70 BREAKING. 
and Cuvier. The late Lord Jersey used to have the most of 
his horses broke at two-years old, and run them at three, and 
he succeeded with a small stud. Whilst Mr. Wreford, and 
many others who were equally fortunate, broke their horses 
as yearlings (which is the general practice), though some 
were not raced until they were three-years old. 
As for myself, I am clear on the point. Whatever the 
age at which the horse has to run, he should be broke and 
ridden as a yearling. One good and sufficient reason for this 
practice is, that he is then more tractable, and reduced to 
submission with less restraint than when older. If, too, the 
breaking be left late, vicious habits may have been contracted 
which no training will eradicate. The late Mr. J. J. Farquhar- 
son, of hunting celebrity, used to keep his horses till four and 
even five years old running loose in large paddocks, before 
sending them to be broke. But I never knew him possessed 
of a good one so treated. A winner he may have had, which 
is all that may fairly be said in favour of the produce of his 
stud. A more savage lot of horses in the stable I never saw, 
or on the turf a greater set of rogues. This experience 
should, I think, deter any one from following a plan that 
in my opinion has so signally failed, and which may be 
said to be the only one tried to such an extent without a 
redeeming point. 
Those who favour the system of late breaking say: “ Our 
horses are ruined and prematurely brought to the stud 
through unsoundness and the want of stamina caused by early 
breaking and running so often.” Such an allegation may be 
easily refuted. For do we not see horses running till ten 
or twelve years old, broke at such an age? Historian, Lilian, 
Reindeer, and a host of others, may be mentioned to prove 
the absurdity of such a proposition; for these and many 
