Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-03-08
CHE farn1 and fiteside.
HOW TO MANAGE A BALKY COLT.


This is one of the meanest habits that a
colt can get into but happily there are but
very few colts that cannot be made true by
iudicious management. There is great diff
ference in colts about this habit. One will
balk only when starting away from home !;
another will stop and start all right again in
five minutes, while others will refuse to 60
until all patienceis exhausted, and the driver
is ready to sell out cheap. But the worst
cases are invariably those of little intellect,
and muish disposition these are the ones a
kind man should be patient and reason with,
in q far greater measure than is necessary
with colt or horse of higher intellect; and
if q man is incapable of keeping his temper,
and stopping to reason, he will'meet with hut
little success in managing horses of any kind.
Very often no blame can be attached to q
horse for baking. have often seen driver
whip and abuse span of horses for not start
ing q load, that would be almost impossible
for q team of four to start Such man
should never be trusted with anything that
can be injured by abuse, of more value than
pick or shovel. We often see young,
lively colt, hitched beside slow moving
horse, that must be whipped to be made
to move his own body. This team is hitched
to heavy load that would require strong,
steady pull of both to start. The driver
gathers the lines, the whip is piled to the
slow horse, the colt jumps, and is jerked
back; this is repeated, and the result is the
colt is baked. It certainly requires but
few lessons of this kind to make q colt con-
irmed baker. The right way to teach a
colt to draw is, to commence with light load
and add weight so gradually that the colt
will not realize the load he is moving. In
this way he will soon learn the posture to
place himself in, and push against the collar
in order to start load.
If you have colt, reader, that will not
draw, set aside a day to educate him in.
First look him over and see if there are any
sores on his breast or back that would pain
him to draw; next, look at your collar and
see if that is soft and fits we'll; now get a
stone boat and hitch the colt to it; now cluck
to him if he does not start 60 to his head
and lead him along few steps if this does
not start him, put lump of salt in his mouth,
or fasten one ear down under the head stall {;
if this does not have the desired effect, step
behind and give the colt two cuts with the
whip and no more if this does not start him
he must be an old offender and treated &C.
| cordingly. Do not experiment with the colt
by inficting barbarities, such as building fires
under him, or putting chains on his neck and
dragging him along by force, for there is a
safer, and, in all respects, a better way.
Now there is nothing you can do with a
colt or horse that will take so much meanness
out, in so short a time, as to throw them
down. Rarey found this to be fact, as have
thousands since his day. I do not approve
of casting horse for every triAing vice. but
for balky horse or colt that cannot be coax
ed, in any way, to draw reasonable amount,
I think it is the best thing that can be done.
Without stopping to say Why it is 50, | will
explain the most approved way of doing it..
First get a strong circinge and have ring
fastened to it so that when it is on the horse
the ring will be six inches to the right of his
spine; you next want a stout strap about
eighteen inches long, with buckle attached.
Now take up the colts nigh fore foot, and
give the strap two turns around the pastern,
put one end through the circingle, and draw
the foot up and buckle; now put on an open
bride with cord fifteen feet long attached
to the off bit ring; now run the cord through
the ring on the circingle, take your position
on the nigh side of the colt, and pull steadi-
", and the colt will have to swing his head
around this throws him out of balance, and
he will lie down almost as easy if he had laid
down of his own accord. Now keep the cord
tight, and keep him down twenty minutes,
and then let him get up by slackening the
cord now let the colts foot down and once
more put your harness on and hitch to the
stone boat, give the word to 60 and most like
ly the colt will start with readiness that will
surprise you. But if he still refuses to 60,
which is something unusual, he must be
thrown again, and kept down longer. Do not
insist on his drawing any more weight than
an empty stone boat at first. When he will
start readily anywhere with this, it is time
to add little weight. Be careful not to
overdo the thing now, and your colt will
soon draw to your satisfaction. L. H., IN
Mass Ploughman.
TANNING SKINs.-In answer to a CORES
pondent, the Massachusetts Roughman gives
the following directions for tanning sheep
skins so the wool will stay on:
"Take salt and alum in equal parts, pulver-