HOW TO MANAGE A COLT. 13 



blamed, and consequently ouglit not to be pnnislied, for this 

 acute sensitiveness. Like the hare, the impulse of our nature 

 is to flee from that which terrifies us. If our physical powers 

 of attack and defence be great, yet still we are denied the 

 necessary courage to render them efiective, otherwise it would 

 frequently go hard indeed with those who exercise little mode- 

 ration in applying the whip and spur to the exhausted but 

 willing horse. 



Few, very few, however, pay the slightest attention to our 

 dispositions. Let the antipathy be never so great — let the 

 terror be insurmountable in spite of constant association with 

 the cause — and the "bad-tempered, vicious brute" had better 

 be shot than condemned to the living death of passing from the 

 hands of one savage to those of another. 



Fortunately for me, and equally so for the whole of the 

 young stock which he superintended, Eobert made it his study 

 to become thoroughly acquainted with our several mixtures of 

 contrary qualities. His rule was not the fixed one of treating 

 all alike; but upon knowing what we were, from his own 

 observation, he adopted whatever seemed best to the particular 

 case. If a colt proved more than usually awkward, shy, or 

 timid, our head groom would stand close by, whistling by the 

 hour together ; and what with giving him a carrot or two, and 

 coaxing him with his " co-op, lad, co-op ; so, there, gently ! " at 

 last win him over to do just what he pleased. With the 

 refractory he was stern, patient, and persevering, but never 

 cruel. In teaching us the rudiments of our education, however, 

 Bobert would be master ; and opposition to his mandates merely 

 entailed the annoyance and trouble of our being compelled to 

 repeat the task until he was satisfied v/ith the attempt. 



At the expiration of a short period, and when my mouth 

 had become familiarised to the bit, I had a crossed piece of 

 wood, called a "dumb jockey," strapped upon my back. I 

 forget at this moment whether the efiect of the " dumb jockey" 

 frightened me, as Robert proceeded to lead me across a broad, 

 Tindulated park, in which a herd of deer was browsing, or 



