Rural School Leaflet 



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never made so short as to place the head in an vmcomfortable position, 

 or to tighten the bit and make the comers of the mouth sore. Dtiring 

 a few hours each day for perhaps a week or less, the colt should be driven 

 in the bitting harness. Real lines may then be substituted for the side 

 reins, and the colt driven until he knows how to guide this way and that, 

 to stop at the word whoa, and to step forward at the command get up. 

 He should be trained to stand absolutely still while he is being harnessed 





Driving with lines 



or saddled, or at any time when it is desired that he should do so. A 

 horse that is continually stepping about while being harnessed is but 

 half-trained. The trainer should be gentle at all times, but he should 

 accomplish everything that is undertaken. 



Poling the colt. — Before being harnessed or hitched, the colt should be 

 made familiar with the pressure caused by the harness and the shafts. In 

 order to do this, a light pole, from eight to ten feet long, should be held for 

 the colt to smell and to touch with his nose. The pole should be rubbed 

 gently over the nose, the side of the face, and up to the mane and the 

 crest. After scratching the crest the pole should be brought back to the 

 withers, down over the shoulders, and along the outside and inside of 

 the forelegs. The pole should then pass along the back to the hind quarters, 

 and down along the outside and the inside of the hind legs. The process 

 should be repeated fifst on one side and then on the other, and every part of 

 the body should be touched, until the colt becomes perfectly submissive. 



Harnessing the colt. — After the colt has become familiar with the bitting 

 apparatus and has learned to obey simple commands, he may be harnessed. 

 The harness should be of good quality and in good repair, and should 



