BETTER BE SURE THAN SORRY. 121 



will do, a curb bit or loop bridle (356) may be used, which will 

 soon make him afraid to move on when the boy is out of the 

 saddle, but the curb must not be used so as to set the pony 

 backing and prancing about, and is better not used at all unless 

 found necessary, after a patient trial without it. The boy 

 should come off sometimes on one side and sometimes on the 

 other, and may be as long about it as he pleases. Continue the 

 lesson until the pony invariably stops of his own accord, and 

 even after that, it is best repeated occasionally at short intervals. 

 When once the habit is confirmed we have seen a very lively 

 pony stand stock still, allowing our horse to go away from it, 

 and a passionate infant to kick its legs for having thrown him 

 off. A daughter of the same pony, bought for seven pounds, 

 was sold for fifty pounds after it had been well instructed in this 

 lesson. 



250. — Whilst on soft ground, strap up one of the pony's legs, 

 and, holding him firmly, put the boy on his back behind the 

 saddle, and let him shift backwards and forwards, to accustom the 

 pony to carry on any part of his back. If the pony makes any 

 fuss about it let it be frequently repeated, and consider no child's 

 pony broken until he will carry a string of children on his back, 

 reaching from mane to tail, and let any of them safely slip off 

 ■either behind or before. If you do not teach this lesson in its 

 proper time, place, and manner, the boys will be sure to try their 

 hands at it, with the probable result that the pony will learn a 

 lesson in the art of how to get rid of an unwelcome rider. 



251. — The pony must next be taught to stop at command ; 

 and for this purpose it is important to choose some word that the 

 pony is not likely to hear when it is not wanted to stop ; as, how- 

 ever well you may teach a pony to stop for any word, it will soon 

 be ineffectual if it hears the word often, without being allowed to 

 stop for it. The common word " whoa" has got to be constantly 

 used in the hearing of the horse for every imaginable piu'pose, 

 and it is hopeless to expect that all who come in contact with the 

 pony will cease to abuse that word ; therefore it is necessary to 

 adopt some other. The carter's word, whay, is less likely to be 

 abused in this way, and there are not many other words that the 



