206 ON RUxMNING HORSES 



confiderable degree. I have feen fome of your 

 hot fly-a-way racers, fo exceflively influenced 

 by nervous affedion, that their hves feemed to 

 be one continued ftate of anxiety and inqui- 

 etude. Thefe are always found awake to 

 dreadful expeftation ; the groom touching 

 their body-girth, fets their hearts palpitating, 

 the aft of taking down the faddle operates as a 

 cathartic to the imagination, which, from fym- 

 pathy, is inftantaneoufly followed by vihble 

 eff'efts ; they well know the fweating day, and 

 the fight of the fweating clothes gives them a 

 fit of the horrors. The fecret of training thefe 

 horfes, is, I (hould think, to give them as little 

 work as poffible, and that by themfelves ; to 

 endeavour to render their exercife rather a 

 pleafure, than a fatigue and a terror to them, 

 .and not to be alarmed at the little extra flefli 

 they may bear, which will furely rather help 

 to carry them through, than retard their 



courfe. 



I mud here remark upon an efl;abliflied 

 doftrine of the fl:ables, " that half-breds won't 

 " fi;and training :" there is no doubt, that full- 

 bred cattle are naturally beft adapted to fuch 

 purpofe, but the inability of the others to en- 

 dure thi^ difcipline, arifes chiefly from its 

 feverity, and the want orits proper adaptation 

 to their natural powers. There is comparative 

 fpeed and Ifoutnefs in every variety of the 



horfe ; 



