The Hope pioneer., 1920-12-09
Breaking Tied
Lead-seect Post Hour.

Horses are broken at ages ranging |
from weanlings to old horses. The in
stincts In a horse which are opposed
to obedience to man increase In
strength with age. This accounts for
the difficulty encountered in handling
range horses that are allowed their
freedom until their instinct OF inde-
pendence is so strongly developed that
it is proportionately difficult to teach
them that it is, their duty to obey
some force other than their own in
stinct.
First Steps In Breaking.
It is q great advantage to begin
the education Of the colt as early
as possible. The plan generally fol-
lowed is to break the colt to being
led and handled before it is weaned,
and to break to harness between the
ages of two and three years. Colts
should not do heavy work until they
are four years old. and should be ac-
customed to it gradually.
Before colt is broken to being led
it should be taught to stand tied; this
applies to unbroken horses of all ages.
To do this, put strong halter on the
colt: then take a rope about fourteen
feet long, double it, putting the loop
under the horses tail as a crupper,
twist the two ropes together about
three times, then let one rope come
forward on each side of the horse, and
tie the ends together in front against
the chest just tight enough so that it
will not drop down; then run sur
cingle loosely around the horse behind
the withers, tying into it the crupper
rope at both sides. Have an addition
| al rope about twelve feet long, run 1t
through the halter ring, and tie 1t at
the breast to the rope that forms the
crupper. Tie the other end Of the
rope to a solid post, allowing about
| three feet of slack. Leave the colt
tied for an hour. Another method is
to have loop in one end of the rope.
run the lead strap through this loop,
and tie it with little slack to the rope
that forms the crupper, the other end
of the additional rope, Of course, being
tied to solid post.
Gentiing the Colt.
While tied the colt should be gentled
and accustomed to being handled on
both sides, on the hind parts, and on
the legs. To do this, hold the head
stall in one hand and with the other
hand gentle (that is, pet and ruby the
colt, first on the neck and head, then
on the back and sides, and last on the
legs.
To gentle the hind parts take
stick about four feet long. wrap
gunny sack around one end, and tie IT..
Allow the colt to examine it with his
nose. Then rub 1t all over his body.
With this arrangement the colts
hind legs may be rubbed without plac-
ing ones self in danger of his heels.
If he kicks at 1t do not hit him, but
allow him to examine 1t again. and
proceed as before. This lesson should
continue until the colt will stand be-
ing approached from either side and
rubbed all over. The second day he
may be tied up again and further
gentled with sacks. blankets and noises
until he has no fear of them around
him, under him. or upon him.
Breaking to Lead.
The horse is now ready to lead.
Loosen the rope from the post. step
off from the horse, and tell him to
"come," following the command with
pull on the rope. AS soon as the
horse advances pet him, then step
away and repeat. He will soon fol-
low without the pull on the rope. Half
an hours leading and this lesson 1s
over.
The next day the crupper should be
put on at the beginning Of the les
son, but should be discarded after
short workout and the halter alone
used so that the colt will not depend
on the crupper rope These lessons
should be continued until the colt leads
satisfactorily. If colt is still run
ming with his mother, It is good
idea, as soon as he is broken to lead,
TO tie his halter rope to the mothers
trace If she is being worked. The tie
should he made at about the union Of
the backpand and the trace and short
enough to prevent the colt from get
ting in front of the team. This Will
acuuaint him with the general condi-
tions and noises pertaining to work.
and on account Of the mother being
so near he will soon become familiar
with such surroundings and lose his
fear of them.
Handling Horses Feet.
II the owner will accustOm a colt to
having his feet handled at the same
tiue he is broken to lead-that IL, be-