Book VII. TRAINING HORSES. 937 



Sect. XII. Of Training Horses. 



5984. Horses are trained for various purjwses, but principally for carrying our persons 

 or drawing our burdens. Formerly, burdens were principally borne on the back by 

 pack-horses, but the improvements in our roads have removed them from the back, to 

 machines called carriages, drawn by means of harness applied over the person of the 

 horse. Under saddle, we train horses as racers, hunters, hacknies, or troop horses. In 

 harness we use them in coaches, stages, chariots, and various lighter vehicles, or we em- 

 ploy them in waggons, carts, ploughs, and various other agricultural or commercial 

 machines. Horses are held in obedience by means of bridles, with appendages called 

 reins, which are long or short, as used in riding or driving. Horses are directed and 

 urged forward by whip, spur, and language, and they are chastised by the same 

 means. 



5985. The directive language used to horses ought to be everywhere the same, which 

 is the more easily accomplished, as words or phrases are sufficient for giving every requi- 

 site direction to a horse. The first of these words may be "on," or go on, or merely 

 the common chuck of the tongue, &c, as used by all coachmen in the world ; the second to 

 make the horse go to the right-hand side, " right-hand;" the third, to the left-hand side, 

 " left-hand ;" the fourth to make them stop, may be " stop," or " stand still." Any attempt 

 to modify these directions, ought to be given in the correct language of the country, and 

 not in provincial words, as go on, slowly, briskly, right-hand, a little round, or 

 turn, left-hand, a little, or left-hand and round, stop, or stand gently, &c. As a proof 

 that only four words are requisite for giving every requisite direction to horses, we may 

 mention that foreigners in Stockholm, Petersburgh, and Moscow, who know nothing of 

 the language, require only four corresponding words of Swedish or Russian, to direct the 

 native coachmen and sledge drivers to any street, house, or place, the situation of which 

 they know by the maps, or otherwise. 



5986. The three natural and ordinary movements of horses are, walking, trotting, and 

 galloping, to which, some horses naturally add another, which is known by the name of 

 ' ambling," or " pacing j" the tiot is, perhaps, the most natural motion of a horse, but 

 the pace, and even the gallop, are most easy to the rider. 



5987. In training saddle horses, the first thing is to make them familiar with man, and 

 other general objects, and which is best effected at the earliest periods, which then saves 

 almost all the trouble of breaking, and docility follows as a matter of course : to 

 effect this, the greatest kindness should be used to the colts from the moment they are 

 dropped: they should be accustomed to be handled, should be fed with bread, patted in 

 various parts of the body, have light matters put on their heads and backs, and subjects 

 of different colors and forms should be shown them with caution. While at foot, the 

 mare and foal should be led out into roads, and where carriages pass, during which time, 

 nothing should be allowed to intimidate the foal. By this management, the animal will 

 be easily prepared for the future operations ; and it is thus that the single foal the 

 ploughed land farmer breeds, and which daily follows the mother in her work, as it 

 were breaks itself. 



5988. Backing is the next operation, and if the colt has been judiciously used, and taught familiarity 

 and docility by early handling and kindness, it is by no means difficult. It should be commenced be- 

 fore the colt is two and a half or three years old. The first backing of a horse is a thing of great 

 consequence, as his value afterwards very much depends on it. The application of the saddle should be 

 gradually done, and without alarm to the horse. Atler a colt has become habituated to the saddle 

 and bridle, and has been exercised some time, morning and evening in them, and become somewhat 

 obedient, he is to be taken to some ploughed lands, the lighter the better ; he must be made to trot 

 over these in the hand sufficient to slightly tire him. This should be at first done in a cavesson, 

 to insure obedience. Care being taken that all the tackling be good and firm, and every thing 

 in its due and proper place; then a person is to hold his head and another to mount him; but 

 this must by no means be done suddenly, or at a jerk, but very gradually and slowly, by several 

 risings and heavings. If he bear this patiently, the person is to seat himself firmly on his back; 

 but if he be troublesome and not tame enough, the person is to forbear the attempt to mount, 

 and he is to be trotted In the hand over the same ploughed lands again, till he is more fatigued and will- 

 ing to receive the rider quietly on his back : when this is done, the person who is on his back must encou- 

 rage him, and the man who has his head must lead him a few paces forward ; all the while encouraging 

 him. The feet are to be fitted well in the stirrups, and the toes turned out, afterwards the rider is to 

 shrink and move himself in the saddle, and the person who holds his head is to withdraw his hand a 

 little farther from the mouth. As the rider moves his toes forward, the holder must move him forward 

 with the rein, till he is made to apprehend the rider's motion of body and foot, which must always go 

 together, and with spirit, and will go forward without the other's assistance, and stay upon the restraint 

 of the rider's hands. When this is accomplished, let him be cherished, and again have grass and bread 

 to eat; and then let the rider mount and alight several times, encouraging him between each time, and 

 thus he is to be managed till he will go on, or stand still at pleasure. This being done, the long rein may 

 be laid aside, and the band about the neck, which are always used on this occasion, and nothing will 

 be necessary but the trenches and cavesson, with the martingal. A groom must lead the way before ; 

 or another horse going only straight forwards, and making him stand still when desired. In this 

 manner, by sometimes following, and sometimes going before another horse on the trot, the creature 

 will by degrees be brought to know that it is his business to be quiet and governable. 



5989. To teach a horse the different movements of walking, trotting, galloping, and 

 ambling, comes next in order. 



5990. Walking is the slowest and least raised of all a horse's movements. It is performctl, as any one 

 may observe, by the horse's lifting up its two legs on a side, the one after the other, beginning with the 



