MY BREAKING IN
I was now beginning to grow handsome, my coat had grown fine and soft,
and was bright black. I had one white foot and a pretty white star on my
forehead. I was thought very handsome; my master would not sell me till
I was four years old; he said lads ought not to work like men, and colts
ought not to work like horses till they were quite grown up.
When I was four years old, Squire Gordon came to look at me. He examined
my eyes, my mouth, and my legs; he felt them all down, and then I had to
walk and trot and gallop before him; he seemed to like me, and said,
"When he has been well broken in he will do very well." My master said
he would break me in himself, and he lost no time about it, for the next
day he began.
Every one may not know what breaking in is, therefore I will describe
it. It means to teach a horse to wear a saddle and bridle, and to carry
on his back a man, woman, or child; to go just the way they wish, and to
go quietly. Besides this, he has to learn to wear a collar, and a
breeching, and to stand still while they are put on; then to have a cart
or a buggy fixed behind, so that he cannot walk or trot without dragging
it after him; and he must go fast or slow, just as his driver wishes. He
must never start at what he sees, nor speak to other horses, nor bite,
nor kick, nor have any will of his own, but always do his master's will,
even though he may be very tired or hungry; but the worst of all is,
when his harness is once on, he may neither jump for joy nor lie down
for weariness. So you see this breaking in is a great thing.
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I had, of course, long been used to a halter and a head-stall, and to be
led about in the fields and lanes quietly, but now I was to have a bit
and bridle; my master gave me some oats as usual, and after a good deal
of coaxing he got the bit into my mouth and the bridle fixed, but it was
a nasty thing! Those who have never had a bit in their mouths cannot
think how bad it feels; a great piece of cold hard steel as thick as a
man's finger to be pushed into one's mouth, between one's teeth, and
over one's tongue, with the ends coming out at the corner of your
mouth, and held fast there by straps over your head, under your throat,
round your nose, and under your chin; so that no way in the world can
you get rid of the nasty hard thing; it is very bad! at least I thought
so; but I knew my mother always wore one when she went out, and all
horses did when they were grown up; and so, what with the nice oats, and
what with my master's pats, kind words, and gentle ways, I got to wear
my bit and bridle.
Next came the saddle, but that was not half so bad; my master put it on
my back very gently, while Old Daniel held my head; he then made the
girths fast under my body, patting and talking to me all the time; then
I had a few oats, then a little leading about; and this he did every day
till I began to look for the oats and the saddle. At length, one
morning, my master got on my back and rode me around the meadow on the
soft grass. It certainly did feel queer; but I must say I felt rather
proud to carry my master, and as he continued to ride me a little every
day, I soon became accustomed to it.
The next unpleasant business was putting on the iron shoes; that too was
very hard at first. My master went with me to the smith's forge, to see
that I was not hurt or got any fright. The blacksmith took my feet in
his hand, one after the other, and cut away some of the hoof. It did not
pain me, so I stood still on three legs till he had done them all. Then
he took a piece of iron the shape of my foot, and clapped it on, and
drove some nails through the shoe quite into my hoof, so that the shoe
was firmly on. My feet felt very stiff and heavy, but in time I got used
to it.
And now having got so far, my master went on to break me to harness;
there were more new things to wear. First, a stiff heavy collar just on
my neck, and a bridle with great side-pieces against my eyes, called
blinkers, and blinkers indeed they were, for I could not see on either
side, but only straight in front of me; next there was a small saddle
with a nasty stiff strap that went right under my tail; that was the
crupper. I hated the crupper--to have my long tail doubled up and poked
through that strap was almost as bad as the bit. I never felt more like
kicking, but of course I could not kick such a good master, and so in
time I got used to everything, and could do my work as well as my
mother.
I must not forget to mention one part of my training, which I have
always considered a very great advantage. My master sent me for a
fortnight to a neighboring farmer's, who had a meadow which was skirted
on one side by the railway. Here were some sheep and cows, and I was
turned in among them.
I shall never forget the first train that ran by. I was feeding quietly
near the pales which separated the meadow from the railway, when I heard
a strange sound at a distance, and before I knew whence it came--with a
rush and a clatter, and a puffing out of smoke--a long black train of
something flew by, and was gone almost before I could draw my breath. I
galloped to the further side of the meadow, and there I stood snorting
with astonishment and fear. In the course of the day many other trains
went by, some more slowly; these drew up at the station close by, and
sometimes made an awful shriek and groan before they stopped. I thought
it very dreadful, but the cows went on eating very quietly, and hardly
raised their heads as the black, frightful thing came puffing and
grinding past. For the first few days I could not feed in peace; but as
I found that this terrible creature never came into the field, or did me
any harm, I began to disregard it, and very soon I cared as little about
the passing of a train as the cows and sheep did.
Since then I have seen many horses much alarmed and restive at the sight
or sound of a steam engine; but, thanks to my good master's care, I am
as fearless at railway stations as in my own stable. Now if any one
wants to break in a young horse well, that is the way.
My master often drove me in double harness, with my mother, because she
was steady and could teach me how to go better than a strange horse. She
told me the better I behaved the better I should be treated, and that it
was wisest always to do my best to please my master. "I hope you will
fall into good hands, but a horse never knows who may buy him, or who
may drive him; it is all a chance for us; but still I say, do your best
wherever it is, and keep up your good name."
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