HINTS TO YOUNG BEEEDEES 161 



It is the nature of all young children, equine or 

 otherwise, to be frolicsome, and the more frolicsome 

 a young horse is the better is his health. There are 

 few sights at which we would rather gaze than that 

 of a young horse gambolling in the aftermath on a 

 warm autumn day. Unfortunately, his frolics often 

 lead him into trouble, and this trouble we must do 

 our best to guard against. No iron of any sort should 

 be allowed in the enclosure in which the young horse 

 is placed to romp, not even the high iron railings used 

 in deer parks. We once knew a valuable filly to 

 catch its leg in these railings, with the result that 

 the leg was broken and she had to be shot. A 

 high bank with a gorse or furze fence on the top 

 is the best boundary, but in any case the fence 

 should be sufficiently formidable for the horse neither 

 to be able to jump it, nor to attempt to jump 

 it. Of course, at this period anything in the shape 

 of punishment cannot be too sternly deprecated ; 

 one might just as well punish an infant. The in- 

 human savage found punishing a young horse should 

 be soundly chastised and literally kicked off the 

 premises. 



The usual months for castrating yearling colts are 

 the months of May and June, as, if operated upon 

 earlier, they will not have shed their coats, and if 

 later the hot weather may be prejudicial. It is not 

 our province to discuss in these pages either the 

 " pros " or " cons " of the operation. 



The novice, as we have before hinted, would do 

 well to leave the question of physicking to his 



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