THE ETHICS OF HORSE-KEEPING. 17 



ward; and in general the method is to accustom him 

 gradually to the bit, to the harness, to being driven 

 and ridden, so that his education is completed by a 

 succession of small steps, each achieved without a 

 struggle, without rebellion, without exciting the fear 

 or hatred of the colt. The result is that our horses 

 are commonly gentle. I have seen a high-spirited 

 stallion, on the fourth occasion of his being in har- 

 ness, driven to a top-wagon, and going so kindly that 

 the owner did not hesitate to take his child of three 

 years with him. 



In England great improvement in these matters has 

 been made in recent years, but the British horse- 

 trainer is still behind the age. Vicious horses, again, 

 are far more to seek here than is the case abroad. 

 Abroad there is no difficulty in providing those horse- 

 breakers who perforin in public with specimens on 

 which to exert their skill, — with " man-eaters," con- 

 firmed kickers, etc. But in this country, when such 

 an exhibition is to be' given, say in Xew York or in 

 Boston, it is found almost, sometimes quite, impos- 

 sible to procure a beast savage enough to do credit 

 to his subjugator. 



John Bull has accomplished wonders with horses, 

 and nobody, I presume, has lighter hands or more 

 '•faculty" in the management of them than the gen- 

 tlemen of England. But the understrappers and 

 grooms, the breakers and trainers, lack the sympa- 

 thetic understanding, the gentleness and patience, 

 that are essential for the proper education of a horse. 

 To discover what could be done by the exercise of 

 these qualities was, I make bold to say, reserved for 

 the American trainer ; and anybody who studies the 



