158 Our Noblest Friend, The Horse 



railroad train. Until the frivolities of youth have 

 been laid aside, such hardihood is not to be ex- 

 pected, and as there is no royal road to the acquire- 

 ment of such virtues, the experience of years is 

 the only safeguard. The animal of eight to twelve 

 has many years of usefulness before him; has 

 experienced many of the eccentricities of nature and 

 of mankind ; and is sobered by the realisation of his 

 destiny. If he is at this period fairly sound, active, 

 sure-footed, of good and pliant mouth, average wind 

 and eyesight, and fearless, buy him, for he as nearly 

 fills the requirements as any horse possibly can. Be 

 his colour what it will, his shape as may chance, all 

 the essentials are his — so buy and be thankful. 



If the family horse needs appropriate supervision, 

 no less does the children's pony. These little brutes 

 are many of them very dangerous, for their education 

 has never seemed exactly a man's job, and they have 

 been so easy for a grown person to haul about as he 

 pleased, that deportment has rarely been carefully 

 and thoroughly impressed upon them. They seldom 

 get properly bitted, and they have usually been so 



