THE HORSE 161 



is a strong set of harness, a head-stall, a surcingle, 

 and a large stock of patience. The quality of the 

 last is probably the most important, because 

 although horses of a certain disposition may be 

 hurriedly broken in with success, yet the colt with 

 pluck and spirit, which will eventually make the 

 most pleasant harness horse, requires dealing de- 

 liberately with. Also, the more gradually each 

 lesson is instilled, the more permanent will be the 

 impression. Some people seem to thinli that by 

 some wonderful and unexplainable hereditary 

 process, a horse is born more or less broken in. 

 Obviously, unbreakable and vicious animals have 

 in course of ages been weeded out, and a naturally 

 tractable stock hands on its nature to subsequent 

 generations ; but it is the disposition only which is 

 passed on, nothing more tangible is acquired ; and 

 every colt has to be as carefully taught what is 

 requu^ed of him in his service to man as his mother 

 was before hun. 



Horses are by nature good tempered; some, 

 however, are much more nervous and high spirited 

 than others, and if roughly handled are extremely 

 liable to resent bad treatment by a display of 

 their powers of self-defense, which we call bad 

 temper. These are the horses which try the 



