FARM ANIMALS 73 



well be attended to by the farmer. It should be 

 remembered that the hoof grows at the rate of one- 

 third of an inch per month. Hoofs on the hind feet 

 grow faster than those on the front feet. It is neces- 

 sary that the hoof be kept trimmed in such a manner 

 that contact with the ground will be uniform and 

 will not cause the splitting of the toe or other parts 

 of the hoof. Attention should be called particu- 

 ularly to young colts. When kept in the stable 

 without abundant exercise they cannot wear down 

 their hoofs and consequently the cleft of the frog 

 should be cleaned out every few days and the whole 

 hoof washed thoroughly. The outer edge of the 

 hoof should also be rasped whenever necessary so as 

 to secure symmetrical development. Horses should 

 not be kept exclusively on dry planks since the 

 hoofs may become too dry and inclined to crack 

 and grow too slowly to prevent irregularities after 

 shoeing. 



BREAKING AND TRAINING HORSES 



This is a matter which cannot be discussed in 

 detail in this connection since the manner of train- 

 ing and the methods adopted in breaking will 

 necessarily vary greatly under different conditions. 

 Horses intended for saddle purposes, trotters, 

 roadsters, coachers, etc., obviously require long 

 and special training during which attention must 

 be given to numerous details in order to secure the 

 right style and finish. This is an art which can 

 only be learned after considerable experience. 

 Draft horses and ordinary farm horses, on the other 

 hand, require but simple training since in these 

 cases the gait is much less important. 



In all cases where possible, breaking and training 



