HAL TER- TWITCH. 



129 



The halter-twitch. — With an ordinary halter, or with 

 the improvised halter which I have shown in Fig. 19, the 

 breaker may apply a modification of the rope-twitch (see 

 page 132), by making a half hitch 

 with the free part of the rope of 

 the halter, passing the loop over 

 the ears (see Fig. 37), bringing 

 the lower part of the loop under 

 the animal's upper lip, and then 

 pulling it tight (see Figs. 38 and 

 39). He may jerk the rope 

 (leading rein) three or four 

 times, accompanying the action 

 on each occasion with the word 

 " steady ! " I may mention that 

 the part of the rope which passes 

 under the upper lip should be 

 kept slack, except when the jerk 

 is given, and that any other suit- 

 able word may be substituted 

 for that of " steady ! " No horse, 

 when thus secured, will attempt 

 any aggressive movement towards 

 the man who holds the leading 

 rein. The rope may be jerked 

 and the word " steady ! " used 

 as may be required. The pain 

 inflicted by the application of 

 this twitch is a necessary evil which may well be dis- 

 regarded ; for its amount is trifling in comparison with 



K 



Ficr. 



61' 



-Halter-twitch. 



