HOW TO TRAIN A COLT. 183 



horse becomes accustomed to it, and will actually brace 

 himself against your pressure. This is what you have 

 been after. He has caught the idea, and will hence- 

 forth enter heartily into your plan. In a few days 

 he will even bear pain in resisting your efforts, and 

 not flinch, and adjust himself in such a way as to re- 

 ceive the pressure at the best angle of resistance. You 

 can now hitch him into your wagon, and leave the 

 breeching and hold-backs at home. After two months 

 of training, I have driven a colt, which was not at all 

 amiable by nature, for miles on a country -road, where 

 the hills, while they were not long, were steep, with 

 nothing whatever to assist him in holding back the 

 wagon. While I would not advise any to pursue this 

 course, I still declare my belief that the majority of 

 colts could be easily trained to stand this test; and I 

 urge all trainers to so educate the animals in their 

 charge, that the breaking of a single strap, the snapping 

 of a bolt, or even the falling-off of a nut, shall not en- 

 danger the lives of those who are riding trustingly 

 behind. 



I have now gone over the matter of horse-educa- 

 tion so far as is necessary to fit him for the average 

 public use. We began with him when he stood at his 

 mother s side, and, by gradual processes of instruction, 

 brought him up through the several grades of knowl- 

 edge of and familiarity with men and things, until he has 

 become serviceable to man. He who brings a colt up 

 in this way is a public benefactor. It may be, that, so 



