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a perfect family horse, beware of a cosset. Don't buy a cos- 

 set ; don't train your horse in that line. The horse is like his 

 master, a treacherous animal. Your only safety is in keeping 

 him under perfect control, with all his energies directed to 

 some practical purpose. Let the circus clown handle the trick 

 horse. That is his business. Our business is diflerent. 

 When we go to purchase a horse, for general nse, and his own- 

 er begins to tell of his wonderful exploits in the performance 

 of amusing tricks, we leave him at once. We have no busi- 

 ness for that animal. He is more ornamental than useful. 

 We remember a friend of ours who boasted of his family 

 horse. He was a perfect cosset. He could do everything. 

 He would kiss his mistress, shake hands with his little girl, 

 take off his master's hat, and all the long list of funny tricks, 

 usually performed by the circus horse. His owner informed 

 me that he had performed in the circus ring for several years, 

 and was a beautiful creature, and very intelligent. 



Being on a visit to my friend's house, one day, he gave us 

 an exhibition of what he could do. His first trick was to take 

 off his master's hat, which happened to be a cap, that time. 

 The horse desiring to please his master and do a good thing, 

 took a very strong hold of the cap and left a scalp wound on 

 his master's head, that lasted him all winter. Not long after 

 this wonderful feat, our friend asked us to look into his horse's 

 mouth, and tell him his age. As we approached him, he 

 raised his forearm and struck at us, just grazing our knee 

 with his foot. We escaped the loss of a good limb, by a hair's 

 breadth, and did not tell the horse's age, either. My friend 

 said the horse wanted to shake hands with us. We told him 

 to send his horse to the circus where he belonged, and shake 

 hands witli the clown. 



From what little experience we have had, in training horses 

 for family use, we would say, to all persons who are endeavor- 

 ing to develop and train an animal for general use, teach your 

 horse a few general movements, only a few, and let those be 

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