Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-29
THE EDUCATION OF THE COLT.

suggestions on tue luiI'ol o'NP' -"
training young horses, by Karat
Canadian, that embody the true
theory, as all hOrsemen will admit
1t is, however, an unfortunate TACT
that not one man in ten carries
out this practice. SO we'll does 1t
work that, in an incredibly short
time, the colt becomes 80 gentle
and teachable, the iDpatienttralner
considers him sufficiently broken
and bastens to harness and work
the animal, when, in point OF TACT
he has only arrived at tho q. b. c.
of his education. The result OF
such undue haste is obvious the
colt is never really broken. That
it pays In the long run TO folio"
the advice here given the writer
firmly believes:
Begin the education of colt by
bride harding, first on one side
and then on the other. Put him
about in different directions, for
ward, backward, to the lett and
right, and get him to yield to the
hit in each of these directiOns.--
This should be done both in the
stable and yard, and IN using the
reins for this purpose the trainer
should exercise steady, firm
pressure on the bit until the colt
Yields, when the pressure should
be removed at once, in order for
him to understand that he has
oteyed.
When the colts head can be
handled in every conceivable di-
rection, and the muscles OF his
neck are supple and controlled,
then handle the forward feet, then
the body, and finish with the hind
feet and tail. When handling the
colts feet teach him not only to
allow you to pick them up and ru0
and rap on them with a hammer,
but to hold them up until you get
ready to let them go. Take the
tail IN your hand carefully, and
raise it we'll up over his back, re-
peatIng this until he makes no OBJ
lection. Take a pole about the
size of a stake, pole him all over
bis body, and pry IN between hit
legs until he shows no fear OF It
Teach him to stand and allow a
harness to be tossed on to and all
about him. Handle umbrellas,
robs, paper, etc, about biz head
aud body until he is utterly indit'
ferent to them all. Lead and back
him into and over an old pair OF
shafts repeatedly, and when he Is
standing in them raise them up
and rub his legs with them, and
finally bring the crossbar against
his launches, gently at first and
then more forcibly, until he cares
nothing for it. All those things
should be done to the colt before
he is harnessed at all.
A colt should be put through a
series OF relnipg lessons before he
is hitched to a vehicle. While
refining him the whip ought to be
used, not only to get motion to
handle on, but with a view to
educating him to increase his
speed when it is applied and get
I ting him under control of it, for no
horse is safe to drive unless he
will Ego to the 'front.' when tapped
with the whip.
In striking a horse with whip,
always do so forward of the lOins.
During his refining lessons the colt
should be taught to stand still at
the simple word whoa" He
should also be taught to back.
When first hitched up the colt
should be taken in large yard
and started about carefully, and
when he can be driven and backed
all about such a place 1t it time
enough for a trainer to trust him
self in the road, where there IL
more danger OF a mishap, and
where control could not be so read
lily obtained if one could occur. In
order to "waywise" a colt quickly
and make him a nj CO reiner, he
should be refined about from one
side to the other, driven through
shallow bitches, up alongside The
fences, and out again into the road
turned around frequently, to the
right as Offer az to the lett, anc
taught to lass teams either tC
the right or left when meeting Oh
overtaking them.
Tha VanetabIe Garden.