28 THE CARE OF HORSES 



cruel and even brutal natures — more is the pity — but 

 until they receive instruction, or, as they say, ' are 

 put up to it,' their cruelty does not take any definite 

 shape. I could write a great deal on horrors of 

 cruelty that I have seen and know of, which would 

 surely revolt the most hardened, but, true to the 

 good old saying, ' Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly 

 to be wise,' I shall remain silent on that subject. It 

 is my most earnest wish to instil and illustrate the 

 most humane and serviceable methods of treating 

 and using our faithful friend the horse, and trust this 

 little book may work good results in this respect. 

 Even with these bits great cruelty can be perpetrated, 

 so I will try to show you the wisest and most 

 humane way to use them. Nos. i, 3, and 6. in the 

 top line of my illustration, are harness bits ; No. 7 can 

 be used for either harness or saddle work ; so also can 

 Nos. 1 and 6. The rest are for saddle work. 



The mouthing and training, or, as it is more often 

 called, ' breaking,' of horses, does not come within 

 the province of this book ; but it has always struck 

 me that ' breaking ' of horses is a misapplied term. 

 Think for a moment. How can one break what 

 does not exist ? ' Training ' sounds much better, 

 and surely it more properly expresses what is in- 

 tended — i.e., the ' education of the horse.' 



If an animal has been well, or even passably 

 trained, the breaking process takes place when his 

 life's work commences and when he falls into the 

 hands of ignorant owners or comes under the charge — 

 I won't say care — of ignorant grooms or ' stable chaps 

 who know a thing or two.' Now, I take it, the bit 

 plays a very important part in this ' breaking ' 

 process. Many a nice-mouthed and good-tempered 

 horse has been entirely ruined and rendered vicious 

 by wrong bitting. There is a good old Norfolk 

 saying, ' Treat every man as honest until you find 



