THE EQUESTRIAN ART. 245 



Such as (hew much blood, or (loop forward, 

 and lounge in their gait, in the ufual manner of 

 bred cattle, ought to be well fet upon their 

 haunches. 



The future goodnefs and value of the nag 

 materially depend upon early tuition. If he be 

 defective in bending his knees, let him be rid- 

 den daily in rough and ftony roads ; or if that 

 fail, caufe him to be ridden every day, for a 

 month, or more, with blinds. Being blinded, 

 he will naturally lift up his feet. I have expe- 

 rienced the ufe of it. 



When a colt is refractory, it is ufual to tame 

 him, by riding him immoderately over deep 

 earth. It is a filly cuftom, and often produc- 

 tive of great mifchieft, by weakening the tender 

 joints of a young horfe, breaking his fpirit, or 

 rendering it totally delperate. Coolnefs and 

 perfeverance are here the requifites ; there is no 

 horfe with a ftomach fo proud, which a level 

 courfe will not bring down. 



The moil proper period for breaking a fad- 

 dle-colt, is the ufual one, when three years old. 

 In the common mode of performing this pre- 

 mier act of horfemanfhip, there is very little 

 variation, fince Baret's days ; or rather, it may 

 be faid, we have univerfally adopted his im- 

 proved method. A head-ftall is put upon the 

 colt, and a caverfane over his nofe (from the 

 old Italian word, cavazana, Engliihed, by 



r 3 Blundeville, 



