BITTING YOUNG ONES. 225 



increasing his speed. The rest are only to be taught 

 by patience , and of course good judgment and good 

 riding. 



One of the first desiderata in a horse is a good 

 mouth. I need scarcely say, patience and judgment 

 can alone produce this in the grown horse ; for if the 

 colt has not this naturally, these alone can bring him to 

 have one. If he has it naturally, the want of either 

 will spoil it. As I would put a saddle on the mere 

 foal to use him to bear it, and the being girthed at 

 the earliest period, so should the bit be put into his 

 mouth equally early ; at first with merely a head -stall 

 on it without reins, and he should be allowed to 

 champ and in fact play with it. This makes the 

 mouth lively, and does away with all tendency to 

 that abominable habit of bearing on the bit. In 

 proper time the reins may be put on, and of course 

 very loosely fastened. Walking about with this, 

 slight as the restraint will be, still it is restraint, 

 and, without being irksome, accustoms the colt to 

 submit to the bit. From this, the transition to sub- 

 mitting to the hands is very small ; that is, of course, 

 supposing the hands to be as delicate as the colt's 

 mouth. But I have a much more cogent reason for 

 beginning the bitting thus early : all horses intended 

 for the same purpose are not made alike, yet with the 

 exception of the race-horse we wish them all to carry 

 themselves alike or nearly so. 



With the race-horse, provided he goes in a way 

 that is likely to make him go long and fast, we need 

 not give ourselves much trouble. We do not value 

 him by his pleasantry, or even safety to ride, by the 

 pleasing style of his going, or the elegance of his 

 carriage. He may bore like a bull, and be worth 



VOL. II. Q 



