388 PREPARATION. 



can assure my reader, to do it is miicli easier to talk 

 about than to perform. But in case he should see a 

 horse of his own tried in harness, and that he may be 

 able to judge whether all is being done as it should 

 be, I will give him the best information experience 

 enables me to do on the subject. He will then, should 

 his horse not go quietly, be enabled to judge whether 

 the fault is in the animal, or arises from ignorance 

 or design in those about him ; that is, supposing the 

 method I point out to be correct : of that others must 

 judge, but I do not think I am very far astray. 



When a horse is tried for the first time, it is the 

 usual practice to put him in double harness — I always 

 try him first in single, for reasons I will hereafter 

 give ; but this horse we "will suppose to be going into 

 the double-break, and that we have time to do what 

 we wish. Having been always fond of this sort of 

 thing, I have, of course, broke many to harness for 

 my o"svn use, ten times as many for my friends, and, 

 by dint of patience and perseverance, have seldom 

 been beat even by the roughest pupils. Where there 

 are breaks, break-horse, breaksman, and help at hand, 

 what I should do, expect, and, indeed, insist on being 

 done with a horse of mine, would be this. The horse 

 should be harnessed in the stable : this prevents him 

 shying from the harness when being put on him. An 

 open collar should be put on to avoid shoving one 

 over his head and eyes to alarm him : the harness is 

 then very gently put on his back ; the crupper, of 

 course, unbuckles at the side, so as to allow his 

 tail to be easily placed on it, and let down by de- 

 grees: this being done, the horse is to be turned 

 round in his stall, and, with his winkers on, put on 

 the pillar reins : he thus feels the harness, and gets 



