POLING. 173 



blinkers all that yon liavc done before with the oj^en bridle ; 

 that is teach your horse to pull kindly in the collar, start, and 

 bear the reins amongst his legs without seeing what is behind 

 him. If more convenient the blinkers for this purpose may bo 

 put on over the bridle. 



■jS'd. — Now get a light smooth pole, about ten feet long, and 

 touch and rub the colt all over with it. Begin on his neck and 

 shoulders, come over his back under his belly, down his hind legs 

 and under his tail. Give the hind legs and tail plenty of it, and 

 when he takes no notice of rubbing on the legs, give him some 

 hard pushes M'ith the side of the polo, just as the cross bar of a 

 cart or waggon would push on him without a breeching. When 

 he cares nothing for hard pushing, give him gentle knocks in the 

 same direction, and increase their velocity up to the point of 

 almost, but not quite, hurting him. Your assistant should of 

 course sooth and pat the colt ^\hilst you are doing all this, and 

 you should stop and do the same occasionally, and take as much 

 time about it all as you see necessary, which may be little or much 

 according to the nervousness of the colt. Take any length of 

 time about it rather than start him kicking, but if he will kick 

 with all your care, make sure that he does not strike your pole or 

 anything else. He will not kick long if he finds that he cannot 

 strike anything, and that nothiug really hurts him. When all 

 outside movements cease to alarm him put the pole gently between 

 his hind legs, and rnb and gently tap them on the inside. When 

 quite reconciled to that, stand behind him and ply the pole well 

 on his sides, just as the shafts of a cart would knock against 

 them. All this had better be repeated on the following day, and 

 indeed until the colt will take no notice of it, or would stantl it 

 all without holding. Even after that it would be well to tie him 

 up occasionally, and give him plenty of poling, as you cannot 

 make too sure that he will not be alarmed about a shaft, swingle- 

 tree, or cross-bar, touching him, wlien he is in a position to hurt 

 himself and others with his fear. ^Fany a horse has been mined 

 and many a life sacrificed for want of this precaution. It 

 is almost equally important that no such movements should drive 

 him rashly into the colhii', when first hitched to any carriage, as 



