16 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



becomes more willing, and at last will hold up its foot 

 with telling. The trainer should on no account strike a 

 colt, as every lesson it has to learn can be taught by kind 

 and gentle treatment. After the colt is taken from its 

 mother, it should be gently handled; first, get a soft 

 webb headcollar, such as are supplied by Messrs. Black - 

 well, the celebrated saddlers of Oxford- street, and use the 

 colt to be led about, but do not use it to be led always on 

 the near side, a fault too common, but teach it to be led 

 on both near and off side. Should it show anv sig^ns of 

 play, one cross word will be all the remonstrance that will 

 be required to check it. Such is its timid nature, that if 

 it jumps or kicks, you speak sternly to it, it will tremble 

 at your voice. The old proverb says, " Man is what a 

 woman makes him," and the horse is what the man 

 makes him, either kind, gentle, loving, affectionate, or 

 revengeful and savage. All horses have good memories, 

 and recollect those who have been kind or unkind to 

 them. 



Having thoroughly learned your colt to be led, the 

 next lesson you have to teach is to allow the bit to be put 

 into its mouth. This is rather a difficult task to accom- 

 plish; first use the colt to allow you to put your fingers 

 into its mouth, then hold its head, gently but firmly, with 

 the right hand while you place the bit between its teeth 

 with your left. The bit should never be allowed to 

 remain on the colt more than half-an-hour above time. 

 By keeping it on longer you weary your colt, and it 

 becomes sulky. No lesson should be of long duration, 

 but often repeated, and the bit should be large and plain. 

 Never use a sharp bit on a colt, as it makes the mouth 



