How to Make a Yankee Bridle 189 



Rope halter. — The simplest way to make a rope 

 halter is from a soft rope about half an inch in 

 diameter and about fifteen feet long. Double the 

 rope at one end for about four feet, and tie a knot 

 in the doubled part so as to form a large stationary 

 loop about three and one half feet long. In this large 

 loop make a small one for the lead rope to pass 

 through. The second knot should be so tied as to 

 leave one third of the large loop on one side and 

 two thirds on the other, the short part to form the 

 noseband, the long part the headpiece. Now place 

 the free end of the rope through the small loop and 

 the halter is ready for use (Fig. 42). A knot may 

 be made in the lead rope under the chin to prevent 

 the halter from squeezing the jaws together, other- 

 wise the halter will draw tightly around the jaws. 



Yankee bridle. — To make this bridle, choose a 

 soft rope three eighths of an inch in diameter and 

 about twenty feet long. Tie one end of the rope 

 around the horse's neck, close to the head, in such a 

 way that the loop thus formed will not run. Pass 

 the free end through the horse's mouth from the 

 right side and up through the loop on the left side, 

 and the bridle is completed (Fig. 43). The principle 

 upon which this bridle acts seems to be that the 

 horse obtains relief from the painful pressure of the 

 rough rope on the corners of the mouth the instant 

 he approaches the man who is pulling, and conse- 

 quently follows to avoid the pain. 



