FOOD OF THE COLT. 89 



abounds in wretched stock, that, in addition to the disadvan- 

 tage of low mongrel breeding, has been starved at the grow- 

 ing time of life, raised on bare hill pastures where there was 

 nothing to make a horse of, exposed to cold storms, scorch- 

 ing sun, torment of flies, and in winter compelled to live on 

 meadow-hay, and shiver in the barnyard, an unkempt, long- 

 haired, lousy scrub. A colt so reared, if he were descended 

 from a royal line, would never make a horse. " Half a horse 

 goes down his throat; " and the first two years is the time to 

 make your horse in. The time then lost can never be re- 

 gained. If you starve a well-grown, mature animal, he will 

 be tliin, weak, and unable to work ; but you can return to 

 generous diet, and put new flesh on his frame, and give the 

 gloss of health to his hair. But a colt must be kept growing, or 

 he loses his opportunity. Oats are the natural food of a horse ; 

 and a weanling may have from two to four quarts a day of 

 bruised oats, and all the hay he can eat. The yearling may 

 have more, if he exercises in a large yard or paddock. 



At two years old a colt should be broken to harness, and 

 have regular work. This will sound strangely to people who 

 are accustomed to wait until a colt is five years old, before they 

 halter break him ; and I know there are many colts, that, for 

 lack of breeding and keeping, are not mature enough to go to 

 work at five. But I am talking now about colts that may be 

 raised for profit ; and such a colt must be fit to be broken to 

 harness at two, certainly at three. There has been a great 

 deal of dispute about this point in horse management. I 

 have heard the arguments on both sides, English and Ameri- 

 can ; and while I would not train a two-year-old for speed 

 (except a thoroughbred), nor work him beyond his strength, 

 I am fully satisfied that it is best to use him carefully for the 

 better development of his muscles. The French breeders of 

 the Percherons, a magnificent family of powerful horses, in 

 use all over France, work them at a year old ; and at eigh- 

 teen months they are expected to earn their living at the 

 plough and in the cart. There are no sounder horses in the 

 world than those thus reared. In Mr. Murray's book on 

 the Perfect Horse, there is an admirable chapter on "How 

 to Train a Colt ; " and, though I do not agree with many of 

 Mr. Murray's opinions, that chapter and the chapter on 

 horse-shoeing redeem all his errors- 



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