LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 427 



much. CTieck liiin up lightly and in this way yon are be- 

 ginning to make a mouth, as well as teaching the colt to 

 keep his head straight while leading, and in training to 

 move his body as w^ell as neck. Do not forget that we are 

 still leading the colt from the halter and not from the 

 bridle. As the colt progresses the side reins and check can 

 be taken up, but of all things avoid being severe. It is not 

 necessary to get the colt mad or sour. Our object is to have 

 the colt become accustomed to the crupx)er, surcingle, and 

 bit as easily and gradually as he was halter-broken. Some 

 colts are more timid than others about staying up even 

 with or abreast of the riding horse and will often stop 

 suddenly. In this case I use a small rope, one end being- 

 fastened to the ring of the girth, on the opposite side of the 

 colt from which you are leading him, running back behind 

 him and about as low down as the breeching of a harness 

 comes, and kept from falling any lower by a small strap, 

 which is kept in its place like a hip-strap to a douljle har- 

 ness with loops on each end of the strap, and the rope 

 running through these loops to the leader's hand. A 

 sudden pull upon the rope acts like magic to keep the colt 

 to his place and does not need to be used but a few times, 

 for the horse family nevei- forgets anything. Their greatest 

 stock in trade is memory. 



The colt having been led long enough to thoroughly 

 understand it, do not jog him till tired. Give him quick, 

 active work, spurting him and encouraging him to do his 

 best, always being ready to correct him by voice and line if 

 he makes a mistake, and the natural result is that he soon 

 learns that the proper thing to do is to trot and not run. 

 When the thoroughbred runner is bred so fine that he never 

 trots, fifty years from that date I look to see the trotter 

 never run or gallop, and if he loses his balance in any way 

 he will have to fall and probably break his neck. It is 

 necessary to have tips or light shoes X)ut on soon after the 

 leading commences, so as to use scalpers and protect them 

 from speedy cutting. It is well to use a light quarter boot 



28 



