50 THE ART OF TAMING HORSES. 



In reference to the hints for treating a colt in a little 

 Svork from which I have already quoted, a colonel in the 

 Life Guards says, " The great thing in horsemanship is 

 to get your horse to be of your party ; not only to obey, 

 but to obey willingly." For this reason, a young horse 

 cannot be begun with too early, and his lessons cannot 

 be too gradually progressive. He should wear a head- 

 stall from the beginning, be accustomed to be held and 

 made fast by the head, to give up all four feet, to bear 

 the girthing of a roller, to be led, &c. But if all this 

 useful preliminary education, in which climbing through 

 gaps after an old hunter, and taking little jumps, be 

 omitted, then the Earey system comes in to shorten 

 your domesticating labours. 



A wild horse, until tamed, is just as wild and fearful as 

 a wild stag taken for the first time in the toils. 



When a horse hangs back and leads unv.dllingly, the 

 common error is to get in front of him and pull him. 

 This may answer when the man is stronger than the 

 horse, but not otherwise. 



" In leading you should never be further forward than 

 your horse's shoulder : with your right-hand hold his 

 head in front of you by the bi'idle close to his mouth or 

 the head-stall, and with your left hand touch him with a 

 whip as far back as you can ; if you have not a whip 

 you can use a stirrup-leather." 



