202 HOUSES AND RIDING. 



in a large box or walled yard, before tlie man rides 

 him anywhere else. 



If this plan were followed, we should not see, as 

 we often do see, a young horse equally frightened of 

 the things he meets and the rider on his back, and 

 spending part of his time in shying first at one thing 

 and then at another, and part in trying to dislodge 

 what he no doubt considers an unwelcome and 

 unnecessary burden. 



It should be borne in mind that all you have to 

 teach an unbroken horse is, to know what you want 

 him to do and to be willing to do it, and this entirely 

 affects the mind of the horse and not his body. 



Hence I should not pay much attention to what 

 is said about making a horse's mouth, giving him a 

 mouth, setting him on his legs, &c. 



For the same reason I think that the large com- 

 plicated bits usually put in a young horse's mouth 

 are unnecessary and perhaj^s injurious. 



If a horse is ridden about in a loose box or yard 

 where he cannot run away, and taught to thoroughly 

 understand that when you pull at his bridle you 

 want him to stop, he will go on as well with a small 

 bit in his mouth as a large one. 



The chief thing a young horse requires when first 

 mounted is, first, that he should not be able to un- 

 seat his rider, and for this reason a leather roll is 

 strapped on in front of the saddle. 



The next thing he requires is that he should not 



