BREAKING AND TRAINING. 175 



and lie ouglit to be allowed to smell and feel it with his nose. 

 Allowing him to look at and touch everything with his nose, 

 is a good way to accustom him to it. There should be no 

 stirrups to the saddle, and it must be put slowly and gently on 

 his back — moving it from the withers to the croup and forward 

 again, until he does not object to it. Then it may be girthed 

 very slack, or secured around the body with a surcingle, which 

 the colt is already accustomed to. After a short time it may 

 be fastened on more tightly, and a crupper may be added as 

 before, together with a breastplate. All this takes time with 

 nervous colts, but it is not lost time; for the animals are 

 having explained to them, or at least the attempt is being 

 made to make them understand, a most essential part of their 

 duty. 



The colt may now be led out and longed with the saddle 

 on, after which he may traverse roads. Another lesson on the 

 same day may be with stirrups attached to the saddle, and 

 even extra straps, with a horse blanket rolled up and tied on 

 the top, while a piece of cloth may be attached to the crupper 

 at each side, to accustom him to things dangling about him.. 

 With these, he should be walked, trotted, and cantered on the 

 longe until quite settled to them. 



In one or two days he should be mounted ; but before this 

 is attempted, he must be well longed with the saddle and its 

 appendages on ; after which he is taken back to his box, if 

 large enough, or to a shed or other convenient quiet place. A 

 martingale is sometimes put on, but this is sometimes in the 

 way if the animal fights with its fore-feet, and even the reins 

 are sometimes so. What is called a " French "or " Dutch 

 Martingale " is very efiective in keeping the reins out of the 

 way, and steadying the colt's head without constraining it. It 

 is merely two rings in one piece — two rings joined together — 

 through which the reins pass. To put these through, they are 

 unbuckled in the middle, each is passed through a ring, and 



