TO MAKE A HORSE LIE DOWN. 71 



his left fore-leg and slip a loop over it, so that he cannot 

 get it down. Then put a surcingle around his body, 

 and fasten one end of a long strap around the other 

 fore-leg, just above the hoof. Place the other end under 

 the before-described surcingle, so as to keep the strap 

 in the right direction ; take a short hold of it with your 

 right hand ; stand on the left side of the horse, grasp 

 the bit in your left hand, pull steadily on the strap with 

 your right ; bear against his shoulder till you cause him 

 to move. As soon as he lifts his weight, your pulling 

 will raise the other foot, and he will have to come on 

 his knees. Keep the strap tight in your hand, so that 

 he cannot straighten his leg if he rises up. Hold him 

 in this position, and turn his head towards you ; bear 

 against his side with your shoulder, not hard, but with 

 a steady, equal pressure, and in about ten minutes he 

 will lie down. As soon as he lies down, he will be 

 completely conquered, and you can handle him as you 

 please. Take off the straps, and straighten out his 

 legs ; rub him lightly about the face and neck with your 

 hand the way the hair lies; handle all his legs, and 

 after he has lain ten or twenty minutes, let him get up 

 again. After resting him a short time, make him lie 

 down as before. Kepeat the operation three or four 

 times, which will be sufficient for one lesson. Give 

 him two lessons a day, and when you have given him 

 four lessons, he will lie down by taking hold of one 

 foot. As soon as he is well broken to lie down in this 

 way, tap him on the opposite leg with a stick when you 

 take hold of his foot, and in a few days he will lie down 

 from the mere motion of the stick." ' 



