234 HORSE PORTRAITURE. 



on your consideration, more strenuously than circum- 

 stances will warrant, the necessity of uniformity of temper. 

 A blow, a passionate jerk of the reins, even a harsh word, 

 might render nugatory the teachings of weeks. Having 

 once been in rebellion, they will be incited thereto again, 

 by treatment analogous to that which was the primary 

 cause, only it will require less ill usage to spoil them than 

 it did on the start. Never Mind you will drive a trifle 

 faster than you did the Falcon, ending your drive when 

 you have gone five miles. Should the weather be favor- 

 able, we will sweat him day after to-morrow, and again in 

 a week from that time. The Falcon and Jane will then 

 also be ready to lose part of their surplus. 



PUPIL. You need not apologize for urging the neces- 

 sity of keeping my temper. Having a fair command of 

 it there are yet times when I find it difficult to keep it in 

 subjection. I feel, that it is more important with those 

 horses that have suffered abuse, than even with the colts, 

 as there is always more danger from a relapse, than from 

 the disease at first. 



PRECEPTOR. The high-headed brown fellow certainly 

 makes a fine appearance ; and, to take the motto of his 

 native State as a password, we will try " to guide " him so 

 that he may be no discredit to the land that has turned 

 out several of our best trotters. They were fortunate in 

 obtaining some of the Messenger blood from near the 

 source of the stream, and, having the blood, have made 

 the most of their inhospitable climate, by taking advantage 

 of the frozen surface of their rivers to teach the scions of 

 a noble horse to trot, that otherwise would have been 

 compelled to haul the plough or wagon all their lives. I 

 have heard a good deal of argument whether it was better 

 to drive a horse on the ice or not. Never having tried 

 the experiment, I can only hazard an opinion. It appears 



