CHAPTER XI 

 THE FIRST WORK ON FOOT 



THE breaking in has for its object merely to accus- 

 tom the young horse to the feeling of harness, girths, 

 and saddle, and to the beginnings of control by the 

 trainer. The early work on foot is but a continua- 

 tion of the breaking in. Its object is to lead the 

 green animal to understand the various contacts 

 and effects, of which, of course, he is, at the begin- 

 ning, completely ignorant. By this preliminary 

 work on foot, we educate the horse to submit to the 

 contact of the bits, which at first cause an anxiety 

 which must be completely overcome. 



The horse, saddled and bridled, is led to the spot 

 selected for the first lesson. The stirrups are raised 

 on the saddle, and the snaffle reins are passed 

 forward over the head, and held in the left hand of 

 the trainer, who stands in front facing the animal, 

 the whip in his right hand. The man speaks 

 soothingly, exhibits the whip, and with it caresses 

 the horse's forehead, nostrils, ears, and both sides 

 of the neck. (Figure I.) 



At first, the horse will be uneasy. But shortly he 

 becomes calm, finding that no pain follows the 

 touch of the whip, and encouraged by the man's 

 voice and his complete immobility. Thereupon, the 



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