250 HOESE POETEAITUEE. 



his fore leg, and took him in a smooth field inside of the 

 track ; we could not pull the sulky up behind him, as on 

 its approach he would spring around in spite of the efforts 

 of two men at his bit; so we laid the shafts across his back, 

 and by carrying the wheels around, got him in position. 

 As soon as the traces and false girth were fastened, we 

 secured the kicking-straps, one being placed across the 

 coupling, and the other just above the setting on of the 

 tail, the ends buckled securely round the shafts. On 

 moving him with the leg still up he commenced kicking 

 as violently as his cramped situation would permit. It 

 was as much as a man could do to hold the sulky down 

 with all the leverage his grasp of the hind cross-bar gave 

 him. The colt then succeeded in slightly splintering the 

 whiffletree bar. We brought him on the track, drove him 

 on three legs till he ought to have been subdued, but, see- 

 ing no sign of it, I became apprehensive of injuring the 

 fore leg that was doing all the work, and let the other 

 down, taking the precaution to fasten a strap to his fet- 

 lock and over the shaft, so that the foot could be pulled 

 up at pleasure. It would be tedious to recount the work 

 we gave him for the ensuing three weeks ; but we got him 

 so that we could harness and hitch him without difficulty, 

 and he would usually drive quietly. 



His education was progressing so very favorably that 

 when leaving home, I directed the young man who assisted 

 me to break him and who is as good a hand to work 

 with colts as I ever saw to drive him daily. One very 

 windy day he became frightened, broke the water-hook of 

 the harness, enabling him to get. his head down, and he 

 began kicking so furiously that he threw the driver out 

 of the sulky. The kicking-straps, fortunately, holding, 

 drew the axle up out of the way of his legs. The man was 

 unable to hold him, and away he went. After he ran a 

 short distance, he stopped kicking, and cantered quickly 



