Training the Mature Colt 123 



action is irregular ; he falters in his g^it, hitching 

 and hobbling along ; he may even strike and injure 

 himself or he may break and run. No progress can 

 be made in training a tired horse, and in fact, he loses 

 precision in action. 



If the training is conducted properly, the first 

 year in harness will have a marked effect upon the 

 colt. The lungs will develop with the muscles, and 

 the legs will attain a hard, clean substance capable 

 of enduring great strain. His speed and action will 

 improve with his physical development and he will 

 move with clock-like precision. On the other hand, 

 if the training is not properly conducted, if each 

 individual is not critically studied and his needs 

 supplied, the consequence will be as far-reaching, 

 though with disastrous results. 



TRAINING THE TWO- AND THREE-YEAR-OLD 



As the colt increases in age and strength the work 

 may be increased gradually, the exact amount de- 

 pending on the endurance of the individual. To 

 improve the speed, many trainers continue the short 

 brushes, though the distance driven is gradually 

 increased, starting at about 200 yards with the young- 

 ster, working up to three-eighths-mile brushes with 

 the two-year-old, and one half mile brushes with 

 the three-year-old horse. The number of brushes 

 given at each exercise likewise depends on the indi- 



