236 TRAINING THE TROTTING HORSE. 



tion into them ; but, while I always carry a whip, it is 

 more for ornament than use with youngsters. With a 

 nervous, highly-organized colt it is seldom necessary^ 

 and its abuse is absolutely ruinous in results. How 

 often you see a man apply the whip to a young colt 

 when he breaks, yet that is something that a boy of 

 ten years old should have too much sense to be guilty 

 of. To frighten an4 punish the colt at the ver}^ time 

 when he requires to be steadied and reassured, is cer- 

 tainly not a sensible thing to do, and a man who 

 will do it is not fit to get into a sulky, especially 

 behind a well-organized youngster of fine fiber. 



All these faults combined, or any one of them, may 

 cause pulling, side-pulling, or other ^^ces of the head 

 and mouth, with the numerous train of indirect results, 

 such as spoiling the temper and the gait, causing the 

 horse to become unsteady, hitching, etc. Pulling is a 

 vice much to be dreaded, being generally incurable^ 

 and anything likely to encourage it should be carefully 

 shunned. Care of the mouth is an important thing at 

 this stage. See that the mouth is not sore, that the 

 bit is not hurting it — never use severe bits — and 

 endeavor to keep it in the naturally sensitive and easy 

 state. 



Side-puUing is a very disagreeable habit, and the 

 cause can generally be found in the mouth. It may be 

 caused by wolf-teeth (and the smaller the more painful 

 they are), or before the colt has a full mouth, the gums 

 may be swollen on one side of the lower jaw, between 

 the molars and the incisors ; or the sharp edges of the 

 grinders may come in contact with his cheeks, 

 especially if he is jerked ; or the bit may be too long 



