Breaking is the first process the horse undergoes to prepare him for work. His education does not, however, come within the limits of this treatise. It forms a part of horsemanship, and is best performed by men who make it their business. I am not intimately acquainted with the practical details, and shall not attempt to describe them. But I would make a few remarks upon what I consider the principles of breaking.

The Objects of Breaking are the same in all cases, and they are only three in number. It should teach the horse to yield implicit submission to his ruler; it should give him dexterity in performing his work; and it should confer a graceful carnage. When the horse has learned all these, he has no more to learn, or at least the breaker has nothing more to teach him.

The Means employed to teach the horse vary a little, both in degree and in kind, according to his disposition. There are punishments to enforce submission, and rewards to encourage it. After that is obtained, the rest is easy. To produce dexterity at work, the horse needs nothing but practice. In giving his first lesson the breaker has to take certain precautions against awkwardness, timidity, and resistance on the part of the horse. But, after the novelty of drawing or carrying has worn off, daily practice is all the horse needs. The difficulty is all in the beginning, and that is often much lessened by giving the horse an example. A steady companion may be present at his first two or three lessons. If meant for harness, he may be yoked with a steady horse, already well broke and somewhat stronger than himself. He restrains the colt, and serves as an example to him. Besides learning the horse to work, the breaker has to give him a graceful carriage. He must raise the head, set the horse upon his haunches, and teach him precision in his motions. Before the colt is broke, he carries the head low, leans over his fore legs, and has a slovenly irregular gait. These the breaker must correct. For a certain number of hours every day the head is reined up.

In the stable, the bridle-reins are fixed one to each stall-post, and one to a surcingle on the horse's back. While out of the stable, the head is supported by the hand, by the surcingle, or by what is termed a dumb-jockey, an apparatus like a St. Andrew's cross, fixed on the horse's back. After a time, this elevated position of the head becomes easy and habitual. The horse carries it so without support. In old horses the position of the head and neck can not be altered; and when the neck is short, and set very low on the shoulder, it can not be much raised, even in colts By elevating the head and neck, the body is necessarily thrown more upon the hind legs; to use the breaker's phrase, the horse is "set upon his haunches." This requires no separate process. Good action, which is the most important part of a graceful carriage, can not be given to all horses. That of the colt always improves as he becomes accustomed to his work. But a good horseman will produce the same, or greater improvement, in less than half the time that work alone would produce it. He employs the hand, the heel, the voice, and the whip, to restrain, to steady, and to push the horse. I think it is in this part of their business that breakers oftenest fail.

Most of them can teach the horse to obey, and to work, and to carry his head, with more or less animation; but few seem able to confer the steady and graceful action which makes a saddle-horse so valuable. Doubtless there are many horses upon whom it can not be conferred; but very often the fault is in the teacher more than in the taught.

I have not said by what means the horse is taught to obey. It is obvious that he can not be taught to work unless he yield obedience to the breaker. Sometimes the colt is so rebellious that he must be mastered by force before he will submit to any instruction. But this does not happen very often. Many colts are obedient from their birth. These have no need either for punishments or for rewards. They may be stupid, awkward, or timid. But these faults are not amended by punishment. If the colt endeavors to obey, it is sufficient; and the breaker can not be too gentle. Severity produces stupidity or terror : the colt either stands stock still, or he attempts to run away. He should never be punished for misapprehension, nor for fear, nor for the disobedience which fear sometimes produces.

The temper of a young horse is much influenced by the manner in which he has been reared. If early accustomed to be handled and to have people about him, and to be kindly treated, he is easily subdued, even though his natural temper may be none of the best. For the first two or three months of his domestication, his anger and resentment should not be excited by any painful operation, nor by requiring any painful service from him. He may be haltered, groomed, clothed, led about, over and over again, before he suffers anything alarming or painful. In a short time the colt acquires complete confidence in the people about him; he yields obedience because he fears no evil. Ultimately, by the time he is wanted for breaking, the habit of submission may be so completely established, that the colt will do much that he is not fond of doing, and suffer a great deal before he rebels. But if permitted to run wild till three or four years old, he is sure to offer considerable resistance to the breaker; and if never accustomed to have men about him, except when he must be harshly treated, he will be either a very timid horse or a very savage one. It can not be otherwise.

The young animal is thus taught to regard man as his persecutor; the timid fly, and the bold resist or retaliate.

The breaker must modify his treatment according to the temper of the colt. In general, I think he mingles endearment and punishment so much that the colt is at a loss to understand him. A silent breaker succeeds soonest, one who says little or nothing, either to soothe or to threaten. Much bustling and caressing often create suspicion; an angry tone or a touch of the lash rouses alarm or resentment, as often as it produces obedience. When placed in a novel situation, the colt should be allowed a little time to compose himself. For example, when he is first backed, he may stand still for a moment, or he may move on as he pleases; if disposed to plunge about, and attempt to unseat the rider he must just be restrained, partly by the rider, and partly by an assistant. Upon no account should the rider come off, of be thrown oft. If the colt will not move, if he can be neither led nor driven forward, the lash must be applied. At this, the first struggle, the colt must be compelled to obey. He should be punished in good earnest. If he gain the first battle he will be sure to make a struggle for the second, and the third, until he acquires a habit of rebelling wherever and whenever obedience is demanded.

It is much better, however, if punishment can be dispensed with, especially at an early stage of the breaking. Gentle measures are to be fairly tried, and not abandoned till they have fairly failed. The lash should be the last resource, and it ought never to be applied unless the horse can fully understand why.

Very rebellious colts are sometimes worked and starved till they are a good deal reduced. It is a certain mode of subduing the very wildest; but must not be carried so far as to injure the legs.

[A colt should be halter-broke at three weeks old, and may be broken in to do very light work in harness at two years old; but should not be backed, except by a small boy, till three years old, and a very light man, till four years old. If he is backed earlier than this by a heavy man, the weight upon him is so great, that he can not lift his fore feet sufficiently high in his action, and he is consequently apt to make a stumbler for life; and he rarely carries himself with that lightness, ease, and freedom, under the saddle, that he otherwise would, if not backed by so heavy a weight at this early age. It is also liable to injure the spine and make the horse hollow-backed.

A simple bitting bridle is the best instrument to prepare the horse for breaking. After being well bitted, he may be harnessed daily for a week or so, then be taken out and led by the side of another horse; then driven along some quiet place with him; then on the road; and finally, hitched in alongside to a light vehicle, for regular work. After thus driving him a few weeks, let him stand under the saddle a few days then mounted and ridden by the side of a well-trained horse. In learning him to back, commence on descending ground, where the vehicle will run back of itself, and so gradually come to ascending ground. We have broke many horses in this way, several of which were naturally rather vicious, and most of them very high-spirited, and yet we never had occasion to strike a blow, or use any harsh means whatever to accomplish our object. Horses only want to be properly taught to do all that can be reasonably required of them. Their best instructor is one of their own species, who is active, patient, kind in temper, and perfectly broke, to work alongside of till they have learned what is necessary. They are creatures of imitation as well as man; and they oftener sin from ignorance, timidity, or fright, than from any other cause.

Give them a good example and they will generally follow it. Something of their grace and ease of movement, and quickness of walk, trot, and gallop, will depend upon the person breaking and training them.]