But when it came to breaking in, that was
a bad time for me; several men came to catch me, and when at last they
closed me in at one corner of the field, one caught me by the forelock,
another caught me by the nose and held it so tight I could hardly draw
my breath; then another took my under jaw in his hard hand and wrenched
my mouth open, and so by force they got on the halter and the bar into
my mouth; then one dragged me along by the halter, another flogging
behind, and this was the first experience I had of men's kindness; it
was all force. They did not give me a chance to know what they wanted.
I was high bred and had a great deal of spirit, and was very wild, no
doubt, and gave them, I dare say, plenty of trouble, but then it was
dreadful to be shut up in a stall day after day instead of having my
liberty, and I fretted and pined and wanted to get loose. You know
yourself it's bad enough when you have a kind master and plenty of
coaxing, but there was nothing of that sort for me.
"There was one--the old master, Mr. Ryder--who, I think, could soon have
brought me round, and could have done anything with me; but he had given
up all the hard part of the trade to his son and to another experienced
man, and he only came at times to oversee.
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