516 AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



"When the process of breaking is commenced, it should be 

 pursued vigorously every day, until the wild horse is thor- 

 oughly and completely broken ; and when put in the shafts 

 he should be driven freely. "With such an animal energetic 

 measures are necessary to teach him that you are his master, 

 and that he must submit to your control. Do not begin the 

 arduous task of breaking him until you have the harness, 

 and every thing else that you expect to use, ready at hand, 

 and strong ; and then keep him going until he is conquered, 

 broken, and trained. The directions given in the case of the 

 young colt for starting, backing, and holding back in going 

 down hill will apply none the less here, and ought to be fully 

 followed, observing only this difference, that the stronger 

 the animal, the more he can bear. There will be much less 

 need of favoring him, of course, than the young and tender 

 colt. 



SADDLE HORSES. 



It is not 80 much our purpose to enter into detailed direc- 

 ^tions for training the horse for the saddle 

 as it is to point out natural adaptedness of 

 form and gait for this purpose. Some horses 

 are naturally so well suited for this use that 

 they travel lightly, and with ease, from the 

 first time they are ever put to it, and such only need control 

 and a little traininor to make most excellent saddle-horses. 



A particular form or build of 

 the horse generally brings 

 about this result. Light, clean 

 limbs; a quick, ready step, 

 high and free ; the hips drop- 

 ping from the top downward 

 to the roots of the tail; the 

 tail low, and well-set in the 

 hips. These are the qualities 

 indicative of a good saddle-horse, and of which none being 

 present it is useless to attempt to make the horse a desirable 

 hackney. Many horses exceedingly valuable in other capaci- 



