BECOVEKING FKOM A BEEAK. 231 



from the pace being too rapid, making a mis-step, or be- 

 coming tired, breaks. His recollections are of being pun- 

 ished by having the bit twitched about in his mouth, and 

 he throws his head up to bring the bit on the least sensi- 

 tive part. The fear overcomes his judgment, and he com- 

 pletely loses his presence of mind, making a " terrible bad 

 break." The dead pull the short martingale produces 

 further worries him, and he tries, with short, sudden jerks 

 of his head to free himself from the restraint. With the 

 lengthened martingale there is only a little friction be- 

 tween the rein and ring not sufficient to misplace the 

 girth. We get far better control of the horse's head, and 

 there is not near the danger of doubling him up, so that 

 he will strike his knee or grab his quarters. 



Drivers have generally a favorite way, peculiar to them- 

 selves, of recovering a horse from a break. One throws 

 his body back in the sulky, and his whole weight on one 

 rein, drawing the horse's head around till his neck forms 

 the arc of a circle, with a very short radius. Another 

 snatches him from one side to the other, while a third 

 yaws him about as far as the width of the track will 

 permit. My plan is varied. If a horse breaks when I 

 have been forced to pull him sharply, to keep him on his 

 feet, I immediately slacken the rein, giving him the free 

 use of his head, as it is possible he may have been par- 

 tially choking under the pull. Throwing his nose out is a 

 great relief to him under these circumstances. Should he 

 not catch of his own accord after going a few lengths, I 

 give him a little shake with one rein, as a reminder that 

 he is doing wrong, accompanied by a gentle pull, which 

 will always succeed in those horses I have worked myself. 

 If a horse is overtrotting, and flies up excited, a sharp, 

 strong pull, lifting him, as it were, back to his trotting- 

 gait is often successful, without the loss of much ground. 

 As soon as you feel him settled, ease away gradually till 



