ON THE HABITS AND VICES OF IIORSES. 
671 
I wish to establish as a point I have more particularly in view, is, 
that from whatever cause the vicious habits of horses may origi¬ 
nate, whether from some mismanagement, from natural badness 
of temper, or from what is called in Yorkshire a mist etch, 
whenever these animals acquire one of them, and it becomes in 
some degree confirmed, they very seldom, if ever, altogether 
forget it. In reference to driving', it is so true, that it may be 
taken as a kind of aphorism,—if ahorse kicks once in harness, no 
matter the cause, he will always be liable to kick ever afterw ards 
as long as he lives. A good coachman may drive him, it is true, 
may make him g'o, but he cannot make him forget his vice. And 
so it is in riding. You may conquer a restive horse; may make 
him ride quiet for months, nay almost for years together; but I 
affirm, that under other circumstances, and at some future oppor¬ 
tunity, he will be sure to return to his old tricks again. Of this 
I have seen many remarkable instances, and, as 1 like to illus¬ 
trate by practical examples, I shall take the liberty to relate one. 
When a very young man, I remember purchasing a horse at a 
fair in the north of England, that was offered very cheap, on ac¬ 
count of his being unmanageable. It was said nobody could 
ride him. We found that the animal objected to have any thing 
placed upon his back, and that, when made to move forward with 
even nothing more than a saddle on, he instantly threw himself 
down upon his side with great violence, and w ould then endea¬ 
vour to roll upon his back. There was at that time in Yorkshire 
a famous colt-breaker, known by the name of Jumper, w ho was 
almost as celebrated in that country for taming vicious horses 
into submission as the famed whisperer in Ireland. We put this 
animal into Jumper’s hands, who took him away, and in about 
ten days brought him home again, certainly not looking* w orse 
in condition, but perfectly subdued, and almost as obedient as a 
dog*; for he would lie down at this man’s bidding, and only 
rise again at his command—carry double, or any thing. 1 took to 
riding him myself, and may say I never was better carried for six 
or eight months, during which time he never shewed the least 
vice whatever. I then sold him to a Lincolnshire farmer, who 
said he w ould give him a summer’s run at grass, and shew him, 
a very fine horse, at the great Horncastle fair. Happening to 
meet this gentleman the following year, I naturally enough en¬ 
quired after my old friend. “ Oh,” said he, “ that was a bad 
business; the horse turned out a sad rebel. The first time we 
attempted to mount him after getting him up from grass, he, in an 
instant, threw the man down with the greatest violence, pitching' 
him several yards over his head; and after that he threw every 
one that attempted to get on his back. If he could not throw 
