506 AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



fortnnately, with the great majority of them in the United 

 States. The loss sustained in consequence of this negligence 

 is tenfold greater than thej are aware. 



To what we have already said upon these important topics, 

 we may here add the emphatic testimony of Youatt. He says : 

 " The process of breaking-in should commence from the very 

 period of weaning ;" and, again, " The foal should be early 

 handled, * * * accustomed to the halter when led about, 

 and even tied up. The tractability and good temper and 

 value of the horse depend a great deal more upon this than 

 breeders are aware." 



As it is, the colt is generally left until he is old enough 

 to be put to work, and then taken up, wild and vicious, at 

 the age of three years or more, to be broken to service. 

 Such a horse will but seldom be perfectly gentle, and, in 

 consequence, some of his best capabilities will remain only 

 partially developed. The most favorable opportunities, by far, 

 have been lost, yet the wild colt must not be neglected and 

 given over as untamable and useless. From a former age 

 there has been handed down to our farmers a rough, dan- 

 gerous, and seldom wholly successful method of breaking — 

 that of thrusting the wild colt into the harness, and before 

 the wagon, by the side of some large horse, and simply 

 enduring his kicking, rearing, and plunging, until, from 

 sheer exhaustion, the animal, blowing and all afoara, is re- 

 duced to some degree of sullen obedience. Happily, this is 

 being superseded, among the more intelligent and better-in- 

 formed class of stock-raisers, by other modes more rational 

 and generous. The most famous and, without doubt, the 

 most successful of them all, is that known as 



THB RAREY METHOD. 



This derives its name from the fact that it was first car- 

 ried to perfection and given a world-wide celebrity by the 

 late Mr. John S. Rarey, of Groveport, Franklin County, 

 Ohio, although it was not wholly original with him. That 

 gentleman's experience in training young colts and in tam- 



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