132 The Practical Stud Groom. 



six-stone boy, on a bad mouthed horse, is powerless to regu- 

 late the pace his mount shall go. Even on a straight course 

 his steering is apt to be erratic, while round bends it may 

 become absolutely dangerous to others as well as himself. 

 Too much care, therefore, cannot be taken to prevent the 

 yearling's mouth being spoilt. It is scarcely necessary to 

 point out that the yearling should never be lunged on the 

 bit, but always on the cavesson. Apropos of good mouths, I 

 have frequently been struck by the rather odd ideas on the 

 subject held by some trainers, if one is to judge from their 

 methods of breaking yearlings. 



It is very unusual for breaking operations, especially on 

 stud farms where yearlings are bred exclusively for public 

 sales, to progress beyond the "bitting" and "leading" 

 stages. " Tacking " and " backing " are usually the 

 trainer's business. Yet it is far from uncommon for a stud 

 groom, who, at the expiration of a week after delivery of 

 his charges, inquires how the yearlings are going on, to 

 learn that their progress is satisfactory, and that " they are 

 all being ridden loose," with the accent on the loose, -the 

 inference being that the merit of the performance consists 

 in the lightning rapidity with which the " riding loose " 

 stage has been reached. If the above method is justified by 

 results, trainers who favour it will not be influenced by the 

 pious opinion of a mere stud groom. We live in rapid times, 

 but the author is sufficiently old fashioned in his ideas to 

 think that too much time cannot well be spent in " making " 

 a young horse's mouth before he is " backed." A fort- 

 night's tuition, in the tackle illustrated on opposite page, at 

 the hands of an experienced man, will generally result in the 

 pupil turning to left or right in its own length, like a polo 

 pony. With this preliminary training, even the heaviest 



