WHY HORSES RETAIx\ ELASTIC POWER. 6/ 



they appear to last longer in horses than men, I 

 think I can account for with fair reasons on my 

 side. 



We do not leave it to the inchnation of the 

 horse whether or not he will continue that sort 

 of exertion, training, and practice necessary to 

 keep his elasticity, as to speed or jumping, in its 

 fullest vigour. Those horses we see at twelve 

 or fourteen jumping so corkily as to excite oiu- 

 surprise, have been constantly kept in practice of 

 their elastic powers; so, till absolute infirmity 

 occurs, they still retain them. But if we lent 

 a hunter to an elderly man to jog-trot, an airino- 

 only, if he took to the horse at eight, and rode him 

 till he was fourteen years old, I rather think we 

 should then find such a horse, and a man of a pro- 

 portionate corresponding time of life and habits, 

 about equally unwilling and unable to take a 

 sixteen feet brook. 



The training necessary to enable man or brute 

 to achieve any athletic feat beyond ordinary ex- 

 ertion, I can, from repeated practical personal 

 experience, assure such readers as have not been 

 subjected to it, is anything but pleasant, — the 

 sensations felt when brought into high condition 

 are decidedly so; so are the sensations we feel 

 in viewing a sublime prospect from the summit 

 of a mountain ; but the walk up is far from a 

 luxury, and in fact, when daily repeated, becomes 



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