2o6 ILLUSTRATED HORSE-BREAKLNG. 



plan, by producing a powerful moral effect, 

 renders the animal not alone easy to mount, but 

 also quiet to ride. As I have pointed out on 

 page 31, we should, in all cases, confirm the 

 habit of obedience by repetition. I may mention 

 that the method of tying a horse '' head and 

 tail," with the object of making him quiet, has 

 been in use for many years ; though I am unable 

 to say who was its inventor. If practised without 

 my improvements of leading-rein and surcingle, 

 or girth, over the cord, it has the serious faults, 

 that as soon as the horse begins to revolve 

 quickly, the operator has, practically, no further 

 control over him until he stops of his own accord, 

 or tumbles down " all of a heap," and that it is 

 impossible to mount him safely. The man, if 

 expert, and if the horse has no tendency to hit 

 out with his off-fore, might run in and catch him 

 by the head-stall, if he thought that the animal 

 was in danger of falling, on account of going 

 round too fast. The conduct of such confidential 



