86 The Horse Farrier. 



stand on the right side of the horse, and hold him by 

 the bit, while you stand on the left side, facing the 

 sulky. This will keep him straight. Run your left 

 hand back, and let it rest on his hip, and lay hold of 

 the shafts with your right, bringing them up very 

 gently to the left hand, which still remains stationary. 

 Do not let anything but your arm touch his back, and 

 as soon as you have the shafts square over him, let the 

 person on the opposite side take hold of one of them, 

 and lower them very gently to the shaft-bearers. Be 

 very slow and deliberate about hitching ; the longer 

 time you take, the better, as a general thing. When 

 you have the shafts placed, shake them slightly, so that 

 he will feel them against each side. As soon as he will 

 bear them without scaring, fasten your braces, etc., 

 and start him along very slowly. Let one man lead 

 the horse, to keep him gentle, while the other grad- 

 ually works back with the lines till he can get behind 

 and drive him. After you have driven him in this way 

 a short distance, you can get into the sulky and all 

 will go right. It is very important to have your horse 

 go gently, when you first hitch him. After you have 

 walked him awhile, there is not half so much danger 

 of his scaring. Men do very wrong to jump behind a 

 horse to drive him as soon as they have him hitched. 

 There are too many things for him to comprehend all 

 at once. The shafts, the lines, the harness and the 

 rattling of the sulky, all tend to scare him, and he must 

 be made familiar with them by degrees. If your horse 

 is very wild, I would advise you to put up one foot the 

 first time you drive him. 



