EDUCATION OF THE COLT 95 



There is no danger of this, if the matter is gone 

 about as it should be. Of my own colts, for in- 

 stance, I never had a single one injured by early 

 breaking. On the other hand, it is almost always 

 much harder to break a nearly-matured or fully 

 matured horse, though, of course, this varies with 

 different individuals, according to breed, tempera- 

 ment, and disposition. 



A few years ago a fine five-year-old mare, a 

 beautiful animal, trotting-bred, was brought to 

 me to be broken. She had cost her owner consid- 

 erable money and he told me he was so choice of 

 her that he did not have her broken earlier for 

 fear she might be injured in some way. She was 

 handled carefully, but she was large and strong 

 and her temper none of the best, and before the 

 job was finished coercive measures had to be used. 

 And if her owner could have seen the stiff fight 

 that she put up when certain straps and rigging 

 were put on her, I think he could hardly have sup- 

 posed that she was in less danger of hurting her- 

 self than if handled when younger. 



I might multiply examples, for I have handled 

 quite a number of fully-matured horses that, for 

 some reason, had never been broken. As I have 

 already intimated, if the horse is naturally tract- 

 able and gentle, it makes less difference at what 

 age he is broken. But it is pretty hard to tell 



