CORRESPONDENCE. 295 



in the training. Occasionally a line-mouthed 

 aniraal will be ruined by an ingnorant or cruel 

 rider, but I must say, in justice to my sex, 

 that they are seldom guilty of doing it. The 

 fault lies amongst men. Many women are 

 mnorant riders : but, thank God ! the blot of 

 cruelty rarely defaces their name. Women 

 are naturally gentle, kindly, and — covanlhj ; 

 three things calculated not to injure a horse, 

 ex'-ept it be the latter, which enables him to 

 discover that he can be master if he p]o:ise. 

 Doubtless there are cruel women, also, who 

 cut and lash, and tug and spur, and treat 

 heaven's noble gifts as though they were mere 

 machinery, and not flesh and blood like our- 

 selves ; but how often shall I say, in answer 

 to the numerous cases cited to me, that in 

 writing upon this or any other subject I speak 

 of the rule, not of the isolated exceptions. 

 When a man begins to break a horse he 

 regularly prepares for combat. He sets him- 

 self to work with a resolute determination 

 to fight and be fought, as though he had a 

 strong rebellious spirit to deal with and 

 conquer, instead of a loving, kindly, timid 



