Stabling Colts. 71 



liim gently a few times with your hand, and then raise 

 the saddle very slowly, until lie can see it, and smell, and 

 feel it with his nose. Then let the skirts loose, and rub 

 it very gently agamst the neck the way the hair lays, let- 

 ting him hear the rattle of the skirts as he feels them 

 against him, each time getting a little farther backward, 

 and finally slij) it over his shoulders on his back. Shake 

 it a little with your hand, and in less than five minutes 

 you can rattle it over his back as much as you please, and 

 pull it off and throw it on again, without his paying 

 much attention to it. 



As soon as you have accustomed him to the saddle, 

 fasten the girth. Be careful how you do this. It often 

 frightens the colt when he feels the girth binding him, 

 and making the saddle fit tight on his back. You 

 should bring up the girth very gently, and not draw it 

 too tight at first, just enough to hold the saddle on. 

 Move Mm a little, and then trirth it as tight as you 

 choose, and he will not mind it. 



You should see that the pad of your saddle is all 

 right before you put it on, and that there is nothing to 

 make it hurt him, or feel unpleasant to his back. It 

 should not have any loose straps on the back part of 

 it, to flap about and scare him. After you have sad- 

 dled him in this way, take a switch in your right hand, 

 to tap him up with, and walk about in the stable a few 

 times with your right arm over your saddle, taking 

 hold of the reins on each side of his neck, with your 

 right and left hands ; .thus marching him about in the 

 stable until you learn him the use of the bridle, and 

 can turn him about in any direction, and stop him by a 

 gentle pull of the rein. Always caress him, and loose 

 the reins a little every time you stop him. 



