42 ILLUSTRATED HORSE-BREAKING. 



the old maxim, that '' a horse should never get the 

 chance of pulling successfully against the bit, or 

 unsuccessfully against the collar." As a man on 

 foot has as thorough command over a horse, as the 

 animal has over its rider — supposing that both know- 

 how to exercise their respective powers — the 

 breaker should, naturally, commence his mouthing 

 lessons on foot, and should, as a rule, refrain from 

 giving the horse the advantage of having him in the 

 saddle, until the habit of obedience to rein, leg, 

 and, if need be, to voice, is fully confirmed. In all 

 this, we act on the retentiveness of the horse's 

 memory, which is his strongest mental quality, in 

 guarding ourselves from the ill consequences that 

 might ensue from the exercise of the animal's 

 reasoning powers, which, luckily for us, are com- 

 paratively feeble, or from his natural impatience of 

 control. 



With some horses, especially with those that 

 have learned to know their own power, the process 

 of inculcating the habit of obedience to the rein, by 



