34 THE HORSE IN AMERICA 



diverse that it is not likely that this will soon be 

 done in an extensive way, though already begun 

 on a small scale, but each State, whose people 

 are horse breeders, should do something of the 

 sort, so that the success of an undertaking might 

 not depend upon the uncertain life and more 

 uncertain fortunes of any one man. 



In Arabia the horses are trained at a very early 

 age. Indeed, the suckling colt is handled almost 

 from his birth. As a yearling he is trained to obey, 

 exercised with the halter and the bit. At two- 

 years old he is ridden gently but without fear of 

 hurting him. At three there is a let-up in his 

 work, so that he may acquire his full growth ; but 

 he is used enough to keep him from forgetting 

 what he has been taught. At four he is consid- 

 ered full-grown and is put to as hard service as 

 the Arab usually knows. It is a mistaken idea 

 that the Arab horse is considered a member of 

 the family to which he belongs, and that he is 

 pampered, petted and caressed by the women and 

 children, and stabled in the same tents as his 

 owners. Those are all fanciful ideas of the poets. 

 On the contrary, an Arab horse is early immured 



