TRAINING. 63 



would improve its speed, because the exercises 

 should strengthen and make pliant the joints and 

 muscles ; and I have never found that my horses 

 showed any disinclination to extend themselves, 

 although I have never made any tests that would 

 authorise me to say that they could gallop faster by 

 reason of their training. I am convinced, however, 

 from my experiences, that a horse jumps much more 

 strongly and safely after a course oi general schooling 

 than before it has been suppled. 



It is easier to train a horse properly than to train 

 it improperly — if an improper course of handling 

 may be called training. There are no struggles 

 for mastery, no efforts of the frightened animal to 

 break away from a harsh hand, no resentments to 

 be overcome, no suspicions to be allayed. It is all 

 pleasant, easy, and amusing, both to master and to 

 pupil. The time required to school a horse would 

 depend upon the animal and, to a greater degree, 

 upon the man. I think that by any of the recognised 

 systems a horse should be perfectly suppled, and 

 made obedient to hand and heel, in the time that 

 the ' breaker ' would make the same horse ' steady 

 to ride ' ! The fact that a ' system ' was employed 

 in the first instance would account for the greater 

 improvement. And what a difference there would 

 be between horses trained by the two methods ! 



