238 



HORSE SENSE. 



To lay the young colt down is a very easy matter, when rightly done. 

 Say you stand on the near or left side of the colt with the halter strap 

 drawn from the right side of the colt's head and across the back of the 

 colt. Now take up the left front foot of the colt with one hand by a 

 firm grasp and with the other pull the colt's head by the halter strap 

 close to its right side, which will throw the weight of the colt towards 

 the operator, and at an early age it can be laid down about as easily 

 and carefully as a mother would put her baby in its crib or cradle. 

 As soon as the colt is down and it makes the least effort to rise, its 

 head should be pulled up closely to its side, back towards the flank 

 which makes it impossible for it to get up if kept in this position. As 

 soon as it has finished its struggle to gain its feet and failed it should 

 be given an easy position in prostrate form, and, as soon as it takes 



Fig. 1 1 portrays Betsy, at thirty days of life, standing in front of the Acme 

 stables, Selby avenue, hitched to shafts (with pieces of rear end to prevent 

 backward movements voltmtarilv), but she seems to pay more attention to 

 the little girl standing by the Indian tobacco sign than the electric street 

 cars running at full speed. 



kindly to this, it should be caressed, handled and given a little sugar: 

 thus given to understand that it is not to be hurt, but that it must stay 

 in whatever position it is placed in comfort. But at each efifort to get 

 up, the head must be pulled to the side and well back towards the flank, 

 which will soon demonstrate to the colt (if the tutor has not been care- 

 less) that it is in comparatively a helpless condition and still treated 

 kindly, which soon makes the work of handling or doing anything about 

 it easy, and if no mistakes are made it is astonishing how soon it realizes 

 its helpless condition, and is a perfectly willing subject to whatever is 

 desired. 



The main object in laying the colt down is to demonstrate to it that 

 the tutor is stronger than it, and that in its prostrate condition it can- 



