EDITOR'S EEMARKS, 47 



the means of receipts for articles to smell at, or of medi- 

 cine to swallow, is self-evident. 



The only science that has ever existed in the world, 

 relative to the breaking of horses, that has been of any 

 value, is that method which, taking them in their native 

 state, improves their intelligence. 



EDITOBS REMARKS. 



The directions for driving colts from the pasture are 

 of less importance in this country where fields are en- 

 closed, and the most valuable colts wear headstalls, and 

 are handled, or ought to be, from their earliest infancy ; 

 but in Wales, and on wastes like Exmoor * or Dartmoor, 

 the advice may be found useful. 



Under all circumstances it is important that the 

 whole training of a colt (and training of the boy who 

 is to manage horses) should be conducted from first to 

 last on consistent principles ; for, in the mere process of 

 driving a colt from the field to the fold-yard, ideas of 

 terror may be instilled into the timid animal, for instance, 

 by idle drumming on a hat, which it will take weeks or 

 months to eradicate. 



The next step is to get the colt into a stable, barn, or 

 other building sufficiently large for the early operations, 

 and secluded from those sights and sounds so common 

 in a farm-yard, which would be likely to distract his 

 attention. In training a colt the squeaking of a litter 

 of pigs has lost me the work of three hours. An out- 

 field, empty barn, or bullock- shed, is better than any 

 place near the homestead. 



It is a good plan to keep an intelligent old horse ex- 



* See page 215 " The Wild Ponies of Exmoor." 



