BREAKING IN. 321 



poverty and of misery. This is the first scene of cruelty to the horse of inferior 

 breed, and destined for inferior purpose *." 



The process of breaking-in should commence from the very period of wean- 

 ing. The foal should be daily handled, partially dressed, accustomed to the 

 halter when led about, and even tied up. The tractability, and good temper, and 

 value of the horse, depend a great deal more upon this than breeders are aware. 



Everything should be done, as much as possible, by the man who feeds 

 the colt, and whose management of him should be always kind and gentle. 

 There is no fault for which a breeder should so invariably discharge his servant 

 as cruelty, or even harshness, towards the rising stock ; for the principle on 

 which their after usefulness is founded, is early attachment to, and confidence 

 in man, and obedience, implicit obedience, resulting principally from this. 



After the second winter the work of breaking-in may commence in good 

 earnest. The colt may be bitted, and a bit selected that will not hurt 

 his mouth, and much smaller than those in common use. With this he may 

 be suffered to amuse himself, and to play, and to champ it for an hour, on 

 a few successive days. 



Having become a little tractable, portions of the harness may be put upon 

 him, concluding with the blind winkers j and, a few days afterwards, he 

 may go into the team. It would be better if there could be one horse before, and 

 one behind him, beside the shaft horse. There should at first be the mere empty 

 waggon. Nothing should be done to him, except that he should have an occa- 

 sional pat or kind word. The other horses will keep him moving, and in his 

 place ; and no great time will pass, sometimes not even the first day, before he 

 will begin to pull with the rest. The load may then be gradually increased. 



The agricultural horse is sometimes wanted to ride as well as to draw. Let his 

 first lesson be given when he is in the team. Let his feeder, if possible, be first put 

 upon him. He will be too much hampered by his harness, and by the other 

 horses, to make much resistance ; and, in the majority of cases, will quietly and 

 at once submit. We need not to repeat, that no whip or spur should be used in 

 giving the first lessons in riding. 



When he begins a little to understand his business, backing — the most difficult 

 part of his work— may be taught him ; first to back well without anything be- 

 hind him, and then with a light cart, and afterwards with some serious load — 

 always taking the greatest care not seriously to hurt his mouth. If the first 

 lesson causes much soreness of the gums, the colt will not readily submit to a 

 second. If he has been previously rendered tractable by kind usage, time and 

 patience will do everything that can be wished. Some carters are in the habit 

 of blinding the colt when teaching him to back. This may be necessary with 

 a restive and obstinate one, but should be used only as a last resort. 



The colt having been thus partially broken-in, the necessity of implicit obe- 

 dience must be taught him, and that not by severity, but by firmness and steadi- 

 ness. The voice will go a great way, but the whip or the spur is sometimes 

 indispensable — not so severely applied as to excite the animal to resistance, but 

 to convince him that we have the power to enforce submission. Few — it may 

 almost be said, no horses, are naturally vicious. It is cruel usage which has 

 first provoked resistance. That resistance has been followed by greater seve- 

 rity, and the stubbornness of the animal has increased. Open warfare has 

 ensued, in which the man has seldom gained advantage, and the horse has been 

 frequently rendered unserviceable. Correction may, or must be used, to enforce 

 implicit obedience after the education has proceeded to a certain extent, but the 

 early lessons should be inculcated with kindness alone. Young colts are some- 



* Youatt on Humanity lo Animals, p. US, 



