24 THE HOKSE OWNEE's 



make fast to the webbing that passes around the chest. 

 Your colt is now made fast in the stall by the use of 

 the webbing attached to his tail; you need have no 

 fears of his breaking the halter or injuring himself. 



Place him in that position a few times, and there is no 

 danger of his ever breaking a common halter. If you 

 should at any time use a rope in place of webbing, wind 

 the crupper part with a piece of soft cloth, otherwise you 

 would injure his tail. This plan will break the worst 

 of halter-pullers. 



ANDLING THE COLT'S FEET. 



We consider it tiie duty of every one that raises a colt, 

 to prepare it for the smith before he takes it to the shop 

 to get it shod, for many valuable colts have been made 

 almost worthless through neglect of this. There are few 

 horses that may not be gradually rendered manageable 

 for this purpose. By mildness and firmness they will 

 soon learn that no harm is meant, and they will not for- 

 get their usual habit of obedience ; but if the remem- 

 brance of corporal punishment is connected with shoeing, 

 they will be more or less fidgety, and sometimes very 

 dano-erous. We wish that it was a law in every smith- 

 shop, that no man should be permitted to strike a horse, 

 much less to twitch or gag him without the owner's con- 

 sent, and that a young horse should never be struck nor 

 twitched. The plan that we adopt to handle the feet is 

 very simple and not less effectual. By adopting this plan 

 your colt can in a few moments be taught to stand per- 

 fectly still to be shod. As soon as you get your colt 

 thoroughly broken to the halter, get a strap or a piece 

 of webbing eighteen feet in length; now tie one end of 

 the strap or webbing around the colt's neck, just where 



