EAKLY TREATMENT. 193 



CHAPTEE XYL 



FEEDING COLT AND DAM HALTERING AND LEARNING 



TO LEAD THE BENEFITS OF COMPANIONSHIP THE 



"kindergarten" THE EVOLUTION OF THE TRAIN- 

 ING-PADDOCK PLANS AND DIRECTIONS THE COLT's 



FIRST LESSON IN TRAINING TO TROT. 



Some philosopher has said that the proper time to 

 begin training the colt is before he is born, and there 

 is a good deal of truth in this. The discussion of this 

 part of the colt's training, however, would carry us 

 into the realm of breeding, and therefore we will let it 

 pass for the present, as for our immediate purpose it 

 will do to begin after the colt comes into the world. 



If the climate will afford it, as it does with us at 

 Palo AltOj the new-born colt should be turned out in 

 the warm sun during the day with his dam, and of 

 course housed at night. As long as he is well it is best 

 to leave him pretty much to the care of his mother for 

 the first few months. In this climate, after he is about 

 two and a half months old, he is left out day and night, 

 and in case the grass should not be good, other feed 

 must be given. See to it that the mother is kept 

 strong and stout. Especially if she has been bred and 

 is again m foal, she must be kept thrifty and given 

 abundance of nourishing food. She has then not only 



