BREAKING HORSES TO HARNESS.
The place which I prefer to all others, for breaking a horse to harness,
is an enclosure about thirty yards square, the ground of which is level,
and hard enough to allow the wheels to run smoothly.
Whether intended partially for saddle purposes, or not, I would advise
that the horse should be broken in the manner already described, before
trying him between the shafts. Before putting him in, we should circle
him for half-an-hour or more, with the long reins on foot (see page
172), and get an assistant, while the animal is going round, to gentle
him under the belly and about the hind-quarters, as recommended by
Pratt and others, with a long pole, without hurting him, so as to
accustom him to its touch. The whip should also be cracked about the
horse, without hitting him, until he ceases to mind its noise. If the
horse resents these operations, which inflict no pain on him, the
rope-twitch (see page 113) may be employed to enforce the required
obedience; or the animal may be made to lie down (see page 153), and
gentled. When the horse has been made quiet, he will readily take to
double harness if put alongside a steady break-horse for a few times,
and, when accustomed to this work, will, as a rule, go by himself
without any trouble; although he may be a little awkward at first. If we
want to put the animal into single harness, right off, and if we have
got the gear at hand, we may harness the horse, put the strait-jacket
over the harness, buckling it up, just tight enough, to prevent him
kicking when it is on; and then drive him, on foot, with the long reins
passed through the shaft-tugs, for a short time. We may now put him into
the shafts of some suitable, light two-wheeled trap, retaining the
strait-jacket over the harness. Two assistants, one on each side, may be
employed to hold separate reins attached to the snaffle, while the
driver stands on the near side, on about a line with the wheels, holding
another pair of reins, which pass through the rings of the pad, and are,
of course, fixed to the snaffle. If sufficient help be at hand, it is an
advantage to have two other assistants to hold the traces of the
strait-jacket ready to let out or draw tight, as may be required. After
the horse has gone quietly for a bit, the strait-jacket may be removed,
a kicking-strap substituted, and, after a little, an assistant may be
put on the driving seat, with all proper precaution. When the horse has
thoroughly settled down to his work, the breaker may get on to the seat,
and dispense with the help of the other men, if he sees fit. With one
man to hold the rope-twitch, and with the aid of a kicking-strap, the
breaker, if expert, may easily manage to put a horse in single harness
for the first time. In an enclosure such as I have described, the
breaker may circle the horse in the trap, with the long reins on foot,
by himself, and, in a short time, after the animal has settled down, he
may get an assistant to sit in the trap. When the horse is found to go
quietly inside the enclosure, he may be tried outside. I think it always
the best and easiest plan to break a horse to harness, without
blinkers.