470 FAMILIAR TALK 



successful. The last-named cases indicate that the work 

 must be thoroughly done, where the horse is in the habit 

 of resisting, and that in critical cases, stopping short of suc- 

 cess in even a single point would precipitate failure. 



The extent to which horses are used, and the depend- 

 ence of life and property upon their docility and perfect 

 obedience to control, together with the great depreciation 

 in their value when they become of unreliable character, or 

 have habits fastened upon them which render them danger- 

 ous and unfit for use, makes such instructions as will pre- 

 vent and overcome these difficulties of the first importance. 

 Yet notwithstanding the magnitude of the interest at stake, 

 there is no duty in its true sense that is left so much in the 

 hands of ignorant, irresponsible persons. Now while it is 

 conceded that the horse is the most noble and valuable of 

 all the domestic animals, and his possession and training 

 are in every sense ennobling, the suspicion and taint of 

 prejudice and jockeyism in the training and driving of es- 

 pecially fine and valuable horses have been so strong that 

 if a gentleman even dared to own one, it was regarded as 

 a sufficient cause for social ostracism. If he wished to test 

 his speed, he dared not take a public road, but usually re- 

 sorted to some back street or by-lane to escape observation 

 and comment. 



When Mr. Bonner had the hardihood to buy Dexter 

 (at that time the fastest trotter in the world) for his own 

 private use, paying for him the large price of |33,000, it 

 served to give the horse his true status in the estimation 

 of cultivated, intelligent people. Other gentlemen of wealth 

 soon followed his example, and purchased the best horses 

 obtainable at fabulous prices, until the emulation has become 

 so great that some of the best horses now kept for private 

 driving cannot be bought for $100,000. 



In like manner the study and practice of the art of 



