REQUIREMENTS IN THE BREAKER. 35 



there are but few horses entirely free from some riding 

 or driving fault which more or less impairs their value, 

 and which, as a rule, can be readily corrected. Besides the 

 formation of " mouth " and " manners " in the unhandled 

 horse, as well as in the " spoiled " one ; breaking compre- 

 hends the special education of the horse in many different 

 capacities. 



Requirements in the breaker. — To break-in a horse 

 properly, one requires to have knowledge, patience, readi- 

 ness of resource, sympathy, skill, coolness, and pluck. 

 Horse-breaking, I may state, is partly an art and partly a 

 science. In its former relation, dexterity to carry out its 

 mechanical details is necessary. In the latter, acquaint- 

 ance with the laws which respectively govern the working 

 of the animal's mind and body is needed. All such indis- 

 pensable knowledge will, however, be in vain, unless the 

 breaker has patience to apply it in an exact manner, and 

 without allowing himself to be influenced in any way by 

 feelings of impatience, anger, or resentment. Horses vary 

 mentally as much as they do physically. Some are quick 

 and docile ; others, stupid and stubborn. If their lack of 

 comprehension or wilful disobedience causes their teacher 

 to lose his temper, the exhibition of his annoyance will 

 assuredly frighten out of the timid ones whatever sense 

 may have been in their heads, and will provoke the sullen 

 ones to resistance, if not to retaliation. To be successful, 

 he should adopt the maxim of patience, patience, and still 

 more patience Not alone are horses of infinite variety as 

 regards their dispositions ; but the causes of their failings or 



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