220 MOUNTED BREAKING. 



being circled and turned at a trot, as well as at a walk, the 

 mounted assistant may be given a pair of ordinary reins to 

 hold and to guide the horse, while the breaker manipulates 

 the long reins, which may be removed after a few minutes, 

 and the entire guidance of the animal confided to the rider. 

 By degrees the rider should accustom the horse to the feel 

 of his drawn-back and unarmed heels, and may stimulate 

 the animal to go on by " clicking " to him. He should be 

 careful while circling, turning, reining back, walking and 

 trotting the horse, to use the reins in as nearly as possible 

 the same way as the breaker did on foot. 



Tn the foregoing description of mounting the horse 

 for the first time, I have mentioned some precautions 

 which, like the use of the heavy sack and rope-twitch, 

 would be necessary only in exceptional cases. If we err, 

 we should certainly do so on the side of prudence ; for one 

 of the worst possible lessons which the horse can learn is 

 that of finding out that he can throw his rider. 



In cases of difficulty, or when great expedition is 

 demanded, we may adopt the following method, which 

 I believe I have been the first to think out and put into 

 practice. Having made the horse go round and round 

 according to the head and tail method (see page 169), and 

 having by it taken any remaining " nonsense " out of him, 

 put over the headstall — which I take for granted has a 

 short strap or rope attached to its off-side D, see page 170 

 — a snaffle bridle, and knot the reins on the animal's neck, 

 so that they will not hang down. Place the saddle on the 

 horse's back, pass the outer girth or the surcingle over the 

 cord which connects the head with the tail, and girth up. 



