178 THE PRACTICAL HORSE KEEPER. 



he chances to see or meet with strange objects. Timidity and 

 shying are best met with kindness — speaking soothingly and 

 patting. If inanimate objects scare him, he must be made to 

 know, by looking and smelling at them, that they are harmless. 

 It may happen that at this advanced stage, some colts may, 

 on occasions, endeavour to obtain the mastery, and gentle per- 

 suasion will not overcome them and render them obedient. If 

 punishment is necessary (here the trainer's judgment comes in), 

 and whip and spur must be used, then they should he well 

 applied and at once, as man must be the master. Only, the 

 colt should understand what he is punished for, and acknow- 

 ledge his mistake by rendering ready obedience afterwards. 



After a fortnight or three weeks, an ordinary plain snaffle 

 bit may be substituted for the breaking or mouthing bit, and 

 then the paces can be taught. 



The paces of the horse are the walk, trot, canter, and 

 gallop. There are other artificial paces, such as ambling, 

 pacing, running, etc., but they are not usually recognised in this 

 country. 



Walking is, perhaps, the most important pace, and the one 

 to which the riding horse should be trained carefully. A slow, 

 bad walking, or jogging horse is most unpleasant in the saddle, 

 and particularly on long journeys. Though the ordinary 

 walking pace of a saddle-horse in this country is, perhaps, at 

 the best, not more than four miles an hour, yet training may 

 bring this up to five or six miles for short journeys. 



This is a natural pace and requires no special training, 

 though to develop and improve it needs tact, time, and patience, 

 like so much else in horse management. It is begun to be 

 taught with a light hand on the reins — just feeling the colt's 

 mouth, and allowing his head ample liberty. He should never 

 be allowed to break from the walk into a jog trot ; if he does 

 so, he ought to be pulled up at once to the walk — stopped, if 

 need be, and made to begin the walk again. This tendency 



