A Half-Training. 95 



The ordinary English trainer thinks that a 

 good mouth may be made in two weeks, by strap- 

 ping a colt's reins to his surcingle for an hour or 

 two daily, and by longeing with a cavesson. But 

 excellent as cavesson work may be, this means 

 alone will by no means produce the quality of 

 mouth which the Baucher method will make, or 

 which you should aim to give to Nelly. 



Still I know that you have but limited time, 

 Tom, and that you want your daily ride to edu- 

 cate both yourself and your mare. This can be 

 accomplished after a fashion ; but it is only what 

 the primary school is to the university, — good, 

 as far as it goes. The trouble with beginning to 

 supple a horse's neck when in motion is that you 

 ask him to start doing two things at once, that is, 

 move forward at command and obey your reins, 

 and he will be apt to be somewhat confused. He 

 will not as readily understand what you want 

 him to do, as if standing quiet and undisturbed. 



With plenty of courage, Tom, Penelope seems 

 to have a very gentle disposition. Almost all of 

 our American horses have. They are not as apt 

 to be spoiled in the breaking -in as they are 

 abroad. And I fancy she is intelligent. You 

 should have no difficulty in training her, and in 

 teaching her a habit of obedience which she will 

 never forget. 



It is all but an axiom that an unspoiled horse 



