154 HALTERING. 



and sides, until you get to his hind quarters and can handle his 

 tail. 



345. — You may next get a halter in your hand. A leather 

 halter with no line on it is best. Take it to his muzzle and let 

 him feel it as long as he likes. Then touch his head and neck 

 gently with it, taking care that no part of it falls or strikes 

 against him, or touches his eye. Keep your hands behind rather 

 than in front of his ears, and move them very slowly. If you 

 use a common hemp halter, be sure that a knot is tied in the 

 rope, so that the halter cannot draw at all tightly round his face, 

 as that will irritate any colt. It can of course be opened very 

 wide to pass over his face, and may be put on with a pole, but 

 we do not like hemp halters at all. 



346. — As soon as the halter is on, you can begin to rub the 

 colt again, working back until you reach his tail. Take the hair 

 of the tail in your hand and tie it in a secure knot. If there is 

 plenty of long hair you can do this with the hair itself, giving the 

 hair two turns instead of one before you tighten the knot. If 

 there is any doubt about its security, and hair does not easily tie 

 securely, make sure of it by using a little tarred string to secure 

 the ends. If the hair of the tail is not abundant, some tarred 

 string can be wound tightly round the end of the tail, instead 

 of tying a knot, which is perhaps the best way in any case. 



347. — Xow take a light halter rope eight feet long, and tie 

 one end of it to the left side of the halter, in a bow that will be 

 easily untied. Bring the other end back to the tail, and dividing 

 the hair into two equal parts, pass the line through it. Gently 

 tighten, drawing the horse's head and tail both towards yon, 

 as you stand at his side, and fasten the rope round the tail as 

 soon as it is tight enough to give the horse's head a very decided 

 bend to the left side. 



The neck should be bent enough to form about half a right 

 angle with the body, that is half way between straight and 

 square. "With an ordinary fall sizad horse there should be 

 about five feet of clear rope betweeii the hair of the tail and 

 the halter. This you may mark on the rope before you begin 

 to draw it. You had better err on the side of being too slack 



