254 DRAUGHT AND HAENESS. 



hitch occurs, this man should be immediately at the 

 horse's head, ready to pat its neck, and give it a good 

 word. Sometimes, when one is obliged to train raw 

 young horses quickly, a cavesson with a man holding 

 the lounge-line* on each side should be resorted to, for 

 which reason it is, as has been already observed, very 

 important to make horses handy on the lounge, previ- 

 ously to putting them in harness at all. 



At first the trainer will do well to avoid all attempts 

 at turning with the reins alone, and will prefer working 

 as much as possible on straight lines and on the level. 

 If a turning be unavoidable, the assistant goes to the 

 animal's head, and if necessary, " leads " in the required 

 direction ; and if an ascent must be mounted, assistance 

 should be given from behind by shoving the vehicle. 

 By carefully avoiding all occasions for misunderstanding 

 during the first two or three days, very rapid progress 

 may be generally made ; whereas by being in too great 

 a hurry, or exhibiting too much energy at the wrong 

 time and place, much mischief may be done and a deal 

 of time lost. 



When your horse or horses draw willingly on the 

 straight road you may begin to make them handy in 

 turning, in halting, standing patiently for a time and 

 then starting quietly again. A large square or court- 

 yard is the best place to practise this part of the work, 

 driving along the sides and rounding-off the corners 

 well to commence with, then changing hands on the 

 diagonal and ending with a figure of 8. It is nice, 

 pleasant, and not altogether unintellectual work, to 



* This word "lounge" is evidently a corruption of the French 

 longe, from allonger, as " cavesson " is of the German kapp zaum, 

 derived from Spanish cabeza, the head. 



