HOW TO BIT. 93 



to repeat this several times, before you do anything more 

 with the colt ; as soon as he will bear the bit, attach a 

 single rein to it. You should also have a halter on your 

 colt, or a bridle made after the fashion of a halter, with 

 a strap to it, so that you can hold or lead him about 

 without pulling on the bit much. (See Woodcut, p. 

 39.) He is now ready for the saddle. 



" THE PROPER WAY TO BIT A COLT. 



" Farmers often put bitting harness on a colt the first 

 thing they do to him, buckling up the bitting as tight as 

 they can draw it, to make him carry his head high, and 

 then turn him out in a field to run a half-day at a time. 

 This is one of the worst of punishments that they could 

 inflict on the colt, and very injurious to a young horse 

 that has been used to running in pasture with his head 

 down. I have seen colts so injured hi this way that they 

 never got over it. 



"A horse should be well accustomed to the bit before 

 you put on the bitting harness, and when you first bit 

 him you should only rein his head up to that point 

 where he naturally holds it, let that be high or low ; he 

 will soon learn that he cannot lower his head, and that 

 raising it a little will loosen the bit in his mouth. This 

 will give him the idea of raising his head to loosen the 

 bit, and then you can draw the bitting a little tighter 

 every time you put it on, and he will still raise his head 

 to loosen it ; by this means you will gradually get his 

 head and neck in the position you want him to carry it, 

 and give him a nice and graceful carriage without 

 hurting him, making him mad, or causing his mouth to 

 get sore. 



" If you put the bitting on very tight the first time, he 



