THE WEANLING COLT. 25 



is, to my mind, a bad one, as they cannot hurt 

 themselves if they are not shod, and the boots are 

 a decided hindrance to freedom of action, and 

 are apt to give a wrong. idea as to how the colt is 

 gaited. I prefer to train them in the afternoon, 

 turning them out in the morning and then handling 

 them after they are brought in. In this way they 

 are not apt to be so frisky and consequently be- 

 have far better, and there is less danger of their 

 being injured." 



While the colt is reteiving its lesson (which 

 is usually in the morning), have its stall cleaned 

 and bedded and a little hay thrown in for it to 

 nibble at on its return. Let the colt stay in the 

 stall about an hour, or until it is entirely cooled 

 off, and then turn it out in a paddock for a few 

 hours. 



The colt's feet will need attention. One horse- 

 man's advice is : ."Keep hoofs rasped to proper 

 angle and level once a month." 



Some authorities insist the colt's feet should 

 be cleaned with a foot pick every morning, others 

 object to using a pick, but agree that the feet 

 should be handled. The preponderance of opin- 

 ion is with the former method. Nature requires 

 a certain amount of moisture in the foot, and if 

 colts stand on dry ground, some horsemen advise 

 packing the feet, at least three times a week, with 

 some kind of hoof dressing. Some use clay, while 

 others object to it, because it draws out the hat- 



