THE HORSE IN AUSTRALIA. 173 



heavy draught horse may be the progeny of a grade draught 

 mare weighing 14001b. and a pure bred-horse weighing 

 from 1800 to 20001b. He should not weigh less than 1500lb. 

 in fair condition. The hack or roadster is also a paying 

 horse, when the breeder keeps a level head on himself and 

 breeds level-headed horses. He may not attempt to raise 

 fast horses. But he is good for road horses that travel as 

 fast as any Christian ought to want to go, and to do first- 

 rate farm work, just as much, in fact, and a little more, 

 than the draught horse, and sell at five years old for a 

 fair price, provided that the breeder is skilled in training 

 and driving such horses, and has a taste for it. To 

 produce roadsters, it is not good to start with a draught nor 

 a plug, rior with anything small. The draught may give 

 size but no speed ; the small mare may give action. Both 

 qualities are desirable in good hacks. If we want mares 

 well bred, with style and action, then breed to the large 

 standard-bred trotter, and we are not likely to miss the 

 roadster. The highest priced of all is the coach horse. Great 

 speed is not required, but size, good high-steppiug action, 

 colour, motion, style, disposition, and, in addition, training. 

 These are rare qualities, and like rare things, are costly. 

 The coach horse, whether Australian, French, English, or 

 American, is a cross between the thoroughbred or 

 standard bred to trot, and some cross of the draught horse, 

 possibly Clydesdale, with stylish farm mares. We have 

 glanced over the field and indicated the various classes of 

 horses that seem likely to pay. There is plenty of room 

 for variety of tastes and skill. But let no one imagine 

 that he can succeed without good judgment, skill and 

 feed. 



Mental Training for the Horse. Whether we are 

 interested in the midget Shetlanders or Timours, or the 

 farm horse, hackney or the blood horse, it is now felt that 

 animals reared without the advantages of early handling, 

 through which they learn to look upon man as a friend 

 rather than as an enemy, require to be put through the 

 process called " breaking." This, as usually practised, 

 can hardly come under the head of mental training. To 

 get willing service from a horse, is to so manage him that 



