HORSE. 
57 6 
and there Hand Hill, keeping his head and body right on 
the path. A fkiltul .perfon ihould attend to obferve, and 
make remarks or., his performance and action. When 
this exerciie is accompliihed, let him walk gently back 
to the place from whence he fet out. There let the rider 
alight, and make much of the colt, by cheering him with 
his voice, patting his neck, and giving .him with his hand 
a little grafs, hay, or bread, to procure his confidence, and 
act upon him as a reward. Let a horfe go thus before 
and after him, for two days. 
Having proceeded thus far with yo.ttr colt, let him be¬ 
gin to lead and pace the ring himfeif, in the fame gentle 
manner, for the Ipace of ten days, all the while keeping 
a temperate, Heady, and fecure, hand upon the reins. See 
now that he carries his forehead juft as rams do when thc-y 
prepare to fight; whereby he will learn not only to rein 
well, but bear his head Heady and light. And when he 
knows how to perform what is required of him, and is 
cherilhed for performing his duty, he will always be ready 
to do it freely. 
While he is himfeif pacing ‘the ring, the breaker mull 
not carry an over-hard hand; but fo temperately, that 
the feeling may be always frefh ; otherwife, by pulling 
him too violently, you will gall his nofe ; to avoid which, 
he will fet his head and neck awry; whereas, if he ftands 
in the furrow with his neck in a line with his body, the 
rider moves him gently forwards, and in that very motion 
turns him on the right hand, by drawing very foftly the 
right rein with his right hand lower under the pommel of 
the faddle, whereto if he yield, (as he certainly will having 
trod the fame before,) let the rider immediately encourage 
him, without either drawing or llackening the rein. 
After pacing the ring with a good and fteady walk, it 
follows, that the colt mult be taught to trot the ring. 
He mult begin with a flow gentle trot, in the fame man¬ 
ner as he was at firft taught to pace it; that is, increafe 
his ring-turns by two and two every day, till he make 
ten turns for the left ring, and twelve for the right, which 
will augment his fwiftoefs: but of this he ihould be re- 
ftrained till he becomes more perfeft, and then he will do 
it with all the grace and eafe imaginable ; for thus to 
bring to perfection, is the very quintefl'ence of the art. 
While he is learning the trot, he muft not be rode with 
a wand, or wear a inaffie, till he is perfect in that aftion, 
and Hops ancf (urns well on both hands. He muft by no 
means be buffered to gallop, till he can advance truly in 
his trot. With this view, make it your particular care, 
when you .begin to trot the ring, to move him, at firft, 
with all the mildnel's and gentlenefs you can devile, and 
let every aftion be done upon a reftrained, temperate, and 
firm, hand, with a gentle ftay and a true rein ; that is, that 
his nofe be juft under his forehead, neither jutting out 
nor drawn in, but in the middle way between both, which 
is the natural placing and fetting of his head. This will 
give him a pleafant mouth, when he comes to wear the 
bit, in which the chief excellence of breaking confifts; 
becaufe this gives eafe, grace, and decorum, to all his 
aftions. This may be eafily accempliflied, if the horfe 
be of a perfeft fhape and good fpirit. But if lie makes 
refiftance, is vicious, or not difpofed to obey, then trot him 
fwiftly, fpeaking with a quick voice, adding the whip and 
1'pur; for the time of his learning to trot is the fitteft op¬ 
portunity to make him forget his toys, and fubmit with 
alacrity to every command. 
The breaker is next to teach him to flop, at any mo¬ 
ment defired. For this purpofe, let him trot the colt 
j-jght out in the middle furrow betwixt the rings, till he 
comes to the place of flop. There he is to make a pretty 
long ftay; obferving, the while, to keep his body right 
in the path ; but if his body, or any part of it, ftand acrofs 
it, do. not corre-ft him in a paflion, but let an attendant 
put him right in the path again, by thrufting in that part 
that ftandeth out, or caufe the colt to go further in the 
fame path, and ftop him, holding the rein llraighter on that 
fide to which he forces his head ; after that, pull the other 
rein, which will force him to go right on. If he obeys 
your hand, be lure to cherifti him. After this you flioultl 
make a praftice of flopping on any rough or uneven 
ground. 
One chief and principal objeft of the breaker ihould 
be, that the firft bit he puts in the horfe’s mouth be eafy 
and pleafant, and by no means to give him any difguft, 
but that the gentlenefs of it may direct all his movements 
with eafe and facility, by the mere motion or turn of 
the hand. If, therefore, your horfe carries his head 
well on preffing it with the bridle, you fliould prefenfly 
eafe the bridle-hand, and make much of him, for fo rea> 
dily /bowing his obedience; and, whenever-he does bis 
duty readily and cheerfully, he ought never to be vexed, 
but foothed and encouraged, which will fecure his gra¬ 
titude. 
The breaker, having perfected his horfe in the fore¬ 
going aftions and motions, fliould ftay him on the bit, 
temperately, with an even hand, proporfionably to the 
refiftance he makes, without giving him any other liberty, 
but to ftrike him gently with his fwitch on the bowing 
of his neck, provoking him with a little touch of the fpur 
on the fide to which he molt writhes his buttock to the 
end he may move properly. But, if he willingly draws in 
one of his fore-feet, make much of him, and then ftay a 
while, and by degrees he will underftand your intent and 
meaning. If you want him to go back, he will do it 
lightly with both his fore legs, if he is touched on the 
neck with the fwitch or whip, and hears the word back 
fpcke aloud to him ; at the hearing of which, and drawing 
of the bridle, he will go back, to the rider’s defire. And, 
whenever he deviates from the right and true way, treat 
him exaftiy with punifliment or reward as above direfted, 
both when he is furious and when quiet. 
Let the breaker carefully remark, whenever the horfe 
puts himfeif in any diforder, to ftop him, and make him 
go backward, as before direfted ; for by this means he 
will be brought into right order again ; then make much 
of him, and inftantly move him forward. In the fame 
manner he muft be ufed in pacing the ring; firft, gently 
upon the walk, on the trot, and the gallop ; which the 
breaker muft be careful to fee precifely done, otherwife 
the horfe will gape, thruft his tongue over the bit to de¬ 
fend himfeif, or ihoot out his head fuddenly, pluck it in 
difdainfully, or fhake it, to free himfeif from the prefi'ure 
of an intemperate hand. 
The breaker Ihould likewife be attentive to the true 
manner of drawing the bridle. When he is mounted on 
the faddle, let him draw the reins'equally.. If the horfe 
refufes to obey the bit, let the bit be flackened, and the 
rider hold the reins ir. his left hand, under the pommel 
of the faddle, as near the withers as poftible ; and which 
he muft not remove, till he feels the horfe ftay upon the 
bit; and hold him there without further drawing, till he 
perceives his head ftand in the true form. But, if he does 
not, then let him- yield his left hand a little ; and, when 
he has flood for fome time, let him bring his left hand to 
its former place again, where the horfe made his firft ftay 
upon the bit; then let him draw the reins with his right 
hand fomewhat more through his left, as before, but fo 
gently as fcarcely to be perceived, (for fo fliould all the 
motions of the hand be in breaking;) then keep it ftaid 
and firm a pretty while, and, if he yield, though ever fo 
little. Hill let him keep his hand at one ftay, without 
either llackening or drawing it. By this gentle means 
the colt will feel the eafe he has got by yielding to it; 
immediately after which you Ihould carefs and make 
much of him. But if, after all, he bear not light upon 
the bit, let the breaker ftrike him gently upon his knees, 
to make him go back, whereby he will bring in his head, 
and then the bit will move, and his hand find eafe. But, 
at the fame inftant, let him be very careful to keep his 
hand fo firm and fteady, that he neither flacken nor draw 
it, to the end the horfe may feel and be fenfible of the 
eafe of his own motion of yielding-, which he will not 
willingly 
