232 HORSE PORTRAITURE. 



he goes on with as light a pull as is compatible. Horses 

 that are not addicted to pulling, frequently take a very 

 sharp hold of the iron when scoring, or in the first start 

 of a race. With these we will have to be very gentle, 

 ruffling them as little as possible, and yet suffering them 

 to come to the score at their best flight of speed. It is a 

 great thing to have a horse that will go from the score 

 well, enabling you to make choice of the track, and ob- 

 taining other advantages that a leading horse always pos- 

 sesses. The pull we were forced to give at the outset can 

 soon be slackened, provided we have been lucky enough 

 not to have made a mistake. Though I find I am again 

 traveling away from the subject, I thought it a good time 

 to say something about harnessing when the union be- 

 tween martingales and breaking presented itself. There 

 is much yet to think about relative to the leathern equip- 

 ments ; and after Jane displays her capabilities, and you 

 jog Falcon and Never Mind, we will resume the consider- 

 ation of martingales, check reins, and blinders. 



PUPIL. I want to recall your promise, that you would 

 devise a way that I could exercise Jane without danger 

 of her running away. I am not afraid of her absolutely 

 getting away with me, though I am fearful of injuring her 

 mouth in restraining her. 



PRECEPTOR. I see you have followed instructions in 

 putting a chain-bit in her mouth. Hitch her to the wagon 

 and I will jog her myself, and my word for it, she goes as 

 quietly as can be expected. 



There, you see she did not act badly, only compelling 

 me to bring her to a stop a few times before she learned 

 that all that I required was for her to go slow. It is true, 

 that, when I turned her around to try her the right way 

 of the track, she was somewhat excited. But finding, 

 that I would permit her to walk only, she acquiesced like 

 the well-bred one she is. She must make her mark, if for 



