226 HANDLING AND BREAKING. 



thing I can't imagine. She had never 

 attempted to bite any one before ; nor did 

 she, so far as I know, ever do so again. 

 Either she must have been too thin-skinned 

 to endure the slightly disparaging criticism 

 on her bone (she had 7^, which Avasn't 

 so bad for a small thoroughbred one of 

 fifteen hands), or the oj^portunity was 

 absolutely too tempting to be resisted. It 

 was a painful experience for me, as well as 

 for my portly and august friend ; and ever 

 since, when showing a horse, I have taken 

 firm hold of his head. 



Whether horses are ever j)ositively vicious 

 unless made so by the injudicious treatment 

 of mankind, I do not know ; all I can say is 

 that none I have had to do with have been 

 so. " Mad " Chillaby, Merlin., Ci-/iiser, and 

 Von Stroon seem certainly to have been 

 ferocious creatures, imsafe for any one to 

 approach ; but it is rather difiicult to decide 

 Avhether they were made so l)y bad treatment; 



