THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 121 



trap, or carriage. Then again, a spirited horse will scrape 

 with its fore feet, and often rear, frightening the owner, 

 who thinks it is going to throw him out. This kind of 

 thing can easily be cured by putting a nose bag on the 

 horse, with a little chaff and corn in it, and letting him 

 stand for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, just 

 long enough to eat half the feed of corn. If this is done 

 from four to seven times, the horse gets to expect it, and 

 usually there is no more trouble in this respect afterwards. 

 It is a simple remedy, but I have never known it fail. I 

 have trained horses in this way and have left them standing 

 for two hours, covered up with a rug, of course. I do 

 not say a young horse would do this, but an old one, which 

 has been well trained, will stand for hours A little corn 

 and a few kind words go a long way with horses, they 

 appear to look for it. 



I have not treated upon breaking horses in to run 

 with a pair. This should never be attempted, unless the 

 colt is fairly well broken in first, then he should be put 

 side by side with a very steady old horse. I do 

 not say one which will not trot, but one which can be 

 trusted. When the colt has had a few runs with a well 

 trained old horse, it can soon be trusted. I am often 

 asked at what age a horse should be broken in. That 

 depends on what it is required for. I have always found 

 it best to break a young nag horse in at two or three 

 years old, the latter age is usually the best. After they 

 are well trained to harness, or saddle, they should be 

 turned out another year and do no work, or, at any rate 



