Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-08-03
THE STOCK-RANCH.
cultivatinr Colt Courage.

A horse that is naturally courageous
may be made cowardly by abuse. If he
often receives blows the fear of them is
uppermost, and any unknown noise is
imagined to be q coming hurt, to escape
which is an uncomfortable impulse.
Forgetting that temper is the valuable
quality of the horse-its owner tries to
break" its temper-to COW the animal.
The horse should be trained, not broken;
and training requiring frmness mixed
with much kindness. As abuse will
make it cowardly, so kindness will make
it courageous The basis of courage is
confidence, and the first point is to Sc
cure confidence Of the colt. The next
is to make the colt sure of his surround
ings. If he has confidence in his trainer
this will not be difficult. If he SHES at
a stump or rock, ride or drive him up
to it. Drive him nearer and nearer to
the cars until he is no longer afraid of
them. Have the whistle sounded when
his head is turned toward it, and repeat
this till he ceases to start at the sound.
Handle his limbs and touch them with
a strap until he no longer shrinks.
The courageous horse, the one with
the spirit trained, not broken, is the
horse that does the most work. Among
horses, it is the one with trained spirit.
with fine temper, that does the least
harm, the most work, and in danger acts
quickly and intellige ntly.-Erchange.
Scientific Breeding.
When We consider that all the various
breeds of cattle, and all the best specl-
mems of the breeds have been developed
and brought down from the same COM
mon ancestry, We are ready to acknowl-
edge the powerful influence of care, of
feed, of science in breeding, and de-
veloping a farm animal. Hence it may
be seen that true, scientific, skillful
breeding is like clay in the hands of
the potter: For we should bear in mind
that the ponderous draft horse and the
small Shetland pony have been bred
and developed from the same far back
common ancestry. This is equally true
of cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry. In
the present century more real progress
and improvement has been accom-
plished than in all previous centuries.
In the horse department the great per-
formers on the turf have decended from
two or three distinguished families. In
the first decade of this century only two
horses had a record under three min
utes. In the last decade 610 have been
admitted to the $50 class. Has this
been accomplished by pedigree alone,
or rather has it not been done by a
judicious combination of pedigree, feed,
care, and performance by the scientific
mating of the very best performers,
both on the side of sire and dam?
Hence the vital importance of intelli-
gent, scientific breeding; or breeding
for a purpose. Two bodies OF equal
weight, set in motion on the same line,
the one with the greater velocity over
taking the other, is hindered in its
speed by contact with the slower body.
Equally true is it with coupling SUI
perior animal, made SO by actual per-
Torrance, skill, care, feeding, and
breeding, with an inferior animal, made
SO, it may be, by neglect in care, feed,
and breeding. The result must Of
necessity come far short of possible
success. AS increased velocity pro-
duces stronger momentum. SO an animal,
backed by the momentum of skilful and
fsultless pedigree and brilliant per-
Torrance, coupled with his equal, must
produce highly successful results
President j. F. COnUerse before Ayr
shire Breeders Association, New York.