The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-10-13
Horse Education.

Horse EDUCATION.
The education of the colt should be-
gin when il is but few days old. The
first lesson to be taught is that it is not
going to be hurt when handled, and
the next that il is no use To rebel when
il is once caught. III these lessons are
learned thoroughly, the colt loses all
fear of being handled and has implicit
confluence in its teacher. There is
little danger Of petting colt too much
50 long as we avoid teasing or teaching
il bad habits. Kindness and frmness
go hand in hand in ali successful colt
training. 1t is the worst sort of folly
to attempt to whip colt into submis-
sion.
First in order is halter breaking. We
do not consider this lesson complete
when the colt allows itself to be led
slowly across the lot. Let it understand
that it il impossible for it to get away
from you. II should learn to come to
you rather than fly away when excited
or scared. This IL will soon do when it
learns that you want TO protect rather
than abuse it. Ii is good idea TO lead
it into unfamiliar places and accustom
it TO all sorts Of strange sights and
sounds as it is able to bear them. II is
sure to meet with exciting causes some
time, and it is part Of its training to
learn to control itself and to rely on
your directions at such times. The
trainer should bear in mind that the
colt is not capable of grasping dozen
new things at once. What you say and
want done is as Greek to the colt If
you give it too big doses it will get con-
fused, ratified and become unmanagea-
bic. The colt must settle down to a
comfortable acceptance of the inevita-
BILE before anything further is required
of it.
Then comes the harness. Our colts
are broken to harness when in their
yearling form. A neat fitting harness
is buckled on them securely. The
check-rein is allowed to lie quite loose
ly at first, and they are left in roOmy
box stall for an hour or two at a time
for several days, or until they cease to
fret and have become thoroughly accus-
toned to the harness and bride bit.
The next step is to take them out for a
quiet walk. Run the lines through the
shaft holders instead of the rings at the
saddle and let the trainer walk behind
and very quietly teach the ycungster
just what is wanted. No whip is allow
ed, for We have found there is no need
for one, and much harm may be done
to the colt, causing il to kick or become
sullen by the injudieious use of the
same.
We advocate breaking the colts with
an open bride, and never allow the
blind bride to be put on them. We are
confident that colt is less liable to be-
come frightened at objects where he
can see them and by so doing will learn
that there is nothing that will injure
him. After the colt has been handled
and driven until il is bridlewise il is
then hooked to the breaking cart. If
ali the lessons so far have been well
learned, there is very little trouble
here, as there is nothing new for them
but the shafts. In "a few days they 90
along nicely. The driver is then sent
with them to the public road He now
rides on level ground, bat walks up and
down hills. One mile at time Is suf-
ficieut for quite awhile, but gradually
the distance Is increased, and the colts
seem to improve more rapidly if driven
three or four miles at a lesson than
when less exercise is given. One of the
greatest troubles We have is to get the
driver TO understand that the colt
should not be driven too fast. To be
sure, some of the yearling record break
ers of today go at what a few years
since would have seemed race horse
gait, but as We have no scientific colt
trainer we think it better 10 go SLOW
and surer Ii the colts learn readily
and take to their work kindly. they can
by the time they are year and a-half
old be hooked double with an old steady
horse, and with few lessons they will
trot out at a lively gait, and if they
are we'll developed and strong, little
track work will not hurt them. Some
persons advise the breaking of colts to
double harness first, but Gleason, the
famous horse trainer, says always break
them singly first, and since adopting
this method we have had much better
suecess.-Mrs. w. w. Stevens in Ma
tional Stock man.