CHAP. v. THE TRAINING OF FOALS. 435 



his maintenance, and that if he realises 80 as a town horse, the total 

 nett profit to his breeder and rearer will be about 45. 



The estimates of the cost of rearing winter and spring foals respectively, 

 as set forth on page 434, are those of the late Mr. G. M. Sexton. The 

 difference in cost, 4 10s. 10d., between the winter and spring foal is 

 regarded as more than compensated by the convenience of not having 

 all the mares foaling at the same period, and especially by having the 

 winter mares for the spring work. Possibly, indeed, there is a margin 

 in favour of the winter foal, seeing he is the older by six months, and 

 will be ready for work earlier in the spring. 



The process of training horses for the saddle often requires consider- 

 able skill in the breaker. For those intended for the plough, it is very 

 simple ; but, for both, the best means are gentleness and patience. 

 The horse is an animal possessed of great intelligence. He is capable 

 of considerable attachment and of equally strong resentment. If treated 

 with kindness he becomes docile ; but severity generally fails of its 

 object, and renders him intractable. There is certainly much differ- 

 ence in the natural temper of colts, some requiring more care and time 

 to reduce them to obedience than others ; but even the most restive 

 may be rendered manageable by kind and gentle usage. 



From the moment of its being weaned, the foal should be accustomed 

 to the halter, and wisped over and occasionally tied up, but this should 

 be done by the person who feeds it, and never entrusted to lads, who will 

 probably worry the animal and teach it dangerous tricks ; nor to any 

 hasty, ill-tempered man, who would be likely to ill-treat it. The colt 

 will thus early become accustomed to be handled, and will consequently 

 occasion much less trouble than if it had been previously neglected. 



After the colt has been a day or two in the stable, a bridle should be 

 put on ; but with a small bit at first, instead of the large one usually 

 employed by horse-breakers, which, by the horse's champing on it 

 with impatience, sometimes occasions the mouth to become callous. 

 He should then be led about, and accustomed to obey the rein in turn- 

 ing and stopping, which he will very soon learn to do. 



After a few days, he should be completely harnessed, and put into a 

 team with some steady horses. At first he should be neither whipped 

 nor forced to draw, but left quietly to walk with the other horses. In a 

 very short time he will imitate them, and begin to pull. It may then 

 be proper to let some one mount him, even if he should not be intended 

 to be commonly ridden, as it will render him the more docile. This 

 will be the best done while he is in the team, as the other horses will 

 prevent him from plunging. No violence should be used ; for such is 

 his intelligence, that while he will readily learn everything that he is 

 taught, he will also recollect many things that it might be wished he 

 should forget. Thus, if he is beaten for starting at any particular object, 

 he will only start the more on meeting it again, for he will remember 

 the chastisement it occasioned ; and if hurt in shoeing, or on any other 

 occasion, he will not soon forget the pain it produced, or suffer a 

 repetition of it without impatience. 



The subjoined remarks communicated by Mr. C. W. Wilson to the 

 " Live Stock Journal Almanac," are well worth repeating. After 



F F 2 



