102 THE HORSE BOOK. 



adjusts his apron or robe, takes up his reins and 

 gives the word to go on. The time to teach a 

 horse these pleasant ways is when he is first 

 broken. Likewise teach him to back pleasantly 

 and always with a pull of the reins. Do not try 

 to teach the colt too much, but insist that he stop 

 as instantly as possible at the word ^'whoa,'' 

 back when told to do so and the pull on the reins 

 shows what is wanted, and to get up promptly 

 when the word is given. Heroic measures are 

 sometimes necessary, but as a rule the exercise 

 of gentleness will win out sooner. A horse is a 

 stupid beast and infinite patience, coupled with 

 determination, is absolutely necessary to do 

 much with him. Some men think that they are 

 making something by going into a small yard 

 armed with a whip and making a colt do stunts. 

 I have never been able to see where they gained 

 anything, for the market for circus horses is 

 limited and a colt needs only to be broken to 

 harness properly to make him worth all the 

 money he will ever bring. 



After the colt has been driven around by the 

 reins and has learned to guide to the right and 

 left, to turn around, *^get up'' and ^'whoa,'' 

 hitch him into a long-shafted breaking cart sin- 

 gle, or double with some steady-going horse, not 

 necessarily an old one, but always reliable. It is 

 a mistake to hook a colt up the first time with 

 some old plug that can not get out of his own 

 way. He will never step fast enough for the 



