IN SINGLE HARNESS. 215 



His next lesson is in single harness, and if all goes 

 well he will before he knows it be going along by him- 

 self just as steadily as with the old horse. Fitch him 

 as usual with the "old reliable;" go a little way, re- 

 turn, quietly take him out of the double rig, and hitch 

 him to a skeleton wagon. I prefer the skeleton wagon 

 to any other vehicle for breaking purposes. I place 

 my feet on the axle, one on either side, and can thus 

 assist the rein in steering him., teaching him to turn, 

 etc. I must confess that a " break cart " is my pet 

 aversion among training equipments. They are in 

 o-reat favor with some, but as far as I am concerned I 

 have no use for them in my course of education. I 

 believe that carts are responsible for spoiling more 

 colts, knocking them out of their gait, etc., than any 

 other single cause. They are long, stiff, shaky, lumber- 

 ing vehicles, that must be a constant jarring handicap 

 to a young colt. While many men who use these 

 " break carts " to keep young colts straight with, are 

 good trainers on the whole, I have as little respect for 

 their judgment in this particular as I have for the cart 

 itself. - 



You do not work him for speed in the skeleton 

 wagon, but principally to complete educating him to 

 single harness. Drive him easy and do not drive him 

 too far, for you are not now teaching him to drive fast, 

 but rather to drive well. Keep this work up until he 

 is thoroughly docile and intelligent in harness, so that 

 you can depend upon his doing what you want him to 

 i\o in obedience to voice and rein. When you have 

 done this your colt is ready for the sulky, and now you 

 can congratulate yourself upon having his education 

 well under way. 



