42 THE AET OP TAMING HORSES. 



examined his apartment, and has become reconciled to 

 his confinement. 



TIME TO EEFLECT. 



And now, while your horse is eating those few ears of 

 corn, is the proper time to see that your halter is ready 

 and all right, and to reflect on the best mode of opera- 

 tions ; for in horse-breaking it is highly important that 

 you should be governed by some system. And you 

 should know, before you attempt to do anything, just 

 what you are going to do, and how you are going to do 

 it. And, if you are experienced in the art of taming 

 wild horses, you ought to be able to tell, within a few 

 minutes, the length of time it would take you to halter 

 the colt, and teach him to lead. 



THE KIND OF HALTEE. 



Always use a leather halter, and be sure to have it 

 made so that it will not draw tight around his nose if he 

 pulls on it. It should be of the right size to fit his head 

 easily and nicely ; so that the nose-band will not be too 

 tight or too low. Never put a rope halter on an un- 

 broken colt, under any circumstances whatever. Rope 

 halters have caused more horses to hurt or kill them- 

 selves than would pay for twice the cost of all the leather 

 halters that have ever been needed for the purpose of 

 haltering colts. It is almost impossible to break a colt 

 that is very wild with a rope halter, without having him 

 pull, rear, and throw himself, and thus endanger his 

 life ; and I will tell you why. It is just as natural for a 

 horse to try to get his head out of anything that hurts 

 it, or feels unpleasant, at it would be for you to try to 

 get your hand out of a fire. The cords of the rope are 



