Family Horses 91 



things being equal, such animals command the higher 

 price on the market. So popular are such horses that 

 most town, county and state fairs as well as horse 

 shows provide special classes for their convenience. 



Pony for children. — Before attempting to edu- 

 cate a pony for the children, we should be sure that 

 the animal possesses an inherent docile and sweet 

 temper. Train only such a pony as takes kindly 

 to the children and seems to enjoy their company. 

 The work of educating such a pony will be essentially 

 the same as outlined above. He should be taught 

 to obey as suggested for the '^family horse." For 

 best results the children should be permitted to 

 handle and feed him, as he will become attached to 

 whomever feeds and grooms him. 



TRAIN THE HORSE TO WALK FAST 



There is no gait so valuable or so much appre- 

 ciated and so practically useful in a horse as a fast 

 square walk. This is as true of the work horse as of 

 the driving or saddle horse. And yet this most prac- 

 tical of all gaits is often entirely neglected in training 

 the horse for his life-work. Perhaps this is due, in 

 part at least, to the fact that we have no figures 

 available as to the rate of speed the average work 

 horse attains at the walk. Consider the case of a 

 man plowing with a 16-inch plow and assuming that 

 it cuts on the average its full capacity. To plow 



