22 RAREV ON HORSE-TAMI\G. 



liim with it when yon approach. When you get to 

 him, rub him gently a few times with your hand, 

 then raise the saddle very slowly, until he can see 

 it, and smell, and feel it with his nose. Then let the 

 skirts loose, and rub it very gently against his neck 

 the way the hair lays, letting him hear the rattle of 

 the skirts as he feels them against him ; each time a 

 little further backward, and finally slip it over on 

 his back. Shake it a little with your hand, and in 

 less than five minutes you can rattle it about over 

 his back as you please, and pull it off and throw it 

 on ao-ain, without his paying much attention to it. 



As soon as you have accustomed him to the saddle, 

 fasten the girth. Be careful how you do this. It 

 often frightens the colt when he feels the girth bind- 

 ing him, and making the saddle fit tight on his back. 

 You should bring up the girth very gently, and not 

 draw it too tight at first, just enough to hold the 

 saddle on. Move him a little, and then girth it as 

 tight as you choose, and he will not mind it. 



You should see that the pad of your saddle is all 

 right before you put it on, and that there is nothing 

 to make it hurt him, or feel unpleasant to his back. 

 It should not have any loose straps on the back part 

 of it, to flap about and scare him. After you have 

 saddled him in this way, take a switch in your right 

 hand to tap him up with, and walk about in the 

 stable a few times with your right arm over your 

 saddle, taking hold of the reins on each side of his 

 neck with your right and left hands, thus marching 

 him about in the stable until you teach him the use 



