THE SCHOOLING OF HUNTERS 



to take dainty bites from the hands of the 

 groom. 



Haltering, leading, feeding, watering, and 

 general kindness are all part of the foal's educa- 

 tion, even to the time that it is three years old, 

 when its education may be said to begin in 

 earnest ; but it must be borne in mind that it is 

 quite a baby as yet, and totally unfitted to 

 undergo any severe form of work. 



To work a hunter prematurely in this manner 

 is to ruin it at the very outset of its career, and 

 no man with any knowledge of horses would, I 

 imagine, be so stupid as to do so. I do not 

 mean to say that a three year old, or even a two 

 year old for that matter, should be allowed to 

 ** vegetate," but what I do insist upon is that an 

 animal at this age shall not be ridden to the 

 hounds, compelled to undergo severe exertion, 

 or called upon to perform any class of work that 

 entails severe labour. If the early exercises in 

 handling have been judiciously carried out, the 

 subsequent schooling of the animal is not, as a 

 rule, one of great difficulty; nevertheless it is 

 one that requires skill, patience, perseverance, 

 and a sound knowledge of animal instinct. In 



53 D2 



