Year: 1879

Correspondence National Live Stock journal.


Colts should be halter-brOkcn when fol-


lowing the mare; 1t helps to subdue them,


and supercedes the necessity of breaking


them over again when grown up. "0nce


broken always broken, is an axiom as old


as the art Of breeding. 1t is advisable to


break them to harness at two and onchalf


and three years old. They will receive no
injury from careful usage in light vehicles.


The most practicable mode Of subduing


colts is TO hitch them up with well-br1k-


cn horse, and teach them by example to


perform service.


The first step is to bit the colt--to make


him bridcwisr This is accomplished by


checking up the head with the


bitting-bridlc. They may be turned into


the yard to run at large, taking care that


their heads are not left strained up more


than an hour at time. The head ,houId


he left down often to give the neck rest.


1t will prevent their contracting a coarse,


unpleasant hog-mouth. After they be-


come accustomed to the bit they should br
| driven in harness, without any load, for


several days, till they Weld implicit obcdi-


cncr to the bit, and obey with aaCrity the


word of command They will become
comparatively broken 10y the simple pro-
| cess of suppng the neck, and teaching
them to stop and 20 forward at the will Of
the driver. They seldom offer any resist.
ancc when hitchcd 10 the vehicle Pa
ticnce and perseverance will accomplish
wonders in horscilrsh. Intelligent in.
>truchon improves the disposition and de-
ycops the speed and endurance Of colts
essential qualities in roadster The
more good qualities developed when young
the greater will be the merits OF the rcclp-


tents. Those subjects that will do the
most work in the least time are the most
profitable to the owner II costs no more
to raise the fast worker than 1t does the
slow mongrcl. The former will perform
twice the service of the latter. The best
art, e,the cheapest to wear out, besides there
is pleasure IN using a superior animal.


Colts should be broken to harness before
they get so strong as to control the driver.
They are not perfectly developed for hard
work before they are five years old. Gentle
usage at light work for one or two years
will bring them into submission. rhev
will become accustomed to different kinds
of service, and the force of habit will make
lI'll hlHu anu llIuslWOIluN' w Htll DlOhtn
under the law of kindness they seldom
contract vicious habits-they are not natu-
rally vicious; they are made so by ignor-
ant OF brutal drivers. incompetent train
ers make balky horses. They use too much
brute force without reason or common
sense. They appeal to the lowest pas
sons in place Of intelligent instruction.
Reason is better than force to govern the
is the weapon to subdue
the wild colt. This humane law removes
terror, and secures the confidence of the
colt in his driver; and so long as that con-
fidence is not abused, they will yield i'm
plicit obedience to the word of command.
When the wild colt is trained under the
law of force, he becomes terror-stricken
with fear, and fights back to relieve him
self from oppression; and having the ad-
vantage of superior strength, often tri-
umphs over the trainer and contracts the
vice of rebellion. This vice lives on to be
inferred with his bones.