The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-16
AGRICULTURAL.
Raising Colts.
LEARNING To LEAD.
FOURTH PAPER.


and would have it well learned at nine
days of age. To do this we would
have nice soft leather halter, that
will take up small enough to fit the
three days old colt, and also let cut to
fit him at six months OF age. Have a
strap Of good but thin leather one inch
wide sewed into the leading ring, and
long enough so that when dragging on
the ground with colt holding its head
up the end of the strap will reach a
little back of its hind feet. Have mare
and colt in good clean yard or pasture
where the colt will be seen several
times during the day. Put the halter
on the colt in the morning, letting the
strap drag on the ground so the colt
will continually step on the strap, and
he will soon learn to stop and yield to
the restraint. Take hold of the strap at
night, give the colt little sugar and take
off the halter. Repeat each day for
perhaps a week, and after two or three
days, when about to take off the halter
for the night, take hold of the strap
near the colts head and pull him gent
ly around to one side then to the other
side until he will follow you around
either way, but do not under any cir
cumstances go ahead of the colt and
try to pull him along. In that way you
would learn him that he can pull back
very hard, and many nice high bred
colt has had his neck injured, or his
knees or ankles famed or blemished in
that way. Do not hitch the halter and
let him pull until he is so Uell halter
broken that he ,oill not pull.
If the colt does not lead readily,
stand on the left, or near side, take
hold of the halter strap dead strap
near the ring, with the left hand, then
with the right hand pass the strap
along the other side of the colt and
bring it around behind him, about
where the breeding would come, to
near side, and hold the end IN the right
hand. Then with the left hand move
the colts forward parts a little toward
you, at the same time by steady pull
on the strap with right hand move the
iohole colt ahead, but slacken your pull
as soon as the colt walks up. Repeat
the operation until he moves ahead at
a slight pressure from breeching strap,
then begin to give him "cluck,"
chirp, or word, as signal to come,
just before you move him suith the strap.
He will soon learn to start at the word
without other signal. In this way you
will not injure the colt and he will
soon learn to lead without "the breech-
ing' and without rearing and plung-
ing AS soon as learned on one side, 60
through the same treatment on the
other side, bringing strap around on
left side, holding end in left hand, and
taking right hand hold near halter
ring, until he learns it just as well and
perfect on each side.
Doubtless the dragging strap method
is the one most generally employed on
the stock farms of Kentucky and Cali
fornia and all other parts of the United
States The above described method of
bringing the strap around the hind
parts like breeching we should rec
ommend in learning any weanling colt
to lead, whether or not he had dragged
the strap. We would say, have them
all halterwise while sucklings or wean-
lings. If perchance we are required to
halter break an older colt we would say
first use a we'll fitted bride without
binders, with soft leather bit, in about
the same manner, only using two six
foot reins in bit rings in place of the
single strap of halter.
Now it may be necessary for the farm
or family mares colt to 60 some where
with her. In these times of barbed
wire fences-the greatest bane of colts
and horses-do not let him follow loose,
but after halter breaking as above sug-
RGblGu HULL I'LL w tlO plulI VI OhO
side of his mother. To do this prop
erly may require one or two very strong
leather loops tackled to the shaft at the
proper places. We have seen a nice
colts eye spoiled by hitting it on the
end of the thill. Avoid this by placing
the forward one of the above men.
toned loops on the shaft near the place
where the thill lug comes. Hitch
through this loop around the thill and
into the colts halter ring strap and
let it out long enough 30 that when
frightened at right angles with the thill
the colt can walk far enough from the
mare to be outside of the wheel track
so that it's heels or legs will not be hit
by the wheel. Now place the second
loop on thill farther back toward cross
bar, and hitch the main lead strap of
the colts halter through the loop
around thill, just long enough 80 the