40 THE RACE-HORSE. 



docks, as the latter harbour flies, which are very 

 injurious to young stock, and also to their dams, in 

 hot weather ; but the present small dimensions of 

 breeding paddocks, not exceeding a quarter of an 

 acre, and many still less, preclude the use of hedges. 



Racing colts are physicked when foals, and perio- 

 dically afterwards ; their hoofs, also, are pared with 

 a drawing knife, that, by shortening the toe, the 

 heel may have liberty to expand. Physic, in this 

 case, may be termed the safety valve, and such it 

 is in reality, for this system of forcing nature can- 

 not be free from danger. It is found, however, 

 materially to promote growth, as indeed does the 

 work that our racing-colts perform at such a very 

 early age. Muscular action produces muscular 

 strength, and growth will be the result. We have 

 seen a colt that measured upwards of fifteen hands 

 in height on the day twelvemonth which he had 

 been weaned from his dam. 



Racing colts can scarcely be handled too soon : — 



" Dum faciles animi juvenum, dum mobilis setas," 



as Virgil says of the bulls ; and Horace illustrates 

 the necessity of early erudition of the human species 

 by the excellence of horses which have been well 

 broken in when young. The first breaking in of 

 colts is also alluded to by Ovid, who, like Horace, 

 is in favour of very careful treatment of them, and 

 reminds us of the necessity of it in the following 

 beautiful line : — 



" Fraenaque vix patitur de grege captus equus.'' 



The system of breaking colts, however, is not only 



