TRAINING. 1^1 



you, and he will learn his lesson in a wonderfully short 

 space of time. 



As soon as you find that he leads well in an enclosed 

 place, take him out into an extremely quiet paddock, not 

 allowing anybody to come near you while you do it. 

 A good method will be to grasp the reins, close to the jaw 

 with your left hand, while your right catches the mane, 

 and by this means lead him gently out for an open-air 

 spell of instruction. Then proceed as when under cover, 

 and repeat the lesson every day. 



At eighteen months old a colt that has been bred on your 

 own land ought to have gone through all the preliminaries 

 of his education, and at that age the dumb-jockey may be 

 brought into use with a pair of imitation legs and light 

 little stirrups to hang on either side. Reins formed 

 partially of india-rubber should be passed through the 

 terrets and fastened to the bit, and these must not be 

 drawn by any means tight, lest the colt be induced to bear 

 upon them — or lest he rear, and fall backwards. 



A quarter of an hour is the longest period that a lesson 

 of this description ought to occupy, and the pupil's mouth 

 should be well wetted both before and after. If terror is 

 excited, the utmost encouragement should be given, and no 

 harshness be for even an instant resorted to. 



These lessons may be continued, with slight variation, 

 until the young animal shall have entered his third year, 

 at which epoch a very light rider may be mounted on him, 

 with rigid instructions not to interfere in any way with the 

 bridle, except as a means of guiding. In fact, to prevent the 



