Illustrated Horse Breaking

by M. Horace Hayes

Fig. 47.—Second stage in breaking a horse for riding.

to make him revolve, or may force him to lie down, and hold him with his head turned round, as described on [page 158], until he gives in.

As many horses, especially Australian buck-jumpers, are very shy of being touched with the heels, or even gripped closely with the knees, it is well to try if the animal we have in hand is affected with this form of timidity. For this object, we may gently prod the horse with the rounded end of a pole, in the ribs, while an assistant takes him round with the leading-rein, until he ceases to mind the touch of the pole. A few applications of the rope-twitch (see [page 113]), will also have a good effect in rendering him quiet in this respect. We may now get an assistant to catch hold of the mane, on the near side, with his left hand, the stirrup-iron with his right hand, and go through the various stages of mounting, beginning with putting his left foot in the stirrup (see [Fig. 47]), catching the pommel or cantle of the saddle, as he sees fit, with the right hand, and hopping round on the right foot, while we keep the horse revolving by means of the leading-rein. I may add that the Australian rough-riders, who are marvellously expert at getting on to a difficult horse, place the right hand on the pommel of the saddle, and not on the cantle, as is the practice in other places, and consequently place the left hand high up on the mane. As a matter of course, the assistant should not finally throw his leg over, until the animal ceases to resist. When the horse has got accustomed to the presence of the man in the saddle, the rider may touch him with his heels, lightly at first, and gradually stronger, without hurting him, until he stands the contact unmoved. When the horse has stopped trying to get free, we may slacken off the cord a little, take him round and round again, and so on, until it is safe to let him loose altogether. Before doing this, we should, as before, test his quietness, by stopping him with the leading-rein, and then pulling him round again. When most of the tension has been taken off the cord, we may give the leading-rein to the rider, to hold in his right hand, so that he can stop the horse if necessary; while we make the animal go round by touching him lightly with the whip. After the cord has been removed, the rider may take the reins, and keep the animal, at first, going round in small circles, and, then, gradually enlarging them, until he can take the horse in any direction he likes.

In all my experience with numbers of horses that had, for years, successfully resisted the most determined efforts to mount them, I have never failed to accomplish this object in one lesson, by means of the method just described; nor has any horse, after I have removed the cord, shewed the slightest return to unruliness. The method of making the horse, by the use of the rope-twitch (see [page 113]), steady to mount, which I shall describe in Chapter IX., is specially valuable for this particular purpose; while the head and tail plan, by producing a powerful moral effect, renders the animal not alone easy to mount, but also quiet to ride. As I have pointed out on [page 31], we should, in all cases, confirm the habit of obedience by repetition. I may mention that the method of tying a horse “head and tail,” with the object of making him quiet, has been in use for many years; though I am unable to say who was its inventor. If practised without my improvements of leading-rein and surcingle, or girth, over the cord, it has the serious faults, that as soon as the horse begins to revolve quickly, the operator has, practically, no further control over him until he stops of his own accord, or tumbles down “all of a heap,” and that it is impossible to mount him safely. The man, if expert, and if the horse has no tendency to hit out with his off-fore, might run in and catch him by the head-stall, if he thought that the animal was in danger of falling, on account of going round too fast. The conduct of such confidential horses, I need hardly say, is not the standard by which we should gauge the safety of any method of breaking, which, in order to be generally useful, should not demand from the person who practises it, the possession of exceptional activity, or foolhardiness. When the off-side leading-rein is on, the breaker can, with perfect safety, catch it while the horse is turning round; for, at that time, it swings entirely clear of the fore-limb, and in a convenient position for the breaker to lay hold of it. If a man mounts a horse tied head and tail, with the cord unconfined by girth or surcingle, he is placed in the uncomfortable dilemma of riding without any “grip” on the saddle, by having his left leg pulled upwards and outwards by the cord, or of having this limb imprisoned between the cord and the animal’s side; while, in either case, the man is in a most dangerous position, on an animal that is revolving round and round, with little or no control over its own movements. We may see, therefore, that the simple head and tail method, without the improvements I have described, is not applicable for mounting purposes.

The plan of gaining command over a horse by tying him head and tail, and allowing or forcing him to revolve round until he falls down, is unworthy the consideration of educated men. It is based on the wrong assumption that all ailments of temper spring from the same cause; the supposed remedy is not under the control of the operator; the effect is physical, rather than moral, and consequently is not lasting; and the results of the violent twisting of the hocks, and of the fall, if the animal comes down on the side to which his head is turned, as he often does, are apt to injure him.

Professor Sample gives a thoroughly sound and rational exposition of the head and tail method, which would well repay the attention of all horsemen who have not already seen it. This American gentleman is unrivalled in the marvellous power he possesses of teaching, in a wonderfully short time, horses to perform difficult feats of obedience.

CHAPTER VIII.
BREAKING HORSES FOR LADIES’ RIDING.

Almost any horse that is quiet for a man to ride, will carry a lady steadily the first time the attempt is made. The few special requirements to make a well-broken-in saddle horse perfect as a lady’s hack, are: (1) That he must stand without moving when she is being put on, or when she mounts from a chair or block. (2) That he must not shy at the habit, or sidle away from it. (3) That he must “bend” himself more readily, and go more “collectedly,” than if he had to carry a man. (4) That he must understand the touch of the whip on his off side, as equivalent to the pressure of the right leg. (5) And that he must learn, always, to “strike off,” in the canter, with the off fore leading. On a good mover, a fine horsewoman will neither feel, nor exhibit discomfort when the animal may happen to lead with the near fore; although, at first starting, the lead with the other leg is more agreeable. I may add, that the canter is a pace of three time; the succession of beats being: a. leading fore; b. non-leading fore and its opposite hind-leg; c. hind-leg of side opposite to leading fore. Hence, the more a fore-leg leads in the canter, the more likely is it to suffer from the injurious effects of concussion. It is obvious that if we wish to keep a horse sound, we should not let him canter too much with the same leg leading.