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many people do — let their colts run until they are 

 four or five years old, and then undertake to break 

 them the old-fashioned way. This is impracticable, 

 for you as often break their constitutions, their cour- 

 age, their spirits, and sometimes their necks^ and very 

 often the breakers themselves get hurt. The colt 

 should be taught step by step, with patience and per- 

 severance, what you wish him to do ; not driven to 

 do what he does not know, what he cannot under- 

 stand, while smarting under the lash. 



I will now commence with the old bad horse's har- 

 ness trick. I have very often remarked that ninety 

 nine out of every hundred vicious horses in harness, 

 are horses with ungovernable mouths. If we gov- 

 ern the mouth, we will, in almost every instance, have 

 a controllable horse. I will asl^ did the reader ever 

 see a balky, kicking, bolting, plunging, runaway 

 horse, with a fine, easy, governable mouth ? I never 

 have, therefore I always give the vicious horse a 

 thorough training with the bitting cord belere hitch- 

 ing up. In a short time he will learn to yield the 

 mouth readily to the pressure of the bit, aTter he has 

 been thoroughly trained with the cord. I wish to 

 convince him beyond a question that I have the 

 power to handle him just as I wish, and will just say 

 that I consider it necessary to handle all horses in a 

 manner to convince them that they can be controlled. 

 Let your lessons be thorough, but not very long ; be 

 gentle and patient with the colt, but make the old 



