48 TAMING HORSES. 



safety, and ride him through the most populous 

 city in America, without his being frightened at 

 any of the objects he meets in it. Bat I generally 

 make it a rule, to accustom the horse to sound, be- 

 fore I take him out: in order to do which, I take 

 something that is similar to a drum, or an empty 

 barrel, and beat upon it till he becomes perfectly 

 indifferent to it. Then I show him a pistol or a 

 gun, and flash it before him. Then I load it very 

 lightly, and fire it off before him, close to his head, 

 making him smell it before I fire. I flash it off 

 two or three times before-hand. I load it ^gain, 

 and by repeating this exercise two or three times, 

 you may fire off the gun while placed uj^on his 

 neck, without frightening him in the least. 



I have already observed, that the first impres- 

 sions are the strongest and most lasting. It is a 

 great deal easier to learn, than to unlearn. There- 

 fore, it is extremely necessary, that the horse 

 should be exercised in every thing that tends to 

 render him docile and useful, when you thus break 

 him, and you will have very little to fear from him 

 afterwards. After you. have thus gentled your 

 horse, so as to be able to ride him, it will be neces- 

 sary for you to come up to him with one or two 

 other persons: let them touch him, and let him 

 smell at them : otherwise, he Avould be afraid of 

 other people: but, by coming up to him with other 



