Chapter I: Preface

In these pages it has been my endeavour to point out some of the errors in horse-breaking which have been blindly followed from generation to generation, and to embrace as much matter in a short space as is compatible with clearness of expression.

I hope that this little volume may prove of some service to agriculturists and horse-owners, who often break-in their own colts or cause them to be broken-in by their grooms, and that they may be able to realise larger prices for their horses when properly broken than they otherwise would.

=Robert Moreton.=

=21 Onslow Gardens, South Kensington.=

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
METHOD OF HALTERING A COLT.
PAGE
That most in vogue—A scene—Driving a colt from pasture—Getting
him into the stable—Selection of halter—How to tame lions and
tigers—Signs of temper in a colt—How to handle him—Tying him up
—An instance of a wild colt 1

CHAPTER II.
LONGEING THE COLT.

Leading in circles, semicircles, and in a straight line—Bits used
for mouthing purposes—Mouthing by machinery _versus_ mechanical
mouthing—Placing the tackling on the colt—Teaching him to pass
vehicles, etc.—Shoeing the colt 19

CHAPTER III.
SADDLING THE COLT.

The common martingale—The French martingale—The proper position
for the bit in the mouth—Riders with and without hands—Ditto
with and without seats—Mounting—The first ride—Remarks on grooms
and coachmen—How to pass a heap of stones—When to use whip and
spur—Mouthing—Horse-taming—Captain Cuttle’s fig-tree 43

CHAPTER IV.
TEACHING THE COLT HIS PACES.

The walk—Ignorance of Englishmen as to the value of the
walk—Australian walking horses—The trot—The jig-jog—The flying
trot—Ladies’ trotters—The canter—Ladies’ rocking horses—The
gallop—Trainers 63

CHAPTER V.
THE ROAD HACK.

His conformation—The ladies’ horse—Rotten Row—The covert
hack—The hunter—For an open country—For a cramped country—‘Made
hunters’—Pleasures of a pulling horse—Breaking in a colt to
hounds—‘Can he leap?’—Natural jumpers—Artificial fences—Lifting
horses at their fences—An incident—Water jumps—How to
fall well—High-couraged _versus_ sluggish horses—Washing
horses’ legs—Mud fever—Stopping horses’ feet—Microscopic
experiments—English racers in Australia and India—Paring horses’
feet—Colts shedding their teeth—Composition of bone—Two-year-old
racing—Prize-fighters—Early maturity and early decay—Famous
American trotters: Topgallant, Lady Blanche, Dutchman, Ajax,
Flora Temple, Lady Thorn, Goldsmith Maid, Dexter, American
girl—Racing now-a-days a money-making business 75

CHAPTER VI.
BREAKING TO HARNESS.

Double _versus_ single harness—Four wheels _versus_ two—Breaking
to double harness—Breaking to single harness—Breaking the cart
colt to harness—Blinkers—Ladies’ eyes 111

CHAPTER VII.
THE BAROUCHE, LANDAU, AND BROUGHAM HORSE.

The Victoria, T-cart, light waggonette, or dog-cart horse—The
omnibus and van horse—The cart-horse—The Lincolnshire dray-horse
—The Suffolk punch—The Clydesdale—Scotch breeders 131

CHAPTER I.
METHOD OF HALTERING A COLT.

THAT MOST IN VOGUE—A SCENE—DRIVING A COLT FROM PASTURE—GETTING
HIM INTO THE STABLE—SELECTION OF HALTER—HOW TO TAME LIONS AND
TIGERS—SIGNS OF TEMPER IN A COLT—HOW TO HANDLE HIM—TYING HIM UP
—AN INSTANCE OF A WILD COLT.