EAKLY TRAINING. 307 



deteriorated, and our horses battered and knocked 

 to pieces before they have attained their full 

 growth. 



The early training of thorough-bred horses for 

 the turf has perhaps given a colourable pretext 

 for breeders of other horses treating their stock in 

 a similar manner, vrithout considering the differ- 

 ence of weight and work to be applied to each. 

 Even with the feather-weights on their backs, 

 numbers of young thorough-bred horses are 

 strained and screwed up before reaching their 

 fourth season ; but what is this in comparison 

 to a colt being shoved along a hard road by a 

 burly farmer of twelve or fourteen stone ? A young 

 horse, just six years old, was offered me the other 

 day, which had only changed hands once from 

 the breeder ; but from being broken in when two 

 years old, and ridden ever since, he was as much 

 strained and crippled as an old post-horse. We 

 used formerly to consider a horse of nine or ten 

 years old in his prime ; but according to the 

 present system, one of that age has done his 

 work. 



Now as to breaking colts a la mode Rarey, I for 

 one can see no possible advantage in it. In fact, 

 although this mighty secret, or one similar to it, 

 has been known by me ever since I knew a horse 



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