PERSONALITY IN HORSEMANSHIP 215 



rode him when I got the opportunity, and schooled him 

 the best I could close to a farm where I was billeted. He 

 wanted plenty of riding and exceptionally good hands 

 essentially light ones or else he would soon get out of 

 control by rearing, after which he would turn nappy. 

 The guns had upset him a good bit. In good hands he 

 was perfectly topping. 



On Christmas morning, 1914, I rode him to a village 

 to get some rations, and to my unpleasant surprise I 

 was confronted by the two officers I have already men- 

 tioned. 



" Where did you get that brute from ? Dismount ! " 



When I had obeyed my superior officer he had a 

 serious conflab with his colleague about the horse. 

 After which they decided to commandeer it. 



But the fun did not commence until the captain 

 mounted him, his heavy, unskilled hands and sharp spurs 

 (fresh from Woolworth's) annoyed the fiery gelding so 

 that he stood up on his hind legs and pranced ; he 

 endured the snatching and jerking of the bit until he 

 was so upset that he bucked. Off came the officer and 

 away went the horse. 



Most of the officers tried to ride him, but without 

 success. He was afterwards kept in a loose-box and no 

 one was allowed to ride him. If the C.O. had seen me 



