safety-sake, the breaker 

 might teach the horse the use of the word " steady! " 

 with the rope-twitch (see page 1 1 3). Though many 

 bad, treacherous biters have passed through my 

 hands, I have never met one that would attempt 

 to bite when the gag was taken out of his mouth, 

 after he had been gentled, with it on, for a quarter 

 of an hour, or even less. It might be advisable, 

 with very vicious horses, to make them lie down, 

 and hold them with their heads turned round, until 

 they had " given in " (see page 158). 



R 2 



