CHAPTER XXII 



Mr. Rarey's System continued. — Stages in a Horse's Education. — A 

 Colt may be backed without being broken. — Horses broken too early 

 in the present day. — The process of Horse-breaking should be 

 gradual. — The great obstacles to getting Horses into Condition. 



As Mr. Rarey's system of horse-taming may be purchased 

 for sixpence, and has consequently become pubHc 

 property, the question arises whether it is desirable to 

 adopt his treatment with all young horses indiscrimin- 

 ately or not ? There will, of course, be found many 

 advocates in its favour, in preference to the old slow 

 process of horse-breaking. It will be said, " Here is a 

 great saving of time and money, — the thing is done off- 

 hand, the colt subdued and backed within a few hours, 

 and ridden out of the stable-yard. We have done in 

 three hours that which would have taken men of the old 

 school three weeks to effect ; for you could not break 

 your horses much under that time." 



The old school reply : — " We could have backed our 

 horses quite as soon as you do, but we did not choose to 

 do so. It is a great mistake to suppose that we were 

 obliged to Irmge a colt nearly to death (as some assert) 

 before we dared get upon his back ; — ^we did nothing of 

 the kind, — and for the best of all reasons ; we did not 

 take advantage of his tired and prostrate condition to 

 mount a colt after lunging, because he had a dumb 

 jockey on his back, according to our system. Colts were 

 not to be backed until they had passed through the first 



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