THE CROSS. 19 



While these operations are going on, the horse's attention 

 is to be taken off by the man at his head, caressing, pat- 

 ting, and speaking kindly to him. Here again, when he is 

 moved in the longe, and feels the crupper, he may jump, 

 and plunge, but take as little notice of it as possible, and 

 by these means, he will become familiar with, and obedient 

 to, the instructor. 



The Cross. 



If he is quiet in taking the crupper, for he must be 

 familiar with one thing before you try him with another 

 he may next have the cross put upon him, and as young 

 horses are very inquisitive, as well as suspicious, let him 

 satisfy his curiosity by looking at it, and he will most 

 likely, if you hold it still, put his nose to it and smell it, if 

 so, pat him and encourage him, then place it on his back 

 quietly, and let the girth be no tighter than that of the 

 saddle. The snaffle rein must now be attached to the 

 cross, and the reins belonging to the cross put through the 

 ring of the snaffle, and buckled rather loose, shortening 

 them day by day, as the horse improves in his training, 

 taking care to have him bent inwards, that is, to shorten 

 that rein most to the hand he is working on, being parti- 

 cular at the same time that both reins are to have a light 

 pressure on the bars of his mouth ; this is intended to raise 

 him in front, and lighten his forehand, and prepare him to 

 go well up to the rider's hand when he is mounted. . The 

 practice of some who call themselves colt-breakers, cannot 

 be too strongly condemned, who buckle the poor horse's 

 head so tight to the cross, as to cause the sweat to run off 

 him through pain, when to ease himself, he will rest all the 

 weight of his head on the snaffle ; and in this painful posi- 

 tion they will keep him for an hour or more at a time ; 

 thus, instead of advancing his instruction, they are retarding 



