I have seen dogs set upon colts a year or two old and 

 they would race across the fields and never break the 

 pacing gait. 



In that portion of the State known as Middle Tennes- 

 see, and in other counties where the breeding of horses 

 is carried on to any considerable extent, the custom of 

 holding colt shows has been observed for many years. 

 These colt shows are generally held in August, and 

 concluded just before the beginning of the county 

 fairs, which commence early in September and con- 

 tinue through September and a large part of October. 

 They are held in or near the small villages and are 

 looked forward to by the farming community as one 

 of the chief events of the year. The "ring" is gen- 

 erally made in a shady woodland, and when the morn- 

 ing of the show arrives a sight is presented to one not 

 accustomed to it as picturesque as it is novel. Along 

 the road leading to the ring will come the owner of a 

 stallion leading or riding the pride of his life, all 

 bedecked with ribbons and groomed so slick as to raise 

 a suspicion that bear's grease has been used in his final 

 preparation. Next will appear a farmer leading a 

 mare, beside which is her off spring several months old, 

 and often the colt will be wearing a fancy bitting 

 harness, in which it seems perfectly at home. But 

 more curious than all these is the old colored mammy 

 mounted on the old reliable saddle mare, with one child 

 astride in front and several mounted in the same 

 way behind, so that this "beast of burden " is loaded 

 from her shoulders to her tail, and traveling in this 

 manner most of the community gather near where the 

 exercises are to be held. These shows commence in 

 the morning and frequently last all day, and no one 

 ever need be afraid that he will suffer from hunger in 



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