GENERAL PREPARATION FOR WORK. 293 



an assistant. Upon no account should the rider come off, or 

 be thrown off. If the colt will not move, it' he can be neither 

 led nor driven forward, the lash must be applied. At this, 

 the first struggle, the colt must be compelled to obey. He 

 should be punished in good earnest. If he gain the first 

 battle he will be sure to make a struggle for the second, and 

 the third, until he acquires a habit of rebelling wherever and 

 whenever obedience is demanded. It is much better, how- 

 ever, if punishment can be dispensed with, especially at an 

 early stage of the breaking. Gentle measures are to be fairly 

 tried, and not abandoned till they have fairly failed. The 

 lash should be the last resource, and it ought never to be ap- 

 plied unless the horse can fully understand why. 



Very rebellious colts are sometimes worked and starved 

 till they are a good deal reduced. It is a certain mode of 

 subduing the very wildest ; but must not be carried so far as 

 to injure the legs. 



[A colt should be halter-broke at three weeks old, and may 

 be broken in to do very light work in harness at two years 

 old ; but should not be backed, except by a small boy, till 

 three years old, and a very light man, till four years old. If 

 he is backed earlier than this by a heavy man, the weight 

 upon him is so great, that he can not lift his fore feet suf- 

 ficiently high in his action, and he is consequently apt to 

 make a stumbler for life ; and he rarely carries himself with 

 that lightness, ease, and freedom, under the saddle, that he 

 otherwise would, if not backed by so heavy a weight at this 

 early age. It is also liable to injure the spine and- make the 

 horse hollow-backed. 



A simple bitting bridle is the best instrument to prepare the 

 horse for breaking. After being well bitted, he may be har- 

 nessed daily for a week or so, then be taken out and led by 

 the side of another horse ; then driven along some quiet place 

 with him ; then on the road ; and finally, hitched in along- 

 side to a light vehicle, for regular work. After thus driving 

 him a few weeks, let him stand under the saddle a few days, 

 then mounted and ridden by the side of a well-trained horse. 

 In learning him to back, commence on descending ground, 

 where the vehicle will run back of itself, and so gradually 

 come to ascending ground. We have broke many horses in 

 this way, several of which were naturally rather vicious, and 

 most of them very high-spirited, and yet we never had oc- 

 casion to strike a blow, or use any harsh means whatever to 

 accomplish our object. Horses only want to be properly 



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