The Ultimate Guide To Horse
Training
Breaking on Foot
by Matthew Horace Hayes
Exerpt from Matthew Horace Hayes Course on Horsemanship
Catching a Horse—Making him Quiet to Handle — Mouthing a Horse with Long Reins on Foot— Teaching a Horse to Turn his Forehand —Teaching a Horse to Lead
It will be observed that by the system I adopt, the manners of the horse are, as far as possible, made concurrently with his mouth. In fact a few days driving with the long reins would make the wildest or most vicious horse (supposing that the vice did not proceed from disease), quiet to handle, as well as obedient to the bridle.
With the twitch on, the man who holds it is safe from being bitten by the horse, or from being struck by a foreleg. If the attempt to blindfold the animal makes him as it will sometimes do, outrageously violent, and if he also furiously resists any approach being made to his head; we may obtain control by applying the noose-twitch. The great difficulty I had experienced in going up to some wild horses I had to break in South Africa prompted me to invent this twitch. In getting it or the rope-twitch on the horse, we may expedite matters and save ourselves from being bitten, by putting a stick into the horse's mouth. He will seldom offer resistance to this being done. In fact he will generally like to get the stick between his teeth. Its presence in his mouth will greatly help to distract his attention from his breaker, and will consequently make him less troublesome than he might otherwise be to handle. Although the noose-twitch is not so effective as the Pratt rope-twitch, the fact remains that its power is ample for control in this case. With either the noose-twitch or rope-twitch applied, and with a rope attached to the fore pastern, we may consider that the most vicious horse in the world is entirely at our disposal. At this period or even before it, I have known horses throw themselves down from combined rage and obstinancy at finding that they were mastered. If the horse adopts this defense, tying his head to his tail and keeping him in that position until he has given in, will I have found, be the readiest and most effective means of taking the “nonsense” out of him. If he does not try to defeat us in the manner just metnioned, we may proceed to tie up one foreleg, and put on the long-reins driving gear. Then we may circle, turn, and rein him back, for about half an hour. Or we may employ the head and tail plan.
When the horse has been thus fixed up, we can easily tell the state of his temper ; for if he be nervous or excitable, he will go round and round at the slightest provocation. If, on the contrary, he be sulky, he will ''take as little as he can out of himself" ; but when released will be as bad, or nearly as bad, as before. The more he " fights," the more good will the lesson do him, and the sooner will he give in. Our objective,therefore, should be to make him " fight " ; not by punishment, but according to principles I have already discussed.
For sulky horses, and for them alone, would I advocate the taming means of making them lie down and keeping them on the ground with their heads pulled round. No matter how violent or how aggressively vicious a horse may be, he can be made, for the time being, perfectly quiet to handle in a couple of hours, or, if need be, in one hour, by the methods I have just mentioned. A few repetitions —say, half a dozen at the outside —will even in the worst cases confirm the habit of obedience ; always supposing that the animal remains in the hands of fairly capable people. It is almost needless to point out that by injudicious management, even placid-tempered horses may be made difficult to handle ; to say nothing of temporarily reformed characters, out of the minds of which the good effects of a previous victory of discipline over vicious habits are rapidly fading.
After the horse has been gentled all over and rendered as quiet as practicable by the foregoing measures, any unsteadiness, nervousness, or renewal of resistance may be readily conquered by the use of the rope-twitch, which is particularly useful for making horses stand absolutely steady by word of command.
Horses brought up under ordinary civilized conditions will not, as a rule, require any of the strong means of subjection already described. Having haltered one of them, noosed a fore leg, and applied the halter-twitch, we can generally put on the gear described in the following section, and make him quiet by mouthing him on foot with the long reins, so that he may acquire both " mouth " and " manners " at the same time. To make him " stand " being girthed up, we may have to tie up a fore leg ; or may hold him with one hand on the rein or on the twitch, and the other hand pressed hard against the lower part of his neck so as to bring his head round, and at the same time to prevent him striking us with the fore leg of that side. While held in this manner, it will be difficult for him to
kick the man who is girthing-up either the driving-pad or the saddle.
The gear which I use for driving horses on foot, consists of a snaffle bridle ; a standing martingale ; long reins ; a driving-pad, which may, or may not, have a crupper attached to it for preventing it from shifting forward ; and a bearing-rein, if the animal is inclined to carry his head too low down.
Side view of a bearing rein
The snaffle which I prefer to all others, for riding as well as breaking, is a flat, slightly curved, unjointed one, covered with leather, and having a strap to buckle behind the lower jaw. My objections to the ordinary snaffle are (i) it pinches the sides of the lower jaw, by reason of the joint in its center; and (2) by being round, its pressure is confined to a very small surface of the gum, the extent of which surface is at least quadrupled by
the employment of a flat snaffle not less than an inch broad.
I need hardly say that the greater the surface over which the pressure is distributed, the less liable will such pressure be to irritate the horse, or to render insensitive the part
upon which it is appHed. The snaffle I use has a flat, steel core, to give it the required stiffness. The addition, at the back of the lower jaw, of a strap which is a continuation, on both sides, of the leather that covers the mouthpiece, prevents the bit from being liable to be drawn through the mouth, and enables the driver (whether on foot or in a trap) or rider to pull the horse's head round by acting on the lower jaw.
The bearing-rein has a nose-band which comes under the lower jaw, in the chin-groove, below the mouthpiece of the snaffle, and is connected to the bearing-rein by a strap running down the centre of the face. The bearing-rein can be fixed to the driving-pad or saddle. This form of bearing-rein keeps the head up by acting on the chin-groove, the bony surface of which is smooth and rounded. As it in no way interferes with the
mouth, it is much superior to the ordinary kind, which raises the head by pressing on the corners of the mouth.
Bearing rein-front view
As a substitute for a bearing-rein, we may employ an ordinary pair of riding reins put over the driving-pad. The standing martingale is attached to the rings of the snaffle and to the girth of the driving-pad, and is lengthened out as much as is compatible with its preventing the animal from getting the snaffle off the bars of the lower jaw, and on to the corners of the mouth.
I like the reins to be about twenty-two feet long, and made of one and a half inch circular (or " pipe ") webbing. I have them buckled on the rings of the snaffle, and separate from each other ; so that, if the horse tries to bolt away when being driven on foot, he can be pulled round and held fast, by letting go one rein and holding the other
tight. With an ordinary snaffle, we may employ leather guards similar to those used by London cabmen, in order to give increased effect to the side pull of the rein, and to prevent the corners of the mouth from becoming chafed. Each guard is made of a circular piece of stiff cowhide, about four and a half inches in diameter, and having, from the center to the circumference, an opening, which can be laced up. Or it may consist of two pieces of leather sewn together, and will then be a fixture.
The driving-pad, which is an invention of mine, consists of an iron plate to which a piece of rod-iron of suitable size and shape is securely riveted. The plate is about twenty-six inches long, one-eighth of an inch thick, five inches broad at its widest part, and is made to fit the back. The rod is about two-thirds of an inch in diameter, and is curved in a special manner, so as to prevent the " outward " rein from going over the withers, and also to keep it, when required, on about a level with the withers. Above, and on each side of the top of the arch of the iron plate, is attached an iron ring, through which to pass the outward rein, in the event of the breaker wishing to obviate any possibility of this rein slipping over the pad, as might happen in the case of a particularly wild horse that was driven on foot for the first time. If this precaution be adopted, the breaker, then he desires to change the direction of the circle on which he is driving the horse, will have to take the rein out of the ring in which it is, and place the other rein in the other ring. Thus, when circling to the right, the left rein will pass through the left ring, and vice versa. In no case will the inner rein be passed through either of the rings ; for unless it is kept well away from the pad, the operator will be unable to obtain full control over the horse. I may mention that the ends of the iron plate fit into the
pockets of a suitably stuffed panel, and the girth-straps, on each side, are riveted to the iron plate.
Driving pad
Driving pad-side view
Before I invented this pad, I used to employ crosstrees; on each side of which was placed a leather strap for the rein to run over. The iron pad is less cumbersome than the crosstrees, serves its purpose better, and is practically indestructible. I generally dispense with a crupper, unless the horse has thick low withers, and is particularly wild.
As will be seen below, I used to have rein-bearers (about three and a half feet long, and made to lengthen or shorten as might be required), hanging from the crupper. They are useful for preventing the reins getting entangled in the horse's legs. The fact of my having discarded them as an article of breaking gear, is no doubt due more to laziness on my part, than to the possession of such skill that would make me independent of their aid.
Wooden crosstrees
If circular webbing cannot be obtained for the reins, ordinary driving reins or ropes of suitable length will do.
A standing martingale can be improvised from a running martingale, or with a piece of cord. When a driving-pad or an efficient substitute for it cannot be obtained, we may use instead of it an ordinary saddle, the stirrups of which, with their leathers well lengthened out, will serve as rein-bearers. Although the cantle of the saddle may at times succeed in preventing the outward rein from going over the back ; the breaker cannot —as he is able to do with my pad —when using a saddle for a substitute, circle the horse, as is often necessary, with the outward rein on a level with the withers.
Driving pad, crupper, and rein-bearers on a horse.
Driving horse on foot with reins through stirrup irons.
Rein under cantle of saddle
At first, our object in driving the horse with the long reins should be to get him to circle round us in well balanced style. Hence, he should be bent from muzzle to tail in the direction he is going ; the inward rein leading him off, and preserving the inward bend of his head and neck, while the outward rein passes round his hindquarters and thus makes the track of his hind feet the same as that of his fore ones, instead of—as would usually occur if this support were removed from the untrained horse —its forming a con-
centric circle outside that described by the fore feet.
To obtain this effect, we should stand to the side, and a little to the rear, of our horse, and should regulate the comparative tension of the reins so as to make the fore feet and the hind feet describe the same circle.
Circling a horse on foot to the right
We shall find that the lighter the horse is in front (as in the case of a star-gazer), the more must the pull on the inward rein exceed that on the outward rein ; and vice versa.
Any tendency to star-gaze or to keep the head too low should be corrected, respectively, by the standing martingale or bearing-rein. If the animal be excitable, it is well to commence with the outward rein on the pad, as in. Then by turning him, bringing the reins down, touching him on the quarters with them, and reining him back, we may gradually make him bear their contact without his becoming nervous or fretful. Twenty minutes will be ample to enable us to effect this, even with the worst horse provided that the animal is not a mare " in season."
We may start the horse by " showing " the lunging whip, and we may at the same time " click " to him ; so that by continuing the clicking and by diminishing the threatening
with the whip, we may soon teach him to move off on hearing the sound of the click alone, or we may teach him to do so by raising our right hand. Having got him to circle quietly for a few times, say, to the left, we may turn him to the right-about with the right rein, which, in this case, will pull his head round to the right, and his hindquarters round to the left ; making him, in fact, turn on his center.
Position from which to circle the horse.
He should then be circled to the right and turned to the left-about on the same principle. Every now and then we may halt him by feeling both reins, and when doing so, may accustom him to the word "whoa ! " or any other convenient substitute, so as to teach him in a very few lessons to stop the moment he hears this signal without needing any hint from the reins. I may remark that by acting on similar principles, we may teach the horse, when riding or driving him, to halt in this way. While driving the animal on foot, we should adjust the length of the standing martingale or bearing-rein as may be required.
The more he is inclined to "play up," the shorter, as a rule, should this martingale be, so as to afford increased control. Its use will be needed at first in the large majority of cases, and is of great service in preventing the rein from getting over the back, as well as in giving the breaker command over refractory subjects. In only a few instances, the employment of a bearing-rein, for keeping the head up, will be found necessary ; and much more often with " spoiled " horses than with young ones. The severity of either of these forms of restraint should be lessened according as the horse learns to obey the rein, and may be dispensed with when their use is no longer required. Before turning the horse, say, to the left, I change the reins into my right hand with the right rein crossed under the left rein. I then take a long step to the front with the left foot, slide my left hand forward on the left rein, and, having got the proper length, pull the left rein, while letting the right one slip through the right hand, until the horse is made to turn to the left. As soon as he is in the new direction, I pass the right rein into my left hand and crossed under the left rein. We should continue the turns until the horse answers the rein as readily with his hind-quarters as with his head ; that is, until he learns to turn on his center.
In turning the horse at the walk or trot, it is necessary, in order that the movement may be executed with precision, that the head of the horse should be turned towards the new direction by the rein, at the moment, or immediately before, the fore foot of the opposite side comes down on the around, so that, when turning, he may not cross his fore legs. When making the turn, we should be careful to prevent, by means of the outward rein, the hind-quarters from swinging so far round, that the hind feet will be carried outside the track of the fore feet. Preparatory to turning the horse at the trot and canter, we should check the speed, as may be required, by feeling the reins, so that
he may come round collectedly.
After the horse has learned to do the circles and turns in good form with the outward rein round his quarter, he should be made to execute them with it on the driving-pad; so as to accustom him to its action in the position it would occupy in saddle or harness. The breaker should, as before, place himself to the side and a little behind his horse. If he refuses to turn his hind-quarters round, when the rein is on the pad, a light touch or two with the whip below the hocks, so as to prevent him fixing his hind legs on the ground as a " defense," will soon teach him to come round quickly. If he be found to be " harder " on one side of the mouth than on the other, he should be turned more sharply to the former than to the latter, until he turns equally well to both sides. I advise hitting the horse, when using the lunging whip, below the hocks ; for he is less liable to show the marks of the lash on that part of his legs, than above the hocks, where the bones are covered with muscle. Besides, I am inclined to think that a cut below the hocks is more likely to prompt a horse to go on, and is less apt to make him kick, than one above them.
I may point out that the circling with the long reins on foot, should be performed on the same principle as that adopted by a capable rider, the pressure of whose drawn back outward foot is replaced by that of the outward rein. I may remark, in passing, that practice in driving on foot is an admirable means for improving one's " hands ; " whether for riding or driving.
In the first lesson —which should not exceed twenty minutes in length, so as not to make the animal's mouth tender—the horse should have learned to move off at the walk on being shown the whip or clicked to ; to readily turn to the right, left, right-about or left-about, on receiving the proper indication of the rein ; and to halt. This will be enough under ordinary circumstances ; although on an emergency this modest limit of instruction may be greatly exceeded.
Turning horse with rein on driving-pad
If the horse be inclined at any time to make too large a circle, we can cause him to describe a smaller one by drawing on the inward rein and slackening off the outward one, the proper amount of feeling on which we should gradually restore according as we gain control over the animal. Sometimes the horse, to avoid the action of the reins, decreases on his own accord the size of the circle on which we are driving him. To nullify this defense, we should feel the outward rein the stronger of the two and should drive the horse away from us, so as to get more behind him than previously, and should then gradually lead him off by the inward rein into the desired circle. If
he shows " fight," which he will very seldom do with the long reins, we may have to rein him back (see below), turn him from one side to the other, or threaten him with the lunging whip.
The whole of the long-rein work should, as far as possible, be done on the circle ; for that is, as far as I can see, the only way by which the driver on foot can preserve a light feeling on the reins. If he drives the horse straight on in front of him, he can hardly escape, for the greater part of the time, from keeping too heavy a pull on the animal's
mouth. The objectionable practice of driving youngsters on foot for miles along a road, as may be seen in full operation at Newmarket and other training resorts, is a fruitful cause of the dead mouths and habit of boring possessed by the majority of race horses. The animal, to relieve the bars of his mouth from the constant and painful pressure of the mouthpiece, naturally gets his chin into his chest, in order to transfer a portion of the pull of the reins to the crown of his head. Instead of acting in this fashion, the breaker, if he wants to give his horse a walk on foot, might, after having mouthed and exercised him in the manner I have described, take him out with the crupper leading-rein, the use of which contrivance would obviate any risk of spoiling his mouth.
During the second lesson, which may be given on the afternoon of the day on which the first one was imparted, we may repeat the previous instruction, and then teach the animal to rein back. This is done by bending his head, say, to the left by the left rein, while preventing his hindquarters, by the pressure of the right rein, from turning
round. When we obtain this bend, which will naturally put more weight on the legs of the near side than on those of the off side, we should feel both reins, so as to make him take a step to the rear. He will of course do this, other things being equal, more readily with the more advanced hind leg, than with its fellow, supposing that
he is not standing "level." Hence his head in the first instance should be turned to the side of the least advanced hind leg. When we obtain this step, we should turn the horse's head to —say, in this case — the right by the right rein in order to obtain the next step ; and so on. While working in this way we should try to get the near
fore to move simultaneously with the off hind, and the off fore with the near hind, so that the pace of the rein-back will be a diagonal one of two time (namely, a trot, and not a walk) ; for the horse is found to rein-back in an easier and more collected manner at the former than at the latter pace. If he is inclined to get his head up, it is best to stand directly behind him. If he lowers it as a defense, we may rein him back with one rein on the driving-pad, or, what is probably the better plan, we may use a bearing-rein to keep his head in proper position. Although we should in no way make the work unduly irksome to the horse, we should not be contented unless we get him, in this second lesson, to rein-back in well-balanced style, twenty or five- and-twenty yards, three or four times. Such a demand will, I feel certain, be considered outrageously severe by those who are unacquainted with the possibilities of the long-rein system ; but it is, as I have proved many hundreds of times, a thoroughly legitimate one. If the horse, as a defence against the rein-back, fixes his hindquarters, we may render them mobile by cracking the whip or by touching him lightly below the hocks with the lash.
We may also take some of the weight off the hind-quarters by shortening the standing martingale. If we cannot effect our purpose by these means, we may place an assistant in front of the horse to threaten him on one side of his hind-quarters and then on the other, while we are occupied with the long reins. Or he may, while standing
in front of the horse, take hold of the reins, one in each hand, close to the rings of the snafBe, and aid our efforts in regulating the height of the horse's head and in pressing him back. The presence of the assistant in front of the animal will naturally tend to make him rein-back easier.
Although I have never found it absolutely necessary, we might at this stage teach the horse the turn on the forehand, so as to give mobility to the hind legs. In solving the question of adjustment of" weight in the rein-back, we should fully utilize our power of placing the horse's head in whatever position we like (whether by lowered rein, rein on pad, standing martingale, bearing-rein, or by the help of an assistant), and that of
mobilizing the hind-quarters by means of the whip. In executing the rein-back, the horse should be light behind and should lift up his hind feet well, so that his movement
to the rear may be executed with safety and freedom.
Consequently his head, which is the weight at the end of the balancing pole of his body, should be kept considerably lower than if the movement was to the front. We should here particularly avoid the run-back, in which the horse is liable to fall down on account of the preponderance of the weight being on the hind-quarters. In this case the center of gravity of the horse's body is brought to an undue extent to the rear, and the ability of
the hind legs to form new bases of support is diminished in proportion to the weight imposed on them.
After we have obtained the correct rein-back, we should practice the horse —with the outward rein round his quarter or on the pad, as may be required —at walking in a collected manner, using the whip as a stimulant, the outward rein as a substitute for the drawn back outward leg of the rider, and both reins as a restraint and as a guide. The outward rein, if shaken against his hind-quarters, may serve as a slight though useful incitement for making the horse collect himself. Reining him back from time to time, as may be required, will often be found serviceable in this “setting-up drill”.
When the horse is able, say, after two or three lessons, to go through in a competent manner at a walk the long-rein work which I have described, he may be made to do it at a trot and canter. At both these paces, the size of the circle should be gradually diminished in order to teach the horse to collect himself. Although the horse will, after a time, learn to strike off from the walk or trot into the canter with the leg appropriate to the circle on which he is being worked ; it is well to teach him to do so on receiving a suitable signal, which can be utilized when riding the horse in a straight direction.
Thus, when circling the horse to the right, for instance, at the walk or trot, with the outward rein round the quarters, I would, in order to give the horse the signal to strike off into the canter with the off fore leg leading, feel the left rein the stronger of the two, so as to turn the horse's head a little outside and his hind-quarters a little inside the
circle, and then make him strike off correctly by feeling the right rein, and by showing him the whip, or clicking to him. The lead with the near fore, while going on the left circle, would naturally be obtained in the reversed manner.
A dozen lessons, two a day, will under ordinary circumstances be ample for teaching the horse the work with the long reins up to this point. The discipline gone through during that time, combined with the gentling action of the reins on the hind-quarters, will in the large majority of cases have taken all, or nearly all, of the nervousness, impatience of control, or aggressiveness out of vicious, wild or otherwise " difficult " animals.
By circling, turning, and reining back a horse with the long reins, we can readily form a good idea of his manners, mouth, and temper. When putting on the long-rein driving gear, we should be careful to put on, first of all, the bridle and long reins ; then the driving pad with one girth tightly buckled up ; the standing martingale through which the second girth passes ; the bearing-rein, if required ; and finally the crupper. When removing these articles, the reversed order of procedure should be observed. These precautions are necessary in order that excitable or vicious horses may not be prompted to kick or " play up," after the girths of the driving-pad have been undone, but before the connection of the pad with the martingale and crupper has been severed. While on the subject of adjusting gear, I may mention that if we want to put a bridle on a horse which has a headstall on, and which we cannot depend upon standing still with the headstall off; we can place the bridle over the headstall, and then take off the headstall without shifting the bridle in any way, by undoing the buckle of the headstall and by taking off the browband and the strap which goes through the buckle. If we then draw the noseband forward, we can easily detach the headstall by passing the noseband into the mouth, over the snaffle, and finally out of the mouth.
On more than one occasion, I have had difficult horses break away from me at that critical moment, between the removal of the headstall and the putting on of the bridle, which has to be passed through, unless the foregoing precaution be adopted.
American " horse-tamers " use the long reins without a standing martingale or driving-pad, and pass them through rings on a specially constructed surcingle, or through the shaft rings of an ordinary single harness pad, or through the irons of a riding saddle. Men who try to mouth horses in this manner are apt to frequently fail in teaching their pupils to bend their necks to the rein, and at the same time to go up to the bridle ; for the majority of animals thus treated would resist the action of the mouthpiece by chucking up the head in the attempt to get the mouthpiece off the bars and on to the corners of the mouth. Besides, the horse omits to learn the valuable lesson which the use of the standing martingale inculcates, namely, that of bending his head and neck to save his mouth. When both reins pass through rings on the surcingle, or through the shaft rings of a harness pad, the driver on foot is prevented, by the fact of the inward rein going back to the surcingle instead of coming straight from the ring of the snaffle to his hand, from standing in the centre of the circle on which he drives the horse, and is consequently obliged to more or less follow the animal, and by doing so is apt to bear unduly on the reins, and make the horse's mouth " dead." The absence of a driving-pad deprives the breaker of the great advantage of being able to raise or lower the outward rein at will. In breaking for harness, and especially for fast trotting on level ground, the neces-
sity for teaching horses to bend the neck, to get the hindquarters under them, to moderate the speed in response to a pull on the reins, is not nearly so imperative as in educating the hunter, chaser, and charger, which should always have a " spare leg " for any emergency. The method of long-rein mouthing is as applicable to "spoiled" horses as it is to entirely unhandled animals. To my thinking, one great beauty in it —apart from its immense advantage of never giving the pupil the chance of getting the upper hand, which he might easily do if the breaker were in the saddle—is that the breaker can at any moment tell how his pupil is progressing by the feeling of the reins, and can accordingly, with well-grounded confidence, use his own judgment in regulating the amount or the nature of the instruction. The man who, on the contrary, tries to mouth a horse by "tying him up " by means of side reins, dumb jockeys, or pillar reins, must necessarily work, as I have already said, more or less in the dark and by rule of thumb ; for he cannot gauge the progress which his horse is making, except by trying the animal in saddle or harness. Besides, he commits the two grave faults of working only one end of the body , and of endeavoring to “supple” the head and neck of a stationary animal. With the long reins we avoid both these errors, and remain in constant touch with our pupil.
Driving a horse with running reins through stirrups
Colonel Wardrop showed me a method he practices of driving horses over jumps with long ropes which pass 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 above). This excellent authority on the art of training horses to safely " negotiate " the difficult
country met with in Ireland, tells me that he has found this method of great use for teaching horses to collect themselves when coming up to the big banks and ditches which are to be seen in the counties of Kildare, Tipperary and Cork. After the horse has been thoroughly taught the long-rein work according to the system I have described, Colonel Wardrop's plan might be useful for giving him a few practical lessons over the obstacles in question.
All I know respecting the antiquity of long-rein driving on foot is that Fallon, an Irish breaker who was an old man at the time, taught, more than sixty years ago, this method of mouthing to Mr. John Hubert Moore, the famous trainer of steeplechase horses.
giving increased mobility to the hind-quarters — of the rearer for instance. The turn on the forehand is the normal way in which a horse changes his direction when at liberty in an open space.
The turn on the forehand is made on the off fore as a pivot (moving or fixed), when the hind-quarters move from right to left (in the direction taken by the hands of a watch). This I shall call the turn on the forehand to the right ; and the movement of the hind-quarters from left to right, with the near fore as a pivot, the turn on the forehand to the left. To teach the horse on foot the turn on the forehand to the left, we may, while facing him and standing close to his near shoulder, take hold of the near rein of the snaffle, not far from the mouthpiece, in the left hand, and the off rein, passed over the lower part of the neck, in the right hand, which also grasps a cutting whip or cane.
Making horse, on foot, turn on his forehand to the left.
Our objective here, as I have already indicated, is to cause the horse to circle his hind-quarters from left to right (in a direction opposite to that in which the hands of a watch move) round the near fore foot, which at first should describe a small circle (that is, it should be a moving pivot) ; but may, when the animal's education is more advanced, perform the more difficult task of turning round on its own axis without quitting the ground.
At first the horse's head should be turned to the left, so as to render the near fore leg more or less stationary, by increasing the amount of weight on it ; but later on, it should be kept in the same line as the body, or it may be even slightly turned to the right ; for if it be held in either of these directions, the balance of the animal's body will
be better preserved, than if his head were turned to the left. By lightly touching the near quarter with the whip we should endeavour to make the horse move his hind legs to the right. To prompt him to describe, as he ought to do, a circle round his near fore with his off fore, we may, as often as may be required, touch with the whip the back part of the fore arm of the off fore.
We should strive to obtain precise movements without any approach to hurry, and by justly meted-out punishment and reward should make our wishes clearly intelligible to our pupil. After a few lessons, the horse may be made to turn on his forehand while holding the head and neck straight, in which position, as I have just said, his equi-
librium will be better preserved than if the head were turned to the left. The left rein will, if required, prevent the horse from reining back, and will also keep his head at the desired height. The off rein will stop him from going round too quickly ; and both reins will aid in checking any forward advance on his part. In teaching the turn on the forehand to the right, we should place ourselves near the off shoulder of the horse,
and should use the reins and whip in the reversed manner to which we did for obtaining the turn on the forehand to the left. As the action of the whip in this case is preparatory to that of the drawn-back foot of the rider ; we should gradually advance its point of contact with the skin until we gain our object by touching the horse with
the whip on that portion of his side which the heel or spur would reach.
Teaching the horse to turn on the forehand in obedience to the proper aids, is, I think, essential to the education of all saddle horses ; for it is the best preparatory means for making them readily obey the leg.
gets slack, we may put a knot in it, in front of the rings of the snaffle, or of that part of the headstall through which it has been passed. Or we may employ the Comanche bridle, which I think is the best means for teaching a difficult horse to lead. I have also found the use of the rope halter very effective ; for the pain which the pressure of the rope round his jaws will cause him when he hangs back, will be instantly relieved the moment he goes forward. For making a horse merely come up to one, I like Baucher's method, which is as follows : Hold the reins in the left hand, or the crupper leading-rein, and continue to lightly touch the horse on the breast with the end of a cutting whip or switch, until he " comes up," when he should be immediately rewarded by the cessation of the punishment, by being patted on the neck, and by being spoken to in a caressing manner. As a rule, the horse will at first try to avoid the blows by running back, or by swerving to one side or to the other ; but failing to escape from the inflicted pain, he will almost invariably go forward. This desired effect is obtained usually in not
longer than ten minutes.
A crupper leading-rein
Knot in crupper leading-rein
Three or four lessons will generally be sufficient to make the horse come up to one the moment the whip is pointed towards his breast. I need hardly say that learning to obey this signal, and that of standing still as a statue on hearing the word “steady”, are two very desirable accomplishments in the horse.
We are all aware that the tendency of a horse when being led by an ordinary leading-rein or by the bridle reins is to "hang" on them, and if jerked by them, to resist the pull given. The use of the crupper leading-rein, on the contrary, prompts the animal to move collectedly on account of the pressure of the rope under his tail stimulating him to bring his hind-quarters under him. I do not know who invented this form of leading-rein, which was employed by Fanchion, Magner, Pratt, Rockwell, and other American " horse-tamers." It is also an admirable means of making—and consequently teaching—a horse to follow a cart or trap behind which he is tied. When pulled by the head the natural tendency of a horse, as I have just said, is to resist ; but when drawn forward by a rope or other similar material passed under his tail, he is strongly prompted to go n or leading rope on becoming tight will have the effect of increasing the weight on the forehand, with the probable result of pulling the animal down on to his knees. If, on the contrary, the horse be attached to the back of the vehicle by the crupper leading-rein, the pressure of the rope will fall on the hindquarters without any interference with the head.
When a man on foot leads a horse, he should, supposing that he is on the near side of the animal, bring the reins over the horse's head, hold both reins at a convenient distance from the mouthpiece in his right hand with the little finger between them, and should have his left hand between the reins at their centre.
When the reins are held In this manner by the right hand, the right rein can be tightened by the action of the little finger on it ; and a far firmer hold can be obtained, especially if the little finger be turned towards the body by the rotation of the wrist, than if the reins were separated by the first finger, as directed in Cavalry Drill.
Teaching a horse to come up by tapping him on the chest with the whip.
Horses should be taught to lead on the off as well as on the near side. As it is customary to lead a horse only on the near side, and as the man who leads him along a road should in all cases keep himself between his horse and any passers-by, so as to be able to prevent the animal swinging his hindquarters round into danger ; led horses are supposed to keep to the right side of the road.
With a horse which leads equally well on both sides, the better plan, when leading him along a road, would be for the man to remain on the off side of the animal, and keep him on the left side of the road. For leading young horses, a circular mouthpiece is sometimes employed. With it the pressure on the bars is evenly distributed on both sides of the mouth. Or we may use a leading-rein with a pair of spring hooks at one end.
When a mounted man leads a horse which has on a snaffle or double bridle, and which he wants to lead on his off side by the snaffle, he should pass the off snaffle rein through the near side ring of the snaffle.
Off rein passed through near ring of snaffle for leading horse.
Exerpt from M. Horace Hayes Course in Horsemanship
BREAKING ON FOOT.
Catching a Horse—Making him Quiet to Handle — Mouthing a Horse with Long Reins on Foot— Teaching a Horse to Turn his Forehand —Teaching a Horse to Lead
Introduction
In this chapter I will describe the breaking of the horse prior to his being either ridden or driven, whatever may be the purpose for which he is intended. I assume that he has not been handled, and that he is in sufficiently good condition to stand the fatigue of breaking. I shall provide, as far as I can, for difficult cases, which I need hardly point out, often occur even in England, to say nothing of countries in which colts and fillies are brought up under wild conditions. Those of my readers who are fortunate enough to have only quiet horses to break in, can skip the description of precautions and methods which others less favourably placed will find useful, if not indispensible for the attainment of success.It will be observed that by the system I adopt, the manners of the horse are, as far as possible, made concurrently with his mouth. In fact a few days driving with the long reins would make the wildest or most vicious horse (supposing that the vice did not proceed from disease), quiet to handle, as well as obedient to the bridle.
Catching a Horse and Making Him Quiet to Handle
If the horse is in the open and is difficult to approach and handle, the first thing we have got to do is drive him into some suitable enclosure, such as a straw yard, empty barn, or loose box. We may then make a rope halter and put it on with a long stick. I have used this plan successfully in England with colts driven into a farm-yard to be docked or castrated, in South African kraals, with wild horses which had never before been approached by man; in India, with broken-loose man-eaters whose attendants dared not go near them; and under many other circumstances of more or less difficulty, if not danger. Lassoing a horse in order to catch him is not a good plan; because it is liable to injure him by causing him to fall violently to the ground, and does not give the operator the command of his head, which is obtained by the other method. If the horse is wild, and the enclosure is small enough to keep him within easy reach, I like to make him stand still in a corner, by means of the lunging whip and then gentle him about the legs (in front and behind), head, neck, back and belly by passing the end of the whip or long stick over these parts. If he makes any attempt to turn around, to kick or to get away, I flick him with the whip below the hocks until he turns his head towards me and stands still. I then make him come up to me, and I put the halter on him. At this stage of the proceedings, we may for safety sake noose a fore leg, say the near, and give the rope to an assistant to hold, while we take charge of the halter rope. In most cases we can now go up to the horse, and apply the rope-twitch by means of the rope halter which is already on the horse's head. If this cannot be done without risk, we may, by means of a stick or pole, pass a blanket or similar article over the horse's head so as to blindfold him. We may then put a twitch over the cloth, and after we have adjusted it, we may remove the cloth from underneath it.With the twitch on, the man who holds it is safe from being bitten by the horse, or from being struck by a foreleg. If the attempt to blindfold the animal makes him as it will sometimes do, outrageously violent, and if he also furiously resists any approach being made to his head; we may obtain control by applying the noose-twitch. The great difficulty I had experienced in going up to some wild horses I had to break in South Africa prompted me to invent this twitch. In getting it or the rope-twitch on the horse, we may expedite matters and save ourselves from being bitten, by putting a stick into the horse's mouth. He will seldom offer resistance to this being done. In fact he will generally like to get the stick between his teeth. Its presence in his mouth will greatly help to distract his attention from his breaker, and will consequently make him less troublesome than he might otherwise be to handle. Although the noose-twitch is not so effective as the Pratt rope-twitch, the fact remains that its power is ample for control in this case. With either the noose-twitch or rope-twitch applied, and with a rope attached to the fore pastern, we may consider that the most vicious horse in the world is entirely at our disposal. At this period or even before it, I have known horses throw themselves down from combined rage and obstinancy at finding that they were mastered. If the horse adopts this defense, tying his head to his tail and keeping him in that position until he has given in, will I have found, be the readiest and most effective means of taking the “nonsense” out of him. If he does not try to defeat us in the manner just metnioned, we may proceed to tie up one foreleg, and put on the long-reins driving gear. Then we may circle, turn, and rein him back, for about half an hour. Or we may employ the head and tail plan.
When the horse has been thus fixed up, we can easily tell the state of his temper ; for if he be nervous or excitable, he will go round and round at the slightest provocation. If, on the contrary, he be sulky, he will ''take as little as he can out of himself" ; but when released will be as bad, or nearly as bad, as before. The more he " fights," the more good will the lesson do him, and the sooner will he give in. Our objective,therefore, should be to make him " fight " ; not by punishment, but according to principles I have already discussed.
For sulky horses, and for them alone, would I advocate the taming means of making them lie down and keeping them on the ground with their heads pulled round. No matter how violent or how aggressively vicious a horse may be, he can be made, for the time being, perfectly quiet to handle in a couple of hours, or, if need be, in one hour, by the methods I have just mentioned. A few repetitions —say, half a dozen at the outside —will even in the worst cases confirm the habit of obedience ; always supposing that the animal remains in the hands of fairly capable people. It is almost needless to point out that by injudicious management, even placid-tempered horses may be made difficult to handle ; to say nothing of temporarily reformed characters, out of the minds of which the good effects of a previous victory of discipline over vicious habits are rapidly fading.
After the horse has been gentled all over and rendered as quiet as practicable by the foregoing measures, any unsteadiness, nervousness, or renewal of resistance may be readily conquered by the use of the rope-twitch, which is particularly useful for making horses stand absolutely steady by word of command.
Horses brought up under ordinary civilized conditions will not, as a rule, require any of the strong means of subjection already described. Having haltered one of them, noosed a fore leg, and applied the halter-twitch, we can generally put on the gear described in the following section, and make him quiet by mouthing him on foot with the long reins, so that he may acquire both " mouth " and " manners " at the same time. To make him " stand " being girthed up, we may have to tie up a fore leg ; or may hold him with one hand on the rein or on the twitch, and the other hand pressed hard against the lower part of his neck so as to bring his head round, and at the same time to prevent him striking us with the fore leg of that side. While held in this manner, it will be difficult for him to
kick the man who is girthing-up either the driving-pad or the saddle.
Mouthing a Horse with the Long Reins on Foot
Taking a fairly quiet, though unbroken horse, or a wild one which has been reduced to obedience according to the directions given in the preceding paragraphs, we may proceed to mouth him with the long reins in the following manner.The gear which I use for driving horses on foot, consists of a snaffle bridle ; a standing martingale ; long reins ; a driving-pad, which may, or may not, have a crupper attached to it for preventing it from shifting forward ; and a bearing-rein, if the animal is inclined to carry his head too low down.
Side view of a bearing rein
The snaffle which I prefer to all others, for riding as well as breaking, is a flat, slightly curved, unjointed one, covered with leather, and having a strap to buckle behind the lower jaw. My objections to the ordinary snaffle are (i) it pinches the sides of the lower jaw, by reason of the joint in its center; and (2) by being round, its pressure is confined to a very small surface of the gum, the extent of which surface is at least quadrupled by
the employment of a flat snaffle not less than an inch broad.
I need hardly say that the greater the surface over which the pressure is distributed, the less liable will such pressure be to irritate the horse, or to render insensitive the part
upon which it is appHed. The snaffle I use has a flat, steel core, to give it the required stiffness. The addition, at the back of the lower jaw, of a strap which is a continuation, on both sides, of the leather that covers the mouthpiece, prevents the bit from being liable to be drawn through the mouth, and enables the driver (whether on foot or in a trap) or rider to pull the horse's head round by acting on the lower jaw.
The bearing-rein has a nose-band which comes under the lower jaw, in the chin-groove, below the mouthpiece of the snaffle, and is connected to the bearing-rein by a strap running down the centre of the face. The bearing-rein can be fixed to the driving-pad or saddle. This form of bearing-rein keeps the head up by acting on the chin-groove, the bony surface of which is smooth and rounded. As it in no way interferes with the
mouth, it is much superior to the ordinary kind, which raises the head by pressing on the corners of the mouth.
Bearing rein-front view
As a substitute for a bearing-rein, we may employ an ordinary pair of riding reins put over the driving-pad. The standing martingale is attached to the rings of the snaffle and to the girth of the driving-pad, and is lengthened out as much as is compatible with its preventing the animal from getting the snaffle off the bars of the lower jaw, and on to the corners of the mouth.
I like the reins to be about twenty-two feet long, and made of one and a half inch circular (or " pipe ") webbing. I have them buckled on the rings of the snaffle, and separate from each other ; so that, if the horse tries to bolt away when being driven on foot, he can be pulled round and held fast, by letting go one rein and holding the other
tight. With an ordinary snaffle, we may employ leather guards similar to those used by London cabmen, in order to give increased effect to the side pull of the rein, and to prevent the corners of the mouth from becoming chafed. Each guard is made of a circular piece of stiff cowhide, about four and a half inches in diameter, and having, from the center to the circumference, an opening, which can be laced up. Or it may consist of two pieces of leather sewn together, and will then be a fixture.
The driving-pad, which is an invention of mine, consists of an iron plate to which a piece of rod-iron of suitable size and shape is securely riveted. The plate is about twenty-six inches long, one-eighth of an inch thick, five inches broad at its widest part, and is made to fit the back. The rod is about two-thirds of an inch in diameter, and is curved in a special manner, so as to prevent the " outward " rein from going over the withers, and also to keep it, when required, on about a level with the withers. Above, and on each side of the top of the arch of the iron plate, is attached an iron ring, through which to pass the outward rein, in the event of the breaker wishing to obviate any possibility of this rein slipping over the pad, as might happen in the case of a particularly wild horse that was driven on foot for the first time. If this precaution be adopted, the breaker, then he desires to change the direction of the circle on which he is driving the horse, will have to take the rein out of the ring in which it is, and place the other rein in the other ring. Thus, when circling to the right, the left rein will pass through the left ring, and vice versa. In no case will the inner rein be passed through either of the rings ; for unless it is kept well away from the pad, the operator will be unable to obtain full control over the horse. I may mention that the ends of the iron plate fit into the
pockets of a suitably stuffed panel, and the girth-straps, on each side, are riveted to the iron plate.
Driving pad
Driving pad-side view
Before I invented this pad, I used to employ crosstrees; on each side of which was placed a leather strap for the rein to run over. The iron pad is less cumbersome than the crosstrees, serves its purpose better, and is practically indestructible. I generally dispense with a crupper, unless the horse has thick low withers, and is particularly wild.
As will be seen below, I used to have rein-bearers (about three and a half feet long, and made to lengthen or shorten as might be required), hanging from the crupper. They are useful for preventing the reins getting entangled in the horse's legs. The fact of my having discarded them as an article of breaking gear, is no doubt due more to laziness on my part, than to the possession of such skill that would make me independent of their aid.
Wooden crosstrees
If circular webbing cannot be obtained for the reins, ordinary driving reins or ropes of suitable length will do.
A standing martingale can be improvised from a running martingale, or with a piece of cord. When a driving-pad or an efficient substitute for it cannot be obtained, we may use instead of it an ordinary saddle, the stirrups of which, with their leathers well lengthened out, will serve as rein-bearers. Although the cantle of the saddle may at times succeed in preventing the outward rein from going over the back ; the breaker cannot —as he is able to do with my pad —when using a saddle for a substitute, circle the horse, as is often necessary, with the outward rein on a level with the withers.
Driving pad, crupper, and rein-bearers on a horse.
Driving horse on foot with reins through stirrup irons.
Rein under cantle of saddle
At first, our object in driving the horse with the long reins should be to get him to circle round us in well balanced style. Hence, he should be bent from muzzle to tail in the direction he is going ; the inward rein leading him off, and preserving the inward bend of his head and neck, while the outward rein passes round his hindquarters and thus makes the track of his hind feet the same as that of his fore ones, instead of—as would usually occur if this support were removed from the untrained horse —its forming a con-
centric circle outside that described by the fore feet.
To obtain this effect, we should stand to the side, and a little to the rear, of our horse, and should regulate the comparative tension of the reins so as to make the fore feet and the hind feet describe the same circle.
Circling a horse on foot to the right
We shall find that the lighter the horse is in front (as in the case of a star-gazer), the more must the pull on the inward rein exceed that on the outward rein ; and vice versa.
Any tendency to star-gaze or to keep the head too low should be corrected, respectively, by the standing martingale or bearing-rein. If the animal be excitable, it is well to commence with the outward rein on the pad, as in. Then by turning him, bringing the reins down, touching him on the quarters with them, and reining him back, we may gradually make him bear their contact without his becoming nervous or fretful. Twenty minutes will be ample to enable us to effect this, even with the worst horse provided that the animal is not a mare " in season."
We may start the horse by " showing " the lunging whip, and we may at the same time " click " to him ; so that by continuing the clicking and by diminishing the threatening
with the whip, we may soon teach him to move off on hearing the sound of the click alone, or we may teach him to do so by raising our right hand. Having got him to circle quietly for a few times, say, to the left, we may turn him to the right-about with the right rein, which, in this case, will pull his head round to the right, and his hindquarters round to the left ; making him, in fact, turn on his center.
Position from which to circle the horse.
He should then be circled to the right and turned to the left-about on the same principle. Every now and then we may halt him by feeling both reins, and when doing so, may accustom him to the word "whoa ! " or any other convenient substitute, so as to teach him in a very few lessons to stop the moment he hears this signal without needing any hint from the reins. I may remark that by acting on similar principles, we may teach the horse, when riding or driving him, to halt in this way. While driving the animal on foot, we should adjust the length of the standing martingale or bearing-rein as may be required.
The more he is inclined to "play up," the shorter, as a rule, should this martingale be, so as to afford increased control. Its use will be needed at first in the large majority of cases, and is of great service in preventing the rein from getting over the back, as well as in giving the breaker command over refractory subjects. In only a few instances, the employment of a bearing-rein, for keeping the head up, will be found necessary ; and much more often with " spoiled " horses than with young ones. The severity of either of these forms of restraint should be lessened according as the horse learns to obey the rein, and may be dispensed with when their use is no longer required. Before turning the horse, say, to the left, I change the reins into my right hand with the right rein crossed under the left rein. I then take a long step to the front with the left foot, slide my left hand forward on the left rein, and, having got the proper length, pull the left rein, while letting the right one slip through the right hand, until the horse is made to turn to the left. As soon as he is in the new direction, I pass the right rein into my left hand and crossed under the left rein. We should continue the turns until the horse answers the rein as readily with his hind-quarters as with his head ; that is, until he learns to turn on his center.
In turning the horse at the walk or trot, it is necessary, in order that the movement may be executed with precision, that the head of the horse should be turned towards the new direction by the rein, at the moment, or immediately before, the fore foot of the opposite side comes down on the around, so that, when turning, he may not cross his fore legs. When making the turn, we should be careful to prevent, by means of the outward rein, the hind-quarters from swinging so far round, that the hind feet will be carried outside the track of the fore feet. Preparatory to turning the horse at the trot and canter, we should check the speed, as may be required, by feeling the reins, so that
he may come round collectedly.
After the horse has learned to do the circles and turns in good form with the outward rein round his quarter, he should be made to execute them with it on the driving-pad; so as to accustom him to its action in the position it would occupy in saddle or harness. The breaker should, as before, place himself to the side and a little behind his horse. If he refuses to turn his hind-quarters round, when the rein is on the pad, a light touch or two with the whip below the hocks, so as to prevent him fixing his hind legs on the ground as a " defense," will soon teach him to come round quickly. If he be found to be " harder " on one side of the mouth than on the other, he should be turned more sharply to the former than to the latter, until he turns equally well to both sides. I advise hitting the horse, when using the lunging whip, below the hocks ; for he is less liable to show the marks of the lash on that part of his legs, than above the hocks, where the bones are covered with muscle. Besides, I am inclined to think that a cut below the hocks is more likely to prompt a horse to go on, and is less apt to make him kick, than one above them.
I may point out that the circling with the long reins on foot, should be performed on the same principle as that adopted by a capable rider, the pressure of whose drawn back outward foot is replaced by that of the outward rein. I may remark, in passing, that practice in driving on foot is an admirable means for improving one's " hands ; " whether for riding or driving.
In the first lesson —which should not exceed twenty minutes in length, so as not to make the animal's mouth tender—the horse should have learned to move off at the walk on being shown the whip or clicked to ; to readily turn to the right, left, right-about or left-about, on receiving the proper indication of the rein ; and to halt. This will be enough under ordinary circumstances ; although on an emergency this modest limit of instruction may be greatly exceeded.
Turning horse with rein on driving-pad
If the horse be inclined at any time to make too large a circle, we can cause him to describe a smaller one by drawing on the inward rein and slackening off the outward one, the proper amount of feeling on which we should gradually restore according as we gain control over the animal. Sometimes the horse, to avoid the action of the reins, decreases on his own accord the size of the circle on which we are driving him. To nullify this defense, we should feel the outward rein the stronger of the two and should drive the horse away from us, so as to get more behind him than previously, and should then gradually lead him off by the inward rein into the desired circle. If
he shows " fight," which he will very seldom do with the long reins, we may have to rein him back (see below), turn him from one side to the other, or threaten him with the lunging whip.
The whole of the long-rein work should, as far as possible, be done on the circle ; for that is, as far as I can see, the only way by which the driver on foot can preserve a light feeling on the reins. If he drives the horse straight on in front of him, he can hardly escape, for the greater part of the time, from keeping too heavy a pull on the animal's
mouth. The objectionable practice of driving youngsters on foot for miles along a road, as may be seen in full operation at Newmarket and other training resorts, is a fruitful cause of the dead mouths and habit of boring possessed by the majority of race horses. The animal, to relieve the bars of his mouth from the constant and painful pressure of the mouthpiece, naturally gets his chin into his chest, in order to transfer a portion of the pull of the reins to the crown of his head. Instead of acting in this fashion, the breaker, if he wants to give his horse a walk on foot, might, after having mouthed and exercised him in the manner I have described, take him out with the crupper leading-rein, the use of which contrivance would obviate any risk of spoiling his mouth.
During the second lesson, which may be given on the afternoon of the day on which the first one was imparted, we may repeat the previous instruction, and then teach the animal to rein back. This is done by bending his head, say, to the left by the left rein, while preventing his hindquarters, by the pressure of the right rein, from turning
round. When we obtain this bend, which will naturally put more weight on the legs of the near side than on those of the off side, we should feel both reins, so as to make him take a step to the rear. He will of course do this, other things being equal, more readily with the more advanced hind leg, than with its fellow, supposing that
he is not standing "level." Hence his head in the first instance should be turned to the side of the least advanced hind leg. When we obtain this step, we should turn the horse's head to —say, in this case — the right by the right rein in order to obtain the next step ; and so on. While working in this way we should try to get the near
fore to move simultaneously with the off hind, and the off fore with the near hind, so that the pace of the rein-back will be a diagonal one of two time (namely, a trot, and not a walk) ; for the horse is found to rein-back in an easier and more collected manner at the former than at the latter pace. If he is inclined to get his head up, it is best to stand directly behind him. If he lowers it as a defense, we may rein him back with one rein on the driving-pad, or, what is probably the better plan, we may use a bearing-rein to keep his head in proper position. Although we should in no way make the work unduly irksome to the horse, we should not be contented unless we get him, in this second lesson, to rein-back in well-balanced style, twenty or five- and-twenty yards, three or four times. Such a demand will, I feel certain, be considered outrageously severe by those who are unacquainted with the possibilities of the long-rein system ; but it is, as I have proved many hundreds of times, a thoroughly legitimate one. If the horse, as a defence against the rein-back, fixes his hindquarters, we may render them mobile by cracking the whip or by touching him lightly below the hocks with the lash.
We may also take some of the weight off the hind-quarters by shortening the standing martingale. If we cannot effect our purpose by these means, we may place an assistant in front of the horse to threaten him on one side of his hind-quarters and then on the other, while we are occupied with the long reins. Or he may, while standing
in front of the horse, take hold of the reins, one in each hand, close to the rings of the snafBe, and aid our efforts in regulating the height of the horse's head and in pressing him back. The presence of the assistant in front of the animal will naturally tend to make him rein-back easier.
Although I have never found it absolutely necessary, we might at this stage teach the horse the turn on the forehand, so as to give mobility to the hind legs. In solving the question of adjustment of" weight in the rein-back, we should fully utilize our power of placing the horse's head in whatever position we like (whether by lowered rein, rein on pad, standing martingale, bearing-rein, or by the help of an assistant), and that of
mobilizing the hind-quarters by means of the whip. In executing the rein-back, the horse should be light behind and should lift up his hind feet well, so that his movement
to the rear may be executed with safety and freedom.
Consequently his head, which is the weight at the end of the balancing pole of his body, should be kept considerably lower than if the movement was to the front. We should here particularly avoid the run-back, in which the horse is liable to fall down on account of the preponderance of the weight being on the hind-quarters. In this case the center of gravity of the horse's body is brought to an undue extent to the rear, and the ability of
the hind legs to form new bases of support is diminished in proportion to the weight imposed on them.
After we have obtained the correct rein-back, we should practice the horse —with the outward rein round his quarter or on the pad, as may be required —at walking in a collected manner, using the whip as a stimulant, the outward rein as a substitute for the drawn back outward leg of the rider, and both reins as a restraint and as a guide. The outward rein, if shaken against his hind-quarters, may serve as a slight though useful incitement for making the horse collect himself. Reining him back from time to time, as may be required, will often be found serviceable in this “setting-up drill”.
When the horse is able, say, after two or three lessons, to go through in a competent manner at a walk the long-rein work which I have described, he may be made to do it at a trot and canter. At both these paces, the size of the circle should be gradually diminished in order to teach the horse to collect himself. Although the horse will, after a time, learn to strike off from the walk or trot into the canter with the leg appropriate to the circle on which he is being worked ; it is well to teach him to do so on receiving a suitable signal, which can be utilized when riding the horse in a straight direction.
Thus, when circling the horse to the right, for instance, at the walk or trot, with the outward rein round the quarters, I would, in order to give the horse the signal to strike off into the canter with the off fore leg leading, feel the left rein the stronger of the two, so as to turn the horse's head a little outside and his hind-quarters a little inside the
circle, and then make him strike off correctly by feeling the right rein, and by showing him the whip, or clicking to him. The lead with the near fore, while going on the left circle, would naturally be obtained in the reversed manner.
A dozen lessons, two a day, will under ordinary circumstances be ample for teaching the horse the work with the long reins up to this point. The discipline gone through during that time, combined with the gentling action of the reins on the hind-quarters, will in the large majority of cases have taken all, or nearly all, of the nervousness, impatience of control, or aggressiveness out of vicious, wild or otherwise " difficult " animals.
By circling, turning, and reining back a horse with the long reins, we can readily form a good idea of his manners, mouth, and temper. When putting on the long-rein driving gear, we should be careful to put on, first of all, the bridle and long reins ; then the driving pad with one girth tightly buckled up ; the standing martingale through which the second girth passes ; the bearing-rein, if required ; and finally the crupper. When removing these articles, the reversed order of procedure should be observed. These precautions are necessary in order that excitable or vicious horses may not be prompted to kick or " play up," after the girths of the driving-pad have been undone, but before the connection of the pad with the martingale and crupper has been severed. While on the subject of adjusting gear, I may mention that if we want to put a bridle on a horse which has a headstall on, and which we cannot depend upon standing still with the headstall off; we can place the bridle over the headstall, and then take off the headstall without shifting the bridle in any way, by undoing the buckle of the headstall and by taking off the browband and the strap which goes through the buckle. If we then draw the noseband forward, we can easily detach the headstall by passing the noseband into the mouth, over the snaffle, and finally out of the mouth.
On more than one occasion, I have had difficult horses break away from me at that critical moment, between the removal of the headstall and the putting on of the bridle, which has to be passed through, unless the foregoing precaution be adopted.
American " horse-tamers " use the long reins without a standing martingale or driving-pad, and pass them through rings on a specially constructed surcingle, or through the shaft rings of an ordinary single harness pad, or through the irons of a riding saddle. Men who try to mouth horses in this manner are apt to frequently fail in teaching their pupils to bend their necks to the rein, and at the same time to go up to the bridle ; for the majority of animals thus treated would resist the action of the mouthpiece by chucking up the head in the attempt to get the mouthpiece off the bars and on to the corners of the mouth. Besides, the horse omits to learn the valuable lesson which the use of the standing martingale inculcates, namely, that of bending his head and neck to save his mouth. When both reins pass through rings on the surcingle, or through the shaft rings of a harness pad, the driver on foot is prevented, by the fact of the inward rein going back to the surcingle instead of coming straight from the ring of the snaffle to his hand, from standing in the centre of the circle on which he drives the horse, and is consequently obliged to more or less follow the animal, and by doing so is apt to bear unduly on the reins, and make the horse's mouth " dead." The absence of a driving-pad deprives the breaker of the great advantage of being able to raise or lower the outward rein at will. In breaking for harness, and especially for fast trotting on level ground, the neces-
sity for teaching horses to bend the neck, to get the hindquarters under them, to moderate the speed in response to a pull on the reins, is not nearly so imperative as in educating the hunter, chaser, and charger, which should always have a " spare leg " for any emergency. The method of long-rein mouthing is as applicable to "spoiled" horses as it is to entirely unhandled animals. To my thinking, one great beauty in it —apart from its immense advantage of never giving the pupil the chance of getting the upper hand, which he might easily do if the breaker were in the saddle—is that the breaker can at any moment tell how his pupil is progressing by the feeling of the reins, and can accordingly, with well-grounded confidence, use his own judgment in regulating the amount or the nature of the instruction. The man who, on the contrary, tries to mouth a horse by "tying him up " by means of side reins, dumb jockeys, or pillar reins, must necessarily work, as I have already said, more or less in the dark and by rule of thumb ; for he cannot gauge the progress which his horse is making, except by trying the animal in saddle or harness. Besides, he commits the two grave faults of working only one end of the body , and of endeavoring to “supple” the head and neck of a stationary animal. With the long reins we avoid both these errors, and remain in constant touch with our pupil.
Driving a horse with running reins through stirrups
Colonel Wardrop showed me a method he practices of driving horses over jumps with long ropes which pass 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 above). This excellent authority on the art of training horses to safely " negotiate " the difficult
country met with in Ireland, tells me that he has found this method of great use for teaching horses to collect themselves when coming up to the big banks and ditches which are to be seen in the counties of Kildare, Tipperary and Cork. After the horse has been thoroughly taught the long-rein work according to the system I have described, Colonel Wardrop's plan might be useful for giving him a few practical lessons over the obstacles in question.
All I know respecting the antiquity of long-rein driving on foot is that Fallon, an Irish breaker who was an old man at the time, taught, more than sixty years ago, this method of mouthing to Mr. John Hubert Moore, the famous trainer of steeplechase horses.
Teaching a Horse to Turn on his Forehand
Having taught the horse by means of the long reins to understand and obey the aids for turning on his center, we may proceed to make him equally proficient in those for the turn on the forehand, which is a particularly useful means for teaching him to go up to his bridle, by transferring weight from his hind-quarters to his forehand, and forgiving increased mobility to the hind-quarters — of the rearer for instance. The turn on the forehand is the normal way in which a horse changes his direction when at liberty in an open space.
The turn on the forehand is made on the off fore as a pivot (moving or fixed), when the hind-quarters move from right to left (in the direction taken by the hands of a watch). This I shall call the turn on the forehand to the right ; and the movement of the hind-quarters from left to right, with the near fore as a pivot, the turn on the forehand to the left. To teach the horse on foot the turn on the forehand to the left, we may, while facing him and standing close to his near shoulder, take hold of the near rein of the snaffle, not far from the mouthpiece, in the left hand, and the off rein, passed over the lower part of the neck, in the right hand, which also grasps a cutting whip or cane.
Making horse, on foot, turn on his forehand to the left.
Our objective here, as I have already indicated, is to cause the horse to circle his hind-quarters from left to right (in a direction opposite to that in which the hands of a watch move) round the near fore foot, which at first should describe a small circle (that is, it should be a moving pivot) ; but may, when the animal's education is more advanced, perform the more difficult task of turning round on its own axis without quitting the ground.
At first the horse's head should be turned to the left, so as to render the near fore leg more or less stationary, by increasing the amount of weight on it ; but later on, it should be kept in the same line as the body, or it may be even slightly turned to the right ; for if it be held in either of these directions, the balance of the animal's body will
be better preserved, than if his head were turned to the left. By lightly touching the near quarter with the whip we should endeavour to make the horse move his hind legs to the right. To prompt him to describe, as he ought to do, a circle round his near fore with his off fore, we may, as often as may be required, touch with the whip the back part of the fore arm of the off fore.
We should strive to obtain precise movements without any approach to hurry, and by justly meted-out punishment and reward should make our wishes clearly intelligible to our pupil. After a few lessons, the horse may be made to turn on his forehand while holding the head and neck straight, in which position, as I have just said, his equi-
librium will be better preserved than if the head were turned to the left. The left rein will, if required, prevent the horse from reining back, and will also keep his head at the desired height. The off rein will stop him from going round too quickly ; and both reins will aid in checking any forward advance on his part. In teaching the turn on the forehand to the right, we should place ourselves near the off shoulder of the horse,
and should use the reins and whip in the reversed manner to which we did for obtaining the turn on the forehand to the left. As the action of the whip in this case is preparatory to that of the drawn-back foot of the rider ; we should gradually advance its point of contact with the skin until we gain our object by touching the horse with
the whip on that portion of his side which the heel or spur would reach.
Teaching the horse to turn on the forehand in obedience to the proper aids, is, I think, essential to the education of all saddle horses ; for it is the best preparatory means for making them readily obey the leg.
Teaching a Horse to Lead
After giving the horse his lessons with the long reins, and making him turn on his forehand, there will be little or no difficulty in getting him to lead, which he may be taught to do by using the crupper leading-rein and the words " Come here ! " or any convenient substitute, when pulling the rope, so as to make the horse connect in his mind the idea of having to come up to us with the verbal command. The crupper leading-rein can be readily made by taking a long rope, doubling it, making a loop in the middle by knotting it, and passing the loop under the horse's tail, and the ends of the rope through the halter, or rings of the snaffle. To prevent it slipping over the tail when itgets slack, we may put a knot in it, in front of the rings of the snaffle, or of that part of the headstall through which it has been passed. Or we may employ the Comanche bridle, which I think is the best means for teaching a difficult horse to lead. I have also found the use of the rope halter very effective ; for the pain which the pressure of the rope round his jaws will cause him when he hangs back, will be instantly relieved the moment he goes forward. For making a horse merely come up to one, I like Baucher's method, which is as follows : Hold the reins in the left hand, or the crupper leading-rein, and continue to lightly touch the horse on the breast with the end of a cutting whip or switch, until he " comes up," when he should be immediately rewarded by the cessation of the punishment, by being patted on the neck, and by being spoken to in a caressing manner. As a rule, the horse will at first try to avoid the blows by running back, or by swerving to one side or to the other ; but failing to escape from the inflicted pain, he will almost invariably go forward. This desired effect is obtained usually in not
longer than ten minutes.
A crupper leading-rein
Knot in crupper leading-rein
Three or four lessons will generally be sufficient to make the horse come up to one the moment the whip is pointed towards his breast. I need hardly say that learning to obey this signal, and that of standing still as a statue on hearing the word “steady”, are two very desirable accomplishments in the horse.
We are all aware that the tendency of a horse when being led by an ordinary leading-rein or by the bridle reins is to "hang" on them, and if jerked by them, to resist the pull given. The use of the crupper leading-rein, on the contrary, prompts the animal to move collectedly on account of the pressure of the rope under his tail stimulating him to bring his hind-quarters under him. I do not know who invented this form of leading-rein, which was employed by Fanchion, Magner, Pratt, Rockwell, and other American " horse-tamers." It is also an admirable means of making—and consequently teaching—a horse to follow a cart or trap behind which he is tied. When pulled by the head the natural tendency of a horse, as I have just said, is to resist ; but when drawn forward by a rope or other similar material passed under his tail, he is strongly prompted to go n or leading rope on becoming tight will have the effect of increasing the weight on the forehand, with the probable result of pulling the animal down on to his knees. If, on the contrary, the horse be attached to the back of the vehicle by the crupper leading-rein, the pressure of the rope will fall on the hindquarters without any interference with the head.
When a man on foot leads a horse, he should, supposing that he is on the near side of the animal, bring the reins over the horse's head, hold both reins at a convenient distance from the mouthpiece in his right hand with the little finger between them, and should have his left hand between the reins at their centre.
When the reins are held In this manner by the right hand, the right rein can be tightened by the action of the little finger on it ; and a far firmer hold can be obtained, especially if the little finger be turned towards the body by the rotation of the wrist, than if the reins were separated by the first finger, as directed in Cavalry Drill.
Teaching a horse to come up by tapping him on the chest with the whip.
Horses should be taught to lead on the off as well as on the near side. As it is customary to lead a horse only on the near side, and as the man who leads him along a road should in all cases keep himself between his horse and any passers-by, so as to be able to prevent the animal swinging his hindquarters round into danger ; led horses are supposed to keep to the right side of the road.
With a horse which leads equally well on both sides, the better plan, when leading him along a road, would be for the man to remain on the off side of the animal, and keep him on the left side of the road. For leading young horses, a circular mouthpiece is sometimes employed. With it the pressure on the bars is evenly distributed on both sides of the mouth. Or we may use a leading-rein with a pair of spring hooks at one end.
When a mounted man leads a horse which has on a snaffle or double bridle, and which he wants to lead on his off side by the snaffle, he should pass the off snaffle rein through the near side ring of the snaffle.
Off rein passed through near ring of snaffle for leading horse.
Exerpt from M. Horace Hayes Course in Horsemanship
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While the publisher and author have made their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Horses are large and dangerous animals and the sole experience of reading a book cannot prepare a person to handle horses properly. The author and publisher of this book nor any selling agent of this book are not liable for any property damage or damages arising from the personal injury or death of a participant or spectator resulting from following the advice contained in this book. Each participant in an equine activity expressly assumes the risk and legal responsibility for any property damage or damages arising from personal injury or death that results from the inherent risk of equine activities. It is the duty of each participant to act within the limits of the participant's own ability, to maintain reasonable control of the particular equine at all times while participating in an equine activity, to heed all warnings and to refrain from acting in a manner that may cause or contribute to the injury of any person or damage to property. It is the sole responsibility of the reader to seek the counsel of a professional trainer when applying any methods or devices described in these books. Many techniques and devices described in these books may have fallen out of favor in modern times and are for informational and entertainment purposes only, and have been included only for the sake of posterity and completeness. The publisher does not condone any cruelty or purposeful injury to animals. The publisher or any selling agent does not condone or advise the application of any device, technique, or method described in these books. These books are provided for informational purposes only. The reader is responsible for taking into account his or her own experience and ability when applying any of the techniques described in these books, and is advised to seek the advice of a professional trainer before doing so. The publisher makes no claims as to any results the reader will gain from reading the material presented in these books. The reader alone is singularly responsible and liable for the results or failure of any action or inaction taken on the basis of the contents of these books. A professional trainer should be sought for advice on applying any of the instruments described in these books. The publisher disclaims any and all liability for any loss, damage, or negative consequences that may be said to arise directly or indirectly from the use of techniques, devices, or methods described within these books. These books are provided “as is” for informational and entertainment purposes only. By purchasing these books the reader agrees to this disclaimer as a condition of purchase.
DISCLAIMER
While the publisher and author have made their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Horses are large and dangerous animals and the sole experience of reading a book cannot prepare a person to handle horses properly. The author and publisher of this book nor any selling agent of this book are not liable for any property damage or damages arising from the personal injury or death of a participant or spectator resulting from following the advice contained in this book. Each participant in an equine activity expressly assumes the risk and legal responsibility for any property damage or damages arising from personal injury or death that results from the inherent risk of equine activities. It is the duty of each participant to act within the limits of the participant's own ability, to maintain reasonable control of the particular equine at all times while participating in an equine activity, to heed all warnings and to refrain from acting in a manner that may cause or contribute to the injury of any person or damage to property. It is the sole responsibility of the reader to seek the counsel of a professional trainer when applying any methods or devices described in these books. Many techniques and devices described in these books may have fallen out of favor in modern times and are for informational and entertainment purposes only, and have been included only for the sake of posterity and completeness. The publisher does not condone any cruelty or purposeful injury to animals. The publisher or any selling agent does not condone or advise the application of any device, technique, or method described in these books. These books are provided for informational purposes only. The reader is responsible for taking into account his or her own experience and ability when applying any of the techniques described in these books, and is advised to seek the advice of a professional trainer before doing so. The publisher makes no claims as to any results the reader will gain from reading the material presented in these books. The reader alone is singularly responsible and liable for the results or failure of any action or inaction taken on the basis of the contents of these books. A professional trainer should be sought for advice on applying any of the instruments described in these books. The publisher disclaims any and all liability for any loss, damage, or negative consequences that may be said to arise directly or indirectly from the use of techniques, devices, or methods described within these books. These books are provided “as is” for informational and entertainment purposes only. By purchasing these books the reader agrees to this disclaimer as a condition of purchase.