94 THE ART OF TAMING HOUSES. 



i 



cannot raise his head enough to loosen it, but will bear 

 on it all the time, and paw, sweat, and throw himself. 

 Many horses have been killed by falling backward with 

 the bitting on ; their heads being drawn up strike the 

 ground with the whole weight of the body. Horses that 

 have their heads drawn up tightly should not have the 

 bitting on more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a 

 time. 



"HOW TO SADDLE A COLT. 



"The first thing will be to tie each stirrup-strap 

 into a loose knot to make them short, and prevent 

 the stirrups from flying about and hitting him. Then 

 double up the skirts and take the saddle under your 

 right arm, so as not to frighten him with it as you 

 approach. When you get to him rub him gently a 

 few times with your hand, and then raise the saddle 

 very slowly, until he can see it, and smell and feel 

 it with his nose. Then let the skirt loose, and rub 

 it very gently against his neck the way the hair lies, 

 letting him hear the rattle of the skirts as he feels them 

 against him ; each time getting a little farther backward, 

 and finally slipping it over his shoulders on his back. 

 Shake it a little with your hand, and in less than five 

 minutes you can rattle it about over his back as much 

 as you please, and pull it off and throw it on again, 

 without his paying much attention to it. 



" As soon as you have accustomed him to the saddle, 

 fasten the girth. Be careful how you do this. It often 

 frightens the colt when he feels the girth binding him, 

 and making the saddle fit tight on his back. You 

 should bring up the girth very gently, and not draw 

 it too tight at first, just enough to hold the saddle on. 



