POWELL'S MODE OF APPROACHING A COLT. 53 



same rapidity until he will let you handle his forehead 

 all over. Now let the strokes be repeated with more 

 force over all his forehead, descending by lighter strokes 

 to ea^h side of his head, until you can handle that part 

 with equal facility. Then touch hi the same light man- 

 ner, making your hands and fingers play around, the 

 lower part of the horse's ears, coming down now and 

 then to his forehead, which may be looked upon as the 

 helm that governs all the rest. 



" Having succeeded in handling his ears, advance to- 

 wards the neck, with the same precautions, and in the 

 same manner ; observing always to augment the force 

 of the strokes whenever the horse will permit it. Per- 

 form the same on both sides of the neck, until he lets 

 you take it in your arms without flinching. 



" Proceed in the same progressive manner to the sides, 

 and then to the back of the horse. Every time the horse 

 shows any nervousness, return immediately to the fore- 

 head, as the true standard, patting him with your hands, 

 and thence rapidly to where you had already arrived, 

 always gaming ground a considerable distance farther on 

 every time this happens. The head, ears, neck, and 

 body being thus gentled, proceed from the back to the 

 root of the tail. 



" This must be managed with dexterity, as a horse is 

 never to be depended on that is skittish about the tail. 

 Let your hand fall lightly and rapidly on that part next 

 to the body a minute or two, and then you will begin to 

 give it a slight pull upwards every quarter of a minute. 

 At the same time you continue this handling of him, 

 augment the force of the strokes as well as the raising 

 of the tail, until you can raise it and handle it with the 

 greatest ease, which commonly happens hi a quarter of 

 an hour in most horses, in others almost immediately, 



