THE COLT'S TRAINING 91 



years old, though his strength should not be taxed 

 very severely until he is five — he should be accus- 

 tomed to his work gradually, and, as he is still in 

 the formative stage, the tasks to which he is set 

 should be chosen with regard to the good they will 

 do him rather than his owner. In this connection 

 one of the best things in the world for a colt is 

 light work on a farm. It tends, more than any- 

 thing else does, to make him gentle, for the colt 

 that is accustomed to the swinging and rattling 

 of the plow whiffletrees around his heels is not so 

 likely to be ticklish around his hind parts if any- 

 thing happens when in carriage. 



A year or two ago, as I was driving down a 

 long hill with a pair of four-year-old colts, the 

 carriage pole, which was new and had an unsus- 

 pected flaw in it, snapped in two in the middle and 

 the carriage ran into their heels. Though, nat- 

 urally, they were a little alarmed, they made no 

 fuss about it, but stood quietly while I checked 

 the wheels and got them clear of the wreckage. 

 These colts had been used in plowing old ground 

 and also in harrowing, though I gave them very 

 little of the latter on account of its greater sever- 

 ity. There is a notion, sufficiently prevalent, that 

 carriage or trotting stock ought not to be set to 

 these humble tasks, but should have all their train- 

 ing and exercise on the road. I have never hesi- 



