HARD AND SOFT MOUTHS. 133 



a mare. Whether the presence of this tooth in 

 the mouth of a mare is a sign of sterility I am 

 not in a position to state, as I have never taken 

 the trouble to ascertain, although it has often 

 occurred to me that such may be the case. With 

 this preamble I may proceed. 



In a young horse the mouth is naturally tender 

 — in other words, every horse is born with what is 

 called a good mouth. It rests, therefore, entirely 

 with the breaker as to whether that mouth is 

 spoiled (hardened) or not. It is also true that all 

 horses have not the same temperament ; where one 

 is quiet and docile and easily broken, another is 

 equally impatient of control, and fights against the 

 bit which is placed in his mouth ; and here the 

 patience and delicacy of touch which a good horse- 

 breaker should possess is called into play. Every 

 abrasion of the tender mouth by the steel of the 

 bit tends to harden a horse's mouth, until, in the 

 hands of a man who is wanting in either touch or 

 temper, it becomes callous, and the horse's mouth 

 is spoiled and he is taught to pull. It may there- 

 fore be rightly argued that where a horse is a 

 puller his mouth has been spoiled by bad hand- 

 ling, though I have fully proved to my own 

 satisfaction that it is quite possible by a long 

 course of gentleness and patience to do very much 



