96 CAUTION. 



forty minutes, that was entirely unmanageable in harness. 

 Mr. Collins, as a last resort, with the purpose of driving him 

 at all hazards, tied the horse back to another by his side, 

 and even then the reckless young brute succeeded in getting 

 away. I could multiply these exceptional cases by the hun- 

 dred, if I desired : indeed, almost every day or two, colts 

 and horses are brought forward to be handled before the 

 class, that cannot be driven in harness, horses that have 

 been spoiled, or that had never been put in harness ; and 

 with some only exceptional cases I have no trouble in driving, 

 even without breeching, in fifteen to thirty minutes. The 

 point to be attained is, to weaken the resistance, and get per- 

 fect hold of the mouth, making it perfectly flexible to the 

 restraint of the bit. If the horse is cold-blooded and decid- 

 edly courageous, you are, at first, likely to experience great 

 opposition; for in proportion as the horse is warmed up, 

 he will be likely to fight your effort to control him with an 

 insane fury that makes him seem regardless of any thing you 

 may do. This is not unusual if the horse is a very bad one, 

 and has been successful in resisting the bit. Have no fear 

 of the result. Keep cool ; follow up one point after 'another 

 until there is complete submission, and your success will be 

 sure. The course I take is this : if the horse becomes warm 

 and reckless, to stop until cool, when I go to work as before ; 

 you gain a great advantage by letting the horse get cool, as 

 he is now, from the effects of the previous lesson, keenly sus- 

 ceptible to pain, and can usually be rushed over the point of 

 contest before he gets warm again. The sensibilities are so 

 blunted, when thoroughly mad and warmed up, that it is dif- 

 ficult to make the horse yield when greatly excited ; but, 

 however stubborn, letting the horse get cool and then repeat- 

 ing the lesson will insure success. I will say here, that I 

 never in all my experience had any serious injury result to 

 the mouth by any seeming severity. If I find the horse is 

 of a strong, reckless, positive character, I go to work very 

 carefully, giving myself time to repeat the lesson. 



CAUTIOET. 



I would caution here not to push colts by fighting them 

 too hard with the breaking-bit. But we will suppose the 

 colt is but partly broken, has a strong, heavy mouth. If 



