Fig. 44.—Driving on foot.
Fig. 45.
through the stirrup-irons and rings of the snaffle, and are fixed on tightly to the girths and stirrup-irons, on their respective sides (see Fig. 45). This excellent authority on the art of training horses to safely negotiate the difficult lines of country met with in Ireland, tells me that he has found this method of great use for teaching horses to “gather themselves together” in proper style, when coming up to the big banks and ditches that may be seen to perfection in the counties of Kildare and Tipperary. For reasons which I have fully explained in this book, I would advise that the horse should, at first, be thoroughly taught to obey the indications of the rein in the manner I have described. After that, Colonel Wardrop’s plan might be useful for giving the horse a few practical lessons over the obstacles in question.
CHAPTER VI.
TEACHING HORSES TO JUMP.
Before this instruction is commenced, the horse ought to be got under control, and thoroughly well mouthed. We may begin to teach him to jump in an enclosure, similar to that described on [page 77]: first of all, making him circle and turn with the long reins on foot, at a smart trot. A rounded log of wood, not less than 15 feet in length, and 10 inches or more in diameter, may then be placed across the horse’s track, which should have been made soft. If the animal shews a little reluctance to face the obstacle, we may “work” him up to it with the reins, keeping him straight by the pressure of the outward rein against his quarter, as he turns from one side to the other, and stimulating him with the voice and sound of the whip. If he persists in refusing, we should put on the crupper leading-rein (see [page 148]), and after running him about, and pulling him from side to side by it, a few times, in order to make him understand its use, we should try to lead him over in this manner. Or, having given it to an assistant to go on in front, we may give him another trial with the long reins. In this, as in all other breaking operations with the horse, we should exercise great patience, and should renew our efforts again and again if we do not at first succeed. If the animal “shews fight,” I would advise that the whip should be put aside altogether; for the moment, according to my experience, its cut, or even crack, fails to prompt him to go on, it will incite him to offer increased resistance. Instead of its effect, we should employ that of the long reins, in circling him, turning him sharply and backing him, until he gives in, or until we are forced to employ stronger means. Mr. John Hubert Moore, who taught me this admirable method for curing this and other forms of jibbing, considers that its great efficacy is due to the punishment inflicted on the animal’s mouth and hocks. Professor Sample, however, holds that it is owing to the fact of the animal imagining that he has no power to resist the command to go forward, after having been forced to turn as the breaker wished. I may observe that it is not the act of turning a jibber to the right and to the left which will overcome his sulkiness, but its continued repetition; and that the sharper this is done the better will be the effect. Hence, I am inclined to think that the punishment theory is the right one. The horse seems, as with the rope-twitch (see [page 111]), to fail to connect the idea of pain, in this case, with the man who inflicts it, as he undoubtedly does, when whipped, or spurred; and, probably, on that account, yields the more readily to its influence.