ON BREAKING RACING COLTS. 359 



As some colts may take a little less time in breaking 

 than others, the colt breaker should now and then stop 

 such of them as he may see have moist mouths, and 

 that are getting pretty forward. Placing himself in 

 front of any such colt, and taking hold of each side of 

 the check of the bit, he may, by a gentle pressure, feel 

 the state of the colt's mouth ; and if he finds it tolerably 

 sensible to the pressure of the bit, he may, by applying 

 pressure to it at short intervals, get himtoreinbackalittle. 

 Let the colt stand, and make much of him; this will give 

 him a notion of stopping or reining back by pressure 

 being applied to the bit when he is rode. But it must be 

 done in a very gentle way, and he should then be suf- 

 fered to walk forward again. As each colt progres- 

 sively improves, he should be handled in this way. 



Having now got thus far forward in their breaking, 

 and having left off noticing the straps hanging about 

 them, it may not be amiss now and then to lead such 

 of them as are intended for country running, on such 

 public roads as are level and good, and which are not 

 too much crowded with vehicles, merely with a view 

 to accustom them to the different objects they are likely 

 to meet when travelling from one meeting to another. 



As soon as they are sufficiently reconciled to the dif- 

 ferent objects on a road, so as to walk boldly on, with- 

 out noticing what they meet, the men walking by their 

 side, instead of walking on before and leading them, 

 they may desist from frequenting the roads. The colt 

 breaker should now direct the men as they are walking 



