THE HORSE. 23 



discharge his servant as cruelty, or even harshness, toward the rising 

 stock ; for the principle on which their after usefulness is founded, is 

 early attachment to, and confidence in man, and obedience, implicit 

 obedience, resulting principally from this. 



After the second winter the work of breaking-in may commence in 

 good earnest. The colt may be bitted, and a bit selected that will not 

 hurt his mouth, and much smaller than those in common use. With 

 this he may be suffered to amuse himself, and to play, and to champ it 

 for an hour, on a few successive days. 



Breaking in Harness. — Having become a little tractable, portions of the 

 harness may be put upon him, concluding with the blind winkers; and, 

 a few days afterward, he may go into the team. It would be better if 

 there could be one horse before and one behind him, besides the shaft 

 horse. There should at first be the mere empty wagon. Nothing 

 should be done to him, except that he should have an occasional pat or 

 kind word. The other horses will keep him moving, and in his place ; 

 and no great time will pass, sometimes not even the first day, before he 

 will begin to pull with the rest. The load may then be gradually in- 

 creased. 



Riding. — The agricultural horse is sometimes wanted to ride as well 

 as to draw. Let his first lesson be given when he is in the team. Let 

 his feeder, if possible, be first put upon him. He will be too much 

 hampered by his harness, and by the other horses, to make much resis- 

 tance ; and, in the majority of cases, will quietly and at once submit. 

 We need not to repeat, that no whip or spur should be used in giving 

 the first lessons in riding. 



Backing. — When he begins a little to understand his business, back- 

 ing — the most difficult part of his work — may be taught him ; first to 

 back well without any thing behind him, and then with a light cart, and 

 afterward with some serious load — always taking the greatest care not 

 seriously to hurt his mouth. If the first lesson causes much soreness 

 of the gums, the colt will not readily submit to a second. If he has 

 been previously rendered tractable by kind usage, time and patience 

 will do every thing that can be wished. Some carters are in the habit 

 of blinding the colt when teaching him to back. This may be neces- 

 sary with a restive and obstinate one, but should be used only as a last 

 resort. 



Obedience. — The colt having been thus partially broken-in, the neces- 

 sity of implicit obedience must be taught him, and that not by severity, 

 but by firmness and steadiness. The voice will go a great way, but the 

 whip or the spur is sometimes indispensable — not so severely applied as 

 to excite the animal to resistance, but to convince him that we have the 

 power to enforce submission. Few, it may almost be said, no horses, 

 are nat-urally vicious. It is cruel usage which has first provoked resist- 

 ance. That resistance has been followed by greater severity, and the 

 stubbornness of the animal has increased. Open warfare has ensued, 

 in which the man has seldom gained advantage, and the horse has been 

 frequently rendered unserviceable. Correction may, or must be used, 

 to enforce implicit obedience after the education has proceeded to a 

 certain extent, but the early lessons should be inculcated with kindness 



