Colt Training | Lesson One | LESSON TWO | Lesson Three | Lesson Four | Lesson Five | Lesson SixTEACHING THE COMMAND "GET UP" LESSON TWO |
| For this lesson an enclosure such as a barn lot or a large barn floor is better than the public highway or, open field. After taking the colt into the enclosure put on an open bridle in this manner: With the bridle hanging on the left hand, back of bridle toward the colt's head, step to the left side of colt and with your right hand put the rein over neck-should the bridle have the rein attached. |
 |
|
Next seize the center of the
head-piece with the right hand
and the
bit in the left, have the right side of the bit between the index and
the second finger, thumb extending outward and laying over the bar with
the back of the hand flat downward. With the point of the thumb press
the lower side of the left jaw just back of the front teeth. This will
cause the mouth to open. Now turn the hand so that the back is up,
release the pressure of the bit and it will then slip in the mouth,
meanwhile keeping the bridle drawn tight with the right hand. Adjust
the headpiece with the right hand, while with the left carefully pull
the left ear through, then the right. Buckle the throatlatch loose
enough to run the hand through easily. Great care should be taken in adjusting the bridle after the bit is in the mouth. The cheek-pieces should be drawn just tight enough to make the bit fit snugly against the mouth without wrinkling the skin. |
 |
|
The bit should be an easy one
such as the "Beery Bit," in the
"Easy"
adjustment-as shown in the illustration. Put on a surcingle, but no
rein. If your bridle has a rein that you can not take off loop it up
out of the way.
I advise the use of an open bridle so the colt can see objects from all directions and at different angles. This is something he can not do if a blind bridle is used.
|
 |
| By all means keep severe bits out of the colt's mouth. Since you are to control the colt largely through the nerves of the mouth, a bit that will lacerate in the least, deadens the nerves and makes the skin calloused until he finally gets to the point where he will pay no attention to any kind of bit. An easy bit keeps the nerves delicate and sensitive to the least touch. I do not use a rein in these first lessons, since it will have a tendency to irritate or cause the colt to go backwards, and this in particular is the very thing that you desire to prevent. Then again the colt is liable to dip down and give itself a hard jerk in the mouth just when you desire to have its attention elsewhere. The use of the rein will come in due time; until then, keep it off. In this lesson you are expected to make the colt respond readily to the bit and start at the words "Get Up." |
 |
| It is essential to know how to hold the lines. Many people haven't this knowledge which, however, is no disgrace to them. We show you in the beginning how this should be done. Hang a bridle, with lines attached, on a chair back. With the back of your right hand down, pick up the lines; close your thumb over both with the index finger between the lines. Now reach forward with your left hand with it turned so the back is toward the right, extend the thumb and close the fingers of |
 |
 |
| the left hand over the line just enough to hold it. Next turn the left hand, naturally, and this will bring the thumb over the line. Now place the right line across the left, from the right to the left, close the hand and you have the lines held firmly in the left hand. Turn the hand so the back of the hand is up. A slight movement of the wrist will now control the lines. If you wish to take up the slack at any time, you may do so by simply grasping the loose ends of the two lines and pulling on them, at the same time loosening up the grip of the fingers and the thumb of the left hand. |
 |
| Study the above illustrations and you will have no trouble whatever, in getting accustomed to holding the lines correctly. Practice after you have the idea, until you unconsciously pick them up right. In driving with both hands, simply allow the lines to lie in the palms of each hand, turn your hands slightly toward each other, drop the thumbs down over the lines and you have them secure. Study the illustrations of the two-handed position below and you will understand this clearly. After you have harnessed the colt, as shown above, start in an easy way such as with a touch of the whip, and without the use of the command. Allow the colt to go almost where it pleases for two or three minutes. The object in letting it do this is to accustom it to go away from you, a thing just opposite to that taught in the first lesson. It also allows it to become familiar to the feeling of a piece of iron in its mouth, and of having the driver walk behind it, both of which are entirely new to it. After allowing the colt to go a short distance, stop it by applying some pressure on the lines at first followed by a sudden, see-saw jerk. This should not be too severe. |
 |
| Do not use the command "Whoa" in this lesson. This command is taught in a lesson by itself. Slacken up on the lines immediately when the colt stops. Let the colt stand a few seconds, take up the slack in your lines and be prepared to teach "Get Up." Now stand back of the colt and slightly to the left so he can only see you with his left eye. Speak distinctly "Get Up," pause two or three seconds, then strike the hind quarters a tap with the whip. Don't brutally cut him or tickle him, but give him a stroke sufficiently hard to cause him to move forward. After going partly around the enclosure in a circular way, stop him as before. When starting the colt you should give a very slight pull on the left line a fraction of a second before the command, this will give him the idea that you are ready to go. This need not be more than a mere twist of the wrist. It merely puts him on his guard for what is to follow, and for that reason, it should be given a fraction of a second before the command, "Get Up." Now you have given the colt two actions of the whip, following the command "Get Up," and the pull on the line. By the first two actions the colt has so associated the tap of the whip and pull on the line, with the command, "Get Up," that if you look him in the left eye, watching closely his every movement, when you say, "Get Up," give a pull on the line, and make a slight movement as though you were going to follow with the action of the whip, the colt in order to avoid the stroke of the whip, will start. Now he understands for the first time that the sound "`Get Up" means "Go Forward." |
 |
| Let the colt go forward a short distance and stop him. Step forward to the left shoulder and caress him. Be very careful to keep the right line tight when approaching the shoulder, so as to detract his attention from the confidence lesson, or he is liable to. follow you, and thus divert his attention from the lesson you are now teaching him. After caressing him carefully, keeping the right line just tight enough to keep the colt in his tracks, again take up your station behind. Continue using the pull on the line, the command and if necessary the whip until the colt starts at command "Get Up" as soon as he hears it. After he will start at the command from the left side, turn him to the right, so that his right eye and ear may be also trained to this new command. After giving the colt the command "`Get Up," on the left side and he moves forward, reach forward with the right hand and grasp the right line well forward, slacken the left line just enough to permit the colt to turn suddenly toward the right and give a powerful pull on the right line; he will turn toward the right. You will find that he will appear wild and unbroken at first, |
 |
| and it will be necessary to
stop
him, then
start him several times with the command, "Get Up," and the whip from
the side. When you have taught him the meaning of the words "Get Up"
from all angles, and he responds readily to the command and will turn
to the right and the left at the touch of the line, you are ready to
stop for this lesson. The cause of many improperly broken horses is accounted for in the early training. Most men make mistakes in trying to teach too many different things in one lesson and in making the lessons too long. An hour spent with the colt is worth more than six hours, if you keep the colt's attention every minute of that time. If you work more than an hour the colt becomes listless and inattentive, because you are working on his nerves, and they are as yet easily tired out, owing to the fact that these particular nerves have never before been brought into play. Therefore, make the lessons short and teach but one thing at a time. But what you do teach, have THOROUGHLY understood. One of the things to be avoided in this lesson is the use of the word "Whoa." Under no circumstances use it. It would mean nothing to the colt unless an action was associated with the command, and should you do this you would invariably confuse the colt with the words "Get Up" and "Whoa" and fail to teach either. You will find that it will take some little will power on your part to keep from saying "Whoa" in this lesson. Hold the lines tight enough to keep the colt well in hand, but not so tight that he will "lug" against the bit. |
| Next lesson 3: TEACHING THE COMMAND "WHOA" |