Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-10-05


proportion Of the value properly belonging
to their young horse stock is passed over TO
the dealer-the middle.man-to be brought
out by iudicious training Of muscle, and edU-
cation. Many young horses have, says
shrewd observer, in the Country Gentleman,a
large store of hidden merit, innate capabilities
for travel, and for learning the duties that be-
long to the horse well drilled in the routine
through which every day duties take him.
There is no better place anywhere than the
farm affords for bringing out the gait of a
young horse, nor is there any better place for
giving him such lessons as are needed to Sc
cure him from fright when brought face to
face with the numerous causes for fright after
he is sold and confronts these wherever he
may be driven. The facilities existing upon
the farm grow out of the facts first, that the
colt is at the homo to which he is accustomed
and among horses he has grown up with Sec
ond, that there is always, at certain times Of
the year, leisure to devote to the work, and
third, that the soft drives in the farm lanes
afford facilities not so easily obtained after
the horse is transferred to a city home.
A large portion of the profit made by the
dealer acorues to him through oultivating the
step. teaching the colt to behave well, and
shaping him up through improving his car
riage forward, reducing his belly made full
through free access to grass and hay upon the
farm, and putting flesh upon the ribs
Through the arts 80 well understood by city
dealers, some young horses costing in the
country 1925 to $160 or SO, are made to bring
double the sums named, through a few weeks
feed and practice. Farmers do not realize
how much they are depending upon their
muscle, and how little upon brain work, nor
do they reulize how entirely brain work leads
everything at the great market centers. There
are no men who SO entirely depend upon their
wits for making paying profits upon stock
brought in from the country as the men who
deal in horses. Cattle and hogs are sold by
weight, and while the range in the value Of
these is pretty wide, still they show upon the
surface when seen by an experienced onlook-
err, about what they will bring. There is no
wide range, as with the young horse, depend
ing upon his tractability, and the rate of
speed to which he may attain. He is not to
20 upon the block, like the steer and disap-
pear, being consumed in day
An important lesson for the young horse
to learn is entire submission to the restraint
of the harness, for this very restraint is like
ly to be one source of fright when the colt
imagines he sees impending bodily danger.
Hence we see young horses kick themselves
loose from anything to which they may he
hitched; nor are they relieved of the fright
until they shed the harness. Danger from
this source can be averted more conveniently
and effectually on the farm than anywhere
else, and the young horse that is made accus-
toned while yet in the hands of his first
! owner to the usual sources of disturbance
| will 60 into the market materially enhanced
in value. Those city dealers who are enabled
| to get top prices, are those who recommend
only such horses to their customers as are
evidently trustworthy, not only under ordn-
airy circumstances, but also under exciting
! conditions that arise in populous and noisy
| city. If dealer can be assured that young
! horse will stand severe tests without being
| disturbed-in other words that his education
has been SO attended to that he is 'level
headed"-an important source of doubt is at
one removed, and the animal is ION the mar
ket" under favorable circumstances at the
outset
Farmers do not generally realize that one
of the most valuable lessons given to the colt
while yet on the farm is that obtained through
working before the pillow and harrow, at
which work the whiffletrees rattle about and
upon his heels. The horses most natural
means of defense against danger is his heels,
and if he has not been taught the important
lesson referred to, he will free himself from
the carriage if it comes too close upon him,
as he would free himself from a dog that
took him by the heels. There is hardly any
source of danger to which the young horse,
no matter how spirited he may be, is liable
to have come upon him after removal to the
city, that he may not be fortified against be.
fore he leaves the farm. If these necessary
lessons are given he may at once go into ser.
vice. Otherwise he must have weeks OF
drilling, and must have lessons thrust upon
him which he should have learned, little by
little, from early colthood up to the working
age.
We put men in places of trust only after
trustworthiness and competency are proved,
but we habitually place the lives of persons
at the heels of the untried and uneducated
horse, liable as he is to become frightened by
new happenings, not having learned that he
had any obligations to fulfil, except the obi
cation to flee from danger, and clear himself
from any trappings or other things liable tc
impede his progress. What we see accom-
plished upon exhibition horses through ex
traordinary care in teaching, should be &C.
cepted as a pointer, showing what ordinary
efforts with fairly tractable horse may &C
complish. Merely that a horse is SO fai
learned in his work as to follow the mair
road creditably, proves little as to what we
desire him to do, or perhaps it is better to
say what we hope he will not do in case OF
sudden breakage or other things likely to dis
turb. Whatever of education we give the
young horse counts in the market at its worth
as pointedly as the education given the young
man aids him in commanding good salary
where previous thorough preparation is a
necessary factor.-IO'oG Homestead.