Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-08-21
THE PROPER WAY TO BIT A COLT.

THE PROPER WAY TO BIT A COLT.
Farmers often put biting harness on a
colt the first thing they do with him, buck
ling up the biting as tight as they can
draw it, to II AXE him carry his head high,
and then turn him out in a lot to run a half
day at a time This is one of the worst
punishment> that they can infiict on cclt,
and very Injurious to a young horse that
has been used to running in pasture with
his head down.
A horse should be well accustomed to
the bit before you put on the biting bar
ness, and when y,u first bit him you
should only rein his head up to that point
here he naturally holds it, let that be
high or low: he will soon learn that he
cannot lower his head, and that raising 1t
little will loosen 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 little tighter every time
YOU put it on, and he will still raise his
head to loosen it. By this means you will
gradually get his head and neck In the
position you wish him to carry it, and give
him graceful carriage, without hurting
him, mailing him angry, or 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 the biting on; their heads
ieing drawn up, strike the ground with
the whole weight of the body. Horses
that have their heads drawn up tightly
should not have the biting on more than
fifteen Or twenty minutes at 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 the harness into the
stable; 90 through the same process that
YOU did with the saddle, letting the colt
examine your harness satisfactorily; then
put il on carefully; and after you have it
/ all complete, put on your lines; use them
gently, as be is rather skittish. until he is
used to them little then lead him back
and forth in 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 will 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 OF
sulky in his own way of examining OBJ
iects: then carefully hitch him up; having
everything safe, let him start the buggy
empty, and pull that at first in that way
then oct in. and let him take it slow, and
he will not be near so apt to scare, and by
DEGREES you will be making good work
beast.
IF YOU want to have horse that will be
tne to pull, and that thinks he could pull
3 mountain, never hitch him to anything
he cannot pull, and after he is used to
pulling, he just thinks he can pull any
thing. because he always has, and he does
not know anything about his strength be-
yond his experience.
THE KIND OF BIT, AND HOW TO ACQUISITION
COLT TO II. ~
r IL !