2i6 AN OLDER METHOD 



father more than seventy years ago, was an original one, 

 concocted in his own brain, although I am inclined to 

 think that some parts of it were known only to himself. 

 His stud of hunters in his younger days was composed 

 entirely of thorough-bred horses, some of which were such 

 bad tempers that they were obliged to be subdued at 

 first by a process similar, I conclude, to that adopted by 

 Mr. Rarey — at least, attended with the same results ; 

 and they would then lie down at the word of command 

 to receive him on their backs, on which he was accustomed 

 to perform in the open field, not in the stable or any 

 confined place, feats of horsemanship very much 

 resembling those performed at Astley's. 



But all the young horses bred by himself were so 

 instructed for the hunting-field that they would never 

 move from their riders, when thrown from their backs, 

 if a hundred horses went clattering by them in the same 

 field ; and in this case it was not necessary that the 

 horse's rider should be his master also ; a child of ten 

 years old, if placed on one of these horses' backs, would 

 receive precisely the same consideration as his breaker. 

 The horse would stand by the boy although a troop of 

 cavalry should pass him, without flinching or moving 

 until he mounted him again, and even were the boy to 

 use the horse's hind leg as a ladder, or his tail as a rope 

 to ascend by to his perch in the saddle, he would stand 

 immovable the while, without, by look or movement of 

 any kind, attempt to injure him whilst so unceremoniously 

 handled. 



Now this system of educating horses might be used 

 with great advantage and benefit to ladies, timid riders, 

 and children, saving them from many fearful accidents ; 

 and there is not the slightest punishment inflicted on the 



