100 HUMANE HORSE-TRAINING 



The thing is to break the habit, and not to break the 

 horse or his mouth. Horses soon form habits. " Get 

 over " in the stable, stopping at a famiUar old inn, and 

 everything your horse does regularly are habits. Some 

 horses develop bad habits and are allowed to continue 

 in them, but if they are properly broken as colts and 

 trained they will not form bad ones. They will thoroughly 

 understand their masters and what is said by them. 



To break a horse of the bolting habit it is necessary 

 first of all to make good friends, and show your animal 

 that you are his lord and master at all times. To do 

 this you must lay him down on the ground and make a 

 fuss of him, feed him with apples, sugar and bread. Then 

 allow him to get up, but continue to caress him. Re- 

 member he is a runaway, that he has never been taught 

 the correct meaning of the word " whoa," and the 

 habit of stopping at command has not been developed. 

 In short, the schooldays were very brief and his lessons 

 were very poor ones ; his education has been neglected. 



To continue the method of breaking, the horse is 

 harnessed in bridle and ordinary humane bit, with long 

 reins and surcingle, and is driven in a field, and the 

 " Whoa ! " is given at various points. When giving 

 this command I draw the reins tight and pull the horse 

 up, continuing this for half an hour to make him 



