426 LIFE WITH THE TEOTTEES. 



halter. If you have the lines attached to the bit, and the 

 colt gets frightened and plunges ahead, of course he will 

 receive the whole pull upon his tender mouth, and not only 

 teach him bad habits, but probably sore his mouth so he 

 will not eat well. The consequence is you are doing more 

 hanu than good. I am anxious to imj)ress upon the novice, 

 if possible, the great importance of doing these things well 

 and so kindly that the colt will get no set-back, nothing to 

 trouble or interfere with his growing. 



If this leading and training can not be accomplished 

 without harassing and bothering the colt, your time is worse 

 than lost, and it is much better to let the colts alone. The 

 attendant brings the colt out, leads him up to the off side 

 of the horse, lets him smell of the horse, saddle and rider, 

 and size them up; lie then hands the halter stale to the 

 rider with the lines hanging over the colt's neck; the man 

 steps back, the rider starts up, the man follows along 

 behind the colt for a few rods, the colt finds notliing to hurt 

 him, and in his first lesson, which should not exceed thirty 

 minutes, he is broken to lead be,side a horse. In two or 

 three days he will lead up and down before a crowd of 

 people as proud now as he will be when he goes in 2:20. 

 Judgment must be used as to how much or little exercise 

 in the way of leading, a colt needs. Like horses in train- 

 ing, one will require much more than another; some will 

 thrive and grow, while others will fall away on the same 

 amount of work. No absolute rule can be laid down to train 

 by. Be governed by the condition of the animal trained. 

 Do not do enough of it to stop their growing; they very 

 soon learn to enjoy it, and with us, they commence to im- 

 prove in looks, and seem to take a new start. 



After the colt becomes accustomed to leading, put on a 

 surcingle with the back-strap taken up short enough to 

 keep the girth from chaling his fore legs. Have side-straps 

 that buckle into the surcingle about half way down on the 

 side and snaps to attach them to the bridle, being sure the 

 side-straps are long enough to not hamper the colt too 



