EXPERIENCE AND CONFIDENCE. 21 



EXPERIENCE AND CONFIDENCE NOT TO BE DE- 

 PENDED UPON. 



When about leaving New York, a well-known gentleman, 

 a personal friend, requested that I would remain a day and 

 show a horse-breaker, a man who attended all the horse- 

 taming schools in that city, a naturally good fellow, but crude 

 in his ideas, how to manage a trotting mare he had just 

 purchased. She was high-toned, eager, courageous, and 

 plucky, and had been subjected to severe treatment, but 

 she would resent the drudgery of any heavy pulling or rough 

 handling, and was acting badly. This man worked her, 

 and insisted upon hitching her to a heavy express wagon. 

 That is just what you should not do with this mare, I 

 insisted, and you will only spoil her by persisting in doing 

 so. I obtained a light sulky, walked her gently at first, 

 then let her out on a trot, and soon could let her out as I 

 pleased, under any excitement, without trouble. The mare 

 only needed working up slowly and carefully, and with, 

 perhaps, a few touches at the right time and place, would 

 have worked in nicely ; but worked as she had been, and 

 by such a man, I should regard it almost a miracle to make 

 her work successfully without breaking down her constitu- 

 tion, or spoiling her. 



A three-year-old thorough-bred colt, of a very high- 

 strung, bad disposition, was presented in New York to be 

 driven in harness. I subjected the colt to treatment, and 

 soon had her in harness ; she knew nothing of the bit or 

 rein. Being overworked and limited in time, I told a man 

 who had been with me for years and worked well, to hitch 

 up and drive this colt gently, and by all means not to 

 excite her, to take his time, work her slowly ; that on any 

 account he must not excite her. But treating her as he 

 would a common colt, and getting her mad, she resisted 

 the most severe and abusive treatment, which he, by losing 

 his temper, inflicted in his effort to drive her. The conse- 

 quence was, the colt was not fit to be seen or handled for 

 two weeks. The owner generously overlooked the mat- 

 ter ; and when over the effects of the abuse, in twenty 

 minutes I was able to drive her as I desired, gently, and 

 did so successfully in the presence of her owner, without 

 the least excitement or trouble. 



