BREAKING IN COLTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 15003, 25 May 1909, Page 2

BREAKING IN COLTS.

(By MOIRA in the “ Sydney Mail. s ') r A well-bred draught colt is, as a rule, easier to break in than a mongrel. The first-named, if intelligently handled, generally goes into the collar kindly, and takes to* his work with very little trouble. He (nay chafe slightly at the bit for the limt few days, but soon gets accustomed to restraint and becomes quite tractable* On farms he usually takes his first lessons in the plough or harrows, and sometimes receives an advantage over nurtured animals by being hitched on to the long end of the double bar, or evener. The greatest care should be taken to prevent the colt from getting sore shoulders,, which may induce an attempt to shirk his work. Sometimes tt colt that has begun well has been (transformed into a confirmed jibber, often through carelessness on the part liis driver. Shoulders, like hands that have never been at work, are liable to chafe at first, and should be attended to. A badly fitting collar sometime's increases the trouble and gives the animal much pain, particularly when starting to work" each morning. Habits acquired early are difficult to alter later. Therefore it is desirable that dolts should be harnessed along with straight-going, experienced horses, and, above all, their harness should fit wall. If intelligence is used at all stagea of handling there should be very little trouble in getting the well-bred youngster going satisfactory. The mongrel is much moro apt to cause trouble. He may be hardy and durable, but frequently exhibits all the vices- of thus various strains of blood in his composition, without displaying any of tbjiir good features. Generally speaking, •in Australia colts are not handled umfcil they are about to be broken in. The change from freedom to restraint is, tharefore, very sudden, and it is, consequently, Dot to be wondered at that some 'youngsters resent the interference. In colder countries, where stock are housed for some months each year, young istock have to undergo a certain amouiYt of handling. They are then less shy when their time arrives to go to be made Viseful.

'There is pleasure in working a wfiilltrained horse. The animal that answers quickly to the word of command or pull on the rein is also much moi» valuable than tho dull and stupid onev On this point F. K. Moreland in the* “Breeders’ Gazette” says:—“The training of draught colts has a great influence on their future value for use on the farm or for sale. A good, welltrained draught horse is worth much more than a horse that has been poorly (trained and has acquired faulty habits. Too many farmers -deem it sufficient to dispense with the training and simply break their colts when- they are old enough to do a horse’s work, say, at three years old. . “ A colt that is not bandied until the time comes to break him is never so valuable as a horse that has been handled and trained from early colthood. A not important part of the education of the young men at our military academy at West Point and the naval academy at Anapelis is the physical training—training that educates and develops the muscles and the different darts of the body. A young man who ha® been through the military school with all its advantages of training is better physically, more attractive, and better qualified to perform the duties of life than tho young man whose physical development has been neglected. In the last few years trotting horse breeders have adopted the habit of very early training of their colts. Tho training of tho baby trotter on the track develops his muscles, his strength, speed, power of endurance, and trotting form. A colt so trained has many advantages over the colt, which was not trained until he commenced to show speed. A colt at one year old, while too immature and young for hard work, may very easily and to . good advantage go through the paces, j A draught colt at one year old is, of j course, unsuited to do any draught work, but may bo very easily trained to familiarity with the harness and an empty waggon if hitched beside another horse. A half-hour’s such exercise every day with an older horse of a quick-stepping habit, is -very useful to a young colt.” “The draught colt should be trained to walk fast; that is the only gait for a draught horse, and a quick-stopping horse is much Vnore valuable than one that is slow. He should be taught to start promptly at the word of command, and to stop just as promptly.

All these qualities tend lo enhance the value of the draught home, and the absence of these habits detracts from the value of a horse. Thereilore, the colt should be trained daily with a horse possessing these habits. In this way the colt would easily learn Ahe sound ol tile different words used in* driving a team, would acquire the ,ptoper_ gait,' and become much handier t.Van if the training was omitted and nothing but breaking resorted to. At two .years old a draught colt can continue tpe. training practice and at the same time to do a great deal of light workjpn the farm, still hitched beside an oldW horse with the long end of the evenpr and worked 'only at light work half a day at a time. Just as light work o\i the traok and at a young age is considered the proper way to develop the trotter, so light work is an advantage to tha young and growing draught horse. Sllicb work not continued to the point'of fatigue, but more in the nature of dailyexercise, will develop the colt into ». good draught lidrse. It will develop the bone and muscle- and the habit of using bis strength in the way most pleasiD# and satisfactory to bis driver. Such constant daily Aiandling will tend to give the colt good draught horse style and tend to cure or avoid acquiring unpleasant tricks or habits. A colt at' two years old handled in such. a way might very easily pay well for his keeping at that ago, and a young draught’ team that has bee# used to .work and well trained might very easily be worth double the value of a pair of green colts at the same age.” .