46 HORSE PORTRAITURE. 



three-quarters flowing in this horse's veins has completely 

 obliterated the outward appearance of the remaining frac- 

 tional part, and were this horse bred to fine mares, in all 

 probability his colts would be still farther from showing- 

 it in acts and appearance. Were I to open a breeding 

 farm for the purpose of rearing trotters, expecting to sell 

 my colts at an early age, I would not object to mixing a 

 good deal of French blood with the purer stream. In 

 my opinion the colts would come to their trotting gait 

 earlier. They would bend the knee with less teaching. 

 We have an exemplification of that in the youiigf trotters 

 Bruno and Brunette. That they would eventually prove 

 as good horses, I have no idea. 



As to the case in hand, this fellow's bolting, i't is one 

 of the most dangerous tricks a horse can have, and I 

 would not knowingly become the owner of one that had 

 acquired it. Your request for me to drive the Falcon I 

 would grant with the greatest of pleasure, as I would 

 take delight in driving him, but in order that you, as 

 well as your horses, may be acquiring useful information, 

 it will be necessary for you to do the tooling yourself. 

 Should there be no nerves of sense in your arms, telling 

 you when to pull and when to ease away, I will give up 

 the task ere the commencement of teaching you to drive. 

 That you do possess this quality I have no doubt, as 

 without it, you never could have met with the success 

 you have already attained. Had you asked me to drive 

 this bolter, I should have emphatically answered no, on 

 my own account, and can only say that you will be lucky 

 if you do not get hurt. The best advice I can give, is, 

 that when you see he is determined to bolt, in lieu of 

 trying to keep him on the track, pull him directly for the 

 fence. If he keeps on he had better hit it with his head 

 than the wheel. I have cured horses of shying with a 

 contrivance tliat may possibly be of some benefit to him, 



