CURE OF VICES 55 



Simple as all this sounds, the trainer needs his 

 wits about him and must be alert of foot and eye, 

 as well as hand. Sometimes, with a really bad 

 horse, it takes some little time even to get the 

 straps adjusted and the foot fastened up, and if 

 the horse is large and strong, the trainer should 

 have an assistant, the latter holding the horse's 

 head by a long rein attached to the bridle, while 

 the trainer handles only the foot-strap. 



When the horse has lain on the ground for a 

 few minutes- — long enough, say, for his brains to 

 settle a bit — release the straps and let him get 

 up. Then repeat the operation and keep on till 

 he ceases to make much resistance and shows, by 

 his altered demeanor, that he has lost confidence 

 in himself. He is now ready to harness. In this 

 proceed as follows: 



Have ready a strap one and one-half inches 

 wide and e-ight inches long, with a ring sewed 

 strongly into each end. Attach this firmly to 

 the top of the bridle, so that the ring hangs just 

 over the rosettes. Have an extra bit (a straight 

 one, not joined) in your horse's mouth. Now 

 take a strong cotton cord about as large as the 

 little finger and, having one end in the breaking- 

 cart, carry the other end forward through the off 

 terret, up through the off ring on your short 

 strap, down through the off ring of the extra bit, 



