58 RIDING 



well-mannered favourite because, when a little pressure is put 

 upon him, this infirmity becomes apparent. That, however, is a 

 question for the rider. The infirmity is apt to grow, and though 

 there are even good hunters, much more good hacks, that are 

 open to the charge of roaring, soundness in this respect should 

 be a sine qua non in purchasing, as the least noise may speedily 

 develop into a distressing malady. In the second place, good 

 legs and feet are an essential. A young horse may be actually 

 sound and may yet have what seem all the elements of unsound- 

 ness dubious hocks, joints with a tendency to roundness, feet 

 contracted or otherwise likely to go wrong. Thirdly, for the 

 saddle-horse good shoulders are indispensable. Without them 

 the chances are that the horse will not step well and safely, 

 and few things are more distressing to a rider than the sensa- 

 tion his mount gives him of an ability to stumble. A well-set 

 sloping shoulder may prove deceptive ; that is to say, the action 

 may not be as free and unconstrained as appearances suggest, 

 so this is a thing to be tested ; and in the same way a rider 

 may be agreeably surprised at finding how well a horse that is. 

 apparently somewhat upright in the shoulder steps out when 

 asked to move ; but as a rule external indications are borne 

 out ; the upright shouldered hack is unsafe, and conveys to his 

 rider the uncomfortable impression that he is so; the hack with 

 shoulder well set on suggests the idea of safety. In the fourth 

 place come manners, and this consideration is influenced by the 

 circumstance that what seem to be bad manners^on the part 

 of the horse may in reality be bad hands on the part of the 

 rider. Nothing is more common than to see a horse that 

 is restive and troublesome, even dangerous, with one man, 

 behaving in a most exemplary way when another rider gets. 

 into the saddle ; the hack that is placid and, a model of obedi- 

 ence in the hands of No. I. will decline to go quietly a dozen- 

 yards straight ahead in the hands of No. II. Before any sort 

 of opinion could be given as to the horse's manners in either 

 case, it is obviously only just that No. III. should be called 

 into consultation. 



