BREAKING. 317 



cavesson, boots, roller, crupper, &c., are all put on, and a long 

 leading-rein of webbing is attached to the ring in the nose of 

 the cavesson, just as if the colt was going to be led out as usual. 

 But instead of merely leading, the colt is made to walk round a 

 circle on some piece of soft turf; and then when he has learnt 

 to do this kindly he is made to canter slowly round, the assist- 

 ant walking behind him until he will progress by himself, which 

 he soon learns to do. As soon as he has gone round the circle 

 in one direction a dozen times or so, he may be turned round and 

 made to reverse it, which prevents giddiness, and also any un- 

 due strain upon either leg. This process is repeated at various 

 times throughout the breaking, and is the best mode of keeping 

 the colt quiet by giving him any amount of work on the canter 

 or gallop. It is not, however, used for the same purpose as in 

 the ordinary breaking of hacks and harness horses, where it is 

 made a means of getting them upon their haunches ; an alter- 

 ation from a state of nature which it is not desirable to effect in 

 the race-horse. On the contrary, it is often necessary to make 

 him extend himself still more than he otherwise would, and the 

 less he is upon his haunches the better. The bit, therefore, is 

 never used in his mouth as a means of putting him back upon 

 his hind legs ; whilst it is, on the other hand, used more to make 

 the horse extend himself b}^ playing with it, and slighth' resist- 

 ing its tendency to confine his mouth. 



Tlie mouthing-bit may now be put on, and its construction 

 and form are of the utmost importance to the future delicacy of 

 mouth which is so essential to the action of the race-horse. In 

 no kind of horse is the snaffle-bridle so desirable as in the race- 

 horse, in which a curb is always a means of making him gal- 

 lop in too round a style ; and yet when he pulls very strongly, 

 this is a less evil than to let him get away with his rider, and 

 either bolt out of the course or destroy his chance by over-run- 

 ning himself early in the race. Hence it is doubly ncessary to 

 guard against making the angles of the mouth sore, for if once 

 they get into that state they are almost sure to become more or 

 less callous and insensible. But if during breaking, a snaffle of 

 any kind, large or small, is used, this result is almost sure to 

 occur, either in the horse's early fighting with his bit, or when 

 "put upon it" in the stable. Instead of a snaffle, a bit without 



