IIORS E 
Me to fide, will keep the mouth frelh and cool. If the 
twitted or rough fnaffle be thought too harfli, and the 
hand not fkilf'ul enough to moderate its effefts, a fmooth 
fnaffle may be ufed ; or, if a bit of linen be wrapt round 
the twitted fnaffle, it will make it eafy and fmooth; and 
the mouth, once made fine and delicate, will be true to 
its feelings, will obey the fnafflle, and follow the hand 
with as much ■ exaftnefs and preciilon as the bit know's to 
demand, but with more freedom and boldnefs than it ever 
can allow. See the article Bit, vol. iii. p. 71. 
Much feverity of difcipline, and ufelefs parade, has for 
a long time degraded the profefiion of the horfe-breaker. 
To do away thefe evils, and at the fame time to afford 
every gentleman an opportunity of having his colts broken 
by any intelligent and trufty groom of his own, the inge¬ 
nious Mr. Hughes, the celebrated Equeftrian of the Royal 
Circus, has publifhed the following new and eafy rules 
for the molt judicious method of breaking colts. 
When the colt has Been mouthed, and made familiar 
and traftable by kind and gentle ufage, put on the head- 
ftall and caveffon, with a pair of long reins; but fo loofe 
and eafy over his nofe', that it may neither abate his cou¬ 
rage, nor impair his fenfibility of feeling. Then in the 
gentleft manner put a riding-faddle on his back, with an 
upright fhort pommel, fo that the hand may not be im¬ 
peded from its due and proper exercife. The bolfters of 
it fhould be broader in the top to inclofe the thigh, and 
yet to bear fo floping that the knee be not pinched, nor 
the thigh with-held from the true refting-place. The 
feat of the faddle fhould be of a reafonable length and 
largenefs, the bolfters behind bearing, forward, to inclofe 
and fupport the thigh, to the bolfters in the forepart, the 
ftrapper of which muff be broad and ftrong, and fo muft 
be the girth and buckles, -which fhould be crofs-girded, 
fo that the faddle may reft firm upon the colt’s back ; 
which will render the feat eafy, fure, and Certain. Let 
the off llirrup be almoft half a hole ihorter than the near. 
But, as the colt is completely ignorant of what his matter 
intends for him to do, let an old horfe be faddled, and 
rode before him. At the fame time let the breaker ufe 
him with all poffible gentlenefs, ftroking and Toothing 
him by kind words, and patting his neck. The reins 
muft be of an equal length, and you muft hold them with 
eafe, neither too tight nor too loofe, in your left hand. 
Being, mounted, fit quietly for a while, left the colt 
fhould be djfturbed at any fudden motion. When you 
are fettled in the faddle, obferve that your nofe be direCftly 
in a line with the horfe’s foretop, between his ears, with 
your legs ftraight down, neither thrufting down the toe, 
nor lifting up the heel, but with your foot fo evenly in 
the Itirrup as if you flood on the ground. Let the ftirrup- 
leathers be rather fhprt than long, wfinding your toes 
fomewhat nearer to the horfe’s fide than the heel, holding 
the reins parallel with his creft, even with the point ot 
the withers, and juft above the mane. Let your thighs 
and knees be clofe to the faddle, and your feet retting on 
the ftirrups in the due place. Let your body be erect and 
ftraight, and your ridge-bone anfwering to that of the 
horfe ; fo that a kind of mechanical correfpondence may 
appear between your body and that of the horfe: thus 
the rider fits with eafe and fecurity, and acc’jires a full 
command over the colt he is about to break; and now he 
is to be taught bis paces. 
In regulating his powers of progreffion, endeavour that 
the feet be put forward in an even and rectilinear direc¬ 
tion ; and the farther foe fore-legs are advanced, the 
greater, will be the profpeft of fpeed, the hind-quarters 
being thrown forward in due proportion. The feet fhould 
be lifted up a middling diftance from the ground, fo that 
the knee may appear handfomely bent in all his action. 
If he be defective in bending his~knees. let him be exer- 
cifed daily in rough and. ftony roads. Horfes which lift 
their feet too high, become fubjeft to the fpeedy cut, and 
will be rough goers. In the other extreme are the colts 
called daifey-cutters, namely, fuch as fkim along the furface 
z 
with a ftraight knee, and fcarcely clear the ground; fuch 
colts fhould be broke with blinds, which will foon inure 
them naturally to lift up their feet. 
The walk fhould be long and ftriding, not fhort and 
fhuffling. All colts are improved considerably in their 
walk, by keeping them long and frequently to it, patting 
them on the quarter with the fwitch, and obliging them 
to walk fairly out, without fhuffling; putting them back 
whenever they deviate from the true pace. Six miles in 
one hour is the utmott that has ever been performed by 
any horfe in the walking-way. 
The trot fhould be performed with a quick and 
ftraight-forward motion, and a bended knee. The colt 
which points out his fore-legs, and goes with his knee 
ftraight, will never, without great care in the breaker, 
become a good trotter. The utmoft fpeed of an Englifh 
trotter is a mile in about two minutes fifty-feven feconds. 
Sixteen miles in one hour has been trotted fufficiently 
often, and with high weights eighteen has been upon 
the trottir.g-cards. 
The canter is an abbreviation of the gallop. The 
fore-legs fhould be put fomewhat farther forward than in 
the trot, the knees handfomely bent, the horfe reclining 
fufficiently upon his haunches. If he bend his .neck 
gracefully, rein well, and put forth his legs and feet in 
an even and elegant manner, there is no pace in which a 
horfe appears with more grace and beauty. It is the true 
ladies’ pace. The colt is brought into a canter by prefling 
the right-hand curb-rein, and at the fame time lightly 
and frequently touching his left fide with the heel. When 
perfect, he will take the pace eafily,and withouthefitation, 
on perceiving the accuftomed hint; and, in the fame 
manner, will inftantly flop, and fink into his walk, without 
difficulty or danger. Yet this excellent and molt piea- 
fant pace of the horfe, from our general defective fy'ftefn 
of breaking, is rarely attended to. Every colt, intended 
for the road or field, ought to be taught as handfome a 
canter, whilft in tackle, as his form will admit. The 
canter has been fuppofed incompatible with fall trotting, 
or at leaft an impediment to it, which is a vulgar error; 
the extent of the ftroke, and degree of bending the knee, 
being nearly equal in both paces. Nor does the cultom 
of cantering at all add to the danger of a trotter’s dying 
out of his pace; for this is the confequep.ce of unikilful 
riding; and, in that cafe, he goes into a gallop, not a 
canter. Occafional cantering is moreover a great relief 
to fall trotters, which are ever more fhaken and hurt than, 
any other defeription of horfes. The canter is : a pace to 
which all bred hacks ought to be accuftomed, as they 
have feldom much expedition in their trot, and are the 
lealt liable to be fhaken by the hard road in a canter. 
It is unnecefiary to fay.. more of the gallop, than that 
it is the fleet and rapid pace with which Nature has endued 
this noble animal, for the purpofe of eluding its enemies; 
and of fporting and exercifing its gambols, amidft herds 
of its own fpecies, when at large, and in the full enjoy¬ 
ment of the bleflings of liberty. 
For regulating thefe paces with Brill and precifion, a 
large ring muft be paced out in Tome contiguous fpot. 
Ground newly ploughed, with a deep mould, is the moft 
proper for treading out the.ring. Let the old leading- 
horfe enter betwixt two furrows, fo far as the rider may 
have fpace and mould enough. Let the young horfe fol¬ 
low clofe to him, becaufe, having the old horfe for his. 
guide and example, lie will be induced to go the more 
willingly. Then let the old horfe, the colt .following at 
his heels, pafs on the right hand, athwart the furrows, and. 
t■•ead out twice together a round ring, containing in cir¬ 
cuit about thirty paces; and, being come a fecond time to 
the place where he began, let him tread out the like rim>- 
on the left hand, and, when he has gone twice about, let 
him begin again on the left hand, and fo continue till he 
has gone four times fucceflively about the left ring, and 
the right fix times. This done, let him.go gently out of 
the furrow where lie began, about thirty or forty paces,. 
and 
