The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-07-12
Promoting the walking Gait.

Promoting the Walking Gait.
This is the most valuable property in
the gait of a horse for the farm, where
nearly all the work has to be done on
walk. A horse that is a good stopper
viii do from quarter to a third more
work than a slow walker, and he viii
do it with the same ease, as it is his
natural gait. and with proportionately
less expenditure of energy; that is, the
work will be done with less expense of
food and waste of flesh for an equal
amount of work. Then there is the
ready action requiring no urging, and
the celebrity which hastens the finishing
of the work, an important item whese
the work is crowding, as in the spring.
Besides, both man and horse are free
from worry. In making up your team,
have it matched in gait as nearly us
possible. The pair win work so much
the better, whether fast or slow walk
ers. OF all things, avoid coupling a
fast stopper with a slowy one. Where
thus united, the good horse will fret.
and mischief may result to his gait and
his temper Gait is hereditary, yet,
like other qualities of nature, it may be
greatly improved by training, especially
if begun in the colt. l have long won
dered at the apparent indifference on
this subject Is it that the value of
walking-gait has escaped notice, or that
it is considered unworthy of attention,
or incapable of improvement? As well
say a trotting or running gait can not
be improved We have a quality here
to be developed which is of far more
value than the sporting qualities of the
horse.
What the farmer wants, and what
81,
| ject to, is a good, strong walker. Such
horse is not lazy, and is less likely to
be an awkward or stumbling horse.
He lifts his feet and puts them down
well. There is no drag in his
| gait as with n slow, shutting or
creeping brute. A good walker is usU-
| ally possessed of some spirit. This is
necessary to sustain his gait, if he is to.
| become serviceable. 1t is also an adj
vantage in his training, requiring little
more than restraint to prevent him
from breaking his walk. Beginning
with leading the colt to halter as soon
as he has the use of his feet well, be-
| fore he gets accustomed to break, his
| walk may be readily improved and the
| habit after awhile established, if he is
! of tractable disposition. If, while rum
| ming with his dam, he should, in his
| capering. get into a trot or run, it will
not seriously &ffect his halter habit. or,
| later on, his praotice in the traces.
Neither does his walking practice inter-
| fere with his trOtting, which, during
the course of the former, may also be
/ INDUCED and improved. But Jet each
| be kept distinct for the time. SO as to
/ secure an impression. The colt will
soon learn to know what is wanted, and
! if properly encouraged will respond; if
] 1, =, - h., 81 81, ~,
| telligent and sufficiently spirited to car
/ ~ out what is intended If awkward
/ or stupid he is not worth the trial.
In the absence of a special trainer of
/ colts, any man of intelligence who feels
/ an interest in the matter and has pa
/ thence and control of his temper may be
| trusted to undertake the work. 1t is all
/ the better if he be the owner of the colt.
1 Not that he viii succeed in a full devel-
Opment, but he is pretty sure to 50 far
/ improve the value of his horse as to pay
well for the effort, and it needs but lit
! tie improvement to do that when the
long service of the hOrse-some twenty
! years or more with good treatments
considered. At first, lead your colt by
the halter. Gradually increase his
speed. Here will occur the greatest
difficulty, through the eagerness of get
ting him advanced. BY urging him too
much he will break, and frequent break
! ing, becoming itself habit, will antag-
onize and defeat what it is intended to
/ promote. Patience, with time. is re-
! quired, and it is the only way. The colt
is to have his walk so gradually adj
vanced that he does not become aware of
it. When the colt becomes stronger and
an advance has been made in its gait so
that leading it becomeeeeoo much of
task, mount the mare and couple the
| young one with its dam. This viii ac-
custom it to being paired and kept in
| place. Ihe training TO a walk requires
no such exertion as applies to trotting
| or running. The exercise may, there
fore, be more frequent and of longer
duration, but must necessarily be mild
| at first and decided throughout, giving
the colt TO understand that you are its
/ master, but kind master.
If there is a better way than this let It
be employed, for the advantages within
reach here should no longer be ignored.
The thing is to get it started. Tt was
so with trotting, the possibilities Of
which were not known till a thorough
test had been made, and the result sur
/ prises us all. The walking gait IS in the
| interest of farmers. No excitement at
taches to it as with trOtting and rum
! ming, which are sustained by the excite.
| ment. 1t is a matter of business only,
and may be classed with farm improve.
] ss.stf