TEACHING THE YOUNG IDEA. lot 



fast runner and good at jumping and scrambling — over all sorts 

 of low fences. After a bit the youngster would be allowed 

 the use of reins and an easy smooth snaffle, care being taken 

 that he should, on all occasions, take a long hold of the 

 horse's head, keeping his hands back at least as far as the 

 outer seams of his breeches. Such a course of breaking in 

 will prove invaluable, and the boy, if his pluck be that of 

 the ordinary English lad, will look upon the performance as 

 "a jolly lark." 



CHAPTER III. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG IDEA. 



In the introduction to this little work much stress has been 

 laid on the advantages of early tuition. I have quoted one 

 Arab proverb, and there is another equally to the point : 

 ^' The young branch is made straight without much trouble, 

 but the old wood can never be straightened." Before 

 putting a child on a pony we must not only be very careful, 

 as I have mentioned in my remarks on these miniature 

 quadrupeds, that it shall be narrow across the back, and 

 possessed of light, easy action ; but it must, in addition, be 

 very carefully trained, and paddock fed. I purposely use 

 the words " miniature quadruped," for the animal to carry 

 children should be a pony, and not a dwarfed horse. As 

 compared with horses, ponies are possessed of more brain- 

 power ; from having to shift for themselves from foalhood 

 they are more independent, and therefore more tricky. Let 

 the pony for children have as much Arab blood in him as 

 possible, this Eastern strain being quieter, more com- 



