Horse Training on farm

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18545, 3 November 1934, Page 13

Horse Training on farm

A SUBJECT of constant interest and ™ comment among the farming community is the pace of their steeds. A topic ' receiving less consideration, though of equal importance, is the walking speed of the animals used on the roads and farms lor either light or heavy haulage. This matter is discussed in a recent issue of the Queensland Agricultural Journal. “H is not only a pleasure to sit behind a fast walker, but the fast, even walking horse covers more miles •in a day than one of erratic gait,-’’ the article points out. “In these days of high costs, the fast walker, by doing more work in a given time, and costing no more to feed or drive, is a profitable animal to keep. The conformation of many horses is such that all the teaching and patience in the world cannot make them walk fast. Nevertheless, the walking pace of every horse can be fully developed by careful training. ’ ’ Discussing the breaking-in of horses, it is pointed out that the treatment the young animal received often spoilt its paces. It took more time and patience to develop a good walking pace than many people were prepared to devote to it. The conformation of some animals was such that they required tittle teaching. The great fault was that so mjany men, when breaking-in a horse, urged it too much in the early j stages, a'lid expected it to go at a ro- | gular pace too soon, the result was that its full measure of pace was never attained. Apart from training, much could be ' done towards the improvement by breeding only from mares that walked naturally, and using stallions of the light conformation.