180 SIGNS. 



there is little traffic, and at a distance from home, you can try if 

 he seems inclined to back, and if so, you can get out and take 

 him by the head and keep him going , backwards for at least ten 

 minutes, your assistant helping to back and guide with the wheels 

 if necessary. Don't be rough with him, but urge him backwards, 

 and keep him at it, until he is evidently tired of it, and desirous 

 to go forward again, when you may get up and drive towards 

 home at a brisk trot. 



398. — If he stops on a soft rough road, where the pulling is 

 really heavy, treat him the same as directed for up hill (396), 

 but instead of putting him into the vehicle on your return, take 

 him home without it, and send another horse to take the vehicle 

 back. 



399. — In all cases you may regard the stoppage as a proof 

 that you have put the colt to draw a vehicle before you had 

 properly prepared him for it, and you must repair your error as 

 quietly as you can, without spoiling the colt over it. You will 

 also be generally right in concluding that the colt which stops in 

 that way is not likely to be headstrong, or rash, or a runaway, 

 but a gentle, easily restrained animal, that must have a good deal 

 of patient training to reconcile him to pull at any restraining 

 object. In other words, he will generally be found to be an 

 animal that can easily be made a worthless incurable jib, but one 

 that with sufficient care and patience, will make one of those free, 

 gentle, controllat)le horses, that are so highly prized by those 

 who know Avhat a pleasant horse really is. 



400. — A still more safe and expeditious way to start a colt 

 in single harness, is to hitch a steady horse on before him, in 

 charge of a trustworthy rider. In this way the colt can be taken 

 without risk of spoiHng him over any bad roads, or past alarming 

 objects. Of course the colt is not broken to single harness until 

 he will go alone in harness. But the old horse can be taken off 

 on the road home and ridden behind, when the horse has proved 

 that he will pull steadily in the shafts. 



401. — There is no real necessity to have a broken horse at 

 all in educating a colt for harness, although it is more easy to use 

 one than to do entirely without. But with careful preparation 



