TRAINING, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT. I05 



and the animal led into the yard ; a twitch was then 

 tightly applied to the nose, and another on one of the 

 ears, the near foot was then tied up, and a dandy 

 brush was tied on to a broomstick, and the groom- 

 ing then commenced, with but little result, as the 

 horse got fairly mad with the great pain he was 

 enduring, and would fight like a demon. Yet in two 

 weeks I got the horse so quiet to groom and shoe, 

 that he was taken into a forge and shod by the 

 smith like any ordinary horse, and this result was 

 obtained nearly entirely by one of my twitches. 



I will try and explain them in such a manner that 

 the reader may afterwards apply them himself The 

 requisites are two pieces of cord, 12ft. long each 

 piece, made of 5 and 7 strands respectively of best 

 whipcord. 



No. I. — Just double your cord into two equal 

 lengths, and pass the double end through the ring of 

 bit or head collar, and slip it in mouth by passing the 

 lower jaw through it, then draw tightly with your 

 right hand, keeping the horse's head away from you 

 by holding near side check of halter, and pushing 

 with the left. This twitch is useful for keeping a 

 restive horse quiet when being groomed, or for 

 harnessing or unharnessing a kicker. I have put a 

 complete set of harness on a tremendous kicker — held 

 perfectly quiet by the aid of this twitch alone — in 

 the presence of about 300 persons at Edinburgh. 



