Equine Education 67 



one is well equipped to enjoy all the pleasures to 

 be gained from horse-keeping, and that in absolute 

 safety. 



Granted the perfect acquirements of these three 

 accomplishments, a horse's " education " is progress- 

 ing, and further advance is always easier, because the 

 average animal acquires facility and yields more 

 readily as the hopelessness of resistance is impressed 

 upon him. Intelligence varies vastly, and physical 

 defects enter largely into the matter of the creature's 

 obedience or resistance. His next important accom- 

 plishment, and one of his most valuable, should be 

 to walk fast and well. There is no pace so essential^ 

 so much appreciated, or so practically useful as a 

 fast, fair, square walk ; and there is nothing that 

 will cause an animal to be driven so hard, or kept 

 so continually on the other gaits, as a deficiency in 

 this respect. Months of time and of intelligent and 

 patient effort are expended to make the creature a 

 fast trotter, a high stepper, a well-gaited saddle- 

 horse; but so far as the walk goes, he is generalh- 

 put upon the market as nature made him; rolling 



