78 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



of work and are easily kept. The little dales 

 or mountain pony is always ready and he rarely 

 tires if he gets anything like reasonable treatment. 

 Indeed taking size into consideration no big horse 

 can stand the wear and tear of the small pony. 

 To buy one of these ponies for what may be 

 termed family harness work it is perhaps the best 

 plan to buy one unbroken, for ponies are as full 

 of mischief as terriers and a broken pony unless 

 he comes from a very reliable man, is apt to have 

 a good few tricks at his command, some of which 

 are not very pleasant ones. The small breeds of 

 ponies have their place in a large establishment 

 as well, for they make the best of children's 

 ponies if they are properly broken. In buying 

 ponies for children care should be taken, as far as 

 possible, to get them with good shoulders and 

 especially not too wide across the shoulders, so 

 that the child may get a proper seat from the 

 beginning of his riding. If the reader buys his 

 pony unbroken there is one thing he must insist 

 on, and that is that the pony must not be petted 

 and played with by gushing and sentimental 

 ladies or by the children. Neither must he be 

 teased by any of the lads or men about the place, 

 and under no circumstances should a child be 

 allowed to be put on his back until he is properly 

 broken. I have known more than one pony 

 irretrievably spoiled by the tricks he has ac- 

 quired through being petted by foolish people. 



The trouble in breaking small ponies is that 

 an experienced man cannot always be found to 



