116 "SULKY." 



on the other, and he invariably puts on more steam where he sees 

 no ditch, than he does where he sees one. He will never touch a 

 wire under any circumstances, but even after he has left the 

 ground, if he sees a wider ditch than he expected, cr anything 

 objectional)le on the landing side, he will if possible strike 

 either a strong top rail, or a , bank, with his hind legs, to carry 

 him a little further, and when he finds only a choice of evils he 

 is sure to take the least. Of course, no one could teach a horse 

 this, it is simply bred in them." 



THE WAll HORSE. 



239, — The British war horse, like most other public servants,. 

 has a good deal of public money spent on his education. He is 

 not supposed to be fit for his work until at least a year after he 

 has been purchased. According to evidence given before a 

 Parliamentary Committee, his education, prior to purchase, cost& 

 five pounds, and twenty-eight pounds afterwards ; but even the 

 latter sum does not include the pay of his instructor. He has 

 to be perfectly reconciled to a number of alarming sights and 

 sounds, and to understand his place and movements in the ranks, 

 as well as the man who rides or drives him. The " government 

 stroke" in horse-breaking is probably as much behind the times 

 as in most other things, and, judging from the old "rough riders" 

 who afterwards set up as horse-breakers, there is not much in that 

 school that is worthy of imitation. 



THE child's PO^'Y. 



240.— A child's pony should receive a great deal of careful 

 training at an early age. The pony has generally more brain power 

 than larger horses, and as such is more liable to be tricky and 

 to learn to take care of itself. It can be taught easily, but the 

 danger is that it may learn too much that will not be in the 

 interest of its owner. For this reason, and on account of the 

 extreme docility required, and its unfitness at an early age to 

 carry a man on its back, we would always begin by putting it 

 down (353) again and again, and teaching it all we could on the 

 ground (357 to 3G7) until it was perfectly safe to handle in any^ 



