Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-12-27

puSneu II Tue CON ms deem luulcl0uSly
accustomed to mans voice and pres
ence but II may be difiicult If he has
been allowed to run wild without ever
being spoken to or petted. Never give
q very young colt the idea that you are
. going To- Impose upon him an irksome
! task. Let him think you are playing
with him-not working him. You nlay
place the harness on him AT six
months, If YOU wish TO give him
| yeafling record, and then drive him
without vehicle us you walk behind
him and hold the lines After he has
become thoroughly accustomed to this
harness him to a vehicle and drive him
short distance each day. When
winter comes let him run at large,
harnessing him occasionally to keep
fresh in his memory what he has ac-
Quired.
California possesses great advan-
tages over other portions of our coun-
try as place in which to breed and
train colts for yearling and two-year.
old records. Her climate Is such that
colts may be foaled much earlier in
the season than in less genial climes,
and since, for record purposes, we
count every colt as one year old on the
first New Years day after his birth
and consider him yearling until the
second one, readers will readily I'M
derstand the value to the California
colt Of the several months start In life
thus obtained over his fellows of the
east, the former having passed
through nearly two full years growth
experience and training by the time
he Is a -yar-old, while the lat
ter has had but a year and some
months. 1t is largely for this reason
that California has of late years been
so successful in making yearling. two
year-old and stallion records. Cal
fornia also affords excellent pasture
for horses throughout the entire year.
Her colts roam about all winter in
fields Of rye or bright alfalfa, and
eat their fill of the latter beautiful
perennial plant, richer than the sweet
est clover, while eastern horses are
being fed on old oats. corn and hay.
A horses natural food Is grass, and to
many ills to which horsefesh is heir.
1t Is the hest medicine of which we
have any knowledge. Grass Is es-
specially valuable to young. growing
stock, and in making trotters 1t is
great advantage to California to be
able to give her equine youngsters lux
uriant pasturage all the year round.
Add to this her genial climate, her
level and slightly rolling lands. diver
sitied by running streams. and you
have the conditions par.excellence for
the making of trotters
With the coming OF spring we begin
the education of our colt In earnest.
With view to correcting proper
shoes, weights and boots-any faults
he may have, and thus correcting,
balancing him, we carefully study
every point in his action. while giving
him little preliminary driving Per-
haps he takes a longer stride with his
hind legs than with his fore ones.
Then heavier shoes must be put on
him in front Perhaps the length Of
his step behind Is not equal to the
stride In front Then he must be shod
more heavily behind. In developing
horses speed, shoeing Is a matter OF
the utmost Importance. and one which
requires the create study and care.
1t Is more than half the battle Care
full, patient experimentation. extend
ing over many days or even weeks.
may be necessary to ascertain these
points. Not until they have been de-
termined is Master Colts trainer
ready to speed him" Before that
is done. well-padded boots. made Of
felt and leather, must be used to pro-
tect his legs thoroughly, for green
colt no matter how pure gated a
trotter he may be- is almost certain
! to cut his ankles. his shins and his
knees by striking them with his feet
when he begins to travel at high
rate of speed.
! In training a colt. be very careful
never TO tire him. The amount of ex-
! erise colt can take without expert
! anclng fatigue will depend largely
! upon his pedigree, his individuality
| and other considerations The skillful
/ trainer will carefully study all these
varying points in every animal he
handles. For the majority Of yearly
4 colts about two miles and half a
day is quite exercise enough. Even
! that amount should be taken by the
/ youngsters in short spurts, for If he is
/ ever allowed to grow weary he Will
/ lose spirit and acquire a disgust for
/ his work. and thus 1t will become inn
4 possible for him ever to achieve
| greatness. That the waste of his It's
] sues by exercise may be fully repaired
I he must be well fed. TO train and
! drive trotting horse successfully you
/ must teach him to have perfect conf
| denee In you, and In order to do that
! you must make him understand that
I you have perfect confidence in him
DO not require him TO put forth his
powers when he shows that he Is I'M
able to do So A trotter should be ex-
erclsed every pleasant day, but once
or twice week Is quite often enough
to speed him. Every horse has his
limit 90 st1oad havond eChfch hp ran.