196 INDISCRETION NATURAL TO YOUTH. 



self to forget he has hold of a pair of young ones, 

 without any other fault on his part, he will be almost 

 certain to get into difficulties and danger, if not worse. 

 A sudden stroke of the whip to a young horse, who 

 has perhaps never before felt it, would set him 

 plunging at once. Going more rapidly down hill 

 than they have been accustomed to do will often 

 alarm young horses. Turning very sharply round a 

 corner brings one or the other horse, according to the 

 turn right or left, suddenly on the pole, and con- 

 fuses him. That most abominable and uncoachman- 

 like practice of pulling horses sharp up at a door 

 throws them suddenly on their haunches, causes their 

 feet to slip about in all directions, and unless their 

 mouths are made of cast-iron, severely injures them. 

 Old horses will bear all this, because (like the eels) 

 they are used to it ; but depend upon it young ones 

 will not. It may be said they should be driven by 

 the dealer till they are as steady as old horses : so they 

 have been, and in point of docility and temper are dis- 

 posed to do all that can reasonably be required of them : 

 but we cannot give the experience or staid habits of a 

 man of forty to a lad of sixteen. Boys, it is commonly 

 said, will be boys; so will young horses be young 

 horses. Like youth in mankind, they must have time 

 to gain experience ; and till they do gain it, they must 

 be treated accordingly. Horses at best are but 

 brutes ; and, as I have before said, no man can tell 

 what their tempers may be when roused. But the 

 tempers of young horses never should be roused if 

 gentle usage will prevent it. They seldom or ever 

 are in the hands of the dealer or man of judgment. 

 It would be rather an extraordinary proceeding on 

 the part of a dealer if he was purposely to frighten or 



