EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 21 



Speak to him to go on ; hold the reins lightly, take him 

 straight back to you first and speak gently — whoa, boy — so 

 that the colt may know what you want of him. If it is nec- 

 essary to use the whip on him tap him lightly, not go under 

 his flank and punish him, the noise of the whip also frightens 

 him ; perhaps it would take months to get him over it, as I 

 know by sad experience when I had Lysander Boy — 2:2u| — 

 in the early part of his training I hit him a smart blow with 

 the whip for a bad break, and it frightened him so much that 

 it was more than three months before I was able to gain his 

 confidence again. Whenever I would make a quick move 

 with the reins he would jump and break and act frightened, 

 in fact he did not get over it until I removed the blinds and 

 drove him without a whip so that he could see that I was not 

 going to hurt him. 



1 would learn every colt or horse to drive with and with- 

 out blinds or winkers. 



After tapping him with the whip and taking him back 

 straight, if he don't catch, pull him a little to the right or to 

 the left, and speak gently to him ; if he don't catch tap him 

 a little again with the whip or chirp to him to keep him up to 

 the bit, but not under any circumstances give him a short 

 jerk or snath, as it is called in horse talk, for that will irritate 

 or frighten him and he will not try to catch. 



As soon as he gets sc|uared away on a trot it would be 

 well to chirp or speak to him to go on, and at the same time 

 take a little more hold of his mouth, so as to steady him until 

 he gets fairly on his gait and then ease away, but do not force 

 him to a break if you can possibly avoid it. 



When he has made a nice brush, take him back before 

 he gets tired and wants to come back himself ; that keeps 

 your colt in high courage and cheerful, and he is ready to go 

 any time you may ask him, instead of driving and forcing him 

 until he gets tired or breaks again, for that will make him re- 

 luctant and sour and he will not try to go. A colt will soon 

 learn and appreciate kindness as well as a person. 



