234 BREAKING AND TRAINING OF COLTS. 



training to get the advantage of you. The old-fashioned way 

 of breaking colts, as practiced when I was a boy, was some- 

 thing of this sort: A farmer has a colt that he thinks old 

 enough and big enough to drive, and wishes to use him and de- 

 sires him to be broken ; consequently, he invites his neighbors 

 to help harness and drive it. It is brought out, but, having had 

 no previous handling, is excited, trembling in every nerve. 

 Nothing is done to give the poor beast the least intimation as 

 to what is wanted of him. Three or four stout men hold him 

 by the head while as many more are trying to put on the har- 

 ness ; he is spoken to roughly ; his ears are cuffed for shaking 

 his head ; the struggle continues until the colt is attached to a 

 vehicle, and now the supreme moment has arrived, when, in 

 spite of the combined efforts of all of these men, the colt rears 

 and starts off, having things about his own way — leaving first 

 the trainers and next the vehicle in his rear — and all exclaim : 

 " That is a terrible colt to break." 



A colt that would not resist such treatment would not be 

 worth breaking. Before touching a large, strong, unhandled 

 colt, have your plans formed and a knowledge of the general 

 characteristics of the animal to be handled ; he is fearful of be- 

 ing hurt and must be managed accordingly. As a general rule 

 he will do what is wanted of him as soon as he learns what it 

 is. Another essential thing to remember is that whatever impres- 

 sions are made on the brain of the colt are almost as unerase- 

 able as though written on tablets of stone ; hence the impor- 

 tance of making the right impressions — for, right or wrong, he 

 will carry them for a lifetime. 



In training a horse for draft purposes great care should be 

 taken to avoid over-loading at first. In training a horse for 

 draft purposes hitch to an empty wagon at first until he gets 

 fully accustomed to handling that ; then put a little, very little 

 at first, load on, and gradually increase it until he becomes 

 thoroughly acquainted with pulling heavy loads, and thus he 

 will never know his full strength, but will consider himself 

 duty-bound to pull all loads to which he may be hitched. 



