378 



MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



force applied at the collar and the weight borne on the 

 back, should be reasonably mature; whereas among 

 horses intended for fast driving on the race track, where 

 the weight borne is light, many good horsemen feel that 

 the training cannot begin too soon, and such horses are 

 often put into training at a very early age. 



Some persons find it profitable to put colts to moderate 

 work as early as two and one-half years of age, and even 

 before, while others delay training until coming four years 



FIG. 168.— BITTING HARNESS 



old. These ages represent the extremes. In general, the 

 horse should not be put to work until two and one-half 

 years of age, and even then the work must be moderate 

 and the working hours short. On the other hand, if the 

 animal is thrifty it is poor economy to keep him in idle- 

 ness after he is four years of age. 



Bitting the horse. — Perhaps no factor in the training of 

 horses, whether for work or pleasure, is of greater im- 

 portance than that of educating them to the uses of the 

 bit. The thoroughness with which this is done will go 



