The management and treatment of the horse in the stable, field, and ...

16 The Management and Treatment of the Horse,
becomes more willing, and at last will hold up its foot
with telling. The trainer should on no account strike a
colt, as every lesson it has to learn can be taught by kind
and gentle treatment. After the colt is taken from its
mother, it should be gently handled; first, get a soft
webb headcollar, such as are supplied by Messrs. Black -
well, the celebrated saddlers of Oxford- street, and use the
colt to be led about, but do not use it to be led always on
the near side, a fault too common, but teach it to be led
on both near and off side. Should it show anv sig^ns of
play, one cross word will be all the remonstrance that will
be required to check it. Such is its timid nature, that if
it jumps or kicks, you speak sternly to it, it will tremble
at your voice. The old proverb says, " Man is what a
woman makes him," and the horse is what the man
makes him, either kind, gentle, loving, affectionate, or
revengeful and savage. All horses have good memories,
and recollect those who have been kind or unkind to
them.
Having thoroughly learned your colt to be led, the
next lesson you have to teach is to allow the bit to be put
into its mouth. This is rather a difficult task to accom-
plish; first use the colt to allow you to put your fingers
into its mouth, then hold its head, gently but firmly, with
the right hand while you place the bit between its teeth
with your left. The bit should never be allowed to
remain on the colt more than half-an-hour above time.
By keeping it on longer you weary your colt, and it
becomes sulky. No lesson should be of long duration,
but often repeated, and the bit should be large and plain.
Never use a sharp bit on a colt, as it makes the mouth