EARLY MATURITY OF THE THOROUGHBRED. 99 



ones require more time to make them hard and strong, 

 their bones being more porous and their muscles less 

 dense. I have known two instances of half-bred ones 

 being soft bad brutes for two years, utterly unable to 

 live with hounds at a good pace, and then prove extra- 

 ordinary horses in every sense of the word. Of one 

 thing I am certain, and that is, that half-bred ones 

 are not more fitted for work at seven years old than 

 thoroughbred ones are at five. 



If the colt have good hocks and no ailments, he will 

 have all the better chance of being in good condition 

 for the hunting season, as he should have been ridden 

 quietly about during the whole summer. 



JUMPING. 



Unless hounds meet at a very long distance from the 

 stables, colts had better not be taught to jump at home 

 unless the services of an experienced and temperate 

 man can be obtained. They are very often spoiled by 

 this kind of tuition, and frequently learn to be refusers, 

 jades, and swervers in consequence ; whereas a colt 

 once taught to jump in the hunting field generally does 

 his utmost to keep with the other horses and hounds, 

 and gets over everything in as clever a manner as his 

 experience will admit of, without being forced against 

 his will, as is the case nine times out of ten in larking. 



Whatever the horse's temper may be, great care 

 must be taken that he does not run up to his fence, 

 dwell, and then 'pop over all of a heap,' instead of 

 spreading himself. 



H 2 



