Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-30
Winter HandlinglOf Colts.
Prairie Farmer.

There is no better time than during the
winter for that preliminary handling OF
colts, so proper, prior to what Is termed
''breaking them in to work" The degree
of education to which the horse is suscep-
tibIe has very wide range, as wide, IN
fact, as in the case of man, who being able
to speak half dozen different languages
fuently, being naturalist, with intimate
knowledge of every walking and creeping
thing upon the globe, or thoroughly,
educated in a learned profession, may run
down in regular graduation to the man
who has barely knowledge enough to
enable him to entrap game and eat the
meat raw.
The horse is educated to go through
the military evolutions with precision,
doing divers tricks at the wore of com
mand, and showing full knowledge OF
ell that devolves upon him while IN har-
ness, represents the highest type of
education in the horse; while another,
caught up from ranch on which he had
grown, not knowing shelter or halter,
put before a cart, merely knowing enough
to rear, plunge and kick, represents the
lower grade of education and accomplish
ments.
There is, however, between these two
extremes, a grade Of education that can
be secured ON every farm and IN every
horse breeding establishment that will mt
the young horse for the highest stations
in ordinary service, leaving the accom-
pItshments which fit for ring perfor-
ance and military drill to special teach
ings, with view not to the useful lines
of service, but to exhibition in the hands
of the travelling showman.i
Any man who has sense enough to
breed and rear good horse is presumed
to know enough to give or direct the
preliminary as well as the final training
of young horse. The halter is the first
thing that goes upon the colt to hamper
his movements, and curtail the liberty to
which he has been accustomed. he
should have no inducement held out for
attempting to break his halter, and
should never have one put upon him
that he could break if he tried. Wear
ing an old harness while IN his stall,
even to the extent of having the tugs
hooked to whifhlStree, the latter being
so suspended behind him that IN step
ping back the length of his halter his
heels would come in contact with 1t, is a
mode that trial has proved to be one of
the best ways possible for famll1arizing
the colt with the trappings which, in
after life, he is expected to wear, in what
ever line of work he may be assigned to
do.
Especially should the young horse be
made familiar with sights and sounds
that, while hooked to a vehicle, he may
be brought in dangerous proximity to.
Dangerous he too often proves simply
because he has not been taught that GER
tain things that may startle, by their
sounds or looks, are harmless in fact.
Be it always remembered that if there
is boy or hired man upon the farm, at
whose approach a given colt shows evil
dences of terror, that boy or man is not
the right person to teach that colt IN the
duties he has before him. The fear of
being hurt causes the spelling of many
horses Kickers and runaways get their
bad habits from fear. The colt as we'll
as the old horse, is safe when in the sub
missive mood; never when reused to act
on the defensive.