The Kanzas news., 1858-08-28


the bit in his mouth. This will give him
the idea of raising his head to loosen the
bit, and then you can draw the biting q
little tighter every time you put it on, and
he will raise his head to loosen it. BY this
means you viii gradually get his head and
neck in the position you wish him to car.
ry it, and give him graceful carriage with
out hurting him, making him angry, ol
causing his mouth to get sore.
If you put the biting on very tight the
first time, he cannot raise his head enough
to loosen it, but will bear on it all the time
and paw, sweat and throw himself. Many
horses have been killed by falling backward
with their biting on; their heads being
drawn up, strike the ground with the whole
weight Of the body. Horses that have
their heads drawn up tightly should mo-
have the biting on more than fifteen or TWEEN
ty minutes at a time.
HOW TO HARNESS THE COLT.
You should, by all means, have your
harness made to fit your horse, especially
the collar. Hundreds of horses have been
spoiled by collars that do not fit as they
should. A little attention to this matter
beforehand will facilitate your progress
very much. Take your harness into the
stable, go through the same process thai
you did with the saddle, letting the colt ex-
anime your harness satisfactorily; then put
it on carefully; and after you have it all
complete, then put on your lines; use them
gently, as he is rather skittish, until he is
used to them little; then lead him back
and forth into the stable until he does not
seem to mind the fitting of the harness to
his body; then take hold of the end of the
traces and pull slightly at first, increasing
your strength until he viii pull you across
the stable back and forth; then hitch him
to whatever you wish him to pull.
TO HITCH UP THE COLT.
This should be done with great caution,
first letting him examine the buggy or sui
ky in his own way of examining objects;
then carefully hitch him up; having. every
thing safe, let him start the buggy empty,
and pull that at first in that way; then get
in, and let him take it slow, and he viii no;
be near so apt to scare, and by degrees
you will be making good work beast.
If you want to have horse that viii be
true to pull and thinks he can pull mount
ain, never hitch him to anything that he
cannot pull, and after he is used to pulling,
he just thinks he can pull anything, be-
cause he always has, and he does not know
anything about his strength beyond his ex-
perience.
THE KIND OF BIT, AND HOW To AcCUsToM A
COLT TO 1T.
You should use large, smooth, snaffle
bit, so as not to hurt his mouth, with bar
on each side to prevent the bit from pulling
through either way. This you should at
tach to the head-stall of your bride, and
put it on your colt without any reins to it,
and let him run loose in large stable or
shed some time, until he becomes little
used 10 the bit, and viii bear it without try
ING to get it out of his mouth. 1t would
be well, if convenient, to repeat this seve-
raj times before you do anything more to
the colt; as soon as he will bear the bit, at
tach single rein to it. without any mar
tingale. You should also have halter on
YOUR colt, or bride made after the fash
You can hold or lead him about without
pulling on the bit much. He'is now ready
for the saddle.
HOW TO MOUNT THE COLT.
the saddle, and all over, until he will stand
without holding, and is not afraid to see
you anywhere about him.
AS soon as you have him thus gentled,
get small block about one foot or eighteen
inches in hight, and setit down by the
side of him, about where you want to stand
to mount him; step up on this, raising your
self very gently; horses notice every change
of position very closely, and if you were to
step suddenly on the block, it would be apt
to scare him; but by raising yourself grad
ually on it, he viii see you without being
frightened. in position very near the same
as when you are on his back.
AS soon as he will fear this without
alarm, unite the stirrup-strap next to you.
and put your left foot in the stiIrup, and
stand square over it, holding your knee
against the horse and your toe out, so as
not to touch him under the shoulder with
the toe of your boot. Place your right
hand on the front of tie saddle, and ON the
opposite side of you, taking hold of por-
ton of the name and reins, as they hang
loosely over the neck, with your left hand:
then gradually bear your weight on the sad
die. Repeat this several times, each time
Iaising yourself little higher from the
block, until he viii allow you to raise your
leg over hls Group and place yourself in
the saddle.
There are three great advantages in hav-
ing block to mount from. First, a sud
den change of position is very apt to fright
en- yonng horse that has never been han
died. He will allow you to walk up to
him and stand by his side without soaring
at you, because you have wonted him to
that position; but if you get down on your
hands and knees and crawl toward him, be
viii be very much frightened; and upon
the same principle, he would frighten at
your new position if you had The power to
hold yourself over his neck without touch
ing him. Then, the first great advantage
of the block Is TO gradually accustom him
70 that new nnsiEiar in .zh;oh- La ,.iII so