118 TAMING HORSES. 



put a rope halter on an unbroken colt, under any 

 circumstances whatever. They have caused more 

 horses to hurt or kill themselves than would pay 

 for twice the cost of all the leather halters that 

 have ever been needed for the purpose of haltering 

 colts. It is almost impossible to break a colt that 

 is very wild with a rope halter, without having 

 him pull, rear, and throw himself, and thus endan- 

 ger his life ; and I will tell you why. It is just as 

 natural for a horse to try to get h^ head out of 

 anything that hurts it, or feels unpleasant, as it 

 would be for you to try to get your hand out of a 

 fire. The cords of the rope are hard and cutting ; 

 this makes him raise his head and draw on it, and 

 as soon as he pulls, the slip noose (the way rope 

 halters are always made) tightens, and pinches his 

 nose, and then he will struggle for life, until, per- 

 chance, he throws himself; and who would have 

 his horse throw himself, and run the risk of break- 

 ing his neck, rather than pay the price of a leather 

 halter? But this is not the worst. A horse that 

 has once pulled on his halter can never be as well 

 broken as one that has never pulled at all. 



REMARKS ON THE HORSE. 



But before we attempt to do anything more with 

 the colt, I will give you some of the characteristics 

 of his nature, that you may better understand his 



