CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF HORSES 139 



The harness should be of good quality and in good repair ; if a 

 part breaks,. there may be trouble and the colt ruined for all time. 

 See to it that it fits perfectly. The collar should receive atten- 

 tion, as it is by means of this that the horse exerts his power. 

 The colt's shoulders are likely to be tender and easily abraded, 

 and we must see that the collar fits him well. The collar must 

 be kept scrupulously clean. When the colt is fleshy, we must 

 watch to see that he does not lose flesh, and the collar, which 

 fitted perfectly in the beginning, become too large. A breast- 

 coUar is admissible when the load is light ; it must not be ad- 

 justed so high as to choke the horse nor so low as to interfere 

 with the action of his limbs. The saddle and the crupper also 

 need careful attention. Care should be taken to have them fit, 

 neither too loose nor too tight, and then to keep them clean, lest 

 they abrade the back or tail and produce a vicious horse. 



Hitching double. — With the harness properly adjusted, the colt 

 is ready to be hitched to a vehicle. Get a well-trained, gentle, 

 but active horse if the colt is active, for it is a mistake to hitch a 

 quick, active colt with a slow, lazy horse. The vehicle to which 

 they are attached should be provided with a good brake. The 

 colt should be attached to the "off side" and the team be 

 driven at first in a closed field till the colt learns what is wanted 

 of him. When hitching the colt double for the first few times, it 

 is well to keep a pair of single lines on the colt's bridle which can 

 be handled by an assistant. 



Hitching single. — When the colt is desired for single use, it is 

 often advisable to train him to go single from the first. This 

 may be done after he has become familiar with the bit, harness, 

 and use of the lines. When training the colt to go single, a train- 

 ing-cart — one with long shafts, substantially constructed, and 

 the seat so arranged that the driver can get off and on quickly — 

 should be employed. Such a cart can easily be constructed from 

 the rear wheels and the axle of a buggy or carriage by fastening 

 two long poles, — hickory or any tough, springy wood, — to the 



