The Columbus journal., 1879-11-12
Brcaking Colts.

Ihave had considerable experience
in handling colts, and have come 10
the conclusion that the training u
nrefer that word to breaking) can
not begin too early. L have auop'eu
the rule of haltering my colt at ten
davs old, and lead it at the mother $
side whenever / drive her. L have
never found any trouble in teaching
q colt TO lead in this way, and long
before it is weaned it will be per-
fectly halter-bro&en. L have just
brought up from the pasture a colt
that was two years old in April, TO
give il a little training. This colt
was halter-broke and led at the side
of its mother when sucking, and IT
is now as docile as any horse on the
farm. A boy sixteen years old,who
is living with me, harnessed 1t few
days ago, and, after driving ii round
the ward a short time, hitched it to a
spring wagon and went off alone
with IL. should not have allowed
il had | known what he was about,
but he came back with the colt as
gentle as my old carriage horse.
This has been about my experience
with colts that have been taught TO
lead and handle when young. 1t is
easy TO accustom i colt TO have the
harness thrown on it, and chains
wrapped around its legs, or 10 have
something fall from its back, with
out its being frightened, and if these
things are ever learned it must be
when the animal is young. | be-
lieve that il is easy TO so train colt
that if the hold-backs come loose OH
a hill, and let the buggy against il,
instead of being frightened and run
ming away it will brace itself and
stop the buggy. l remember twice
being placed ia a condition of great
danger, with a spirited mare that |
had trained from a colt, and if had I
not accustomed her to just such |
treatment a. | recommend, | should |
undoubtedly have been severely in
jured or killed. The instances were !
these: was approaching the Miami 1
River, on a turnpike. and had just ,
started down n long, winding hill, ,
over a fourth of q mile long, when F..
one of the bolts by which the shafts
were attached 10 the buggy dropped
out. That side Of the shafts dropped
on 10 the mares heels. and whenever
/ attempted TO rein her in to stop
her, the buggy would run against
her. | went fully three hundred
yards down The hill before ! could
get her checked so that il was safe
for me 20 jump out and catch the
wheel and stop the buggy, but the
mare made no attempt 10 kick or
run. The other case was this: |
had stopped at the top OF a long hill
with a load of wood, and when
stepped on to the doublctrec to
climb on 10 the load, the stick took
hold Of 10 pull myself up by, pulled
out and | fell with my head between
the mares heels, and the stick came
down over the chains on top
Of me. If she had started at all the
wagon would have run over me, for
was exactly in front Of the wheel.
Now / do say that every horse can
be trained to do as mine did, but |
10 say that if il is ever done it must
be while it is young, and that what
he colt is taught young ii never
rorgets, / have no faith in the the
Dry that q colt should never be put
o work until il is four years old.
Df course, we must exercise judy
nent and not strain our young
horses by pulling them hard, but i
zee no more reason why colt shO'd
10 nothing until il is full grown, '
han a boy, and every boy works {
rom the time he is twelve or four
cen years old. a well grown colt |
an be used for light work from the y
ime il is thirty months old and d
made to pay its keeping, and fgOod
Judgment is exercised it will be all |
be better for il. One thing is in
ispensable in training a colt, and {
hat is that You control your temper. .
he man who will get angry, and }
ERIK and whip colt, is nor fit TO /
ave charge of il, and need not eX-
Get to render it docile and ohcdicnt.
Cor. Practical Farmer.