1 1 8 Among- Men and Horses. 



some of the best fellows in the world, and I kept learning 

 more about horses than I had ever dreamed it were possible 

 to do. When I arrived in India, the knowledge of horse- 

 breaking was very small in that country ; consequently, there 

 was a large number of vicious and unmanageable animals, 

 most of whom I successfully handled. The majority of my 

 pupils were owners and enthusiastic lovers of horses. They 

 profited so much by my instruction that they have reduced 

 the percentage of ' difficult ' horses to a very small figure. 

 The horses imported from Australasia, which used to supply 

 by far the greatest proportion of vicious brutes, are, owing 

 to improved management, becoming year by year quieter 

 and more easy to handle. Hence, anyone who will follow 

 in my footsteps in India, will find wild horses almost as 

 scarce there, as in England. I went to India very ignorant ; 

 but each one of the hundreds of bad horses I handled taught 

 me something. Wherever I went, I had in my classes the 

 most experienced men among horses in the place. While 

 showing them all I knew and trying to explain everything 

 I could about breaking, I was certain to be told any wrinkle 

 or device which any of my pupils had found useful. On 

 learning anything of this kind, I tested it, and if it turned 

 out good, I promptly shoved it into my metaphorical bag 

 of tricks, to be utilised on future occasions. Consequently, 

 I not alone amassed invaluable experience, but also acquired 

 the most of the knowledge previously possessed by all the 

 fine horsemen whom I had the privilege of meeting. Had 

 I lived a thousand years working by the light of only my 

 own experience, I would not have obtained half the know- 

 ledge, for the possession of which I am indebted to horse- 

 loving friends whom I have met in many parts of Europe, 

 Asia and Africa ; to say nothing of books. 



As my readers will understand from remarks I have 

 already made, sulky, stubborn horses are infinitely more 

 difficult to break than the wild, hot-headed, and hostile kind, 

 but give practically no ' show.' Two hours' tuition would 



