212 HOLDING BY THE TAIL. 



horse, like the animal that killed Mr. Johnston at Adelaide 

 (301), and is common with harness horses that have not been 

 taught to work before carriages without blinkers, and to see all 

 that is coming behind them. Such slop broken horses are 

 always liable to catch a sight or sound of something that they 

 have not been reconciled to, and to gallop off in frantic terror. 

 A horse that has once run away in harness, and injured or hurt 

 himself is rarely safe again, and should not be trusted in single 

 harness. Such horses should be consigned to work where their 

 companions, or a strong carriage, harness, and break, in good 

 hands, will securely restrain them. 



BREAKING BRIDLES, 



495. — Or anything he is tied with, is a habit prevented by 

 careful education (184), but when a horse has once found out 

 what a frail thing a bridle is, when opposed to his strength, it is 

 not always possible to make him again believe that he cannot 

 break it. The most probable way of destroying the habit is to 

 so tie the horse for a while, that he will hurt his tail whenever 

 he hangs back. Get a piece of good, new, small rope, about 15 

 or IG feet long. Put the middle of it under his tail like a crupper. 

 Cross the rope on his back, and bring an end down on each side of 

 his shoulder, and tie the ends together securely over his breast 

 Tie a strong cord to this, and passing through his halter tie it 

 securely to something strong. Tie his halter to the same post 

 with a line that the horse can readily break, and six inches 

 shorter than the strong line connected with his tail. 



49G. — Xow roll a barrel, or do something in front of the 

 horse that you know will make him Qy back. The halter rope 

 will thus break, and he will receive a severe jerk of the strong 

 rope under his tail, and will find that he is not loose after all. 

 This may be repeated, but the horse will not repeat it many 

 times. After this he should for a week or two never be tied up 

 except with a strong halter, with the halter rope passing round a 

 smooth post, or through a ring, and tied at his breast to the rope 

 passing under his tail, so that when he hangs back the weight 

 will be divided between his head and his tail, and he will take 



