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Updated: October 26, 2025
General Boswell's coachman was a Scot; a grim, taciturn, brickdust-coloured fellow, who had been in his present service for a quarter of a century. He had been bred amongst horses from his boyhood, for his father had been a horsebreaker, and when he had run away from home and enlisted, he had satisfied ambition by becoming a driver of artillery.
He was accustomed to say 'twas a mercy it didn't hinder his profession which, being that of a horsebreaker, freed him, as a rule, from the necessity of much walking. Other men Billabong had sent to the war, and not all of them had come back; the lonely station had been a place of anxiety and of mourning. But to-day the memories of the long years of fighting and waiting were blotted out in joy.
"Well, uncle, I've conquered him," said Alexander, as he came into the room, very much heated with exercise. "Conquered whom, my boy?" replied Sir Charles. "The colt; I've backed him, and he is now as gentle as a lamb; but he fought hard for two hours at least." "Why should you run such risk, Alexander, when the horsebreaker would have broke him just as well?" "But not so soon, uncle."
"Well, uncle, I've conquered him," said Alexander, as he came into the room, very much heated with exercise. "Conquered whom, my boy?" replied Sir Charles. "The colt; I've backed him, and he is now as gentle as a lamb; but he fought hard for two hours at least." "Why should you run such risk, Alexander, when the horsebreaker would have broke him just as well?" "But not so soon, uncle."
As one whose mode of livelihood was trick and device outside the law it had behooved him ever to restrain himself from violent outbreaks, to school and curb and tame his natural tendencies as a horsebreaker might gentle a spirited colt. A man who held his disposition always under control could think faster than any man who permitted his passions to jangle his nerves.
Half killed every one of my children I mean half killed them, I say, with fright. They are all still alive and well, God preserve them, but none the better for your horsebreaker; for fresh air is good for children and my little Rebecca would stop indoors till he was at home again for fear of his terrifying pranks." "Well, well!" Orion broke in.
This, in my opinion: to move thyself and to restrain thyself in conformity to thy proper constitution, to which end both all employments and arts lead. For every art aims at this, that the thing which has been made should be adapted to the work for which it has been made; and both the vine planter who looks after the vine, and the horsebreaker, and he who trains the dog, seek this end.
The operation called lunging, in which a haltered colt is made to trot round and round a horsebreaker who holds the rope, till the beholder grows dizzy in looking at them, is a very unhappy one for the animal concerned.
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