58 Cross Country with Horse and Hound 



law." It is one thing to break a horse, and another to 

 educate him. Keep in mind the animal's natural timidity, 

 and seek always to overcome this by winning his confidence. 



One of the most important things in the training of a 

 horse is mouthing. The universal fault with nearly all 

 American- and Canadian-bred horses is that they have " no 

 mouths," the causes being severe bits, bad hands, and driving 

 begun without a course of ** mouthing." 



When we consider that all our commands or wishes are 

 communicated to a horse through the lines and the bit in 

 his mouth, the importance of having a horse with a sensi- 

 tive mouth is apparent ; and if this is true of horses in 

 general, what shall be said of the necessity of having sensi- 

 tive mouths in horses that are to carry us through a run to 

 hounds, where the excitement is little short of a cavalry 

 charge on the field of battle ? A person is supposed to ride 

 to hounds for the pleasure it affords. What pleasure can a 

 man derive from sitting on a puller that makes him work 

 his passage from start to finish ? 



Of all horses, the most objectionable on a hunting-field 

 is first the puller and second the rusher at his fences — gen- 

 erally they are one and the same animal. No horse is 

 quite fit to be ridden to hounds until he can be safely rid- 

 den with a common ring-snaffle bit. Most horses' mouths 

 have become so calloused and deadened to feeling by severe 

 usage in breaking them, and by bad, heavy hands after- 

 ward, that nothing short of a very severe bit or curb can 

 control them. The first bit put into a colt's mouth had 

 better be a smooth wooden one attached to the halter with- 

 out reins, or a straight iron one covered with leather. 



