BKEAKING, GENTLINa, A:fTD TKAININa 515 



the shafts to be laid upon his back or neck, or by his side., 

 If he is obstinately fractious or scary, lock up his fore-feet, 

 etc., again. Under such discipline he can not long hold 

 out. 



Whatever you undertake to teach him, persevere in the 

 instructions until you succeed. If the horse has been thor- 

 oughly worn-out and conquered at the outset, there will not 

 be much trouble subsequently; but,, unless that has been 

 done, it will be a somewhat prolonged course before he is 

 brought under proper subjection. But always remain kind, 

 though firm. Allow no harsh words or measures of any 

 kind. Let all your handling of him be gentle and soothing, 

 remembering that the law of kindness is always more potent 

 than that of force. After the harness has been put on, an. 

 assistant may go behind him, and, taking the traces in his 

 hands, pull back, so that a gentle pressure will be brought to 

 bear upon his shoulders; and when he has kindly submitted 

 to this, he may be hitched up in the buggy, and gently started 

 ofl' in it. 



Another plan, besides that here indicated, for familiarizing 

 him with the shafts is the method laid down in a preceding 

 section of this chapter for the training of the one-year-old 

 colt ; namely, to hitch him by the side of another very gentle 

 horse, harnessed in the buggy, and, with their heads tied 

 quite close together, to drive them around until the un- 

 broken one will lead kindly beside the other. When this is 

 accomplished, the two may change places, and the exercise 

 resumed as before. Still another mode, which is in prac- 

 tice to some extent, is to hitch the unbroken horse in a cart, 

 and put in a very strong though gentle horse before him, 

 the two thus forming a ''tandem." The management of 

 the hinder one, by either leading or driving, will be work 

 enough for one person. After a time the forward horse 

 may be unhitched, and led in advance of the colt, the dis- 

 tance being gradually increased until the novice finds he 

 can go alone, when the old horse may be taken oft* the fi.eld 

 entirely. 



