River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-01-24
HANDLING THE COLT.
How to Cultivate Its Courage and De
velop Its Best Qualities.

How to Cultivate Its Courage and De.
velop Its Best Qualities.
The winter gives leisure for han
ding the colt To develop its courage
is an object that should always be
mark of those who use both horses and
mules that mules run away for fun,
but horses because of fear. This fear
is usually induced by some trivial
cause, such as the rustling of dried
leaves. the sudden spring of a rabbit
from a hedge, the breaking of some
part of the harness or the whif1letrees
giving way and rafting at the horses
heels. In some cases, the blinds on
the bride, preventing the horse from
seeing but not from hearing, are re.
ponsible for the fright. Blinds are
opposed to courage. Even a man is
timid in pitchy darkness, for he can
not see what is lurking near, and un-
der such circumstances slight noises
may make his flesh creep. So it is
with the horse that can not see to the
rear or sides. Blinds cause many
times more runaways than they pre-.
vent
A horse that is naturally courageous
may be made cowardly by abuse. II
he often receives blows The fear of
them is uppermost; and any unknown
noise is imagined to be coming hurt,
to escape from which is an unc0ntrola-
III l,R oh -
horses is often rewarded by the de-
struction Of his property and injury TO
himself, the result of runaways. But
when the courage of the colt is devel-
oped, it is not nearly so likely TO run
away. though it be nampered with
blinds or abused by cruel master; and
it is hardly saying too much to assert
that if it is properly treated it will
never run away Too often the train
ing of the colt has an effect contrary
to the cultivation of its courge. For
getting tlrat temper is the most valua-
BILE quality of the horse, its owner tries
to ''break" its temperate COW the ami
NAL. The horse should be trained, not
broken; and training requires firmness,
mixed with much kindne~. The s1an
who has no control over MS own tenn
per aud whose judgment IS warped by
anges is not fit to train q colt. As
abuse v III make it cowardly, 50 kind
ness W oil make it courageous. The basis
of courage is confidence. aud the first
point is to secure the confidence OF the
colt. The next is to make the colt
sure of his surroundings. Watch
closely and whenever he shows fear OF
any thing. allow him to smell it. If he
has confidence in his trainer this will
not be difficslt. If he s.ies ut a stump
or rock. ride OF drive him up to it.
Drive him nearer and nearer the cars
until be is no longer afraid Of them.
Have the whistle sounded when his
head is turned toward il, and repeat
this till he ceases to start Mt the sound.
Handle his limbs and touch thsln with
a strap until he no longer shrinks.
The courageous horse, the one with
spirit trained, not broken. is the horse
that does the most work. 1t does not
lag; to drive it is a pleasure. II does
not give up and leave you mired in
a mud-hole it has the spirit, che cour-
age. to exert itself to the utmost
Among horses, it is the one with
trained spirit, with fire temper, thai
does the most work. the least harm,
and in danger acts quickly and intel
ligently. What horse has more cour-
age than the Arabian, am wLat horse
is II ore docile, enduring. or admira-
ble?-AnertcaH Agriculturist.