hrope for the rest of
his days. I have seen the gentle and brave, under such circumstances,
act very much like the cruel and cowardly; that is to say, first rough
an innocent animal for their own fault, and then yield to his
resistance. It is in consequence of this that we find so many restive
horses; that so few thorough-bred horses--that is, horses of the highest
courage--can be made hunters; that, in fact, almost all high-couraged
young horses become restive after leaving the colt-breaker's hands. It
is, indeed, in consequence of this that the class of people called
colt-breakers exists at all. For if we all rode on their principle,
which is the true principle, any groom or moderately good rider could
break any colt or ride any restive horse.

No horse becomes restive in the colt-breaker's hands; nor do any remain
so when placed in his hands. The reason is that he invariably rides with
one bridle and two hands, instead of two bridles and one hand. When he
wishes to go to the right he pulls the right rein stronger than the
left. When he wishes to go to the left he pulls the left rein stronger
than the right. These are indications which, if the colt will not obey,
he will at least understand, the very first time that he is mounted, and
which the most obstinate will not long resist. But as may be supposed,
it takes a long time to make him understand that he is to turn to the
right when the left rein is pulled, and to the left when the right rein
is pulled. And it is only the meek-spirited and docile who will do this
at all. Such, however, is the general docility of the half-bred horse,
that a great proportion of them are, after long ill-usage, taught to
answer these false indications, in the same way that a carthorse is
brought to turn right or left by the touch of the whip on the opposite
side of the neck, or the word of the driver; and indeed such is the
nicety to which it may be brought, that you constantly hear people boast
that their horses will "turn by the weight of the reins on the neck."
This, however, only proves the docility of the horse, and how badly he
has been ridden. For a horse which has been finely broken should take
notice only of the indications of his rider's hands on his mouth, not of
any side-feeling of the reins against his neck.

[Sidenote: Indications are not _aids_.]

By _indications_ generally, I mean the motions and applications of the
hands, legs, and whip, to direct and determine the pac