28 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



colt, therefore the colt leaves the breaker's hands raw and 

 half broken, and goes into inexperienced hands, and the 

 breaker gets the credit of the colt being practically 

 useless. If they come to grief they conveniently throw 

 all the blame upon the man who would have broken it 

 thoroughly and turned it out a useful, docile animal had 

 he had time allowed him. Although men have written 

 works out of number upon the breaking and training of 

 horses from the time of Marcus Paulus (who tells us he 

 saw in Persia studs of ten thousand white mares all 

 together, and very fleet) to the present time, yet none of 

 the theories advanced can always be put in practice, and 

 although some writers claim to tame or break a horse in 

 a few hours and others a few days, yet I never saw a horse 

 that was made perfect in the saddle or harness without 

 much time, pains, and patience being bestowed upon it. 

 Any colt-breaker who trains a colt, to make it perfect in 

 its paces, quiet in harness, stand the use of fire-arms, and 

 carry accoutrements, loses no time if he does it in a 

 month. Owners of horses would find themselves much 

 better off, and have more useful and valuable animals 

 if they allowed the trainer more time, although it cost a 

 pound or two more. After the colt has been used to the 

 saddle and dumb-jockey we proceed to put the harness 

 upon it. This, as in all other lessons the colt has to 

 learn, should be done with gentleness, speaking kindly and 

 always caressing. When you have succeeded in putting 

 the harness on, lead it about for a day or two, then put 

 long reins on and proceed to drive it along the road, use 

 it to pass stone-heaps, clothes upon the hedges, traction 

 engines, or anything that is likely to make it shy. When 



