20 THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN 



gestions that are valuable even to those who have no 

 reason to distrust their horsemanship- 

 There are not many men who are acquainted with 

 their own weight with any degree of accuracy ; yet 

 the importance of even a few pounds more or less 

 upon the back of a horse, will be felt immediately by 

 observing the consequences attached to it on the 

 turf ; the diiference of four pounds extra weight will 

 always be found materially to affeet the betting upon 

 a horse. It is scarcely necessary to remind the 

 reader that his riding weight is always calculated at 

 a stone above his actual weight ; that allowance 

 being usually made for the saddle and bridle. 

 Perhaps there is no single cause that so frequently 

 brings horses down, as their being over-weighted. 

 A dull horse with scarcely a stone more than h© is 

 accustomed to bear, will turn sulky and careless ; the 

 rider becomes impatient, and urges him to exertion ; 

 the usual pace of the horse is broken, and a fall is 

 the natural result. 



Closely allied to this suggestion is another of 

 equal moment — to consider well the nature of the 

 work you require your horse to perform. I shall 

 reserve what I have to say about the choice of horses 



