Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse 13
S . W . Beech Advises On Readying Show Colts
BY S . W . BEECH ( Lewisburg , Tenn . Route 5 ) PART 2 Preparing Colts For Shows After the show ' colt is selected , I put a blanket on it several weeks belore tlie start of the show season . From then on the show colts are brushed much like our show horses . During hot weather , the mare and colt are kept in the stall during daytime but are turned out for exercise during the night .
Weaning of the colts usually is delayed until after the show season has ended — and the colts are around five or six months old . Usually it is best to put tw ' o colts into a stall together and leave them penned up for a few days . They should be kept w ' ell fed . After a few ' days together , they are turned out into the pasture , and are placed in the stall only at night .
Il is best to keep the mares up in stalls for a day or two after their colts are taken away from them . It is very important to worm the colts at the time the weaning starts . Also , it is best to keep the mares up in stalls for a day or two after their colts are taken away from them . It is best whenever possible to keep the weanling colts and the dams in separate barns .
The dams and colts seem to forget each other much more quickly if they are thus separated by distance . They will not fret as much if they are unable to hear each other . If the mare show an excessive amount of milk when weaning starts , they should be milked until they are safe to turn out in the pasture . At that time they are turned out with other mares and they have forgotten their colts . Veterinary Service Important Of course there are times during these periods when veterinary service is required . We ate fortunate in Tennessee to have some of the finest veterinary Doctors in the profession and they are within a few ' miles of our place . It has been a great help to me to have a veterinarian regularly . They can usually tell promptly when a mare is in foal . This is especially helpful as I try to keep in a separate pasture the mares that will be bred shortly and it is possible to send home mares that are already in foal .
As for general care of the Tennessee Walking Horse colts — my colts are broken to halter and treated much alike regardless of whether they are to be shown as weanlings or not . Age is a major factor in the showing of weanling colts — and in determining when the animal will be a show colt .
A halter-broken colt is the best managed and easiest colt to handle . So all of my colts are broken to halter — and to be led by halter — in their infancy . This is most easily accomplished when every effort is made to gentle the colt .
Very often we will W ' alk up to a broodmare in the pasture , take her halter in hand and lead her around without a lead rein . Broodmares that are handled often in a gentle u ' ay can be easily managed even at foaling time . It takes practically no time for a foal to become accustomed to having a person around , if the person is gentle and makes no effort to frighten the young animal . Frequently a young colt will run alongside its mother up to a fence and greet a passerby , or cross the paddock to meet a person .
The new-born Tennessee Walking colt is usually a beautiful creature . Il takes but a few days for their legs to get stronger and for their bodies to fill out . They come into this world with a smart-headed appearance , with keen ears . They are like their brothers and sisters with short backs , sturdy legs and good strong muscles . These colts of the breed have in-born abilities , and they can execute all three of the gaits that have made the Tennessee Walking Horse so widely knowm as the world ’ s greatest pleasure horse for riding .
Day-Old Colls Perform Show Gaits
1 have often seen day-old colts performing the show gaits with much perfection while playing around the paddock alongside their mothers . We have found it best to let the mares and colts run out in a well-fenced paddock with lots of good grass . They stay out whenever the weather permits . Biggest factors in the life of a glowing colt are fresh air and plenty of exercise . Breeders have found that good feed , good care , and lots of good ground to cover , all help the colt to loosen up his muscles , and to retain the long stride for which the Tennessee Walking Horse is famous .
Halter-breaking of our colts begins when they are about six to eight weeks of age . It is best to have at least one person with you when this is done .
Make every effort not to scare the colt in anyway .
First fasten the halter securely but be careful not to have it too tight . Hold the leadline some distance away from the colt ’ s head and the colt will not be aware of your presence . The colt will start off quietly to follow its mother as she is led off to the front at a very slow pace .
Follow this procedure for a few days until the colt becomes used to the leadline and begins to respond to your movements . Colts usually learn very quickly this way and before too long they set themselves into a good flatfoot walk . The colt is led thus only a few minutes each day , and slowly at first . This is especially true with the colts we plan to show , because the colts should be well set in a flatfoot walk before starting with their running walk .
For the average young colt some 30 to 40 minutes a day is sufficient to work with them . A colt is like a show horse . It is best not to let them tire or “ go sour ” on the job . It is best never to snatch or jerk the colt . During his training he needs to be taught in a quiet and gentle manner . When handled this way , colts have better manners , and they are easier to handle as they grow older and their training becomes more extensive . Colls are much like children . No two are alike , but all of them respond to kind treatment . Tired colts become illnatured very quickly . This situation at an early age can affect them in their training tinder saddle and also in later years .
In Leading Be Gentle But Firm
In leading a colt it is well to be both gentle and firm . A tired colt will begin to paw at the person leading , rear up and sometimes even bite a person . Such bad traits are easily taught — more easily than can be realized by a person who does not handle them often . Their early training is like that of a small child — long remembered . A colt that is constantly jerked about and yelled at will soon learn to fight back . It is far easier for a colt never to be taught these most undesirable traits , then to try to break one from them once they have been learned .
Lead the colt slowly and let it get settled into a flatfoot walk . Keep the mother in front of the colt as long
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