BREAKING TO HARNESS 93 



any " mouthing," circling, etc., it commonly happens 

 that we have a harness horse, awkward at turning and 

 backing, and with a mouth that only responds (if at all) 

 to tugging and jerking, or a mouth that is hard on 

 one side. Or again, he will turn out a beast that takes 

 notice of, or refuses to pass, the most trifling objects on 

 the road and road- sides — in short, an animal without 

 either manners or pleasurable utility. 



The general education of a colt having been satis- 

 factorily gone through, we may now safely put him 

 between the shafts. Som.e horse breakers put a 

 beginner alongside a '"schoolmaster" ; in other words, 

 a horse thoroughly seasoned to his work. This 

 custom is ver}^ general in dealing with farm horses, 

 the scholar working side b}^ side with an older horse, 

 during ploughing, etc. Harrowing is an excellent 

 job to put a young farm horse to for the first 

 time. 



Another practice adopted by certain horse breakers 

 before putting the colt in a brake, is to have one man 

 leading the animal by the head, and another holding 

 on by ropes tied to the traces, the latter allowing the 

 horse to pull him along, and in this way simulating 

 draught. 



