r-gQ THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



The Old-Time Method of Managing Colts, It was the prevalent opinion of our 

 forefathers, that in order to produce a hardy animal, it must be subjected to hardships and 

 privations; hence when a colt was a few months old, he was usually turned out to pick up a 

 living for himself as well as he could in the pastures, generally running with other young 

 horses or cattle. W hen the cold weather of winter set in, he was in some sections provided 

 with shelter and scantily fed with hay, often having to take up with the refuse and rejected 

 portions of the older and stronger stock; but in many localities colts were turned out to shift 

 for themselves during the entire winter, without shelter except what could be found under 

 trees, fences, or on the leeward side of an occasional hay stack, and would not be seen by the 

 owner for two or three years except by accident. The wild pastures or prairies would in 

 summer afford a comfortable supply of grass, but the scanty feed in the winter would reduce 

 his flesh to such a degree, that were it not for the rough, shaggy coat kind nature gave in her 

 sympathy for his protection in his forlorn condition, he would seem smaller in the spring than 

 the previous autumn, so that in the second year although he would be a little larger, it would 

 be difficult to tell a two-year colt from a yearling by his appearance. When the time came that 

 he was to be &quot;broken,&quot; as it was called, the animal would be looked up and driven to his 

 owner, and some rdugh specimen of humanity known by the professional (?) term of &quot; horse- 

 breaker,&quot; a recognized character in every country town and village, would be sent for, 

 and the poor animal put under his charge to receive his instructions, which generally consisted 

 of blows, kicks, and the tortures of the bitting bridle ; who whipped him to make him go when 

 he did not know what was wanted, or how or which way to go, and then whipped him to 

 make him stop, when he did not know that he must. If in his terror and torture he reared 

 or balked, he received more blows and kicks and jerkings on the cutting bit, until in his 

 fright and sufferings he was incapable of understanding what was wanted of him, and would 

 either be spoiled in temper, if naturally spirited, or have all the spirit and intelligence taken 

 out of him by such ignorant and cruel treatment. After these experiences, he was taken to 

 the blacksmith s shop where his hoofs were often cut down to the quick, the place where he 

 stood not unfrequently being marked by the blood that oozed out, and then shod in the most 

 awkward manner. Afterward, under the ignorant opinion that nature did not know how to 

 do her work perfectly, and that the horse was not complete without man to rectify her mis 

 takes, a hot iron was procured, and the roof of his mouth burnt and mangled, to cure him of 

 the &quot;lampers,&quot; supposing tha ridges found in every young horse s mouth to be a disease or 

 unnatural, and that they prevented the horse from eating well. We are glad to know that 

 a great improvement has, for the most part, been effected in horse management within a few 

 years past, and that the practices, formerly deemed necessary, have in the main become 

 obsolete, except perhaps here and there in an occasional locality that may be as far behind 

 the present age in other respects as in ideas on this subject, and where the old regime of 

 &quot; breaking colts &quot; is still practiced with all its cruelty, and injurious results. 



The Present System of Colt Management, There is an old adage that &quot;Half 

 the horse goes down his throat.&quot; However true this may be, it is apparent to every intelli 

 gent supervisor of young stock, that during the growing or building period, when there is 

 such a demand for material for structure, the animal must be fed and cared for in the most 

 judicious manner. Believers in the old time starving and toughening process are at present 

 fortunately hard to find, and it is now a generally accepted fact that the first two years of the 

 animal s life is the time in which to make the horse; in other words, the care and attention 

 bestowed upon the colt during this period have more influence in determining the future 

 value of the animal, than that of subsequent years. It is now generally understood by all 

 intelligent breeders that if the colt is not kept growing he is dwarfed in size, and hence his 

 value lessened, and money lost to the owner. He must be, kept growing, and in order to 

 accomplish this, he must be supplied with material for the purpose. As oats are the natural 

 food of the horse, the little weanling should have from two to four quarts of bruised oats each 



