168 HUNTING 



conduct in a young horse arises out of nervousness, 

 not from inherent vice ; so, during the second year of 

 his life, everything must be done to make him lose 

 fear of the human species. As a two-year-old he must 

 have his first lessons in being lunged, and in being 

 driven about in long reins, the latter an admirable 

 practice, often neglected on account of the trouble and 

 patience which it involves. But, to again quote 

 " Marmaduke," " There is nothing better than the long 

 reins, when used by a workman, to make a horse have 

 a good mouth, and without a good mouth there is 

 no such thing as good manners." 



"We believe that both the temper and the legs of 

 many horses are spoilt during the process of lunging. 

 Grooms regard it as a simple process, and professional 

 horse-breakers regard it as a means of subduing horses. 

 "Lunge him till he is tired," the latter say to their 

 factotums, and the poor brute, originally high-spirited, 

 is lunged till he is harassed and overcome with fatigue, 

 frequently accompanied by giddiness, with the result 

 that he develops a temper, characterised by gloomy 

 cowardice. Now, many good judges have declared 

 that lunging is the most severe work that any horse 

 can be subjected to, and some even go so far as to 

 say that young horses should never be subjected to 

 it. We do not agree with the latter opinion, as 

 we know of no other way by which horses can be 

 taught their paces before they are backed. How- 

 ever, as opinions disagree, we will give rules which 

 we think the young breeder will do well to give to 

 his groom. 



