85 



the matter of ** mouthing " sooner than the stipu- 

 lated period. Many men take hberties with colts, 

 and many bad habits are acquired by them in con- 

 sequence. Whether a colt is docile or not he should 

 always be treated as a colt. The breaker should 

 always be prepared for some display of bad temper. 

 If it does not occur, so much the better ; if it does, 

 he will be ready to grapple with and conquer it. It 

 is easier for a colt to learn a good habit than to 

 unlearn a bad one. No time is lost when patience 

 is exercised, because every minute spent in the train- 

 ing of the colt will be rewarded a hundredfold in 

 the perfect behaviour of the horse. 



HOW TO ADJUST THE SIDE REINS. 



In putting the side reins upon the colt they 

 should be attached so that he can turn his head 

 one foot to right and left from the centre, and 

 he will thus have six inches to the front by which 

 he can relieve his mouth from the hard and continu- 

 ous pressure of the bit. (Fig. 6.) The side reins 

 should be very gradually tightened from day to day 

 until the maximum tightness is attained, which will 

 depend on the breeding of the colt and the work 

 he is intended for. The ** mouthing " of the differ- 

 ent kinds of horses will be explained under their 

 own particular heads in subsequent chapters. 



The breaker should move the colt gently about 

 both in the court and in the open, and teach him 

 in a quiet manner to obey the whip. He should 



