Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-09-28

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sADDLING.
much of the colt for a few minutes he
should slip the saddle gently over him,
place it squarely upon his back. slip
the girths quietly from the top of the
saddle, and in girthing him he must be
careful not to draw too tightly at first.
Nothing .frightens a colt more than
straining him round the middle sudden:
~. The breaker must never hurry nor
do anything clumsily. but move about
the colt with ease and confidence. and
he will soon grow familiar with the
appearance and feeling of the saddle.
1t should be frequently put on and
taken off his back, first from one side
and then from the other, and when he
becomes thoroughly accustomed TO this
the flaps of the saddle should be beaten
very gently at first to familiarize him
and rafting of irons.
After training the colt with the feel
ing of the saddle for three or four con-
secutiye days he should receive lessons
in turning to the bit. This is best ac-
complished by walking close to his
side-the near side-and reaching the
right hand well over the withers to use
by the other hand. making him move
backward and forward and turn in all
directions.
The colt should be led in the open a
few days by a long rein attached to the
front cavesson ring. He should be TAX
en- along public highways. SO that be
may become familiar with objects on
the road. n. p
Many colts are frightened to pass
swiftly driven vehicles and "scorch-
ing" cyclists. From the number of b.
cycles 10Y being ridden over the pub
lie roads, together with the phenome-
nal appearance of an occasional motor
car, the passing of those objects quiet
ly' by horses is an important and essen
tial point in their early training.
In addition to the ordinary breaking
harness, it is a capital plan to fix a
chain. to the crupper just above the
colts quarters. The chain should be
about eight feet long. so that it will
hang about a foot beneath the tanks of
the colt on either side of him. 1t will
dangle and play about his legs and
tanks by the motion Of his body and
will have a tendency to remove any
ticklishness that may be about him. A
pair of common farm mouth bags
should be tied together. fixed in the
center of the saddle and suspended as
far IS the feet of the rider will reach.
They should be filled with some heavy
material-corn or turnips will do-and
their weight, pressing against the sides
of the colt. has an excellent effect in
preparing him for the pressure of the
riders legs.
: The colt should frequently be driven
round in a circle. first to the right and
then to the left, and never too long at
a time. In this way it is easy to give
him plenty Of exercise before he can
be ridden. He should be sent round
at q trot and a canter, sweating him a
little, but not firing him. In running
him to the left the right hand rein can
be used as a whip if necessary, and
vice versa in running to the right The
breaker should always stop the colt
when the direction Of his course is re-
versed and induce him to walk close
up, when he should be encouraged by
fondling and kind. assuring words. He
will learn this almost ooner than my
thing else if he is kindly treated: The
reason for stopping him when his
course is reversed is to prevent him
running one action into another and
confusing his PAGES. Walking, trot-
ting, cantering and galloping are all
distinct PAGES and should be done sepa-
rately. ia .
The halter should always be left on
the head of the colt below the bride.
The halter shank should pass between
the: fore legs and be securely fixed to
the saddle girths, and when the colt
throws up his head the pressure
upon his nose, which. does not check
him so severely as when the strap is
attached to the rings of the bit. The
driving reins should be ten yards long.
and they should pass from the colts
mouth along through the stirrups. The
stirrups should always be fixed to the
girths to prevent them being displaced
when the reins are drawn upon In
this n the driver can lever the
reins round the hind quarters of the
colt and wheel him about In all direc-
tions with the greatest ease.
When the colt has been driven about
the fields and roads for a few days. he
should be mounted. While NC recons-