THE HORSE. 
23 
discharge his servant as cruelty, or even harshness, toward 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. 
Breaking in Harness. — Having become a little tractable, portions of the 
harness may be put upon him, concluding with the blind winkers; and, 
a few days afterward, he may go into the team. It would be better if 
there could be one horse before and one behind him, besides the shaft 
horse. There should at first be the mere empty wagon. Nothing 
should be done to him, except that he should have an occasional 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 in- 
creased. 
Rilling. — 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 resis- 
tance ; 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. 
Backing. — When lie begins a little to understand his business, back- 
ing — the most difficult part of his work — may be taught him ; first to 
back well without any thing behind him, and then with a light cart, and 
afterward 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 every thing that can be wished. Some carters are in the habit 
of blinding the colt when teaching him to back. This may be neces- 
sary with a restive and obstinate one, but should be used only as a last 
resort. 
Obedience. — The colt having been thus partially broken-in, the neces- 
sity of implicit obedience must be taught him, and that not by severity, 
but by firmness and steadiness. 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 resist- 
ance. That resistance has been followed by greater severity, 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 
