IN SEARCH OF A HORSE. 175 



sive. No horse is without a fault of some kind, and 

 yet there are not many that absolutely incapacitate 

 him for work. A horse may refuse to canter, and 

 yet be pleasant and speedy in his trot ; he may even 

 blunder with a new and inexperienced rider, and 

 ultimately prove sure-footed when better accustomed 

 to the hand. Many will swerve and shy when they 

 find themselves unsteadily mounted, and afterwards 

 prove perfectly docile. Some animals of delicate 

 stomachs, or moody tempers, will refuse their corn 

 when they come into a strange stable ; others will be 

 sullen when introduced to a new face, or unmanage- 

 able when groomed by an unwonted hand : all these 

 are temporary inconveniences, and far from conclu- 

 sive against the value or usefulness of the horse. 



Many timid riders take alarm at the frolics of 

 their horse when first mounted ; forgetting that in 

 all probability he has been fed up into high condi- 

 tion for sale, and had no work for a month past, 

 beyond his daily exercise. It is not a fortnight 

 since I mounted a mare that almost kicked down the 

 stable door as soon as I crossed her. She carried 

 me very quietly for an hour afterwards, and I was 

 more disposed to complain jof a want of spirit, than 

 an excess of it. 



