174 BEFORE ■WHEELS. 



they might produce exactly the same practical eflPect as whipping 

 a colt to the collar. 



384. — For the next lesson yon take off both l)ridle and 

 Winkers, and put on a strong nosebag halter, to which attach 

 your long leather lounging line. Take the colt alongside of any 

 quiet horse, or pair of horses, drawing any kind of wheels, in a 

 field, common, or some quiet place, where you are not liable to 

 meet any objects that will very much alarm the colt. Put the 

 •colt on the right side of the old horse or horses, and draw your 

 lounging line under the strong saddle or surcingle on the old 

 horse's back, leaving the colt about a yard of loose line. Take 

 the loose end of the lounging line up in the carriage with you, 

 along with the old horse's reins, and start them both off together. 

 If the colt runs forward you must shorten his line a little to 

 prevent him getting in front of tlie old horse's head if he pulls 

 away to the side, or hangs back, you can give or take line to 

 prevent any breakage. He will thus get his first experience 

 before wheels and other objects of alarm, without being driven 

 into a collar with a force that would be sure to produce a recoil, 

 -and thus give him the impression that the collar would not yield 

 to his efforts. Get the old horses off at any steady pace, and 

 keep the colt walking or trotting beside them. He will be a 

 little frightened at the wheels behind him at first, but that will 

 not last long, and he will soon let the traces of the old horse rub 

 against his left side without alarm. "When quite reconciled to 

 the right side, put him on the left side, and go on as before. 

 When he is on the left side it will be safe enough to drive him on 

 any wide quiet road. The more practice he gets in that position the 

 better ; eight or ten miles is generally enough, but some free 

 timid horses require more. Their traces should not be fastened 

 i)0 any carriage of any kind, until they are quite reconciled to 

 walk before it, and show no alarm at any faster pace. 



385. — When you have thus made sure that the colt will pull 



-a little, and that he will not be driven to any desperate acts by 



the sight, or sound, or feel of a carriage behind him, he may be 



•considered ready to put into a break or some other carriage. For 



-this purpose you should have the assistance of a good horse, and 



