CHAPTER X.
COLT-BREAKING.
Colt-breaking is the best possible lesson for the rider.—The head-stall.—The snaffle.—Longeing.—Saddling.—Mounting.—Sermon to the colt-breaker.—The noblest horse resists the most.—The horse has a natural right to resist.—The colt wants no suppling.—He wants to be taught the meaning of your indications.—And to be brought to obey them.—The leaping-bar.—Fetch and carry.
Colt-breaking the best lesson for riding. The very best lesson for a horseman, young or old, is colt-breaking; and if in the attempt the young horseman fails to do the colt justice, he will at least do him less injury than the country colt-breaker, or the generality of grooms.
I shall detail the plan of an old horseman; though, perchance, its want of “dresses, scenery, and decoration” may offend, my chief implements being a stick, some string, and some carrots.
I have always said that the colt is half broken when he will come to your whistle or call in the field, and eat carrots out of your hand; and that he is quite broken when you have got the head-stall on him.
The colt should wear a head-stall from the earliest days, and be held by the head while he is rubbed and caressed. The head-stall. If this has been neglected, get him into a loose box; take the front off the head-stall, described [page 125]. Do not (as is the common error in this and in bridling) face the colt, and hold out the head-stall with both hands, as if you wished to frighten him; but keep the head-stall in your left hand, caress the colt with your right hand, and, with your right shoulder to his left shoulder, pass the right hand under his jaws on to the front part of his head. Bring the left hand up to the right, and, with a hand on each cheek-strap, pass the top over the ears on to the neck, if you can. Fasten the throat-lash tight enough to prevent its being rubbed over the ears. Tie a piece of cord, a yard long, to the off side, D, of the head-stall; pass the cord through the near side, D. Accustom the colt to see and to be held by this. It is very powerful, as it forms a slip knot round his nose, and prevents his pulling with the top of his head; and it keeps the two cheek-straps back, which otherwise might injure the colt’s eyes. When he is used to the short cord, tie a long knotted cord to it. Use gloves when you first take the colt out, and place yourself so that if he bolts you may pull him sideways gradually into a circle.
To get him to lead, place him between you and a fence; keep abreast of his shoulder, and show the stick towards his croupe. The snaffle. When he is subjected to the cord, take a snaffle-bit with a piece of string to each eye (what is called a T is best), tie it to the off side, D, hold the nose-band with the right hand, take the snaffle with the left, induce him to open his mouth by passing the thumb between his lips on to the bars (part bare of teeth), place the snaffle in his mouth, and tie it to the near side, D. If you have any difficulty, a long string may be used to the near side of the snaffle, and passed through the D. If the colt runs back you still hold him with the snaffle under the jaws. When bridled tie a piece of string from eye to eye of the snaffle, so as to hang under the chin; fasten the long cord to this and lead him by it, and use him to be held by this chin-strap. By the common method, he is never held by the mouth till he is mounted.