BREAKING COLTS.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 95, 4 May 1876, Page 7

BREAKING COLTS.

Let your, colt know you as master. — but a good^ ; mnsterj--and i half your work in breaking is done. Tiut before you are master .over the colt, be sure' • -*you are master over yourself; this at aIL times, so that you do not lose your temper ; your temper gone, . you will abuse your animal, and treat him as you , nor he wiil understand the reason oft. One such *' scrape." is v,ery ; liur.tful. . If you think it will. not matter, that; it will be jail forgotten, then you are mistaken • it will not be forgotten-, but act-con-stantly as a reminder of the untrust- f of the man. I Begijt^ early- with f yyurxplt, and, never -contradict s'oiirself -to hito; and _e l will think it is all. right ; that he has to do .what you require of him. What yoh :doj in the way of teaching or breaking, ' do jit gradually, mildly- of course* and; with confidence ; this wilt inspire- con-- ; fidence; in return. ; Thus . get him used to the harness, saddle, etc., 1 by degrees, first by', a partof the harness, and so on. By and -bye ' he will have reached the .lull attainment, and he , will hardly know how, only that ;he is. to abide by it; it will be seen as a matter of pourpe. But if a vicious : fit takes him while training, you must hold him as with a vice, and let him know that resistance is utterly useless — and, if necessary, punish him. Flinch once and he will want you to flinch again, and he will endeavor, and harder than before, to have it so ; but if he have no excuse, the way will soon be clear for you. Make your colt wha t yrou want of him , as , a horse. He is an instrument, and you are to fashion him as you want him. If for "farm work, you do not want him as a trotter; if for a trotter, not for a racer. If you want him for heavy farm work alone, he must be treated somewhat differently from what is necessary for a mere roadster, and vice versa. For a saddle horse, or a lady's horse, you want something different still. If* he is high-tempered, you must treat him differently from a horse with a mild disposition, and so on. You must know your horse, and know what you want him fer; then make him such ; shape the instrument to your purpose. Begij-jAearly^ .\at birth is not too early ; hints and signs have an effect — and these go through -life r We have "given general' directions ; special rules cannot be.- givepp.as it would require' almost for animal special treatment, so various are the manifestations of horses, particularly the different breeds and almost in- ! numerable varieties.

A:' There is not much to do to train a horse ;we have mentioned most ; but it takes time to do it. It must be gradual, growing work. The colt mtfst grow in his training as in his years ; it will be nature with. him then, and he will want to do that only ; iv fact, he knows only to do that— this makes him reliable. The man (who is a humane and intelligent man) has made him so ; and he will treat him with discretion, work him what he can readily bear, and what, mainly, he loves to do. He will therefore wear at least a. third .longer. He will do good service till tfvehty-five (we have known them to do it at thirty), while others, with hard treatment, are worn out at eighteen* '■* Take pains to make a good instrument, and then keep it 'good. Let no one interfere with your -work ; or,' if not fitted yourself for the work, get someone (at least to aid) that is qualified. A horse is worth it, or if not, he is not worth having.