306 hunting favourites 



the nutritious but coarse grass which abounds. It 

 is customary to knee-halter horses when doing so ; 

 but if they are fed regularly at certain hours they 

 are sure to return to the waggons at the specified 

 time to look for their night meal. When not 

 troubled with tampers, which is not very prevalent 

 here, these up-country horses are greedy feeders, 

 and, at such times, disposed to be very spiteful to 

 each other ; thus they should invariably be tied 

 some distance apart. Grooming, of course, can- 

 not be practised thoroughly when leading such 

 a nomadic life, still, a rub over with a wisp of 

 rushes or coarse grass, with an after-dressing 

 with a hard brush, will always be found conducive 

 to the health and comfort of your horses. The first 

 of my beauties is a bay with black points, and of 

 undoubted English pedigree. He has a great turn 

 of speed, and, over ordinary ground, can with ease 

 overtake a giraffe ; no mean performance, I can 

 assure the reader, for these long-legged, spotted 

 gentry can go a tremendous pace. He also can 

 jump well, which I proved to the astonishment of 

 some Boers in Marico, where I rode him back and for- 

 ward over a brick wall, just under five feet in height. 

 I never saw men stare and look so crestfallen as 

 these Dutchmen did, when I offered to repeat the 

 performance, provided they doubled their bets. But 

 these gentry do not easily part with their coin, so 

 satisfied themselves by exclaiming, " Mein Got! 



