RUNNING AWAY. 91 



The course I take is this : with the harness on, and refus- 

 ing to go ^ahead, or after running back when pulled upon, I 

 put on the war-bridle, as for double balker, and I lift him 

 ahead ; and he gives up all inclination to try again to resist. 

 I follow up now, using the whip around the hind legs once 

 in a while keenly ; the main point being to be thorough ; at 

 first, if thought advisable for security, using the foot-strap 

 when attached to a wagon. This is a habit we break up very 

 easily. Once the inclination is overcome, the. horse is usually 

 safe. 



RUNNING AWAY. -WILL NOT BACK. -FULLING ON 

 ONE REIN. 



This habit is the result of the present defective system of 

 breaking horses. Nothing is done to overcome the nervous 

 sensibility and fear of the colt or horse. He is simply put 

 in harness. There is no certain control of the mouth by the 

 bit. Something goes wrong, which excites the fears, and 

 away the horse goes, in defiance of any restraint upon the 

 mouth with reins and bit, as a reckless horse can run away 

 in defiance of the united pulling of several men on the bit. 

 It is an important part of our programme not to make a 

 failure, or expose to injury or loss ; to be able to measure 

 the difficulty of the case, and make no guess-work in its 

 control, is the first condition. An ordinary case will, of 

 course, yield readily to a firm, strong hand and sharp bit ; 

 but all this is only palliative, and far from sufficient when a 

 horse is decidedly bad, and learns to rush against the bit. 

 The main point of my success in the management of this 

 habit is in going to work indirectly at the cause ; and here I 

 am most thorough. But I do not stop here : I culminate 

 my treatment upon the mouth ; and after once taking the 

 point in hand, never leave it, let the time be short or long, 

 repeating, if necessary, until the mouth is perfectly plastic to 

 the gentlest restraint of the bit. Thus I can and do make 

 a radical reform, and it is the only way it can be done 

 practically. The first step I aim for in training the colt, is 

 to make him as gentle as any old, well-broken horse ; the 

 next, to get perfect control of the mouth. I am, in conse- 

 quence, able to do easily and surely what is very difficult, if 

 not impossible to, by the ordinary system of bitting and 



