140 NATURAL HISTORY. 



them great pain, their skin being too delicate to bear 

 it, and they would fall away instead of growing fat 

 from it. Care too must be taken that the rack and 

 manger are not very high, the necessity of raising 

 their heads too high in order to reach their food, may 

 possibly give a habit of carrying it in this fashion, 

 which would give them an auk ward appearance. 



At the age of three years, or three and a half, the 

 rider should begin to break them and make them 

 tractable. They should at first have a light easy 

 saddle, and ought to wear it two or three hours every 

 day, and they should be accustomed to have a snaffle 

 bit in their mouths, and to lift up their feet, on which 

 they should sometimes receive rather smart strokes, 

 and if designed for coach or draught horses, should 

 wear harness and a bridle. At first a curb should not 

 be used, they should be held by a leather strap, and 

 be made to trot, on even ground, without a rider, and 

 with only the saddle or harness on the body. When 

 the saddle horse turns easily, and willingly follows 

 the person who holds the leather strap, the rough ri- 

 der should mount him and dismount again in the 

 same place, without making him move, till he is four 

 years old, because, before that age, the weight of a 

 man overloads him ; but at four he should be made to 

 walk or trot, a little way at a time, with the rider on 

 his back. When a coach horse is accustomed to the 

 harness, he should be paired with a horse that is tho- 

 roughly broke, putting on him a bridle, with a strap 

 passed through it, till he begins to be used to the 

 draught. After this the coach-man must teach him to 

 back, having the assistance of a man before, who must 

 push him gently back, and even give him some blows 

 t,o make him do it. All this should be done before 



