SCIONS OF A NOBLE STOCK. 117 



rally some head, which if they have not acquired 

 by education they have by practical experience, from 

 having been generally through the duty of extra lad, 

 regular riding-boy, riding the light weights, head-lad, 

 probably jockey, and finally trainer. By this time, 

 the man has learned to think; to combine circum- 

 stances ; to look to causes and effects ; to study the 

 different tempers of horses ; to circumvent, by his 

 superior sense, experience, and cunning, their cunning 

 and evil propensities, of which some possess a very 

 considerable share. By evil propensities, I do not 

 mean absolute vice, for very few young horses are 

 naturally vicious ; but still they have various tricks 

 and propensities that would shortly degenerate into 

 absolute and most determined vice, if they were put 

 into the hands of a common country colt -breaker. I 

 do not consider that young racing colts are on an 

 average naturally more vicious than other colts ; but 

 I have always found them disposed to play those 

 pranks that coarser-bred horses seldom dream of. In 

 short, if I may use the expression to a horse, they 

 are always ready for a lark if you give them the 

 slightest chance. Now if, in one of these larks, they 

 were to throw a boy off, and which they certainly 

 would do or attempt to do if he began taking im- 

 proper liberties with them, the colt will probably 

 become tricky ever afterwards ; and if he does, he 

 becomes of little use as a race-horse. To render 

 these colts steady and amenable to the hand and will 

 of the rider and jockey requires more patience, con- 

 trivance, foresight, and head than many people 

 imagine. They must not be allowed to have their 

 own way with you : you must have your own way 

 with them (of course supposing it to be a right one). 



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