HANDLING AND BREAKING. 233 



broken in double harness beside a steady 

 break horse. We sometimes hear the opinion 

 expressed that the colt should be put into 

 single harness at once, since he must go 

 through this experience sooner or later. 

 In this opinion I do not concur, though 

 I have driven several horses for the first 

 time in this way myself, and have never 

 had any trouble with them; but have only 

 (wittingly) attempted it when I have been 

 without the appliances for breaking in double 

 harness, and had good reason to believe 

 from previous observation of his character, 

 that the animal was of a tractable dis- 

 position, not easily alarmed, and by no 

 means likely to give way to panic, whatever 

 happened. With an animal of the contrary 

 disposition I should consider such an experi- 

 ment a tempting of Providence. 



I used the word "wittingly" with inten- 

 tion, for I once did this very thing without 

 any such assurance unknowingly. It hap- 



