262 LIVE STOCK MANAGEMENT. 



well up, so as to make him look attractive and stylish. Also 

 keep his head as straight ahead of him as possible. 



Do not make the lessons too long or tiresome, as short 

 lessons, given often, are the best. A colt which is well 

 broken to the halter will always show to good advantage. 

 After he is thoroughly halter broken, the next step is to get 

 him used to the biting harness. This consists of an open 

 bridle with a check, surcingle, crupper and side lines, which 

 go from the surcingle to the bit to prevent him from turning 

 his head to either side. Put this on him and check him up 

 not too high at first, but raising his head a little each day 

 until the desired height is obtained which will make him 

 look most attractive. For this lesson let him have a yard 

 in which he may go about at his own will. After he has be- 

 come well accustomed to the bit and check, put on long 

 lines instead of the short side lines and teach him to drive, 

 start and stop at the word; also to back. This is a very 

 important part of the breaking. It is very easy to teach a 

 colt to back if you have plenty of patience. Most men are 

 in too much of a hurry to do this properly. Encourage him 

 to back, step by step, by steadily pulling on the lines and at 

 the same time telling him to back. As soon as he makes a 

 step backwards slacken on the lines and say "Whoa." Re- 

 peat this until he will back when told and as often as you 

 tell him. If proper care and kindness are combined it will 

 not take long to accomplish this part of his education. 



The next step in the colt's education is to hitch him in 

 harness. This may be done either single or double. In many 

 respects it is preferable to break him single at first. The 

 advantages of breaking him double over single at first are 

 that when he is hitched with a reliable horse he will not 

 shy so readily at strange obstacles. The only reason we 

 recommend breaking him single at first is that his education 

 up to this point has been alone not with other horses. In 

 breaking him single he should be hitched to some kind of a 

 breaking cart. There are many good breaking carts on the 

 market which are not very expensive. The cart must be 

 strong and durable. These are points which must be given 

 careful consideration. Many a good colt is ruined by first 

 hitching him to some worn out or dilapidated cart or vehicle 

 of some kind. A man who has not a breaking cart may 

 accomplish the desired end in another way. He can make 

 a breaking cart by using two wheels of a light wagon with an 



