HANDLING AND BREAKING. 



" Horse " play is proverbial for rough sport ; 

 and it must be remembered that the horse 

 is a very much heavier and stronger animal 

 than his human playmate. Some day, perhaps, 

 when you are not thinking of it, he begins 

 a game, and though it is all in good part 

 and entirely devoid of vicious intention, you 

 sustain some injury, which causes you to 

 regret having initiated the practice. I 

 remember, for instance, the case of a man 

 who used to amuse himself by making his 

 horse rear in a roomy box, probably by way 

 of showing off and looking pretty (for rearing 

 is rather an elegant, though undesirable 

 accomplishment) ; but one day failing to 

 avoid a descending hoof, he got a nasty crack 

 on his head from his quite innocent, but 

 too formidable playfellow. A stable boy 

 I remember being killed outright, through 

 a foolish habit he had of flicking with his 

 rubber at a horse's quarters as he passed, 

 and adroitly avoiding the playful kick with 



