220 BOYS MOEE VICIOUS THAN HORSES. 



Of all earthly things, a boy is the last that ever 

 should be allowed to go near a colt, or indeed a horse, 

 unless some one is by to watch him. There is not 

 one in a hundred that can be trusted : either from 

 folly, their little petty tyranny, or their cruelty, they 

 are sure to be in mischief. We often see a very quiet 

 pony advertised for to carry a boy : it would be more 

 in character to advertise for, what would be much more 

 difficult to find, a quiet boy to ride a pony. My life 

 on it, whenever Master Jackey gets hurt by his pony, 

 instead of his being petted by mamma, and the pony 

 abused as a " vicious creature," the justice of the thing 

 would be to give pony an extra feed for not hurt- 

 ing Jackey worse, and give Jackey a good horse- 

 whipping for hurting pony as much as he did. Boys 

 are very useful in stables when well watched ; they 

 must at the same time have it impressed on their 

 mind that there are ash-plants in the stable as well 

 as horses ; for, however fantastical may be the tricks 

 of colts, the boys will beat them hollow if they get 

 a chance. Colts are tricky from play, boys from 

 mischief. 



The racing- colt doubtless requires less educating 

 than other horses. He is not so domestic an animal ; 

 and for the purposes to which he is applied, if he 

 is good-tempered, will ride quiet, go where we want 

 him, and face a crowd, he will in a general way do. 

 The fact is, they run so young, and are consequently 

 obliged to be saddled and ridden so young, that, when 

 we see them running at two years old, they are just 

 quiet enough for that (and many barely so), but to- 

 tally unfit for any thing else. In short, like many other 

 precocious young gentlemen, they enter life when they 

 are more fit for the nursery. If, however, young horses 



