FACTS FOR FARMERS. BREAKING COLTS.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 339, 16 July 1874, Page 2

FACTS FOR FARMERS. BREAKING COLTS.

Thereclucation of a colt should commence as soon , as it is weaned. Even before this time it may learn much, although the main business of its life cannot well be undertaken early. From the very first it may, however, be taught to become fearless of those around it, and made familiar with them, and be reduced to discipline; and if no tricks are played with it, and it is not teased or trifled with, it will learn to have confidence in its owner, and will generally grow up free from vice and ill-temper. Before it is a year old, it should be broken to the halter, taught to stand when!/ tied, and to lead. These . lessons should be given ' gradually, and for a very short time on each occasion, until the animal understands exactly what is meant. When it leads quite easily without dragging on the halter, it may be taught its paces. The first lesson is to walk. Gradually the pace should be quickened, \mtil it can walk quite briskly. For a farm horse, this is the most important thing to be learned. A horse that can walk with ease four miles an hour is worth more than two that can walk 'but two miles in the same time ; for it will do as much work with half the feed as twp horses of the latter kind will perform. There must be no hurry in all this teaching,* but at the same time it should be made a business of, and the lessons be given regularly. When it will lead steadily, the halfcer may be taken by the end, and the colt taught to lead with it hanging loosely. All the different movements which it will have to perform in after life should be taught now, before it is allowed to trot or run, that is if, as we now understand, it is to be a work horse. It may be taught to do all this at the word of command as easily as an ox can be, without any need of touching the lines. A team of horses thus educated are exceedingly useful on a farm, and will, very much lighten the labour of ploughing or bawling loads. The most useful team we ever posscsse^pr drove was one that would plough a back furrows across the field, and turn at the headlands without^ the lines being touched, and could be used to load logs upon a waggon or sled as easily as any yoke of oxe»^ They had been taught to work tlms when colts. When this has been well learned the colt may be taught to trot. It should be taken by the halter, close to the head at first, afterwards at the end, and encouraged to increase its speed. By being taught at first to go gently, it will learn to trot without breaking up ; if it breaks it should be stopped, brought back to the starting place at a walk, and made to commence again. At this time a little reward will help to encourage the colt very much, and nothing will please it better than a small lump of sugar. We may here mention that a colt may be taught in this manner to come from any part of a. N pasture field at call, and it will do it without fa^ afterwards if taught at this time. A piece of bread, a little salt, sugar, or -a piece of apple given at each I time, or even a friendly pat or a caressing word, will be a .sufficient reward to keep up the habit. Much loss of time afterwards will be prevented. The next thing is to accustom the colt to the bridle and saddle. All bad habits that would afterwards depreciate the usefulness and value of the horse should now be " nipped in the bud." If he commences to hang out his tongue, carry his head improperly, or contract other unpleasant habits, that they must be reformed at onee — gently and withoi^ irritating him, but patiently and persistingly. Airy* strange thing should be brought up to him squarely in the face, so that he may not learn to shy, and he should be permitted to examine it leisurely. But we have never found when a colt has become thoroughly acquainted with us that it has ever shown any surprise or repugnance to anything we may have brought \ip to it in the hand or on the arm. When confidence has been established, fear seems not to occur unless under some extraordinary circumstances, and they of course must be guarded against. A colt that has been properly handled may be taught in two or three hours to stand near I a passing locomotive without showing any fear if its I owner is at its head. But such lessons should be I given with extreme caution, and when carefully I given, although a colt may be seen to tremble when I the locomotive approaches, it will, nevertheless, I soon learn to stand quite still without drawing a* I the halter if its owner is near it ; such confident I in its owner has a horse that has been kindly used. I After the harness and saddle can be put on with- I out the least flinching or apprehension being shown^ I the colt may be hitched up. It is not well to use a I buggy at first, nor anything with wheels. The best I thing is a frame of light poles cut square at the I ends ; two of the poles should be 12 feet long and I one 6 feet. The shorter pole is lashed with cords I across the longer poles at about 3 feet from the I butts. The other ends are hitched into the harness, I and the traces are hooked on to the cross piece. The 1 1 harness, back-straps, and breeching should be cam- I fully fastened before starting, and the poles mly m then be drawn much more safely than any wheeled H vehicle. No pressure can come suddenly on the fl breeching, and the colt cannot back, for the butts of fl the poles penetrate into the ground and prevent it.H After sufficient practice with this arrangement a^| light-wheeled vehicle may be used. During this course of lessons the colt should beH taught to allow anything to come in contact witlM its heels without resisting it, and also, should tlic^H lines get beneath its tail, to allow them to be re^| moved without fretting or kicking. Of course mucl^B depends on the disposition of the animal, whethe^H or not all this teaching shall be successful in shorter or a longer time, but we have found that i^H most cases a horse's disposition turns out to be vel^^M much what it is made to be by his training in hi^H It will be noticed probably that no mention 4N^| been made of the whip or of punishment. We^B firmly hold the whip to be useless, and punishment^! to be totally uncalled for and injudicious at all times. Further than this, the whip is so often made an in-^| strument of sevexity and torture to a willing but^B incompetent horse — rendered incompetent often by the stupidity or ill-nature of its driver — that in our H own practice wo never allowed a hired man to carry H one, nor did we ever ourselves find occasion to H one ; and we would urge the propriety of forever H banishing the whip as an instrument of punishment H from the farm. ,

A Gorman describes a ptrson noted for liis inconsistency *■ ' a shtntlemau val a verj elastic in bis brains. 1