P'lirther Training 255 



pliment he ever heard paid to EngHsh and Irish hor- 

 ses came from Mr. Blackman, the dealer in Knights- 

 bridge (London), who remarked that he bought 

 Continental carriage horses by preference, because 

 when he got two animals alike in color, shape, and 

 action he had a pair, whereas two perfectly matched 

 English or Irish horses would probably turn out to 

 be utterly unlike in character and it would be use- 

 less to put them together. 



There are, however, certain general principles 

 now followed by all scientific modern trainers, 

 namely : 



That free forward movement should be the first 

 aim of the trainer; this is the easiest exercise for 

 the horse and the least trying to his temper. He 

 thus learns to accustom himself to the new condi- 

 tions (i. e., carrying a weight above and behind his 

 center of gravity) in the easiest possible manner, 

 and acquires freedom of action at the same time, 

 before any interference with his movements can 

 have put him in any doubt as to what his rider re- 

 quires of him. Good fast walkers are not as com- 

 mon as they should be, and one of the reasons for 

 this may well be that in their anxiety for results 



