HITCHING THE COLT TO POLES. 51 



harness on a wild colt, checking the head up tightly. This 

 treatment will work well in most cases; being a powerful 

 means of subjection, the majority of colts or those not very 

 bad, will work to harness quite well by checking up tightly 

 for a while. Colts of a sulky, plucky nature are liable to 

 resist it, and throw themselves over backwards. If the 

 back part of the head should strike the ground heavy in 

 thus falling, there is great danger of the animal being 

 killed, as the back part of the head under where the bridle 

 and halter comes, is where the first bone of the cervical 

 vertebrae (atlas) unites to the head or oxipital ; an appa- 

 rently very slight concussion or injury at this point will 

 break the neck and destroy life. This must not be 

 hazarded, and besides it is needlessly cruel. The course I 

 advise in the first place, enables making the colt perfectly 

 gentle with perfect safety in a few minutes, enabling, if even 

 desired, putting the colt in harness and driving with perfect 

 safety, especially if the precaution is taken of driving 

 around a few minuutes in harness before attaching to 

 wagon; but if the greatest certainty is desired at the 

 expense of a little patient care, subject to the mild course 

 of bitting in addition, but little more is necessary to do 

 than drive him in harness a few minutes, turning right and 

 left, and stopping until obedient, when he can be easily 

 driven to shafts. 



The proper course is to put on the harness with smooth 

 snaffle bit in bridle, tie the tugs into the breeching, run the 

 reins through the shaft lugs instead of the terrets, now get- 

 ting directly behind the colt you can easily rein and keep 

 him before you in driving until obedient and gentle to 

 reins. Of course there must be patience and care in pro- 

 portion to the temper and natural resistance shown until 

 successful. 



HITCHING THE COLT TO POLES. 



If the colt is at all uncertain, it will be policy to work 

 slowly and carefully, as one mismove while attached to a 

 wagon might cause damage to wagon and injury to the colt. 

 The simplest, cheapest and surest plan of teaching the colt to 

 become safe in shafts, is to drive first in poles. GET THREE 

 SLENDER POLES, two of them about twelve feet long each, 

 the third about seven feet in length. Lay down the poles 



