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METHODS OF HORSE-CONTROL. 



side, he would be in the awkward position of having his 

 neck doubled under him. Although this position looks dan- 

 gerous to the horse which gets into it ; I have never seen, 

 in many scores of cases, any injury result from it. The 

 horse may now be kept, say ten minutes, on the ground 

 with his head pulled round to his side (see Fig. 75), and 

 *' gentled." When " gentling " the horse on the ground, 

 the breaker should remain at his back (as I have already 

 mentioned), so as to keep out of reach of his heels. 



Fig- 75- — Horse on ground with head pulled round. 



Having carefully attached a rope-noose to the off hind 

 pastern, the breaker may pull that hind limb towards himself 

 and gentle it. 



The " gentling " is performed by passing the hand over 

 the various parts of the body, gently rubbing, kneading 

 or bending them as may be required to make the horse 

 relax his muscles, when the touch of the hand causes 

 him to. contract them from fright or from resentment. The 

 object of the gentling is to show the horse that he need fear 

 nothing from the touch of man, and that he must submit to 



