HABIT IS SECOND NATURE. 221 



or young gentlemen are to be put in the situations of 

 adults thus early, the earlier must their adult habits 

 commence. Eighteen months old, it may be said, is 

 surely soon enough for any horse to have a saddle on him . 

 If a man is to be added to the saddle, it is certainly a 

 great deal too soon for the animal's future well-doing; 

 but we have two-year-old stakes, so the horse must be 

 prepared for them. This being the case, though I 

 allow a saddle, a man, and a race is taxing the powers 

 of a two-year-old somewhat unnaturally, and that 

 training, and consequently sweating, is not likely to 

 improve his legs, still I consider that every colt long 

 before that age should be quite accustomed to have 

 every thing done with him that is done with the horse, 

 excepting doing the work of one. For any purpose 

 but racing I certainly never would put a two-year-old 

 in a state to want a scraper ; but I would answer for 

 it that a yearling of my rearing should stand perfectly 

 quiet if I wanted to use one, merely from having from 

 his birth been accustomed to be handled in every way. 

 Long before I might want to shoe him, he should give 

 any leg he was told to lift without fear or hesitation ; 

 and long before he ever should be ridden by a man, he 

 should have had a saddle on scores of times ; and I will 

 answer for showing him eating his oats with a boy on 

 his back apparently unconscious of his being there. 



The breaker, in an ordinary way, gets a colt as wild 

 as a hawk, and in a month he has got him to carry a 

 saddle, and himself on it. It may be depended on, if 

 he tells the truth, he has not done this without alarm- 

 ing the colt, and having had a hght, or perhaps several 

 fights, for it. He lunges the colt before he backs him, 

 to take a little of the keen edge off him. He must 

 do this ; for he has not had time to make him, or rather 



