Breaking Yearlings. 133 



handed rider can do little damage ; but where ' ' mouthing 

 and backing " proceed simultaneously, the practitioner will 

 require to have better " hands " and seat, than the average 

 stable lad possesses, if the pupil's mouth is to escape per- 

 manent damage. 



MORE LESSONS. 



The results of the first seven days' operations will be 

 that the yearling lunges smartly from left to right and 

 vice versa, and has become familiar with the bit. The next 

 stages are getting light, well-fitted shoes put on the fore feet 

 (after which shin boots will be worn when at exercise), and 

 teaching to lead on the bit. An extra piece of narrow web, 

 about six feet long, will now be required. After the yearling 

 has finished his spell of lungeing for the day, the short 

 piece of web should be passed through the ring of the 

 couplings under the chin. This web and the long lungeing 

 rein, which latter is, of course, attached to the nose-band of 

 the cavesson, are so held in the one hand (p. 134) that the 

 greatest pressure falls on the cavesson, if the yearling plays 

 any pranks. In the case of a bad shy or plunge, the 

 attendant slides his hand down the two reins, and automatic- 

 ally releases the short web attached to the bit, and throws all 

 his weight on to the cavesson rein, thus avoiding inflicting 

 injury on the yearling's mouth. Each succeeding day the 

 pressure put on the bit should be gradually increased, and 

 the end of the second week's training should find the 

 yearling leading quietly on the bit alone. 



For the third and final week's work a pair of knee-caps 

 must be added to the pupil's outfit. After the necessary 

 spell of lungeing, the cavesson rein will be changed on to 

 the bit, the knee-caps put on, and the yearling will finish the 

 day's work with a bout of walking on the public roads, to 



