Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-02-24
breaking Horses.

The subject OF breaking horses is one
that is frequently broached by corre-
spondents, and is OF so much Importance
that we never tiro of answering ques-
tions and make suggestions with refer
ence 10 u. Horses arc very valuable
property, rs those who have them to buy
especially recognize, and yet the value
of horses which are annually ruined
through ignorance and carelessness in
breaking Is very large. We now call to
mind fine colt which was practically
ruined last year by the blundering of the
man who was trying to teach 1t the ways
of "horse civilization" but who did not
know, or did not seem to know, any
more than the colt did, If he did rs much.
just through clear stupidity that animal
was converted into o kicker of the most
vicious kind, and is one to-day. 1t, there
fore, is very important that il we have
colts at all, we should know how to man
age them, to the end that they may be
developed into as perfect horses as posi-
BILE.
In order to accomplish this kindness
will not do it all, but it will go very
long ways, and without kindness moth
ing can be accomplished. You cannot
beat and swear colt into good horse
This course has been pursued ever
since the first few colts were foiled and
the universal verdict is that it is la
mcntable failure. Even they who whip
the hardest, and swear the loudest will
agree to that verdict. The Arab, as is
well known brings the horse to such
marvellous perfection as characterizes
Arabian horses, through the exercise of
unvarying kindness from the time the
colt is foiled until the horse dies. The
family and the colt occupy the same
apartments frequently, and the animal
is Mt all times perfectly familiar with the
voice and touch of those about him.
He fears nothing, for there is nothing to
fear. He learns from the very begin
ming that man is his friend and pro-
tector. The idea of master, which OBJ
tains among us, is never entertained in
Arabia, while in truth the Arabian is
more truly and perfectly the master
than we are. We are apparently salts
fled with the name, and with what sat
isfaction comes from acting the role of
the tyrant, while the Arab seeks the
reality, and does not aspire TO be ty-
ranical. r..
AS soon as we learn the important
lesson which Arabian horsemanship
teaches we shall have more good horses
and shall be better satisfied with our
selves. We shall then find the colt
broken at the time we now usually be-
gin to break it for from the very COM
mencement of its existence, we shall
accustom it to being handled, and
gradually accustom it to trappings
Il Al a.
the time comes for turning the play into
reality, the work will have all been
done. This should be the aim of every
horse breeder. The confidence of the
colt should be early won, and it can be
won much earlier in colthood than it
can be when the time has arrived at
what we now call the breaking time.
The age at which colt should be put
| to work should be when it has substan-
TALLY obtained its growthlor rather when
it has become perfectly developed. The
most of our colts are put to work too
young, especially if they have grown
rapidly. We seem to forget that an
ovcrgrown colt is like an overgrown boy
has the size but not the strength.
Strength, which is only another term fol-
complete physical development, must
come with time as rule, and if we put
colt to work before its development
has been secured, we shall injure it just
in proportion as we work it beyond its
strength The laws of nature cannot be
violated with impunity. 1t may be said
that our colts are usually broken from
one to three years sooner than they
should be.
In horse breeding and horse rearing
We are like, as we are in most everything
else, little careless. This country ough
to breed and rear the best horses in the
world, as is evidenced in our success il
trotting stock. If America continues tt
out-strip the European horse upon til,
European race course, the time will com,
when the trotter of the European vii
come from America. But that style o
horses is the most useless of any, and W.
should endeavor to breed up our genera
purpose and draft horses, until we cal
export instead of being under the neces
sity of importing. We can do it, too, i
we are careful. Western Rural.