40 THE HORSE : ITS TAMING, 



your arms out. I do not object to keys being attached 

 to the snaffle bit, providing the bit is no thicker than, 

 say, a man's Httle finger, and jointed. I object entirely 

 to heavy ponderous mouthing bits, that unquestionably 

 destroy a colt's mouth, and his temper also. As an 

 example of this, I was in one town in Yorkshire, and a 

 local breaker had a colt with a dumbjock on and side 

 reins, and a most ponderous bit in its mouth, more like 

 a sash weight than a bit, so I asked him why he had 

 that thing in its mouth. He replied, " I can't give him 

 a ' mooth ' with any other bit, and he has got right 

 vicious ' noo.' He won't take the bit, but strikes out 

 directly I try to get it in, so badly that I have to twitch 

 him before putting it in ; nice training for a young 

 animal." The barbarous twitch daily applied, and the 

 sash weight afterwards. I said, if he would give me 

 the colt, in two hours I would drive it through the 

 streets in my buggy. After some pleasant and 

 unpleasant chaffing observations, and taking the 

 responsibility of the animal, he gave it to me. In one 

 hour it was in the buggy, and would turn, stop, and 

 back with a snaffle bit in its mouth, almost as well as 

 any old horse could have done. 



There is another matter I wish to touch upon — the 

 use of rubber or spring reins. I do not like these, 

 and I will candidly explain my reasons for not doing 

 so. I think they create " boring " horses, horses that 

 thrust their noses forward and drop their heads when 



