EDUCATING AND TRAINING THE COLT 
121 
accomplished. The foal, of course, must understand what is wanted before 
he can be expected to accomplish the task. When he fully understands 
can be expected to accomplish the task. When he fully understands 
what is expected of him, he will do it with surprising rapidity. Confusion 
resulting from not understanding what is wanted often so excites or 
frightens the animal that he is likely to do anything, even to fatally in¬ 
juring himself by running to telephone poles, gate posts, buildings and 
the like. Since it is not possible to teach an excited or frightened 
animal, we must first of all make it clear to him what he is expected to do. 
• • In handling the foal, the first few lessons should not exceed 
fifteen minutes in length, as this is sufficient time to impress an idea 
on his mind. These early lessons should be exceedingly simple, so as 
to avoid confusion. Take up one thing at a time, and be sure the 
colt fully understands what is wanted and how to do it before 
passing to another. As advancement is made, teach the lessons 
in the most useful order and always repeat each in the order taught. 
Soon the foal can be relied upon to go through the list in order given 
without a break. On the other hand, if the work is given in a haphazard 
manner, then all is uncertain as to just what the animal can be depended 
upon to accomplish. If the work is continued too long and the colt 
fatigued whether mentally or physically, his power of memorizing is 
weakened, and if the work is complicated, he may become confused. To 
avoid this make the work short and simple, particularly in the beginning. 
“Teach the young animal only such lessons as will be useful to him 
later in life. As stated, he should be taught to be handled from both 
sides at every angle; teach him the use of the halter so that he will fol¬ 
low wherever you wish him to go; the meaning of . . . ‘whoa’ . . . 
‘get up’ . . . and . . . ‘back’ ... In addition, familiarize the 
youngster with objects that are likely to cause him fright, show him 
that such objects will not hurt him, and that he can trust himself to 
your care with perfect assurance that he will be protected from all harm. 
“The best time to teach the foal the use of the halter is when he is 
about ten days or two weeks old. This is a very important matter, as it 
is the first time the youngster has been in any part of the harness, and 
he should be given to understand from the very beginning that such 
will not hurt him and that he must obey the signals given by means of 
the halter. Many animals which have been very teachable up to this 
time are often spoiled by improper methods of training to lead . . . 
In this way the foundation is laid for a confirmed halter-puller . . . 
This comes about because we are not mindful of the natural tendency of 
the horse to move backward when pressure is applied at the front and 
to move forward when the rear end is touched. Without thinking, the 
halter is placed on his head and we begin to pull on the strap, and true 
to his instincts the foal goes backward . . . It is not necessary to 
drag the foal by the halter in order to suggest to him that his business 
is to follow . . . 
“. . . For the foal a web halter is preferable to a leather one, as it 
is much lighter and softer and not so likely to injure or frighten him. 
Never use a rope halter on the young foal. An old halter that has been 
in constant use is better, all things considered, than one that has been 
hanging up or even a new one that smells of a lot of things that are 
strange to the animal. It is very important to have the halter fit the 
head perfectly. Because the foal’s head grows so rapidly, colt halters 
are, as a rule, made too large for the very young animal in order that 
they may fit later on. The head-stall, brow-band, throat-latch and nose¬ 
band should be taken up until they fit, otherwise the pressure will not be 
applied properly, the check-straps may be pulled around against the 
animal’s eyes, the chin-band slip over the nose and the like, all of which 
must be avoided. It often happens that in taking up the halter, long 
