WORK IN THE KIXDERGARTEX. 205 



turns easy, and come into the stretches prepared for a 

 brush. After a few rounds, with three or four sharp 

 brushes, let him stop if he wishes to get his breath free 

 and welL Then start him around the other way. It 

 will not do to have him go around the track one way 

 all the time, for if you do this you will soon have him 

 hitching. Making the turns always in the one direc- 

 tion gets him into the habit of throwing the inside 

 liind leg further than the outside one — hence the hitch- 

 ing and roughness in the gait. In going around a turn 

 the colt will always reach farthest with the inside foot. 

 So you will endeavor to about equall}^ divide the 

 work — let him go one way about as much as the other. 

 Don't scare the colt. After he has got to showing 

 some speed in the stretches you can urge him by cluck- 

 ing, snapping the lash, or " shooing him up " just as 

 much as he will stand, but when he breaks endeavor to 

 steady him with the usual calls in a reassuring voice, 

 and if he persists in running stop him. A moment's 

 reflection will show ^^ou how simple a thing it will be, 

 but how injurious, to allow the colt to get the idea into 

 his head that he is caught in a trap and being, as it 

 were, " hunted.'' Xever for a moment forget that he 

 will learn just in proportion to the measure of his 

 confidence in his trainers, and that if he becomes pos- 

 sessed of the idea that he is being merely chased- he 

 will think nothing about trotting, but all his mind will 

 be centered. on getting away and keeping away from 

 those he may unfortunately regard as his tormentors. 

 You should always be able to catch him — not capture 

 him — on the track, and when done lead him out kindly 

 and quietly. About fifteen minutes will be fully 



