Illustrated Horse Breaking

by M. Horace Hayes

rings of the snaffle and to the girth of the driving pad, and is lengthened out, as much as is compatible with its preventing the animal from getting the snaffle off the bars of his lower jaw, and on to the corners of his mouth (see [page 70] and [Fig. 3]). The reins are 22 ft. long, are made of 1½ inch “circular” webbing; they pass through the rein-bearers, and buckle on to the rings of the snaffle. The reins are separate from each other; so that, if the horse tries to bolt away when being driven on foot, he can always be pulled round and held fast, by letting go one rein and holding the other tight. The rein-bearers are made about 3 ft. 6 in. long on each side for a horse about 15·2 high, and can be taken up or let out as may be necessary.

Bridling and saddling a Horse for the first time.—These operations may be accomplished with great ease, by means of the rope-twitch (see [page 113]), and, if necessary, by tying up one fore-leg; especially, if the animal has been rendered quiet in the manner described in Chapter III.

Mouthing on foot.—After making the horse sufficiently steady to pay attention to the instruction about to be given—if this has not already been done—the breaker, while remaining on foot, should take the reins in his hands, and, by gently “feeling the mouth,” “clucking” to him, and, at times, cracking the whip, should get him to circle round him, to the left, for instance. If the animal resents the outward rein touching his quarters, the driver should, at first, work with this rein on the driving pad or cross-trees, as in Fig. 41, and then, as the horse gradually learns to bear the pressure without flinching, he should bring it down, as in Fig. 44. By the aid of the rope-twitch (see [page 113]), to be used by an assistant as may be necessary, it is very easy to overcome any resentment the horse may evince to the rein coming against his hind-legs. We need not, except, perhaps, in very rare cases, employ this form of punishment here; for the horse, on finding that the rein does not hurt him, will quickly cease from manifesting irritation at its presence. The employment of pressure with the outward rein will teach the horse the use of support from the rider’s outward leg.

When we have got the animal to circle quietly to the left for a few times, we should turn him to the right with the right rein, acting on his mouth and quarters, so as to teach him, on feeling the indication of the rein on his mouth and side, to turn his quarters, as well as his head and neck (see [page 56]). He should now be circled to the right on the same principle. After he has learned to do his circles readily and collectedly, with the reins hanging down, he should be made to perform them with the outward rein on the driving pad; so as to accustom him to the feel of the rein in the position it would occupy, when he is being ridden, or driven in harness. If he refuses to turn when the rein is on the pad, a cut or two with the whip will soon teach him to come round quickly. When he is perfect in circling and turning at the trot, we should teach him to rein back, taking care to ease the reins and allow him to “collect” himself, after each step he takes to the rear. When turning, stopping, restraining, or reining back the horse, our pull on the reins—to use Mr. John Hubert Moore’s expression—should resemble that which we would employ in drawing a cork out of a bottle, it being free from any snatch or jerk. While circling the horse, the breaker should stand to the side and a little to the rear of the animal (see Fig. 43). This mouthing on foot should, I think, be confined almost entirely to circling, with, of course, frequent changes, and occasional reining back, and should be continued until the required softness of mouth and suppleness of neck are attained. If the animal be found to be “harder” on one side of the mouth, than on the other, he should be worked more on the former, than on the latter;

Fig. 43.—Bird’s-eye view of position of driver.

until he goes equally well on both. The reader need only see this method of driving on foot practically demonstrated, to recognise its immense utility, and to acknowledge the fact that it entirely does away with any necessity for the objectionable process of lunging (see [page 64]).