102 THE SPORTING WORLD. 



animal. There he strayed by her side for per- 

 haps seven hours, walking at the rate of two 

 or two and a half miles an hour, for the better 

 portion of the time, leg-weary and dispirited ; 

 and such was the case, whether the colt owed 

 its existence to the fore horse of the farmer's 

 team, or whether his paternity arose from some 

 travelling stallion (called) half-bred, if the owner 

 designed him as a nag for his own riding. 

 The very tuition of his youth in point of want 

 of activity is enough to spoil any colt ; early 

 habit brings him, as a horse, about on a par 

 with the boy who blunders along over the 

 stubble by the side of his horses. 



The farmer derives no profit, or very little, 

 from such breeding ; for partly from early in- 

 active habits, partly from never knowing the 

 caste of corn until he was broken, and then 

 being consigned to the care of some ignorant (gener- 

 ally drunken), and always unskilful colt-breaker, he 

 turns out an animal that barely is worth the proven- 



