EDUCATING AND TRAINING THE COLT 
119 
not start, tighten the right line to bring pressure on his buttocks. This 
will have the same effect as the rope did when teaching to lead, and he 
will start readily. 'Circle right and left as well as straight away. Use 
the command, ‘whoa,’ and stop him with a hint from the lines and not a 
hard pull or jerk. Stop and start him often to give him confidence. 
“After he is handy to drive teach him to back from the lines. Drive 
him ahead a few steps, with the command ‘whoa,’ give a steady pull and 
command ‘back.’ Keep straight behind him and have him step backward 
a few steps, then drive ahead a short distance. Change direction often 
and he will soon back without the pull from reins. 
“The colt should be bitted at about two years of age. A good mouth 
is very important to any horse ... A bitting harness or dumb jockey 
is used at first to allow the colt to do much of this work himself while 
running in the paddock. 
“. . . The bit should be well up in the mouth, but not tight. The 
check and side reins should be very loose for the first few lessons. Then 
his head should be gradually drawn up and the side lines shortened until 
he has his head well up and straight. 
“As soon as he is well bitted and accustomed to the harness, remove 
the side lines and substitute the driving reins. Attach them to the bit 
and pass through rings well down on either side of the surcingle. This 
will keep the reins down on the quarters and prevent the colt from turn¬ 
ing the trainer, avoiding mishaps. Some trainers leave the ‘near’ or left 
rein out of the ring, making it easier to control the colt in case he at¬ 
tempts to run or lunge. He should be guided from left to right, should 
start at command ‘get up,’ stop at ‘whoa,’ and back straight without be¬ 
ing pulled back by the reins. Drive him about, and up to strange objects 
and in strange places. Pass other horses with him and have him stand 
while others drive by 
“A complete set of harness should be used several times before he is 
hitched. Attach a piece of rope to each trace, and, with the reins in 
one hand and the rope in the other, have him pull you by his collar. If 
he objects to the pull, start it gradually while he is moving. Pole and 
gentle the colt well before hitching, as many kicking and runaway 
horses are made the first time they are hitched to the cart or wagon.” 
A long presentation of handling and training the foal is subsequently 
set forth, as Harper 110 directs and advises: As to the age at which to 
begin to train the foal, Harper says that “If he is thrifty and strong, the 
very first day of his life is none too soon to begin training,” because “he 
has fewer ideas of his own and fewer fixed habits.” He goes on to say 
that “The earlier in life the training begins the easier the task, and the 
longer it is postponed the greater are the chances of a hard struggle. 
We can show, rather than force, him to do that which he does not under¬ 
stand. While it is true, no doubt, that at this early age the animal’s 
power of memorizing is undeveloped, it must be remembered that the 
horse learns by association of ideas only and beginning at so early an 
age has many advantages aside from training the memory. 
“Perhaps the most important advantage gained by early training is 
that the youngster becomes acquainted with his master at a time when 
man is the animals physical superior. This is significant. As has been 
stated, the horse obeys commands because he feels obliged to do so, and 
not because he likes to accomplish a task. It is, therefore, of advantage 
to fix the idea in the foal’s mind that he is our mental and physical in¬ 
ferior and must obey. The earlier he comes into possession of this idea 
the better horse he will make. On the other hand, horses which have 
roughed it from birth to maturity having come to know their strength and 
having their instinct of independence strongly developed, are propor¬ 
tionately more difficult to teach to obey.” 
To catch the foal, Harper points out that “It is of much importance the 
