American farming and stock raising, with useful facts for the household, devoted to farming in all its departments . treatment. The writer has known of many valuable animals being utterly ruined by the bad man-agement and cruel treatment of so-called professionals in colt-breaking. In one instance,a valuable colt of four years of age was so wretchedly handled that in three weeks time shewas not worth a dollar for after-use. Another was so cruelly treated in the bitting process (a thing which no man who truly loves his horse will ever allow), that in horsemens phrase, she had no mouth; and when
American farming and stock raising, with useful facts for the household, devoted to farming in all its departments . treatment. The writer has known of many valuable animals being utterly ruined by the bad man-agement and cruel treatment of so-called professionals in colt-breaking. In one instance,a valuable colt of four years of age was so wretchedly handled that in three weeks time shewas not worth a dollar for after-use. Another was so cruelly treated in the bitting process (a thing which no man who truly loves his horse will ever allow), that in horsemens phrase, she had no mouth; and when abused with voice or whip, would drop her jaw back againsther neck, and run away and break things, in spite of tlie efforts of her driver to stop her. Inthis instance a naturally fine animal was ruined, and practically worthless when broken, asthe expression is. Another animal, from the same stock as the preceding ones, and now inher thirtieth year, never was broken, in the common meaning of the term, and will not bewhen she dies; but wilHng and true to bit or voice, she has been faithful and fruitful in good. THE HORSE. 7(35 works all her life long, perfectly gentle, although a very spirited animal, but peculiarly sen-sitive to harsh treatment of any kind, and would have been ren(^red utterly worthless by it. Halter Breaking.—The best method of teaching a colt, is to commence at birth, andby gradual approaches accustom him to be handled. Thus, by kindness and gentleness, hisfirst lesson should be, that he has nothing to fear from man, but that his master is his friend*and protector. This lesson must invariably be first taught, in order to attain the highestsuccess in subsequent efforts, in bringing him under complete subjection, and in developingthe best qualities of the animal. This method of colt breaking was well understood andpracticed by the ancients, as will be seen from the writings of Xenophon, which were pennedabout twenty-three hundred years ago, as follows:— ?
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
