THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



struggles and rears and plunges. He becomes enraged, and fights the bit ; foam drops 

 from his lips; pretty soon it is stained with streakings of blood. The iron bit, you see, as he 

 fought it, has grated over the young teeth, cut into the tender tongue, and lacerated the 

 gums and lips. I have seen all this done (it is no fancy sketch), seen blood come in less 

 than two minutes after the bitting-machine was adjusted. Now, what has been done? Sev 

 eral things, I reply. First, unnecessary pain has been caused an innocent and harmless 

 creature: that alone is enough to condemn any &amp;lt; machine ever invented. Secondly, the 

 colt s mouth has been spoiled until the lacerated gums and lips and tongue can heal Thirdly, 

 the colt s temper has been soured, and no useful knowledge imparted. These truths are self- 

 evident. But this is not all. The machine, instead of being removed, is left on; the trainer 

 goes to his work in the field, or to drive; and the colt is left to fight-it out. Now, examine 

 the matter a little. What is the true position of things? This, I respond : The colt is in 

 pain. His head is drawn up to an unnatural height; his neck, pulled into an angle both 

 awkward and painful, aches with exquisite suffering. To appreciate the agony the young 

 thing endures, let some one take hold of your own head, and draw it up and backward as high 

 and as far as the bone-structure and muscles will permit, and compel you to stand with it in that 

 position even for five minutes. In this way you will get some idea of bitting-machines, and 

 the actual torture which colts experience while being bitted by them. 



But the evil of this system is not yet fully stated. The colt, with his head drawn up 

 and back, is left in the yard, as I have said, while the trainer goes to his work or to drive. 

 Perhaps he stands an hour; perhaps five hours; very likely all day. For the first few min 

 utes he strives to keep his head up, and the bit loose in his mouth, because it pains him; but 

 pretty soon the muscles of his neck begin to ache. They were never made to hold up the 

 head in that style, and are actually unable to do it for any considerable length of time. Soon 

 the head sags; the pain in the overtasked muscles of the neck is greater even than that 

 caused by the pressure of the bit. It is, you see, with -the colt, a choice between two pains. 

 Little by little, the head droops; heavier and heavier the weight of it is laid upon the bit; 

 and, in the course of an hour or two, the colt stands weary and stolid, the weight of his 

 head and neck laid solidly down upon the bit. The colt is being taught, you see, to take 

 the bit with a vengeance. He is actually being educated to l hog on the bit and be a puller. 

 The true way to bit a colt is not to bit him at all; that is, let him bit himself.&quot; 



We remember trying the &quot; bitting machine &quot; just once, about twenty-five years ago, in 

 our first attempt at colt-breaking, supposing it to be a necessary part of the operation. It 

 was a pet animal, a fine, spirited bay mare of the Morgan type. We shall never forget how, 

 after the bit was put on, she followed us around with a mute appeal in her eyes to have it 

 taken off, occasionally rubbing her head against our shoulder, the sweat meanwhile starting 

 from every pore, making her bright bay coat nearly black as it became wet. 



After about ten minutes of this method of experiment in colt-breaking, we were con 

 vinced of the error of using it, and the agony it was inflicting upon our pet horse, and it 

 was immediately removed and never put on again, though we kept her until she died of old 

 age, which was at about thirty years, after having proved one of the most stylish and best 

 roadsters in the country. We have also been equally successful in breaking other horses, but 

 never have tolerated the cruel bitting process. We believe more horses are either injured, or 

 utterly ruined by it, than by almost any other means. 



Breaking to Harness. This may be done when the colt is about two years old, or even 

 younger, and after he has been well halter-broken and accustomed to the bit. Many do this 

 when the foal is from twelve to fifteen months old. The more he has been gentled by fre 

 quent handling previous to this time, the easier will all subsequent instructions become. He 

 must not only become accustomed to the harness, but must be taught to stand quietly while 

 the harness is being put on and taken off. Portions of the harness should be put on 



